Onondaga's  Centennial. 


GLEANINGS  OF  A  CENTURY. 


EDITED  BY 

DWIGHT  H.  BRUCE. 


Volume 


THE  BOSTON  HISTORY  COMPANY,  PUBLISHERS. 
1896. 


PREFACE 


History,  in  confined  limits,  is  not  easy  to  record  in  accordance  with 
the  broader  definition  of  the  word.  Somebody  has  written  that  the 
real  work  of  history  is  to  be  found  in  understanding  the  organic  devel- 
opment of  the  five  great  phases  of  institutional  life:  the  political,  the 
religious,  the  cultural,  the  economic,  and  the  social.  To  an  extent,  these 
requirements  may  be  complied  with  in  writing  the  history  of  a  county, 
but  the  field  is  too  small  for  much  elaboration  of  them. 

The  purpose  of  these  volumes  is  more  to  record  that  which  has 
transpired  during  a  century  than  to  discuss  questions  which  in  a  wax- 
may  be  said  to  be  related  to  the  development.  Of  such  questions 
there  is  not  much  to  be  said  intelligently,  much  to  reason  upon,  which 
would  not  be  common-place  to  the  reader,  whose- thoughts  and  imagi- 
nation are  as  capable  of  applying  intimations  and  suggestions  which 
recorded  facts  give  as  our  own. 

In  systematizing  the  order  under  which  these  volumes  should  be 
compiled  and  written,  it  was  deemed  wise  to  in  the  main  substitute 
chronology  for  too  close  classification,  in  the  belief  that  the  reader 
would  prefer  to  follow  the  line  of  transpiring  events  and  preserve  the 
continuity  of  the  interesting  story.  The  towns,  too,  have,  as  a  rule, 
been  placed  according  to  the  order  of  their  establishment  rather  than 
alphabetically,  thus  maintaining  the  chronological  plan. 

The  present  population  of  the  county  is  very  largely  composed  of 
the  descendants  of  pioneers  and  early  settlers;  hence  it  has  been 
deemed  advisable  to  insert  as  many  of  the  names  of  such  ancestors  as 
could  be  obtained.  To  that  end  records  have  been  patiently  searched 
with  quite  satisfactory  results. 

Much  which  might  have  appeared  in  the  chapters  of  general  county 
history  in  Volume  I  was  reserved  for  what  was  deemed  to  be  a  more 
appropriate  place  in  the  respective  towns,  as  fairly  belonging  to  them  ; 


1384669 


iv  PREFACE. 

so  that  the  general  writings  relate  more  to  early  times  than  to  the 
county's  real  existence.  These  narratives,  however,  are  thought  to  be 
intensely  interesting,  and  certainly  they  present  the  first  connected 
and  complete  sketch  of  the  early  history  of  this  locality  which  has  ever 
been  written.  The  real  valor  and  character  of  the  Iroquois  is  made  to 
stand  out;  their  trials  as  well  as  the  troubles  of  the  invaders  are  most 
fully  recorded.  Of  that  confederacy  one  never  tires  of  reading — 
made  more  famous  by  the  legend  of  Hiawatha,  and  Longfellow's  su- 
perb poem. 

Enough  of  the  experiences  of  the  Pioneers  is  related  to  show  most 
clearly  the  fortitude  required  of  them  to  overcome  the  monstrous  ob- 
stacles with  which  they  voluntarily  met,  of  the  manner  of  their  lives, 
of  the  heroism  which  laid  the  foundation  for  the  great  things  to  come. 
Not  only  upon  the  men  did  trials  and  tribulations  fall,  but  doubly  so 
upon  the  noble  women  who  with  woman's  love  and  fidelity  accompan- 
ied their  husbands  to  these  wilds. 

The  gradual  and  increasing  development  which  has,  from  the  ear- 
liest period  to  the  present,  been  made,  is  somewhat  minutely  shown 
by  abundant  statistics  in  their  proper  places.  Manufactures  kept  pace 
with  agricultural  pursuits;  religion  and  education  were  fostered  from 
the  beginning,  and  those  principles  upon  which  communities  are  suc- 
cessfully reared  were  early  engrafted  into  the  fundamental  law  and 
usages. 

It  has  been  an  interesting  as  well  as  laborious  task  to  prepare  this 
History  for  the  press,  and  while  completeness  in  all  things  is  not 
claimed  for  it — no  written  history  can  be  complete — it  is  hoped  and 
believed  that  it  presents  a  very  full  and  accurate  record.  Its  prepara- 
tion was  embarrassed  by  the  very  meager  early  records,  and  by  the  loss 
of  not  a  few  later  ones  of  the  towns;  but  the  deficiency  has  been  well 
supplied  in  various  ways  and  from  other  sources.  Great  helps  in  silent 
ways  have  been  the  many  older  publications  of  historical,  biographical, 
and  statistical  character.  The  list  of  such  works  is  too  long  for  publi- 
cation here,  and  most  of  them  are  more  or  less  familiar  to  all  intelli- 
gent readers. 

Tin    Editor  wishes  also  to  acknowledge  the  valuable  personal  assist- 
ant- which   has  been  generously  rendered.      But  his  first  and  special 
a<  knowledgments  are  justly  due  to  Mr.  H.  Perry  Smith,  whose  superior 
ibilityand  long  and  extended  experience  in  such  work,  enabled  him 
to  discharge  his  important  responsibilities  with  rare  excellence;    Mr. 


PREFACE.  v 

W.  Stanley  Child  has  also  contributed  much  conscientious  and  valuable 
labor  in  general  and  special  fields. 

The  chapters  devoted  to  Indian  history  and  the  early  wars  were  re- 
vised by  the  Rev.  W.  M.  Beauchamp,  S.  T.  D.,  of  Baldwinsville,  who 
is  the  best  local  authority  upon  those  topics.  While  the  list  of  all  who 
have  personally  aided  in  our  task  is  too  long  for  publication,  it  is  in- 
cumbent upon  us  to  give  the  names  of  a  few  who  have  been  most  instru- 
mental in  securing  and  supplying  information  for  the  various  town  his- 
tories; among  such  are  Captain  George  K.  Collins  and  Uriah  Rouncly, 
town  of  Spafford;  E.  Norman  Leslie,  the  town  of  Skaneateles;  E.  P. 
Howe,  the  town  of  Otisco;  Du  Portal  S.  Sprague  and  Spafford  Allen, 
town  of  Fabius;  the  family  of  the  late  Calvin  Mclntyre,  the  town  of 
Elbridge;  David  A.  Munro,  the  town  of  Camillus;  Rev.  Avery  R. 
Palmer,  the  town  of  La  Fayette ;  Wallace  Tappan,  the  town  of  Van 
Buren;  Richard  L.  Smith,  the  town  of  Lysander;  Fred  A.  M.  Ball, 
the  town  of  Pompey ;  M.  P.  Worden  and  Alvah  Woodworth,  the  town 
of  Manlius;  Lauren  Plant  and  the  Emmons  family,  the  town  of  Cicero; 
Dr.  Allen  V.  R.  Snyder,  the  town  of  Clay;  Josiah  G.  Holbrook  and  E. 
S.  Walker,  the  town  of  De  Witt;  and  Rev.  Albert  Cusick,  some  of  the 
data  for  the  Onondaga  Indian  chapter. 

D.   H.  B. 

Syracuse,  April,  1896. 


CONTENTS-VOL.  I 


CHAPTER  I. 


Original  Ten  Counties — Montgomery  County — Herkimer  County — Onondaga 
County — Act  Erecting  Onondaga  County — Map  of  Original  County — Reduc- 
tion of  Territory  of  Onondaga  County — The  Military  Tract — Land  Gratui- 
ties of  New  York  State — Land  Commissioners- — Acts  Relative  to  the  Military 
Tract  and  Bounty  Lands — Survey  of  the  Military  Lands — "  Survey  Fifty  " — 
Various  Descriptions  of  Military  Tract  Boundaries — Reservations  in  the  Mili- 
tary Tract — "State's  Hundred" — Townships  of  the  Military  Tract — Con- 
tention and  Litigation  over  Land  Titles 1-11 

CHAPTER  II. 

NATURAL  CHARACTERISTICS. 

Topography  of  the  County — Streams — Waterfalls  and  Cascades — Lakes — Pecul- 
iarity of  the  Green  Lakes — Springs — Geology ...11  -24 

CHAPTER  III. 

The    Ethnology  of  Onondaga — Utensils  of  the   Early  Peoples — Sites  of  Indian 

Towns  —  Camps — Cemeteries — Mounds — Forts— Johnson's    Fort 24-34 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Name  of  Iroquois — Traditions — Hiawatha — Wampum — Confederates — Clans — 
Families —  First  Accounts — Villages — Language  —  Months — Feasts — Wor- 
ship— Character M - . 34-4 1 

CHAPTER  V. 

Champlain's  Invasion — Iroquois  Fort — Jesuits — Hurons  and  Iroquois — Jogues — 
Hurons  at  Onondaga — Onondaga  Ambassadors — Andastes — Overthrow  of 
Hurons  and  Neutrals - - 41-50 


viii  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

French  Invited  by  Mohawks— Onondagas— Negotiations— Le  Moyne's  Journey- 
Councils  —  Addresses  —  Fire  —  Baptisms  —  Erie  War  —  Return—  Onondaga 
Lake— Salt  Springs— Rivers 50-56 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Peace  Ratified  — Journey  of  Dablon  and  Chaumonot  —  Otihatangue — Oneida 
River — Reception — Council — Onondaga  Lake — Place  of  Settlement — Erie 
Child — Religious  Services — Presents — French  Prisoner — Onondaga  and  Cay- 
uga Songs — Presents  and  Addresses — Chapel — Christmas  Eve — Stockade — 
Stories — The  Journey — Hunger — Gannentaa — Councils — Fruits — Country — 
Customs— Slaves— Privations— Plots— Flight— The  Settlement . 56-75 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  FRENCH. 

<  (nondaga  Victory — Tortures — Truce — Captives — Le  Moyne's  Mission — His  Re- 
turn— De  Tracy — Missions  Resumed  —  Baptism  of  Garakontie  —  Mohawk 
Condolence — Catechising — Drunkenness 75-82 

CHAPTER  IX. 

English  and  Iroquois — La  Salle — Garakonties  Death — Missions — Southern  Wars 
and  Lands — De  la  Barre — Garangula — Greenhalgh — Dekanissora — De  Non- 
ville — Invasion  of  Canada — Millet's  Capture 82-90 

CHAPTER  X. 

Iroquois  and  English — Blacksmiths — Aqueendera — Frontenac's  Invasion — Black 
Kettle— Embassies — Colonel  Romer — Dekanissora  and  Jesuits — French  Fort 
— Oswego — Beaver  Lands        .. 90-101 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Pennsylvania  Councils — Conrad  Weiser — Black  Prince — Bartram — Sir  William 

Johnson— Peace . 101-106 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Moravians      Zeisberger  —  Spangenberg —  Cammerhoff — Vocabularies  —War — 

•  i  Picquet — Peace — Discouragements — New  Plans,  _ . 106-113 


CONTENTS.  ix 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

War — Oswego — French  Activity — Battle  Island — Onondaga  Fort — Condolence 

Fall    of    Oswego — French    Privations — New    Forts — Brewerton  —  Niagara 
Taken — Quebec — Fort  Lewis 113-126 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Indian  Dissatisfaction— Medals — Kirkland's  Visit — Pontiac — Trade — Discontent 
— Grants  to  Cherokees — Johnson — Property  Line — Tryon  County — Indian 
Customs — Grievances — Johnson's  Death — Indian  Mourning. .126-134 

CHAPTER  XV. 

The  Revolution — Mohawk  Valley — Conference — The  Johnsons — Campaign  of 
1776 — Burgoyne  and  St.  Leger — Fort  Stanwix  and  Oriskany — Oswego — 
Molly  Brant — Expedition  against  Onondaga — Beatty's  Journal — Results — 
Johnson's  Raid — Turtle  Tree — Attempt  on  Oswego — Close  of  the  War — List 
of  Revolutionary  Soldiers 134-172 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Unsettled  Affairs — Treaty  of  Stanwix — Kirkland  and  Proctor — Later  Treaties — 
Onondaga  Sales — Original  Reservation — Onondagas  since  the  Revolution — 
Captain  John  and  other  Chiefs 172-183 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Webster  and  Newkirk — Danforth — Lessee  Company — Cockburn  and  Vander- 
kemp — Frenchman's  Island — Roads — Divisions  of  Counties  and  Erection  of 
Onondaga— Towns 183-197 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
THROUGH  THE  WAR  OF  1812. 

The  First  Decade — Transportation — Highways — The  First  Newspapers— The 
Salt  Industry — Beginning  of  the  War  of  1812-15 — The  Militia — Onondaga's 
Regiments  and  Companies — The  Old  Arsenal — Events  of  1813 — Capture  of 
Oswego  by  the  British — Treaty  of  Ghent — Turnpike  Companies — Boundary 
of  Onondaga  County — Reduction  to  Present  Area .197-218 


x  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   XIX. 

FROM  1815  TO  1830. 

Events  of  Importance— Canal  Agitation— Construction  of  the  Erie  Canal— Its 
Business— Other  Canal  Schemes— Changes  in  Civil  Divisions— A  Glimpse 
of  Syracuse  and  other  Villages  in  1829_ 218-226 

CHAPTER  XX. 

Era  of  Prosperity — Cholera — Railroads — Turnpikes — The  First  Bank — Financial 
Inflation  and  Wreck — The  "  Patriot  War" — Illustrations  of  Salina  and  Syra- 
cuse in  1840 - -.226-235 

CHAPTER   XXI. 

Increase  in  Population — Agricultural  Development — The  First  Plank  Road — 
The  Direct  Road — The  Syracuse  and  Oswego  Railroad — The  Syracuse  and 
Binghamton  Railroad — The  Telegraph  —  Public  Buildings  —  The  "Jerry 
Rescue"— The  Financial  Panic  of  1857 235-240 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE  WAR  PERIOD. 

The  Beginning  of  the  War — Military  Enthusiasm — Captain  Butler's  Company — 
Captain  Jenney's  Artillery  [Company — The  12th  Regiment — The  122d  Regi- 
ment— Bounties  and  Bounty  Legislation — The  101st  Regiment — The  149th 
Regiment — The  Draft — The  185th  Regiment — Statistics  of  Bounty  Indebt- 
edness  240-255 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

FROM  1865  TO  THE  PRESENT. 

Gain  in  Population— Inflation  and  Contraction — Railroads — The  Cardiff  Giant- 
Syracuse  University — The  West  Shore  Railroad — Bridges — The  Centennial 
Celebration 255-264 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

from   tin'   Formation  of  the  County — Republicans  and  Federalists — 
m  ..i  the  Federalists — The  Clintonians  and  Bucktails — The  Demo- 
crats— "  Vigilance  Committees"— The  Anti-Masons — Opposition  to  Sunday 


CONTENTS.  xi 

Mails— The  Whigs— The  Abolitionists— The  Campaign  of  1840— The  Hunk- 
ers and  Barnburners — The  Temperance  Movement  —  The  Free  Soilers — 
The  Carson  League — The  "  Free  Democracy" — The  Know  Nothings — Birth 
of  the  Republican  Party — Syracuse  as  the  "  City  of  Conventions" — Civil 
List -.-- 264-311 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

PUBLIC  INSTITUTIONS. 

The  County  Poorhouse — Onondaga  County  Penitentiary — Onondaga  County 
Agricultural  Society — Onondaga  County  Clerk's  Office — Onondaga  County 
Orphan  Asylum — Onondaga  Historical  Society 311-324 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 
THE  BENCH  AND  BAR  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY. 

Comparison  of  the  State  Law  with  the  Common  Law — Evolution  of  the  Courts — 
The  Court  of  Appeals — The  Supreme  Court — The  Court  of  Chancery — The 
County  Court — The  Surrogate's  Court — Justice's  Court — District  Attorneys — 
Sheriffs — Court  Buildings  —  Judicial  Officers — Personal  Sketches — Miscel- 
laneous..  324-359 

CHAPTER    XXVII. 
THE  MEDICAL   PROFESSION. 

The  Onondaga  County  Medical  Society — Synopsis  of  its  Acts  to  the  Present 
Day — Its  Essayists — Its  Presidents — List  of  its  Members — The  Syracuse 
Medical  Association — List  of  its  Members — Its  Officers — Its  Essayists— Syra- 
cuse MedicalCollege — Biographical  Sketches  of  Deceased  Physicians — Sketch 
of  Homoeopathy — Homoeopathic  Medical  Society — Its  Members — Its  Offi- 
cers— Its  Necrology — The  Central  New  York  Homoeopathic  Medical  So- 
ciety   360-398 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE  398-593 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 
THE  TOWN  OF  POMPEY 594-631 


xn  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   XXX. 
THE  TOWN  OF  MARCELLUS - 631-658 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 
THE  TOWN  OF   CAMILLUS. ..659-682 

CHAPTER   XXXII. 
THE  TOWN  OF   ELBRIDGE 683-708 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 
THE  TOWN  OF  VAN   BUREN. 708-737 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 
THE  TOWN  OF  LYSANDER ..738-767 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 
THE  TOWN  OF  MANLIUS 768-806 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 
THE  TOWN  OF  CICERO 806-824 

CHAPTER  XXXVII. 
THE  TOWN  OF  CLAY.. 824-836 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 
'I  HE  TOWN  OF  ONONDAGA! .836-866 

CHAPTER  XXXIX. 
'J  HE  TOWN  OF  FABIUS ... 866-889 


CONTENTS.  xiii 

CHAPTER  XL. 
THE  TOWN  OF  TULLY... 889-904 

CHAPTER  XLI. 
THE  TOWN  OF  SPAFFORD 904-922 

CHAPTER  XLII. 
THE  TOWN  OF  OTISCO 922-932 


CONTENTS. 


PORTRAITS-VOL.  I. 


Alvord,  Thomas  G., 584 

Amos,  Jacob, facing  493 

Baldwin,  Jonas  C 743 

Beauchamp,  William  M.,  Rev.,  facing  759 

Belden,  A.  Cadwell, facing  581 

Belden,  James  J., facing  478 

Bruce,  Dwight  H., .frontispiece 

Campbell,  George  T.,  Dr.,. ...facing  391 

Clark,  Asahel  K.,_... ..facing  712 

Clark,  Charles  P., facing  582 

Clark,  H.  H ....    facing  882 

Cogswell,  William  B. ,... facing  592 

Cole,  Charles  C. , facing  702 

Cossitt,  Rufus, facing  850 

Didama,  Henry  D.,  Dr facing  364 

Duell,  Charles  H. facing  546 

Duguid,  Henry  L., facing  507 

Forman,  Joshua, ... 220 

Frazee,  James, facing  761 

( reddes,  James, 221 

Granger,  Amos  P. , 422 

Hancock,  Theodore  E., facing  310 

Heffron,  John  L.,  Dr., .facing  379 

Higgins,  Alfred, facing  464 

Hotaling,  W.  II facing  874 

Huntington,  Frederic  D. ,  Rev.,  facing 557 
ison,  Nathan,  Dr.,. facing  376 


Kendall,  James  V. ,  Dr. , facing  767 

Lawless,  Michael  J., facing  645 

Mercer,  Alfred,  Dr. , facing  373 

Mills,  Frank  B. , facing  657 

Moir,  Edward,... facing  643 

Munro,  David, .facing  665 

Munro,  David  A. , facing  666 

Nottingham,  John,  Dr. , facing  396 

Peters,  Nicholas,  sr. , .  _ facing  450 

Poole,  Theodore  L. , facing  246 

Ranney,  Luke, facing  700 

Rodger,  William  C .facing  706 

Sadler,  Ambrose, facing  833 

Sheldon,  Jay  W. ,  Dr. , . . .. facing  395 

Smith,  Azariah, 776 

Smith,  Vivus  W., 566 

Tappen,  Gabriel facing  735 

Teall,  Oliver, 424 

Tefft,  Nathan  R.,  Dr., ..facing  859 

Toll,  Abel  H facing  719 

Truair,  John  G.  K. , facing  566 

Tyler,  Comfort, 842 

White,  Andrew  D facing  304 

Wieting,  John  M.,  Dr., facing  481 

Wilkinson,  John 431 

Wilson,  William, ...facing  751 

Wyckoff,  Jonathan, facing  847 


ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  MAPS. 


Coffee  House  in  Syracuse, ...  426 

t,  the  old,   in  Syracuse 471 

side  of  South    Salina  street  in 

Syracuse,  about  is,")."), 593 

First    Baptist   church,    the   original, 
in  S 509 


First  Congregational  church,  the,  in 
Syracuse, 519 

First  M.  E.  church,  the  original,  in 
Syracuse, 523 

First  Presbyterian  church,  the  origi- 
nal, m  Syracuse,.. —   514 


CONTENTS. 


Greyhound  Tavern,  the,  in  Syracuse,  419 
"Line  House,"  the  old,  in  Syracuse,  443 
Manlius  Village,  view  of,  about  1840,  782 

Mansion  House,  the,  in  Syracuse, 402 

Map  of  Central  New  York  in  1809,  fac- 
ing  -   196 

Map  of  Chouaguen  in  1756,  facings  117 
Map,  De  Lery's,  of  Oswego  in  1727, 

facing 98 

Map,   early,  of  Central   New  York, 

facing 66 

Map  of  Fort   Brewerton  and  Block- 
house on   Oneida  Lake 12:3 

Map    of   original  Onondaga  county 

and  Military  Tract, ... 5 

Map  of  Syracuse  in  1834, 445 

Map  of  Syracuse  in  1846, 457 

Map  of  the  Walton  Tract 404 


Map,  reference,  of  Military  Tract  and 

surrounding  territory, 8 

Marvin  Block,  the,  in  Syracuse, 420 

Onondaga     Arsenal     and     map     of 

grounds  of,  facing 207 

Ossahinta,  portait  of, 182 

Raynor  Block  in  Syracuse, 4:i(  I 

St. John's  School,  for   Boys,  at  Man- 
lius,   788 

Saiina,  view  of,  about  1840, 234 

School  House,  the  old,  in  Syracuse,    549 
Site  of  the  White  Memorial  Building 

in  Syracuse, ... 451 

Sites  of  Onondaga  County  and  Syra- 
cuse Savings  Bank  Buildings, 427 

Syracuse,  view  of,  about  1840, 234 

Townsend  Block,  the,  in  Syracuse,..  429 


Onondaga's  Centennial. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Original  Ten  Counties — Montgomery  County — Herkimer  County — Onondaga 
County — Act  Erecting  Onondaga  County — Map  of  Original  County — Reduction  of 
Territory  of  Onondaga  County — The  Military  Tract — Land  Gratuities  of  New  York 
State — Land  Commissioners — Acts  Relative  to  the  Military  Tract  and  Bounty  Lands 
— Survey  of  the  Military  Lands — "  Survey  Fifty" — Various  Descriptions  of  Military 
Tract  Boundaries — Reservations  in  the  Military  Tract — "State's  Hundred" — Town- 
ships of  the  Military  Tract — Contention  and  Litigation  over  Land  Titles. 

The  original  ten  counties  of  what  is  now  the  State  of  New  York  were 
created  on  November  1,  1G83,  and  named  Albany,  Dutchess,  Kings, 
New  York,  Orange,  Queens,  Richmond,  Suffolk,  LTlster,  and  West- 
chester. On  the  12th  of  March,  1772,  Montgomery  county  was  erected 
from  Albany  county  under  the  name  of  "Tryon,"  and  embraced  nearly 
the  whole  of  the  central  and  western  part  of  this  State.  The  name 
was  changed  to  Montgomery  in  178-4,  in  honor  of  the  American  hero 
who  fell  at  Quebec.  From  Montgomery  count}7,  on  February  16,  1791, 
was  erected  Herkimer  county,  embracing  all  the  territory  now  consti- 
tuting Onondaga,  Oneida,  Hamilton,  and  Herkimer  counties,  and  a 
part  of  Otsego  county. 

From  this  then  great  county  of  Herkimer,  Onondaga  county  was 
erected  on  March  5,  1794,  including  within  its  boundaries  the  Military 
Tract  described  further  on.  Following  is  a  transcription  of  the  legis- 
lative act  erecting  the  county: 

Be  it  enacted  by  the  People  of  the  State  of  New  York  represented  in  Senate  and 
Assembly,  and  it  is  hereby  enacted  by  authority  of  the  same: 

That  all  that  tract  of  land  called  the  Military  Tract,  bounded  westerly  by  the 
county  of  Ontario ;  northerly  by  Lake  Ontario,  the  Onondaga  river  and  the  Oneida 
lake,  easterly  by  the  east  bounds  of  the  lands  in  the  said  tract  laid  out  for  townships 


2  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

and  called  by  the  names  of  Cincinnatus,  Solon,  Fabius  and  Pompey,  and  the  easterly 
and  northeasterly  bounds  of  lands  in  the  said  tract  laid  out  for  townships  and  called 
by  the  names  of  Manlius  and  Cicero  as  the  same  have  been  run  and  marked  by  the 
Surveyor-General  of  this  State,  and  southerly  by  the  south  bounds  of  the  lands  in 
the  said  tract  laid  out  for  townships  and  called  by  the  names  of  Cincinnatus,  Virgil, 
Dryden,  Ulysses,  and  Hector,  as  the  same  have  been  run  and  marked  by  the  Sur- 
veyor-General of  this  State,  and  the  same  line  continued  to  the  east  bounds  of  the 
county  of  Ontario,  shall  be  a  separate  county  and  be  called  and  known  by  the  name 
of  Onondaga. 

And  be  it  further  enacted  by  the  authority  aforesaid,  That  there  shall  be  held  in 
and  for  the  said  county  of  Onondaga,  a  court  of  common  pleas  and  a  court  of  general 
sessions  of  the  peace,  and  there  shall  be  two  terms  of  the  said  courts  in  every  year, 
to  commence  and  end  as  follows;  that  is  to  say,  the  first  term  of  the  said  courts  shall 
begin  on  the  fourth  Tuesday  of  May,  and  shall  continue  and  be  held  until  the  Satur- 
day following  inclusive,  and  the  second  term  of  said  courts  shall  begin  on  the  fourth 
Tuesday  of  December,  and  shall  continue  and  be  held  until  the  Saturday  following 
inclusive.  And  the  said  courts  of  common  pleas  and  general  sessions  of  the  peace 
shall  have  the  same  general  powers  and  authorities  in  the  said  county  as  the  courts 
of  common  pleas  and  general  sessions  of  the  peace  in  the  other  counties  of  this  State 
have  in  their  respective  counties.  Provided  always,  That  nothing  in  this  act  con- 
tained shall  be  construed  to  affect  any  suit  or  action  already  commenced,  or  that 
shall  be  commenced,  or  any  criminal  proceedings  had  or  to  be  had  before  the  fourth 
Tuesday  of  May  next,  but  all  such  criminal  and  civil  proceedings  shall  and  may  be 
prosecuted  to  trial,  judgment  and  execution  as  if  this  act  had  never  been  made. 

And  be  it  further  enacted  by  the  authority  aforesaid,  That  until  other  legislative 
provision  be  made  in  the  premises,  the  courts  of  common  pleas  and  general  sessions 
of  the  peace  in  the  said  county  of  Onondaga  shall  be  held  alternately  at  the  house 
now  occupied  by  Reuben  Patterson  in  the  town  of  Manlius,  and  at  the  house  of  Seth 
Phelps  in  the  town  of  Scipio,  beginning  with  the  first. 

And  be  it  further  enacted  by  the  authority  aforesaid,  That  it  shall  and  may  be 
lawful  for  all  courts  and  officers  of  the  said  county  of  Onondaga  in  all  cases  civil  and 
criminal,  to  confine  their  prisoners  in  the  gaol  of  the  county  of  Herkemer,  until  a 
gaol  shall  be  provided  in  the  said  county  of  Onondaga. 

And  be  it  further  enacted  by  the  authority  aforesaid,  That  all  that  part  of  the  said 
county  of  Onondaga  comprehending  the  townships  of  Homer,  Solon,  Virgil  and  Cin- 
cinnatus, shall  be  and  is  hereby  erected  into  a  town  by  the  name  of  Homer  and  that 
the  first  town  meeting  to  be  holden  in  and  for  the  said  town  of  Homer  shall  be  held 
at  the  house  of  John  .Miller  in  the  said  town.  And  that  all  that  part  of  the  said 
county  comprehending  the  townships  of  Pompey,  Tully  and  Fabius,  together  with 
that  part  of  the  lands  called  the  Onondaga  Reservation,  bounded  northerly  by  the 
road  leading  through  the  said  Reservation  commonly  called  the  Genesee  road,  and 
i  ly  by  the  ( >nondaga  creek,  shall  be  and  hereby  is  erected  into  a  town  by  the 
name  of  Pompey,  and  that  the  first  town  meeting  to  be  holden  in  and  for  the  said 
tow  n  of  Pompey  shall  be  held  at  the  house  of  Ebenezer  Butler,  jr.,  in  the  said  town. 
And  that  all  that  part  of  the  enmity  comprehending  the  township  of  Manlius,  to- 
:  with  that  part  of  the  said  Onondaga  Reservation  bounded  southerly  by  the 
aid  load  and  westerly  by  the  said  Onondaga  creek  and  the  Salt  lake,  shall  be 


GENESIS  OF  THE  COUNTY.  3 

and  hereby  is  erected  into  a  town  by  the  name  of  Manlius,  and  that  the  first  town 
meeting  to  be  holden  in  and  for  the  said  town  of  Manlius,  shall  be  held  at  the  house 
of  Benjamin   Morehouse  in  the  said  town.     And  that  all  that  part  of  the  said  county 
comprehending   the   townships   of  Lysander,    Hannibal   and   Cicero,    shall  be  and 
hereby  is  erected  into  a  town  by  the  name  of  Lysander,  and  that  the  first  town  meet- 
ing to  be  holden  in  and  for  the  said  town  of  Lysander,  shall  be  held  at  the  house  of 
Rial  Bingham  in  said  town.    And  that  all  that  part  of  the  said  county  comprehending 
the  townships  of  Camillus  and  Marcellus,  together  with  all  the  residue  of  the  Onon- 
daga Reservation  and  the  residue  of  the  reserved  lands  lying  southwest  of  the  said 
Salt  lake,  shall  be  and  is  hereby  erected  into  a  town  by  the  name  of  Marcellus,  and 
that  the  first  town  meeting  to  be  holden  in  and  for  the  said  town  of  Marcellus  shall 
be  held  at  the  house  of  Moses  Carpenter  in  the  said  town.     And  that  all  that  part  of 
the  said  county  comprehending  the  townships  of  Ulysses  and  Dryden  shall  be  and  is 
hereby  erected  into  a  town  by  the  name  of  Ulysses,  and  that  the  first  town  meeting 
to  be  holden  in  and  for  the  said  town  of  Ulysses  shall  be  held  at  the  house  of  Peter 
Hympagh  in  the  said  town.     And  that  all  that  part  of  the  said  county  comprising 
the  townships  of  Milton  and  Locke,  shall  be  and  hereby  is  erected  into  a  town  bv  the 
name  of  Milton,  and  that  the  first  town  meeting  to  be  holden  in  and  for  the  said 
town  of  Milton  shall  be  held  at  the  house  of  Jonathan  Woodworth  in  said  town.  And 
that  all  that  part  of  said  county  comprehending  the  townships  of  Scipio  and  Sem- 
pronius,   together  with   that  part  of  the  lands  reserved  to  the  Cayuga  nation  of  In- 
dians lying  on  the  east  side  of  the  Cayuga  lake  south  of  a  west  line  drawn  from  the 
southwesterly  corner  of  the  township  of  Aurelius  in  the  east  bounds  of  the  said  Res- 
ervation, to  the  said  Cayuga  lake,  shall  be  and  hereby  is  erected  into  a  town  by  the 
name  of  Scipio,  and  that  the  first  town  meeting  to  be  holden  in  and  for  the  said  town 
of  Scipio,  shall  be  held  at  the  house  of  Augustus  Chidsey  in  the  said  town.     And 
that  all  that  part  of  the  said  county  comprehending  the  townships  of  Cato,   Brutus 
and  Aurelius,  together  with  that  part  of  the  lands  reserved  to  the  Cayuga  nation  of 
Indians  as  aforesaid,  lying  on  the  east  side  of  the  Cayuga  lake,  and  not  included  in 
the  last  mentioned  town  of  Scipio,  shall  be  and  hereby  is  erected  into  a  town  by  the 
name  of  Aurelius,   and  that  the  first  town  meeting  to  be  holden  in  and  for  the  said 
town,  shall  be  held  at  the  house  of  Prentice  Palmer  in  said  town.     And  that  all  that 
part  of  the  said  county  comprehending  the  townships  of  Ovid  and  Hector,  and  all 
the  lands  in  the  said  county  of  Onondaga  lying  on  the  east  side  of  the  Seneca  lake, 
shall  be  and  hereby  is  erected  into  a  town  by  the  name  of  Ovid,  and  that  the  first 
town  meeting  to  be  holden  in  and  for  the  said  town  of  Ovid,  shall  be  held  at  the 
house  of  James  Jackson  in  the  said  town.     And  that  all  that  part  of  the  said  county 
comprehending  the  townships  of  Romulus,   Junius  and  Galen,   together  with  the 
lands  lying  west  of  the  townships  of  Hannibal  and  Cato,  north  of  the  said  township 
of  Galen  and  south  of  Lake  Ontario,  as  also  all  that  part  of  the  lands  reserved  to 
the  Cayuga  nation  of  Indians  lying  on  the  west  side  of  the  Cayuga  lake,  shall  be  and 
hereby  is  erected  into  a  town  by  the  name  of  Romulus,  and  that  the  first  town  meet- 
ing to  be  holden  in  and  for  the  said  town  of  Romulus,  shall  be  held  at  the  house  of 
Benaijah  Boardman  in  the  said  town. 

And  be  it  further  enacted  by  the  authority  aforesaid,  That  the  freeholders  and  in- 
habitants of  the  said  county  of  Onondaga  and  of  the  several  towns  therein,  shall 
have  and  enjoy  within  the  same  respectively,  all  and  every  the  same  rights,  powers 


4  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

and  privileges,  that  the  freeholders  and  inhabitants  of  the  several  other  counties  and 
towns  within  this  State,  are  by  law  entitled  to  have  and  enjoy. 

And  be  it  further  enacted  by  the  authority  aforesaid,  That  until  other  provision 
shall  be  made  by  law,  the  freeholders  and  inhabitants  of  the  said  county  of  Onon- 
daga, shall  give  their  votes  for  a  Member  of  Assembly  in  the  same  manner  as  if  the 
said  county  of  Onondaga  was  part  of  the  county  of  Herkemer,  and  that  the  votes 
taken  in  the  said  county  of  Onondaga  at  each  election  for  a  Member  of  Assembly, 
shall  be  delivered  by  the  clerk  of  the  said  county  of  Onondaga  to  any  one  of  the 
Supervisors  of  the  said  county  of  Onondaga,  who  shall  carry  the  same  to  the  office 
of  the  clerk  of  the  county  of  Herkemer  without  delay,  and  the  said  clerk  of  the 
county  of  Herkemer  shall  deliver  the  same  to  the  Supervisors  of  the  said  county  on 
the  last  Tuesday  of  May  in  every  year,  and  the  same,  together  with  the  votes  taken 
at  the  same  elections  in  the  said  county  of  Herkemer  shall  be  canvassed  by  the 
Supervisors  of  the  county  of  Herkemer,  and  by  any  one  or  more  of  the  Supervisors 
of  the  county  of  Onondaga  who  may  attend  for  the  purpose. — Laws  of  New  York, 
chap.  18. 

The  accompanying  map  shows  within  the  black  outline  the  original 
county  of  Onondaga  (and  of  course  of  the  Military  Tract),  and  its  rela- 
tion to  the  other  counties  then  included  in  Onondaga,  and  other  counties 
surrounding  it. 

The  first  reduction  in  the  area  of  the  original  Onondaga  county  was 
made  by  the  erection  of  Cayuga  county  on  March  8,  1799.  Seneca 
county  was  formed  March  29,  1804;  Cortland  on  April  8,  1808,  and 
Oswego  on  March  1,  1816.  Tompkins  county  was  created  April  17, 
L817,  each  of  these  territorial  organizations  containing  a  portion  of  the 
original  Onondaga  county,  and  finally  reducing  it  to  its  present  area  of 
812  square  miles.  Onondaga  county  is  centrally  situated  in  the  State 
of  New  York  and  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Oswego  county  and 
ida  Lake;  on  the  east  by  Madison  county;  on  the  south  by  Cort- 
land and  Cayuga  counties,  and  on  the  west  by  Cayuga  county. 

The  Military  Tract. — The  original  townships  of  the  original  Onon- 
daga county  acquired  their  names  through  the  creation  and  survey  of 
the  celebrated  Military  Tract.  This  tract  had  its  origin  on  the  16th  of 
September,  L776,  in  the  following  resolutions,  which  were  passed  by 
s  during  consideration  of  war  measures: 

That  eighty-eight  battalions  be  enlisted  as  soon  as  possible,  to  serve  during  the 

nt   war:  and   that  each   State  furnish  their  respective  quotas  in  the  following 

proportions,  viz.:  [the  quota  of  New  York  was  four  battalions;  those  of  other  States 

'I  hat  twenty  dollars  be  given  as  a  bounty  to  each  non-commissioned  officer  and 
privati  who  shall  enlist  to  serve  during  the  present  war,  unless  sooner  dis- 

ess. 


GENESIS  OF  THE  COUNTY.  5 

That  Congress  make  provision  for  granting  lands  in  the  following  proportions  to 
officers  and  soldiers,  who  shall  so  engage  in  the  service,  and  continue  therein  until 
the  close  of  the  war,  or  until  discharged  by  Congress,  and  to  the  representatives  of 
such  officers  and  soldiers  as  shall  be  slain  by  the  enemy. 


Map  showing  original 


Onondaga  County  and  Military  Tract 


and  Surroundings. 


Such  lands  to  be  provided  by  the  United  States;  and  whatever  expenses  as  shall 
be  necessary  to  procure  such  lands,  the  said  expenses  shall  be  borne  by  the  States .m 
the  same  proportion  as  the  other  expenses  of  the  war,  viz. :  to  a  Colonel  oOO  acres 
to  a  Lieutenant-Colonel,  450  acres;  to  a  Major,  400  acres;  to  a  Captain,  300  acres;  to 


6  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

a  Lieutenant,  200  acres;  to  an  Ensign,  150  acres;  to  each  non-commissioned  officer 
and  soldier,  100  acres. 

By  an  act  of  the  12th  of  August,  1780,  Congress  also  made  provision 
for  land  bounties  to  major-generals,  1,100  acres,  and  to  brigadier- 
generals,  850  acres. 

On  the  20th  of  March,  1781,  and  the  23d  of  March,  1782,  the  State 
Legislature  passed  acts  which  further  provided  for  the  raising  of  troops 
to  complete  "the  line  "  of  this  State  in  the  United  States  service,  and 
for  two  regiments  to  be  recruited  on  bounties  of  lands,  for  the  further 
defense  of  the  frontiers  of  this  State.  The  land  granted  "by  these  last- 
mentioned  acts  was  known  as  "bounty  lands,"  and  that  granted  by  the 
other  legislation  as  "gratuity  lands." 

On  July  25,  1782,  an  act  was  passed  the  provisions  of  which  fixed  the 
boundaries  of  the  tract,  and  definitely  applied  it  to  the  purpose  in  ques- 
tion.    The  act  reads: 

That  all  lands  situate,  lying  and  being  in  the  county  of  Tryon,  bounded  on  the 
north  by  Lake  Ontario,  the  Onondaga  river  and  the  Oneida  lake,  on  the  west  by  a 
line  drawn  from  the  mouth  of  the  Little  Sodus  or  Asorodus  creek,  thro'  the  most 
westerly  inclination  of  the  Senica  lake,  on  the  south  by  an  east  and  west  line  drawn 
thro'  the  most  southerly  inclination  of  the  Senica  lake,  and  on  the  east  by  a  line 
drawn  from  the  most  westerly  boundary  of  the  Oneida  or  Tuscarora  country  on  the 
Oneida  lake  thro'  the  most  westerly  inclination  of  the  west  bounds  of  the  Oneida  or 
Tuscarora  country;  shall  be  and  the  same  is  hereby  declared  to  be  set  apart  and 
assigned  for  the  purpose  of  making  grants  to  Major-Generals  and  Brigadier-Generals 
who  at  the  time  of  entering  the  service  were  inhabitants  of  this  State,  and  to  the 
troops  of  this  State  serving  in  the  army  of  the  United  States. 

Other  sections  of  this  act  were  designed  to  aid  grantees  in  establish- 
ing title,  and  to  otherwise  aid  in  carrying  out  the  purpose  of  the 
government. 

When  the  war  closed  in  1783,  the  New  York  Legislature  undertook 
to  discharge  this  obligation,  and  also  granted  gratuities  in  lands  on  its 
own  account.  This  was  accomplished  by  a  resolution  granting  lands  in 
addition  to  those  before  mentioned  in  the  following  proportions:  To  a 
major-general,  5,500  acres;  to  a  brigadier-general,  4,250  acres;  to  a 
olonel,  2,500  acres;  to  a  lieutenant-colonel,  2,250  acres;  to  a  major, 
2,000  acres;  to  a  captain  and  regimental  surgeon,  each,  1,200  acres; 
icd  chaplain,  2,000  acres;  to  every  subaltern  and  surgeon's  mate, 
1,000  acres;  to  every  non-commissioned  officer  and  private,  500  acres. 

Another  resolution  contained  the  following  provisions: 

That  the  lands  so  to  be  granted  as  bounty  from  the  LTnited  States,  and  as  gratuity 


GENESIS  OF  THE  COUNTY.  7 

from  the  State,  shall  be  laid  out  in  townships  of  six  miles  square ;  that  each  township 
shall  be  divided  into  156  lots  of  150  acres  each,  two  lots  whereof  shall  be  reserved  for 
the  use  of  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  and  two  lots  for  the  use  of  a  school  or  schools; 
that  each  person  above  described  shall  be  entitled  to  as  many  such  lots  as  his  bounty 
and  gratuity  will  admit  of;  that  one-half  the  lots  each  person  shall  be  entitled  to 
shall  be  improved  at  the  rate  of  five  acres  for  each  one  hundred  acres,  within  rive 
years  after  the  grant,  if  the  grantee  shall  retain  the  possession  of  such  lots;  and  that 
the  said  bounty  and  gratuity  lands  be  located  in  the  district  of  this  State  reserved 
for  the  use  of  the  troops  by  an  act  entitled  "An  Act  to  prevent  grants  or  locations  of 
the  lands  therein  mentioned,"  passed  the  25th  day  of  July,  1782. 

On  the  11th  of  May  1784,  an  act  was  passed  by  the  Legislature 
appointing  commissioners  to  have  charge  of  the  granting  of  bounty 
lands.  This  commission  consisted  of  the  governor  of  the  State,  the 
lieutenant-governor,  the  speaker  of  the  Assembly,  the  secretary  of 
state,  the  attorney-general,  the  treasurer  and  the  auditor.  This  act, 
after  sections  referring  to  boundaries  of  tracts  already  entered,  gives 
the  boundaries  of  certain  State  reservations. 

The  original  acts  granting  these  lands  were  subsequently  modified 
and  amended,  until  finally  it  was  ordered  by  an  act  passed  February  25, 
1789: 

That  the  Commissioners  of  the  land  office  shall  be,  and  they  are  hereby  authorized 
to  direct  the  Surveyor-General  to  lay  out  as  many  townships  in  tracts  of  land  set 
apart  for  such  purpose,  as  will  contain  land  sufficient  to  satisfy  the  claims  of  all  per- 
sons who  are  or  shall  be  entitled  to  grants  of  land  by  certain  concurrent  resolutions, 
.  .  .  which  townships  shall  respectively  contain  60,000  acres  of  land,  and  be  laid  out 
as  nearly  in  squares  as  local  circumstances  will  permit,  and  be  numbered  from  one 
progressively  to  the  last  inclusive;  and  the  Commissioners  of  the  Land  Office  shall 
likewise  designate  every  township  by  such  names  as  they  shall  deem  proper. 

The  same  act  ordered  the  surveyor-general  to  make  a  map  of  these 
townships,  dividing  each  into  100  lots  of  600  acres  each,  and  number 
them  from  one  upwards.     The  same  act  further  ordered : 

All  persons  to  whom  land  shall  be  granted  by  virtue  of  this  act,  and  who  are  en- 
titled thereto  by  any  act  or  resolution  of  Congress,  shall  make  an  assignment  of  his, 
or  her,  proportion  of  claim  of  bounty  and  gratuity  lands  under  any  act  or  acts  of 
Congress,  to  the  Surveyor-General,  for  the  use  of  the  people  of  this  State. 

It  was  also  provided  that  for  all  lands  thus  assigned,  an  equal  num- 
ber of  acres  should  be  given  by  the  State,  and  so  far  as  possible  in  one 
patent,  "provided  the  same  does  not  exceed  one-quarter  of  the  quantity 
of  a  township." 

These  last  described  grants  were  to  be  settled  within  seven  years,  or 
the  lands  would  revert  to   the  State.      A  tax  was  laid  bv  legislative  act 


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GENESIS  OF  THE  COUNTY.  9 

of  April  6,  1700,  upon  fifty  acres  in  one  corner  of  each  GOO  acre  lot,  of 
forty-eight  shillings,  as  compensation  for  the  making  of  the  survey, 
which  tax  was  to  be  paid  in  two  years,  or  the  lot  would  revert  to  the 
State  and  be  sold  at  public  auction.  The  proceeds  of  such  a  sale  were 
to  be  devoted  to  the  payment  of  expenses  of  the  survey  and  sale,  and 
any  surplus  was  to  be  expended  "in  laying  out  and  making  roads  in 
the  said  tract. "  These  parcels  of  fifty  acres  in  the  corner  of  each  lot 
have  ever  since  been  known  in  the  Military  Tract  as  the  "  Survey 
Fifty,"  or  "  Survey  Fifty  Acres." 

In  carrying  out  his  instructions  the  surveyor-general  surveyed  the 
tract  in  question,  the  outlines  of  which  are  shown  on  the  accompanying 
map.  It  is  interesting  to  note  the  description  of  the  boundaries  of  the 
tract,  as  given  in  the  Documentary  History  of  New  York,  vol.  II,  p. 
1186: 

It  is  bounded  west  by  the  counties  of  Ontario  and  Steuben  in  the  Genesee  coun- 
try, on  the  north  by  Lake  Ontario  about  ten  miles  to  Fort  Oswego ;  thence  on  the 
east  by  Oswego  river;  thence  on  the  north  by  Onondaga  river  and  part  of  Oneida 
lake;  on  the  east  by  Oneida  and  Chenango  counties,  and  on  the  south  by  Tioga 
county ;  and  is  in  length  60  miles,  and  55  miles  in  breadth. 

The  boundary  as  given  in  Macauley's  History  of  New  York  (1829), 
reads  as  follows : 

These  lands  are  bounded  on  the  east  by  the  country  of  the  Oneidas;  north  by  lake 
Ontario;  on  the  west  by  a  line  drawn  from  the  mouth  of  Great  Sodus  Bay  through 
the  most  westerly  inclination  of  the  Seneca  lake ;  and  on  the  south  by  a  line  drawn 
through  the  most  southerly  inclination  of  the  Seneca  lake,  to  the  country  of  the 
Oneidas,  1,800, 000 acres.  It  comprises,  generally  speaking,  the  countiesof  Onondaga, 
Cortland,  Cayuga,  Tompkins,  and  Seneca,  and  the  east  half,  or  nearly  so,  of  the 
county  of  Wayne,  and  that  part  of  Oswego  county  west  of  the  Oswego  river. 

By  a  legislative  act  of  February  28,  1789,  six  lots  in  each  township 
were  reserved,  "  one  for  promoting  the  gospel  and  a  public  school  or 
schools,  one  other  for  promoting  literature  in  this  State,  and  the  re- 
maining four  lots  to  satisfy  the  surplus  share  of  commissioned  officers 
not  corresponding  with  the  division  of  600  acres,  and  to  compensate 
such  persons  as  ma}'  by  chance  draw  lot  or  lots  the  greater  part  of 
which  may  be  covered  with  water." 

It  was  provided  also  "that  whenever  it  appeared  that  persons  apply- 
ing for  bounty  or  gratuity  lands,  had  received  from  Congress  the  bounty 
promised  by  that  body,  or  in  case  they  failed  to  relinquish  their  claim 
to  such  land,  then  the  commissioners  were  to  reserve  for  the  use  of  the 
2 


10  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

people  of  the  State  100  acres  in  each  lot  to  which  such  persons  were 
entitled ;  designating  particularly  in  which  part  of  said  lot  such  reserved 
part  was  situated."  This  provision  gave  rise  to  the  term  "State's 
Hundred,"  so  frequently  heard  in  connection  with  the  Military  Tract. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  land  commissioners  held  at  the  secretary's  office 
in  New  York  city  on  Saturday,  July  3,  1700,  there  were  present:  His 
Excellency,  George  Clinton,  esq.,  Governor;  Lewis  A.  Scott,  esq.,  Sec- 
retary; Gerard  Bancker,  esq.,  Treasurer;  Peter  T.  Curtenius,  esq., 
Auditor. " 

The  secretary  laid  before  the  board  maps  of  twenty-five  townships 
made  by  the  surveyor-general,  Simeon  De  Witt.  These  townships  were 
as  follows,  and  numbered  from  one  upward  in  the  order  given :  Lysan- 
der,  Hannibal,  Cato,  Brutus,  Camillus,  Cicero,  Manlius,  Aurelius, 
Marcellus,  Pompey,  Romulus,  Scipio,  Sempronius,  Tully,  Fabius,  Ovid, 
Milton,  Locke,  Homer,  Solon,  Hector,  Ulysses,  Dryden,  Virgil,  and 
Cincinnatus.  To  these  were  afterward  added  the  town  of  Junius  (Sen- 
eca county)  to  compensate  those  who  drew  lots  subsequently  found  to 
belong  to  the  "  Boston  Ten  Towns." 

On  January  1,  1791,  the  commissioners  began  to  determine  claims 
and  ballot  for  individual  shares  in  this  great  tract.  Ninety-four  persons 
drew  lots  in  each  of  the  townships,  and  the  reservations  before  alluded 
t<>  were  made.  The  adjustment  of  these  individual  claims  was  a  source 
of  almost  infinite  perplexity  to  the  commissioners,  as  well  as  to  the  real 
owners  On  account  of  the  many  frauds  committed  respecting  the 
land  titles,  an  act  was  passed  January  8,  1794  (see  also  act  of  March 
~i] ,  L 794),  requiring  all  deeds  and  conveyances  executed  prior  to  that 
time,  to  be  deposited  with  the  county  clerk  of  Albany  county,  and  such 
as  were  not  so  deposited  were  to  be  considered  fraudulent.  But  the 
trouble  did  not  end  here,  and  the  courts  overflowed  with  business  re- 
lating to  these  claims.  Soldiers  coming  in  to  take  possession  of  their 
lots  often  found  them  occupied  by  pugnacious  squatters,  and  discourag- 
ing and  costly  litigation  followed.  Finally  the  inhabitants  of  the  tract 
became  so  wearied  and  exasperated  with  the  continued  contentions  that 
in  1797,  they  united  in  a  petition  to  the  Legislature  for  a  law  under 
which  the  whole  matter  would  be  equitably  adjusted.  An  act  was  ac- 
cordingly passed  in  that  year  appointing  Robert  Yates,  James  Kent, 
and  Vim  nit  Matthews  a  board  of  commissioners,  with  power  to  settle 
all  disputes  respecting  the  land  titles.  After  laborious  investigation 
tin-  vexation  nces  were  all  adjusted  with  reasonable  satisfaction 

to  all  concerned. 


NATURAL  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  COUNTY.  11 

Only  a  comparatively  limited  number  of  the  original  grantees  ever 
settled  on  their  lands  in  the  Military  Tract,  and  the  lots  became  a  rich 
mine  for  active  and  often  unscrupulous  speculators. 


CHAPTER    II. 

NATURAL  CHARACTERISTICS. 

Topography  of  the  County — Streams — Waterfalls  and  Cascades — Lakes — Peculiar- 
ity of  the  Green  Lakes — Springs — Geology. 

By  far  the  larger  part  of  the  surface  of  Onondaga  county  slopes 
northward  towards  the  St.  Lawrence  River  into  which  it  is  drained,  the 
summit  from  which  the  waters  flow  northward  to  that  stream  and  south- 
ward to  the  Susquehanna  rising-  near  the  southern  boundary.  The 
portion  drained  southward  is  mostly  within  the  towns  of  Fabius  and 
Tully.  Nearly  one-half  of  the  county  is  level  or  very  slightly  rolling. 
This  flat  area  constitutes  a  part  of  the  "great  level '*  which  extends 
along  the  south  shore  of  Oneida  Lake  westward  and  southwestward  to 
the  base  of  the  slope  of  the  spurs  of  the  Allegany  Mountains.  The 
Erie  Canal  was  constructed  along  the  southern  side  of  this  level  across 
the  State  of  New  York.  That  part  of  the  county  lying  south  of  the 
canal,  and  comprising  rather  more  than  one-half  of  the  whole  area,  in- 
cludes the  northernmost  spurs  of  the  mountain   ranges,  and  is  uneven, 


12  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

hilly  and  broken.  Deep  valleys  with  high  dividing  ridges,  sometimes 
several  miles  apart  at  their  tops,  extend  northward  and  southward 
across  this  region,  creating  beautifully  picturesque  scenery  which  in 
many  localities  rises  to  the  grand.  The  slopes  of  the  highlands  are 
divided  into  five  distinct  ridges,  all  having  the  general  north  and  south 
direction.  The  ridge  farthest  to  the  east  enters  the  town  of  Pompey 
from  the  east  and  extends  north  to  the  Erie  Canal.  The  second  ridge 
lies  between  Limestone  and  Butternut  Creeks  and  constitutes  the  high 
lands  of  Pompey,  and  part  of  those  of  Manlius,  La  Fayette  and  De  Witt. 
The  third  ridge,  rising  between  Butternut  and  Onondaga  Creeks,  com- 
prises the  highlands  of  the  central  part  of  La  Fayette,  the  western  part 
of  De  Witt,  and  the  eastern  portions  of  Tully  and  Onondaga,  and  ex- 
tends to  the  city  of  Syracuse.  The  fourth  range,  between  Onondaga 
and  Nine-Mile  Creeks,  comprises  the  highlands  of  Otisco,  the  west 
part  of  Tully,  La  Fayette  and  Onondaga,  and  the  east  part  of  Marcellus 
and  Camillus.  The  fifth  range  rises  between  Nine-Mile  and  Skaneateles 
Creeks,  and  Otisco  and  Skaneateles  Lakes,  and  constitutes  the  highlands 
of  Spafford,  the  west  part  of  Marcellus  and  Camillus,  and  the  east  part 
of  Skaneateles  and  Elbridge.  The  highest  peaks  of  the  ranges  of  hills 
are  in  Fabius,  Pompey,  La  Fayette,  Otisco,  and  Spafford.  No  more 
beautiful  or  more  productive  valleys  than  spme  of  those  that  intervene 
between  these  ridges  can  be  found  anywhere  in  the  State  of  New  York. 
The  Fabius  hill  is  2,020  feet  in  height  and  the  highest  land  in  the 
county. 

The  streams   draining  these  valleys   southward   unite   to   form    the 
Tioughnioga   River,  a  tributary  of  the  Susquehanna.      Limestone  and 
ernut  Creeks  unite  and  flow  into  the  Chittenango  a  few  miles  south 
of  Oneida  Lake.     Onondaga  and  Nine-Mile  Creeks  empty  into  Onon- 
daga  Lake,  while  the   Skaneateles   flows  into   Seneca  River  over  the 
line  of  Cayuga  county.      Seneca  River  flows  into  the  west  part  of  the 
county  from  Cross  Lake,*continues  on  between  the  towns  of  Elbridge 
and    Lysander,  and   along  the  northern  boundaries  of  Van  Buren  and 
des,  to  within   less  than   half  a  mile  of  Onondaga  Lake,  where  it 
ves  the  water  of  the  outlet  of  that  lake;  then  turning  northward  it 
runs  along  the  west  line  of  Clay  to  Three  River  Point,  where  it  receives 
River,  and  the  combined  streams  take  the  name  of  Oswego 
River,      '!  arious  streams  are  widely  distributed  throughout  the 

coun  waters  are  generally  pure,  and  their  fall  sufficient  to  sup- 

lily  at  many  points  ex<  ellent  water  power,  which  was  of  vast  usefulness 
to  the  pioneers  and  is  still  employed  to  a  considerable  extent. 


NATURAL  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  COUNTY.  13 

There  are  several  waterfalls  and  cascades  within  this  county  that  are 
worthy  of  brief  notice.  Two  of  these  are  in  the  town  of  Manlius  on 
the  two  branches  of  the  Limestone  Creek.  The  one  on  the  east  branch 
is  the  more  noteworthy,  the,  fall  being  about  sixty-five  feet  in  height, 
with  rapids  above  descending  twenty  feet.  It  is  situated  about  a  mile 
south  of  Manlius  village.  The  fall  on  the  west  branch  is  about  the 
same  height,  but  the  stream  is  not  so  wide  and  the  volume  of  water  is 
smaller.  On  Butternut  Creek  below  Jamesville  is  a  fall  which  possesses 
much  natural  beauty.  The  stream  is  about  forty  feet  wide,  and  the 
perpendicular  fall  about  thirty  feet.  The  chasm  is  rock}7  and  precipi- 
tous, and  the  surroundings  decidedly  romantic.  On  the  west  branch  of 
Limestone  Creek,  about  two  and  a  half  miles  northeast  of  Pompey  Hill, 
is  a  waterfall  of  surpassing  beaut  v  and  the  highest  one  in  the  count  v. 
The  fall  is  almost  perpendicular,  and  137  feet  in  height.  When  the 
stream  is  full  the  scene  is  one  of  beauty  and  grandeur.  The  chasm  is 
narrow,  deep  and  rocky.  In  early  years  a  woman  walking  near  the 
edge  of  the  precipice  where  the  water  takes  its  final  leap,  fell  a  distance 
of  sixty  feet  direct,  and  rolled  and  tumbled  nearly  a  hundred  feet 
farther  without  breaking  a  bone.  There  are  two  beautiful  falls  on 
Limestone  Creek,  a  little  east  of  the  village  of  Delphi,  in  the  town  of 
Pompey.  They  are  separated  by  a  deep  gorge  through  which  the  water 
rushes  with  great  force.  The  upper  fall  is  about  forty  feet  high  and 
nearly  perpendicular.  The  lower  fall  is  fifty  feet  high,  the  water  leap- 
ing over  the  rocky  precipice  in  picturesque  beauty.  On  what  is  known 
as  Conklin's  Creek,  in  the  town  of  La  Fayette,  which  empties  into  But- 
ternut Creek,  are  three  successive  falls,  sixty  or  eighty  rods  apart,  the 
water  tumbling  and  foaming  down  the  broken  rocks  seventy  or  eight  v 
feet.  There  is  also  a  succession  of  low  falls  and  cascades  on  the  Skan- 
eateles  Outlet,  which  add  greatly  to  the  natural  loveliness  of  the  scenerv 
along  that  picturesque  stream,  and  the  drive  along  Nine-Mile  Creek  is 
unsurpassed.  The  water  in  all  of  these  streams  is  far  less  in  volume 
than  in  early  years,  and,  of  course,  these  falls  and  cascades  suffer  in 
their  attractiveness  with  the  diminution  of  the  flow. 

The  principal  lake  of  this  county  is  Skaneateles,  almost  the  eastern- 
most of  the  series  that  extend  north  and  south  across  the  central  and 
western  part  of  the  State;  lakes  the  beauty  of  which  is  not  surpassed  in 
the  whole  country.  Skaneateles  Lake  is  the  highest  in  the  county, 
eighty-eight  feet  above  Otisco  Lake,  eight  hundred  and  sixty  feet 
above  tide,  and  seventv  feet  higher  than  Owasco  Lake  on  the  west.      It 


14  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

is  above  the  limestone  and  among  the  Hamilton  shales,  and  is  fed 
largely  by  springs  that  are  not  impregnated  with  lime;  hence  the  water 
is  pure  and  soft,  and  from  it  the  supply  for  the  city  of  Syracuse  has 
just  been  taken.  A  dam  across  the  outlet  retains  water  for  the  Jordan 
level  of  the  Erie  Canal. 

Cross  Lake  is  formed  by  the  widening  of  the  Seneca  River,  and  bor- 
ders the  southwestern  part  of  the  town  of  Lysander,  between  that  town 
and  Cayuga  county.  Its  shores  are  generally  low  and  unattractive. 
It  has  been  a  prolific  fishing  ground,  and  is  still  much  resorted  to  for 
that  purpose. 

What  are  known  as  the  Tully  Lakes  are  situated  in  the  extreme  south- 
ern part  of  the  county  in  the  town  of  the  same  name,  at  the  summit  where 
the  waters  divide  and  flow  northward  and  southward.  One  of  these 
bodies  of  water  is  called  Crooked  Lake;  its  surface  is  800  feet  above 
the  Erie  Canal  at  Syracuse,  and  from  it  flow  northward  the  waters  of 
Onondaga  Creek.  Big  Lake,  only  a  few  rods  distant  and  with  its  sur- 
face four  feet  lower  than  Crooked  Lake,  gives  rise  to  the  Tioughnioga 
River,  which  flows  southward  and  eventually  reaches  the  Susquehanna. 

Otisco  Lake  lies  among  the  hills  on  the  western  border  of  the  town 
of  that  name  and  is  772  feet  above  tide,  while  the  hills  about  it  rise  to 
a  height  of  over  1,200  feet  above  its  waters.  It  was  called  by  the 
Indians  "Otskah."  Its  length  is  about  five  miles,  its  breadth  about 
one  mile.  The  lake  has  always  abounded  in  fish,  and  the  Onondagas 
had  a  path  leading  from  their  village  to  its  shores,  over  which  they 
passed  to  fish  and  hunt  the  deer. 

(  Miondaga  Lake  is  situated  on  the  borders  of  the  city  of  Syracuse  and 
is  about  live  miles  long  by  one  mile  wide.  In  early  years  it  was  gen- 
erally known  as  the  Salt  Lake,  although  its  water  has  always  been 
fresh.  A  large  part  of  its  shore  lands  is  low,  and  in  early  times  was 
very  unhealthy.  This  lake  and  its  vicinity  occupy  an  important  place 
in  local  history,  as  the  reader  will  learn. 

The  so-called  Green  Lakes,  or  ponds,  of  this  county  have  attracted, 
perhaps,  more  attention  and  speculation  than  any  other  bodies  of  water 
in  the  Si  ale.  Their  character  is  even  yet  being  carefully  studied  by 
geologists.  One  of  these  lakes  is  about  a  mile  west  from  the  village  of 
Jamesville,  and  is  situated  at  the  bottom  of  a  vast  natural  well,  the 
banks  of  which  on  three  sides  are  precipitous  and  composed  of  lime- 
stone.  These  banks  are  two  hundred  feet  high  from  the  surface  of  the 
water,    and    generally   covered    with   evergreen   shrubbery   and   trees. 


NATURAL  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  COUNTY.  15 

The  shape  of  the  lake  is  nearly  circular,  and  it  is  about  sixty  rods  in 
diameter.  Its  outlet  emerges  from  the  soil  at  some  distance  east,  and 
the  water  of  the  lake  is  about  sixty  feet  deep.  From  the  brink  of  the 
lake  the  shore  is  at  all  points  extremely  abrupt,  excepting  on  the  east. 
The  interior  of  the  vast  basin  is  lined  with  a  greenish  white  marl,  and 
the  trees  and  branches  that  have  fallen  into  it  are  covered  with  the 
same  substance,  giving  them  a  weird  and  picturesque  appearance. 
The  water  towards  the  bottom  of  the  lake  is  highly  charged  with  sul- 
phureted  hydrogen.  The  Indian  name  of  the  lake  is  Kai-yah-kooh, 
according  to  Clark,  but  the  Onondagas  give  this  name  to  Green  Lake 
in  Manlius.  The  trail  from  Oneida  to  Onondaga  led  past  its  shore.  They 
call  the  lake  at  Jamesville  Tue-yah-das-soo. 

Two  other  Green  Lakes  are  situated  about  three  and  a  half  miles 
north  of  Manlius  village,  near  the  canal.  The  upper  one  of  these  is 
nearly  circular  in  form,  about  100  rods  in  diameter,  and  surrounded 
with  hills  of  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  feet  in  height,  which  in  places 
approach  the  water  abruptly,  and  at  others  with  gradual  slope.  Fables 
have  been  current  of  the  enormous  and  even  bottomless  depth  of  these 
lakes,  but  the  water  in  the  one  in  question  is  but  156  feet  deep.  The 
sides  of  this  lake  are  formed  in  a  secondary  deposit  of  red  shale,  cov- 
ered with  a  greenish-white  marl,  and  the  trees  that  have  fallen  into  the 
water  bear  the  same  weird  appearance  as  those  in  the  Jamesville  lake. 
The  water  is  forty-four  feet  higher  than  Onondaga  Lake;  the  bottom 
is  covered  with  a  brown  marl,  and  the  water  from  the  depths  is 
charged  with  sulphureted  hydrogen.  The  bowl  of  the  lake  is  excavated 
in  the  lower  part  of  the  second  deposit  of  the  Onondaga  salt  group,  and 
the  surrounding  hills  are  characterized  by  sinks  and  caverns  of  varying 
depths.  There  is  no  visible  inlet  to  this  lake,  but  a  small  outlet  on  the 
east  side  connects  it  with  the  other  pond  a  few  rods  belowT.  This  is  in 
all  general  respects  like  the  one  just  described  except  in  being  larger 
and  more  elongated.  In  speaking  of  the  water  in  this  lower  lake,  Dr. 
L.  C.  Beck  (Nat.  Hist.  State  of  N.  Y.)  says:  "Water  drawn  from  the 
depth  of  168  feet  was  found  to  be  strongly  charged  with  sulphureted 
hydrogen.  On  being  afterwards  tested,  it  blackened  silver  powerfully, 
and  gave  copious  precipitates,  with  solutions  of  oxalates  of  ammonia  and 
muriate  of  barytes,  indicating  the  presence  of  sulphureted  hydrogen 
and  sulphate  of  lime."  Various  theories  have  been  advanced  to 
account  for  these  lakes  and  their  peculiarities.  The  most  important  of 
these  and  the  one  which  has,  perhaps,  been  given  the  widest  credence, 


16  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

is  known  as  the  "crater  theory,"  based  upon  the  belief  that  the  bowls 
of  the  lakes  are  extinct  craters  of  volcanic  action.  This  and  the  other 
theories  have  been  substantially  dismissed  within  very  recent  years  and 
bv  our  best  informed  geologists,  in  favor  of  the  theory  of  erosion. 
Indications  of  this  action  are  apparent  in  all  these  lakes,  giving  sub- 
stantial foundation  for  the  belief  that  it  is  the  cause  of  their  existence. 

Springs  of  various  kinds  abound  in  many  parts  of  this  county. 
Many  of  these  are  saline  in  character,  but  none  of  sufficient  importance 
to  justify  their  working,  excepting  those  at  Salina,  which  are  properly 
noticed  elsewhere  in  this  work.  The  well  known  Messina  Springs  are 
situated  about  two  miles  eastward  from  Syracuse  and  received  their 
name  from  the  place  in  Sicily  which  was  near  the  site  of  ancient 
Syracuse.  These  springs  are  three  in  number,  and  their  waters, 
issuing  from  the  gypseous  rock,  are  strongly  impregnated  with  sulphur 
but  not  highly  charged  with  gas.  The  whitish  crust  usually  observable 
around  such  springs  is  seen  here,  and  the  water  assumes  a  milky 
appearance  after  exposure  to  the  air,  doubtless  caused'  by  the  decom- 
position of  the  sulphureted  hydrogen  and  the  subsidence  of  some  of  the 
less  soluble  salts.  These  springs  were  discovered  about  the  beginning 
of  the  century,  and  have  passed  through  the  ownership  of  various  per- 
sons, who  have  made  them  more  or  less  popular  as  a  resort.  The 
waters  have  been  found  beneficial  in  some  diseases,  but  have  not  been 
extensively  used. 

What  has  been  known  as  Deep  Spring  is  situated  on  the  county  line, 
east  of  Manlius  village  three  and  a  half  miles,  and  near  the  line  of  the 
old  Seneca  turnpike.  Its  Indian  name  was  (according  to  Mr.  Clark) 
Te-ungh-sat-a-yagh,  and  many  Indian  relics  have  been  found  in  its 
vicinity.  The  cavity  of  the  spring  is  about  sixty  feet  in  diameter, 
n earh-  thirty  feet  deep  and  narrowing  toward  the  bottom  like  a  funnel. 
A  copious  spring  of  pure  water  once  issued  from  the  rock  on  the  eastern 
side,  and  flowing  downward  disappeared  at  the  bottom.  The  Indian 
trail  from  Oneida  to  Onondaga  passed  near  it,  which  was  followed  by 
the  later  Seneca  road,  and  many  travelers  visited  it  in  the  old  coaching 
days.  The  spring  is  noted  on  old  maps  and  was  mentioned  in  the 
Oneida  land  treaties  of  1788  and  L795.  Traditions  of  buried  treasure 
iieai-  the  spring  gained  credence  in  early  years,  and  adventurous  money- 
dig^'  d  a  good  deal  of  muscle  and  "midnight  oil"  in  efforts 
to  discover  it. 

There    are    many    sulphur    springs    of    minor    importanee    seattered 


NATURAL  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  COUNTY.  17 

through  various  parts  of  the  county,  especially  in  the  town  of  Manlius. 
About  a  mile  northwest  of  the  village  there  are  three,  feebly  charged 
with  sulphureted  hydrogen  and  slightly  saline;  and  a  sulphur  spring  a 
short  distance  south  of  the  village  which  contains  sulphureted  hydro- 
gen, carbonic  acid,  sulphate  of  soda,  sulphate  of  magnesia,  carbonate  of 
iron  and  carbonate  of  lime,  producing  a  water  that  is  beneficial  in  some 
diseases;  in  Clay,  where  salt  springs  and  deer  licks  have  been  dis- 
covered ;  in  La  Fayette ;  in  Van  Buren,  and  at  other  points  that  need 
not  be  mentioned.  Springs  depositing  calcareous  tufa,  and  encrusting 
leaves  and  wood,  are  also  frequent. 

The  general  geological  history  of  Onondaga  county  is  replete  with 
interest,  especially  to  the  student  of  that  science ;  but  it  can  receive 
only  brief  and  cursory  treatment  in  these  pages.  For  fuller  description 
the  reader  must  be  referred  to  the  "Geology  of  the  Third  District  of 
New  York,"  and  to  other  later  works  which  are  to  be  found  in  most 
libraries. 

The  oldest  rocks  in  Onondaga  county  are  towards  the  north.  Look- 
ing southward  from  the  northerly  boundary  of  the  county,  the  strata  lie 
overlapping  one  another,  the  ends  protruding  northward,  not  unlike 
the  shingles  on  the  north  slope  of  a  roof. 

The  Clinton  group  is  exposed  on  both  shores  of  the  west  end  of 
Oneida  Lake,  and  may  be  best  observed  at  Brewerton.  Mr.  Geddes 
said  that  "the  north  part  of  the  towns  of  Lysander,  Clay  and  Cicero 
lies  on  this  rock,  and  the  soils  of  these  towns  are,  to  some  extent,  made 
up  of  the  materials  of  which  it  is  composed."  It  is  now  known  that 
this  space  is  occupied  by  the  Niagara  group,  which  has  some  outcrops 
in  the  county,  forming  the  bar  in  the  Chittenango  Creek,  at  Bridge- 
port, and  appearing  at  several  places  in  Cicero,  and  in  Lysander.  One 
of  these  is  two  miles  northwest  of  Baldwinsville,  another  is  near  the  vil- 
lage of  Lysander,  while  still  another  is  a  mile  and  a  half  due  north  of 
the  last,  and  just  within  Oswego  county.  Elsewhere  in  Lysander 
it  underlies  the  soil,  and  is  constantly  met  with  in  sinking  wells,  some 
of  which  penetrate  it  deeply.  It  probably  extends  some  distance  into 
Oswego  county  beyond  the  northwest  angle  of  Lysander.  It  forms  a 
few  quarries,  used  for  local  purposes,  there  and  in  Cicero. 

Above  this  group  the  red  shales  of  the  Salina  group  next  appear  in 

the  three  towns  mentioned,  extending  in  an  irregular  line  across  them 

from  east  to  west.      In  Lysander  most  of  the  ridges  extending  north 

from  Seneca  River  are  formed  of  these  shales,  with  a  limestone  basis  in 

3 


18  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

the  lower  lands.  Cross  Lake  is  surrounded  by  the  green  shales,  a  ridge 
of  which  carries  Seneca  River  far  to  the  south.  These  extend  across 
the  southwest  part  of  Van  Buren,  and  thence  easterly  on  the  south 
bank  of  the  Erie  Canal. 

Along  the  bluff  east  of  the  Oswego  Canal,  Salina  rock  in  place  begins 
to  appear.  Here  are  two  well  defined  layers  of  shale,  one  red  and  the 
other  green;  southward  in  the  vicinity  of  Burnet  Park  on  the  west, 
and  University  hill  on  the  east,  the  rocks  of  this  period  become  harder, 
more  compact,  and  of  sufficient  consistency  to  form  a  foundation  for 
the  southern  hills. 

The  rocks  of  the  Salina  period  are  almost  destitute  of  organic  remains, 
due  either  to  the  absence  of  life  during  their  formation,  or  to  the  cor- 
rosive action  of  the  mineral  matter  contained  in  them  in  solution; 
probably  the  former.  The  lower  strata  of  the  Salina  rocks  contain 
iron;  those  in  the  middle  of  the  group  show  evidences  of  having  con- 
tained salt,  there  being  large  hopper-shaped  masses  in  the  clayey  rock, 
that  were  evidently  moulded  in  cavities  that  once  contained  salt 
crystals.  There  is  another  layer  called  the  vermicular  limestone, 
filled  with  pores  resembling  worm-eaten  wood.  Some  think  that  these 
pores  were  once  filled  with  salt.  The  upper  stratum  contains  gypsum. 
The  gypsum  deposits  are  of  a  grayish  color,  and  earthy  nature ;  and 
they  usually  occur  in  great  nodules,  though  they  are  sometimes  in  hor- 
izontal bands.  In  the  rocky  bluff  south  of  the  Erie  Canal  near  Fay- 
etteville,  the  seams  in  the  rock  are  filled  with  beautiful  laminated 
crystals  of  pure  gypsum,  clear  as  glass.  These  crystals  were  probably 
formed  by  water  trickling  down,  holding  gypsum  in  solution  obtained 
from  the  overlying  beds.  In  the  vicinity  of  Burnet  Park  there  are 
thin  seams  of  fibrous  gypsum,  and  this  beautiful  mineral  abounds  on 
Nine- Mile  Creek.      In  some  quarries  layers  of  pure  sulphur  occur. 

Within  the  limits  of  the  city  of  Syracuse  there  is  a  dyke  of  serpentine, 
an  igneous  rock  of  volcanic  origin.  It  commences  on  Green  street  hill 
just  cast  of  Lodi;  and  it  extends  for  about  a  mile  in  a  northwesterly 
direction.  On  the  surface  the  dyke  is  from  ten  to  forty  feet  wide; 
and  it  may  be  easily  traced  by  the  greenish  color  of  the  soil.  On  Green 
1  hill,  where  the  formation  has  been  cut  through  crosswise,  the 
;  of  the  Salina  period  may  be  seen  tilted  up,  and  the  lapping  on 
each  side  of  it.  showing  that  the  mass  must  have  been  forced  up  from 
below.  A  similar  mud  volcano  has  attracted  attention  in  De  Witt. 
The   gen  iracter  of    the  rocks  of    the   Salina  period  and  their 


NATURAL  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  COUNTY.  19 

limited  extent  indicate  that  they  were  formed  in  a  warm,  shallow 
bay,  more  or  less  cut  off  from  the  ocean;  but  having-  sonic  connection 
with  it  towards  the  south.  At  intervals  the  salt  water  of  the  ocean 
rolled  into  this  bay,  where  the  water  evaporated  and  the  salt  remained. 
It  resembed  a  great,  muddy  salt  vat,  occasionally  filled  by  tidal  waves 
from  the  south.  It  was  a  hot,  dismal,  silent,  slimy  region,  a  veritable 
"dead  sea."  There  were  neither  birds  in  the  air,  nor  fish  in  the  water. 
It  was  a  dreary,  uninviting  scene,  which  only  the  hand  of  Omnipotence 
could  fashion  into  an  abode  for  man. 

Immediately  over  the  Salina  occurs  the  Water-line  group,  sometimes 
known  as  the  lower  Helderberg.  This  formation  is  wider  in  extent 
than  the  Salina,  extending  from  the  Hudson  River  to  the  Mississippi. 
The  water  lime,  probably,  does  not  exist  west  of  this  State.  The  rocks 
of  this  series  are  generally  more  compact  than  those  of  the  preceding, 
though  some  of  the  layers  are  quite  shaley.  The  bay  before  mentioned 
had  now  become  a  sea  of  considerable  depth,  and  connected  with  the 
great  ocean. 

The  group  has  a  thickness  of  about  two  hundred  feet;  and  while 
some  of  the  strata  have  no  commercial  value,  others  are  quite  impor- 
tant. There  are  several  layers  of  very  good  building  stone.  The  foun- 
dations of  most  of  the  dwelling  houses  in  Syracuse  are  made  from  this 
material.  There  are  several  layers  which  produce  a  good  quality  of 
quick-lime;  and  near  the  top  of  the  group  are  two  layers  of  an  impure 
limestone  containing  sand  and  clay,  which,  after  it  is  burned  and  ground, 
makes  a  very  good  hydraulic  cement,  i  c,  it  possesses  the  property  of 
hardening  under  water;  and  it  is  used  extensively  for  cellar  walls, 
canal  banks  and  bridge  abutments. 

Fossils  are  not  abundant,  though  some  new  and  interesting  species 
appear;  notably  the  Eurypteris  remipes,  a  crustacean  somewhat  resem- 
bling a  trilobite,  but  having  two  arms  like  a  modern  lobster.  These 
fossils  are  found  sometimes  a  foot  in  length.  They  occur  in  the  lower 
part  of  the  lower  layer  of  hydraulic  cement.  Yeiy  few  specimens  have 
been  found  in  this  county.  They  are  quite  numerous  in  Oneida  county 
and  in  the  vicinity  of  Buffalo. 

Extensive  exposures  of  the  Water-lime  group  may  be  seen  in  the 
vicinity  of  Manlius,  Jamesville,  Dorwin's  Spring,  and  along  the  D.,  L. 
&  W.  Railroad  between  Syracuse  and  Jamesville.  About  a  mile  west 
of  Manlius  there  is  a  narrow  fault,  or  break  in  the  formation,  extend- 
ing northeast  and  southwest,  which  is  filled  with  calcite,  or  crystallized 
limestone. 


2u  ONONDAGA'S   CENTENNIAL. 

On  Britton's  quarry,  at  the  top  of  the  bluff,  near  the  Rock  Cut, 
southward  from  the  city  towards  Jamesville,  there  is  a  layer  of  coarse, 
dark  sandstone  about  one  foot  in  thickness.  This  is  the  Oriskany 
sandstone,  which  marks  the  close  of  the  great  Silurian  age.  At  Brit- 
ton's quarry  it  is  a  foot  thick;  in  the  road  between  Skaneateles  and 
Elbridge  it  is  thirty  feet  thick ;  at  Manlius  it  is  a  mere  sprinkling  of 
sand;  near  Dorwin's  Spring  it  is  three  feet  in  thickness,  increasing 
towards  the  south,  until  in  Maryland  it  reaches  a  thickness  of  seven 
hundred  feet.  Organic  remains  are  abundant.  The  spirifer  arenosus, 
Rensselaeria  ovoides,  and  orthis  hipparionyx  are  characteristic  species. 
At  Manlius  this  formation  is  very  thin,  so  that  an  irregular  line  drawn 
westerly  from  Manlius  would  mark  very  nearly  the  shore  line  of  the 
old  Devonian  Sea. 

Immediately  over  the  Oriskany  and  southward  lie  the  limestones  of 
the  Corniferous  period,  the  lowest  of  the  series  of  the  great  Devonian 
age.  In  the  eastern  part  of  the  State  there  are  two  formations,  viz.  : 
the  Cauda  Galli  Grit,  and  the  Schoharie  Grit,  which  are  here  wholly 
wanting,  but  the  Cauda  Galli  fossil  appears  on  Skaneateles  Lake. 

The  character  of  the  rocks  of  the  Corniferous  period  indicates  clear 
water,  of  a  greater  depth  than  had  prevailed  during  the  formation  of  the 
Salina  and  Water-lime  groups.  We  may  safely  conclude  from  the 
great  abundance  of  fossil  corals,  sponges  and  crinoids,  that  the  water 
was  warm.  Several  layers  furnish  an  excellent  building  stone,  the 
most  important  being  the  noted  Onondaga  gray  limestone.  This  for- 
mation supplies,  also,  a  superior  quality  of  quick-lime.  There  are  thin 
layers  and  nodules  of  flint,  somewhat  resembling  horn  in  appearance. 
Tlie  period  is  named  from  this  substance,  from  cornu,  a  horn,  and  fero, 
to  bear. 

The  early  Devonian  sea  was  oneof  great  beauty.  The  change  from  the 
sluggish,  stagnant  pools  of  the  Salina  to  the  clear  sparkling  water  of 
Devonian,  filled  with  animate  forms,  was  very  marked.  Polyps 
and  jelly-fish,  gaily  colored,  covered  the  bottom  and  gave  it  the  appear- 
ancs  of  a  great  flower  garden.  A  similar  scene  may  at  the  present 
time  In-  witnessed  on  the  bed  of  the  ocean,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Ber- 
mudas. 

G  iteropods,  snail-like  creatures,  are  numerous,  the  most  abundant 
in  this  county  being  the  platyostoma  turbinata  and  the  strophostylus 
varians.  The  platyceras,  a  thin  shelled  gasteropod,  is  common,  though 
not  very  well  preserved.      Probably  more  than  twenty  species  might  be 


NATURAL  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  COUNTY.  21 

obtained  at  the  quarries  on  the  Indian  Reservation,  south  of  Onondaga 
Valley.  Trilobites,  wholly  wanting-  in  the  Salina,  again  appear,  with 
some  old  and  some  new  species.  The  beautiful  Dalmanites  selenurus 
is  highly  prized,  though  not  often  found  by  collectors.  Fish  spines 
of  large  size  are  found;  but  no  one  has  yet  obtained  a  whole  fish  from 
the  rocks  of  this  county.  No  systematic  study  of  our  numerous  and 
beautiful  corals  has  been  attempted.  Here  is  a  field  for  some  student 
who  has  time  and  means,  to  make  a  reputation  for  himself  and  advance 
the  cause  of  truth.  The  rocks  of  the  Corniferous  period  extend  over 
a  wide  area,  and  are  in  Central  New  York  about  three  hundred  and 
fifty  feet  in  thickness.  The  best  three  localities  in  this  county,  for 
studying  the  formation  are  Jamesville,  Manlius,  and  the  Indian  Reser- 
vation. 

On  the  road  towards  Manlius  from  Jamesville  there  is  a  steep  bluff 
just  east  of  the  latter  village.  For  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  east,  from 
the  top  of  this  bluff,  one  may  drive  over  a  smooth,  level,  natural  pave- 
ment; it  is  the  top  of  the  Corniferous  limestone.  Suddenly,  at  the  foot 
of  a  little  hill,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  cemetery,  there  is  an  abrupt  transi- 
tion from  the  hard,  light-colored  Corniferous  limestone  to  the  loose, 
black  Marcellus  shale.      This  is  the  beginning  of  the  Hamilton  period. 

The  Marcellus  shale  is  very  dark  in  color  when  protected  from  the 
atmosphere.  It  is  generally  quite  fragile;  and  when  it  has  been  ex- 
posed to  the  air  for  a  considerable  time,  turns  red,  and  is  not  unlike 
spent  tan-bark  in  appearance.  The  red  color  is  due  to  the  presence  of 
iron.  When  first  exposed  to  the  air,  it  has  a  distinct  petroleum  odor, 
often  an  oily  appearance ;  and  if  thrown  into  fire  it  will  blaze  for  a 
short  time,  and  so  has  sometimes  been  mistaken  for  coal.  It  evidently 
contains  a  large  quantity  of  metamorphosed  vegetation,  and  may  be  the 
source  of  the  oil  wells  in  Pennsylvania;  because  the  underlying  Cor- 
niferous strata  dip  twenty-six  feet  to  the  mile  towards  the  southwest; 
and  if  the  shale  contains  oil,  it  would  naturally  flow  in  that  direction. 
The  first  twenty  feet  of  the  formation  contains  very  few  fossils;  but 
this  may  be  due  to  the  fact  that  the  rock  is  not  of  sufficient  tenacity  to 
preserve  organic  remains.  About  twenty  feet  above  the  Corniferous 
there  occurs  a  double  layer  of  very  hard,  irregular  limestone,  about  five 
feet  thick,  which  is  eagerly  sought  for  by  students  of  palaeontology. 
On  the  lower  side  of  the  upper  layer  may  be  found  the  splendid  Mar- 
cellus goniatite,  or  Goniatites  vanuxemi.  It  is  a  large,  coiled  shell, 
sometimes  more  than  a  foot  in  diameter.     The  largest  known  specimen 


22  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

is  fourteen  inches  across;  it  was  found  in  the  town  of  Fenner,  Madison 
county,  and  is  now  in  the  State  Museum  at  Albany.  The  hard  layer, 
known  as  Goniatite  limestone,  which  contains  these  fossils,  is  usually 
hidden  by  the  overlying- and  underlying  shales;  thus,  good  specimens 
are  hard  to  find;  and  they  are  in  constant  demand  by  collectors  all  over 
the  civilized  world.  Specimens  have  been  sent  to  Washington  and 
other  cities  of  this  country,  and  to  Europe,  and  requests  have  been 
made  for  many  more.  Associated  with  the  goniatites,  of  which  there 
are  several  species,  are  several  species  of  orthocerata,  straight  cham- 
bered Cephalopods,  and  the  gyroceras  transversum  which  is  partly 
coiled.  There  is  also  the  tiny  little  leiorhynchus  limitare,  which  makes 
up  in  name  what  it  lacks  in  size,  and  seems  out  of  place  among  so 
many  large  neighbors. 

Some  distance  above  the  goniatite  limestone  there  is  in  the  shale  a 
layer  of  septaria.  These  are  circular  in  shape  and  flattened.  They 
look  like  flattened  balls;  that,  indeed,  is  just  what  they  are,  for  nature 
attempted  to  deposit  another  layer  of  solid  limestone ;  but  there  was 
not  enough  material  to  make  it  continuous,  so  it  gathered  itself  into 
globes,  like  a  splash  of  molten  lead  on  a  dry  floor.  These  globes  were 
pressed  flat  by  the  immense  weight  of  the  overlying  strata.  They 
vary  in  size  from  that  of  a  boy's  marble  to  a  cart  wheel.  They  are 
sometimes  marked  by  regular,  concentric  and  radiating  seams;  these 
scams  having  become  filled  with  pure  calcite;  the  object  then  very 
much  resembles  the  back  of  a  common  mud-turtle.  Indeed,  many 
people,  otherwise  well  informed,  call  them  petrified  mud-turtles. 

Above  the  septaria  there  are  more  fossils  than  below,  though  they 
arc  not  abundant;  the  most  important  is  the  orthoceras  subulatum. 

The  Marccllus  gradually  merges  into  the  Hamilton  proper.  The 
formation  known  as  the  Hamilton  shales  is  composed  of  alternate 
layers  of  shale,  somewhat  harder  than  the  Marcellus,  and  layers  of  fine 
grained  sandstone.  The  formation  composes  the  great  bulk  of  our 
southern  hills,  such  as  Pompey  and  La  Fayette.  Fossils  are  numerous; 
too  numerous  to  specify,  for  there  are  hundreds  of  species;  lamelli- 
branchs,  brachiopods,  gasteropods  and  crustaceans.  The  crustace- 
ans an-  well  represented  by  homalonotus  De  Kayi,  phacops  bufo,  and 
the  beautiful  dalmanites  calliteles.  Pratt's  Falls,  Conklin's  Falls,  and 
tin-  rocky  shores  of  Skaneateles  Lake,  have  the  best  exposures  for 
working.  Th<  ole  period  is  about  seven  hundred  feet  thick.  To- 
>p  there  is  a  layer  of  coral  about   four  feet   thick.      It  crops 


NATURAL  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  COUNTY.  23 

out  in  the  vicinity  of  Pompey  Hill  village;  on  the  high  mound  north  of 
La  Fayette;  south  of  South  Onondaga;  and  on  the  shore  of  Skaneateles 
Lake,  at  Stag-horn  Point,  near  Dr.  Calthrop's  summer  cottage,  and 
various  other  places.  In  the  ancient  Devonian  sea,  a  coral  reef  extended 
along  the  line  indicated.  These  fossil  corals,  of  which  there  are  several 
species,  are  very  interesting  and  beautiful;  many  of  them  resemble 
horns,  and  they  have  been  mistaken  for  roots. 

The  Tully  limestone  occurs  in  the  extreme  southern  part  of  the 
county.  This  is  the  most  southern  limestone  stratum  in  the  State. 
There  is  a  fine  outcrop  about  two  miles  west  of  Tully  village;  and  an- 
other at  Tinker's  Falls,  south  of  Tully.  There  is  also  a  slight  exposure 
on  Mr.  Ousby's  farm  near  the  depot,  and  it  has  many  fine  outcrops  in 
Spafford.  This  limestone  is  very  hard;  it  makes  an  indifferent  quality 
of  quick-lime,  but  a  very  good  building  stone,  somewhat  resembling 
black  marble  when  polished.  Fossils  are  quite  numerous  and  well  pre- 
served; among  which  are  the  rhynchonella  venustula,  a  new  species; 
the  dalmanites  calliteles,  and  the  proetus  phocion,  a  trilobite  which 
has  not  been  found  in  any  other  formation.  The  Tully  limestone  is  over- 
laid by  the  Genesee  shale,  which  closes  the  Hamilton  period.  This  is 
a  dark  colored,  fragile  shale,  and  contains  few  fossils. 

The  underlying  rock  strata  determine  the  character  of  the  soil. 
Given  a  locality  having  geological  formations  like  our  own,  and  a 
climate  anything  near  like  this,  and  the  producing  power  of  the  land 
will  be  very  much  the  same.  Fortunes  have  been  lost,  and  lives  have 
been  wasted  for  want  of  an  elementary  knowledge  of  geology.  Granite 
or  sandstone  means  barren  lands;  limestone  means  fertile  farms.  A 
knowledge  of  the  chemistry  of  the  rocks  should  precede  attempts  to 
fertilize.  What  is  one  farm's  food  is  another  farm's  poison.  Similar 
geological  formations  produce  very  nearly  the  same  natural  scenerv. 
Shales  overlaid  by  layers  of  limestone  form  waterfalls.  This  is  exem- 
plified in  our  own  county  by  Edwards's  Falls  and  Brick-yard  Falls  near 
Manlius,  in  the  water-lime  group;  and  by  Pratt's  Falls  and  Conklin's 
Falls,  in  the  Hamilton  shales  of  Pompey.  Caves  and  ponds,  like  the 
Green  Lakes,  occur  in  extensive  limestone  formations.  For  these  rea- 
sons, local  geology  should  be  studied;  for,  when  one  knows  his  own 
region  well,  he  knows  all  others  which  rest  on  similar  foundations.  It 
is  not  thought  that  any  systematic  study  of  this  county  has  been  made; 
or  that  any  comprehensive  collection  of  its  fossils  and  minerals  has 
been  attempted,  though  there  are  good  local  collections. 


24  ONONDAGA'S   CENTENNIAL. 

Marl  and  tufa  are  found  in  some  localities  in  this  county,  principally 
in  Fabius  and  Tully.  In  both  these  towns  the  marl  has  been  burned 
into  quick-lime.  The  Tully  Lakes  are  constantly  depositing  marl; 
Cicero  swamp  has  a  great  bed  of  it,  and  Onondaga  and  Cross  Lakes 
have  it  deposited  on  their  bottoms.  In  the  swamp  along  the  canal  in 
the  town  of  Van  Buren,  and  farther  west,  is  an  extensive  deposit,  now 
used  in  making  Portland  cement,  and  it  is  found  at  various  other  points 
in  the  county.  Tufa  is  found  in  several  towns,  notably  in  Manlius, 
De  Witt,  Onondaga  and  Camillus;  and  at  other  points  ferruginous  tufa 
is  observed.  Peat  exists  in  the  county  in  large  quantities,  especially  in 
the  town  of  Clay,  and  it  has  been  excavated  and  prepared  for  fuel  to  a 
limited  extent,  but  not  profitably.  Further  details  of  soil  character  and 
kindred  subjects  will  be  found  in  the  histories  of  the  towns  of  the 
county  in  subsequent  pages  of  this  work. 


CHAPTER   III. 


The   Ethnology  of   Onondaga — Utensils   of   the   Early   Peoples — Sites  of   Indian 
Towns — Camps — Cemeteries — Mounds — Forts — Johnson's  Fort. 

For  the  past  fifty  years,  in  the  old  world  and  the  new,  the  spade  has 
i  the  great  revealer  of  ancient  history.  Buried  towns  have  come  to 
light,  and  forgotten  implements  and  ornaments  have  seen  the  sun  once 
more.  This  is  just  as  true  here  as  in  the  lands  of  classic  Greece,  or  on 
the  banks  of  Father  Nile.  Although  no  majestic  towers  or  ornate 
temples  have  left  traces  behind,  we  are  yet  able  to  look  farther  into 
Onondaga's  past  history  than  a  few  years  since  wTas  possible.  We 
follow  the  Onondagas  from  town  to  town,  in  their  frequent  removals  of 
the  past  three  centuries,  and  learn  to  distinguish  the  several  bands  that 
were  here  before  them.  For  all  our  aborigines  did  not  leave  the  same 
relics;  all  were  not  alike  in  habits  of  life;  all  did  not  come  from  the 
same  plan-,  and  actual  settlements  began  at  a  very  recent  day. 

We  cannot  exactly  determine  at  what  time  man  first  appeared  in 
Onondaga,  but  he  came  tor  hunting  and  fishing,  not  as  a  permanent 
inhabitant.  Manx-  of  the  bands,  too,  were  from  the  West,  but  not  be- 
yond  the  territory  of  Michigan  or  the  eastern  part  of  Wisconsin.     They 


THE  INDIAN  OCCUPANCY.  25 

brought  with  them  the  many  curious  articles  of  striped  slate,  especially 
the  bird  and  bar  amulets,  found  from  Michigan  eastward,  on  both  sides 
of  the  great  lakes  and  through  the  St.  Lawrence  valley.  They  formed 
few  villages,  and  these  of  a  transient  sort.  Their  relics  are  of  the 
usual  kinds,  but  embrace  others  of  which  the  Iroquois  knew  nothing. 
These  include  long  stone  tubes,  broad  or  slender  stone  gouges,  cere- 
monial or  banner  stones,  gorgets,  scrapers  and  stone  drills.  Some 
used  the  woman's  stone  knife,  half  circular  in  form,  and  the  double- 
bladed  slate  knife,  locally  known  as  the  slate  arrow;  two  articles  used 
only  by  the  Eskimo  at  present.  Most  of  them  had  no  earthen-ware, 
using  vessels  of  bark  containing  water,  into  which  hot  stones  were 
dropped.  A  few  had  shallow  vessels  of  soapstone,  the  handles  of 
which  yet  show  traces  of  fire  and  constant  use.  Like  the  Iroquois,  all 
these  used  the  common  celt  or  deer  skinner,  as  a  stone  axe,  the  broad 
grooved  form  being  extremely  rare  throughout  New  York. 

Some  also  brought  fine  articles  of  native  copper,  but  not  in  large 
numbers,  and  stone  plummets  are  somewhat  frequent  about  the  outlets 
of  both  Onondaga  and  Oneida  Lakes.  Many  of  these  articles  may  be 
seen,  with  others,  in  the  collections  of  Rev.  W.  M.  Beauchamp,  O.  M. 
Bigelow,  Dr.  W.  A.  Hinsdale,  and  A.  H.  Waterbury.  These  are 
notable  for  early  articles.  It  may  be  observed  that  articles  of  this  kind 
properly  belong  to  the  region  of  the  great  lakes  and  the  St.  Lawrence, 
to  which  may  be  added  Lake  Champlain,  which  has  the  same  drainage. 
They  are  very  rare  in  the  Mohawk  valley,  for  that  had  nothing  to 
attract  early  hunters  and  fishermen.  Below  Utica  that  river  has  few 
human  traces  until  nearly  A.  D.  1600. 

The  Iroquois  family  came  much  later  than  these  transient  bands, 
some  quite  probably  from  four  to  five  hundred  years  ago.  They  built 
villages  and  forts,  planted  fields,  made  earthen-ware,  and  did  much 
work  in  wood,  bone  and  horn,  the  latter  two  being  conspicuous  in  Dr. 
Hinsdale's  collection.  In  their  later  villages  will  be  found  shell  and 
glass  beads,  and  other  articles  which  came  with  European  trade,  until 
at  last  there  is  little  left  to  distinguish  the  Indian  site  from  that  of  the 
pioneer.  Accordingly  collections  made  in  Pompey,  Manlius  and  La 
Fayette,  like  those  of  Fitch,  Vail,  Loomis,  and  Hayes,  will  be  found 
rich  in  shell  and  glass  beads,  and  European  materials,  obtained  from 
the  Dutch,  English  and  French. 

If  Onondaga  county  were  divided  into  four  equal  sections,  the  south- 
eastern one,  touching  Onondaga  Lake,  would  represent  the  early  home 
4 


26  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

territory  of  the  Onondagas,  and  would  include  all  the  villages  which  they 
have  occupied  here  for  three  hundred  years,  except  those  used  in  the 
summer  for  hunting  or  fishing  Here  their  steps  can  be  traced  from 
place  to  place,  from  their  first  coming  up  to  their  last  reservation. 

A  brief  but  carefully  revised  review  may  be  given  of  the  various 
Indian  sites  in  Onondaga  county,  preliminary  to  the  connection  of  some 
of  them  with  historic  events,  and  the  general  truth  may  be  noted  that 
the  earlier  and  smaller  ones  are  usually  near  water,  on  what  are  now 
navigable  streams  and  the  lakes  from  which  these  directly  flow.  For 
camps  or  villages  sandy  or  porous  soil  was  always  preferred.  The  later 
towns  and  forts  are  quite  as  generally  remote  from  navigable  streams. 

Several  towns  afford  little  but  scattered  relics.  Skaneateles  has  a 
few  of  these  near  the  village  and  about  Mandana,  and  there  was  a  hunt- 
ing camp  on  the  Moses  farm,  lot  20.  In  Spafford  there  was  an  early 
hamlet  on  the  Mason  farm,  lot  G8,  about  a  mile  east  of  Five-Mile  Point. 
In  Otisco,  some  graves  were  opened  on  lot  72,  near  Amber,  some  years 
ago,  and  several  long  stone  tubes  were  found.  Cached  and  scattered 
articles  are  .  found  near  Otisco  Lake.  In  Tully  only  scattered  relics 
occur,  and  the  same  might  be  said  of  Fabius,  except  that  some  recent 
towns  lay  on  its  northern  line.  Camillus  also  has  no  village  sites,  those 
ascribed  to  it  being  in  the  present  town  of  Elbridge.  In  Manlius  and 
Marcellus  occasional  relics  of  interest  are  found,  but  no  villages. 

When  we  turn  to  the  northern  part  of  the  county  the  contrast  is  great. 
Traces  of  quite  early  occupation  or  visits  are  almost  everywhere  found, 
and  these  are  of  many  periods.  In  Lysander  there  were  camps  on  lots 
42,  53,  68,  70,  71,  75,  77,  79,  86,  87  and  91,  worthy  of  note.  Hamlets 
and  villages  existed  on  lots  74,  75,  76,  85,  86,  96,  99  and  100.  On  lot 
78,  north  of  the  river  road,  on  the  Mastin  farm,  was  a  stockaded  town 
of  the  Iroquoian  type.  A  bone  fish-hook  was  found  there,  and  very 
slender  triangular  arrow  heads,  with  the  usual  large  quantities  of  pot- 
tery. The  circular  earthwork,  mentioned  by  Clark,  was  on  lot  89, 
and  the  road  now  now  passes  directly  through  it.  The  part  occupied 
was  about  !  60 feet  in  diameter.  Clark  says  it  had  a  gateway,  and  "a 
ditch  about  it,  four  feet  deep,  and  an  embankment  outside  and  inside 
the  ditch,  the  outside  one  being  a  little  the  highest. "  Men  who  cleared 
the  land,  and  who  were  long  familiar  with  it,  describe  it  as  having 
simply  a  broad  depression  on  either  side  of  a  low  bank.  It  is  on 
land,  three  miles  southeast  of  Baldwinsville,  and  a  mile  and  a 
bali    from  the  river.      Pottery  and  stone  implements  are  found. 


THE  INDIAN  OCCUPANCY.  27 

There  was  a  burial  place  on  the  ridge  north  of  West  Oneida  street, 
Baldwinsville.  Relics  are  rarely  found  in  Indian  graves  in  this  vicinity, 
but  there  have  been  many  valuable  surface  finds.  Every  site  is  pre- 
historic. 

In  Clay  there  were  hamlets  and  camps  on  lots  1,  16,  22,  23  and  74, 
with  other  scattered  lodges  and  camps.  Burial  places  occur  east  of 
Schroeppel's  Bridge,  and  on  lot  22,  near  Oneida  River. 

Cicero  and  Clay  both  had  Indian  fish  weirs  on  the  Oneida  River. 
The  Onondagas  often  had  a  fishing  village  at  Brewerton,  and  they  had 
many  predecessors  there.  A  recent  burial  place  was  found  in  the  pres- 
ent cemetery,  and  there  were  hamlets  on  both  sides  of  the  river. 
Clark's  account  of  the  north  shore  is  erroneous  in  some  ways.  It  was 
an  early  resort,  and  the  relics  are  of  great  interest,  stone  plummets  and 
bone  harpoons  being  especially  abundant.  There  were  two  hamlets 
near  Oneida  Lake,  on  lot  47,  and  another  west  of  Bridgeport.  Camps 
occur  on  lots  32,  33  and  46,  with  smaller  ones  elsewhere. 

Van  Buren  has  much  of  interest.  Camp  sites  are  found  on  lots  1,  2, 
3,  7,  14,  16  and  17,  with  hamlets  on  lots  4,  5,  7,  41,  and  several  in 
Baldwinsville.  Two  burial  places  have  recently  been  opened  in  that 
village,  and  in  one  about  twenty  skeletons  were  exhumed  in  opening 
the  Syracuse  and  Baldwinsville  Railroad.  There  was  an  extensive  and 
irregular  stockade  on  Mrs.  Crego's  farm,  lot  6.  The  dimensions  were 
about  150  feet  by  500,  like  recent  Onondaga  forts.  The  finding  of  a 
barbed  bone  fish-hook  here  also,  indicates  its  comparatively  recent 
character.  It  is  the  only  early  site  in  northern  Onondaga  where  shell 
beads  have  been  found.  One  of  the  two  discovered  was  a  flat  unio  bead. 
A  circular  pre-historic  stockade  was  on  L.  Talmadge's  farm,  lot  13,  on 
a  slight  elevation  west  of  the  road.  The  post  holes  were  very  distinct, 
and  it  had  a  gateway  on  the  north.  The  diameter  was  about  300  feet, 
and  the  relics  much  as  usual.  Some  charred  corn  was  recently  found. 
The  distance  to  the  river  is  a  mile  and  a  half.  A  fort  has  been  reported 
on  the  Somes  farm,  lot  16,  but  it  has  not  been  critically  examined. 
It  was  a  stockade,  the  post-holes  being  visible  forty  years  ago.  Between 
lot  2  of  this  town,  and  lot  75,  Lysander,  is  a  large  fish  weir,  built  of 
field  stone.  Two  of  the  three  bays  remain  entire,  and  the  whole  struc- 
ture must  have  been  at  least  1,200  feet  long,  with  an  average  depth  of 
two  feet.  The  first  wall  begins  on  the  south  shore  of  the  river,  running 
down  stream  210  feet,  and  returning  340.  The  next  runs  down  1  l"> 
feet  from  the  angle,  and  returns  160;  while  the  third  bay,  in  deeper 
water,  is  almost  obliterated. 


28  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

In  Elbridge  there  were  camps  and  hamlets  along  the  south  and  east 
shores  of  Cross  Lake,  and  on  lots  35,  57  and  59.  Three  early  villages 
existed  a  little  above  Jack's  Rifts,  on  lot  34.  Clark  said,  "  At  Jack's 
Rifts,  when  the  whites  first  settled  this  town,  the  Onondagas  had  a  large 
settlement,  with  an  extensive  clearing  and  a  valuable  orchard. "  Traces 
of  this  still  remain,  as  well  as  of  the  burial  place. 

Clark  describes  an  unenclosed  town  south  of  Elbridge  village,  on  lot 
83,  and  says  that  hundreds  of  grooved  stone  axes  were  found  there. 
These  are  very  rare  in  New  York,  and  the  story  proved  to  be  without 
foundation.  Flint  arrows  were  abundant.  He  also  described  a  circu- 
lar earthwork  on  Caleb  Brown's  place,  a  little  east  of  Elbridge,  on  lot 
T3.  It  enclosed  an  acre  and  had  Indian  remains.  He  says  that  within 
"  were  evidences  of  a  blacksmith's  shop,  such  as  cinders,  coal,  etc." 
These  were  doubtless  traces  of  lodge  fires,  as  the  whole  group  is  pre- 
historic. 

He  describes  another  circular  fort  on  Mr.  Brown's  farm,  on  lot  84, 
about  forty  rods  south  of  the  road,  and  enclosing  three  acres.  The 
bank  was  two  feet  high  within,  and  had  an  outside  ditch  four  or  five 
feet  deep.  There  was  a  wide  gateway  on  the  west  side,  and  a  smaller 
one  on  the  northeast.  Fragments  of  pottery  were  abundant,  as  well  as 
shells.     A  cache  for  corn  was  mistaken  for  a  well. 

The  small  fort  on  D.  C.  Munro's  farm,  on  lot  81,  seems  to  have  been 
an  irregular  circle,  as  described  by  De  Witt  Clinton.  '  It  is  on  high 
ground,  a  few  rods  northwest  of  Mr.  Munro's  house,  and  encloses  about 
an  acre.  The  bank  was  about  two  feet  high,  and  there  is  said  to  have 
been  a  gateway  of  twelve  feet  wide  on  the  west  side,  an  unlikely  place 
because  of  a  deep  ravine  there.  There  were  lodge  sites  outside  of  this 
wall,  and  shells  and  earthenware,  and  one  very  large  cache.  Clinton's 
description  of  the  earthwork  on  lot  70  is  correct,  while  both  the  plan 
and  account  given  by  Mr.  Clark  are  erroneous.  It  was  elliptical,  and 
enclosed  nearly  three  acres,  with  gateways  on  the  east  and  west  sides. 
Earthenware  and  shells  were  abundant.  A  row  of  caches  appeared  on 
the  south  side.  The  longer  axis  ran  north  and  south,  and  the  work  was 
on  a  broad  elliptical  hill.  When  first  known  the  bank  was  three  feet 
high,  and  could  still  be  traced  fifty  years  ago,  when  Mr.  Hunter  first 
occupied  the  farm. 

In  Geddes  there  were  hamlets  and  camps  along  the  west  shore  of 
Onondaga  Lake,  from  the  outlet  as  far  as  Nine-Mile  Creek,  all  earlier 
than  the  Iroquois  occupation.     Two  burial  mounds  and  two  hamlets 


THE  INDIAN  OCCUPANCY.  29 

were  near  the  outlet,  one  of  the  mounds  having  been  in  the  woods  at 
Long  Branch.  When  partially  examined  in  1880,  it  was  oblong,  about 
twelve  feet  in  length,  and  between  three  and  four  feet  high.  It  was 
formed  of  sand  loam,  and  from  the  center  had  a  depth  of  eight  feet  to 
the  original  soil.  When  it  was  removed,  four  years  later,  six  skeletons 
were  found  in  the  southwest  part,  and  a  few  relics.  The  other  mound 
was  circular,  and  stood  out  distinctly  from  the  hill  side  west  of  the 
present  outlet.  The  earth  had  been  brough  from  a  cavity  in  this  hill. 
Skeletons,  arrows,  celts  and  pipes  were  found,  one  of  the  latter  being 
of  the  platform  type.  Kaneenda,  near  the  mouth  of  Onondaga  Creek, 
was  occupied  in  early  and  recent  times. 

Clark  mentions  an  extensive  burial  place  hear  Green  Point  in  Salina, 
but  without  further  details.  Relics  are  found  at  intervals  all  along  the 
eastern  shore  of  Onondaga  Lake,  with  frequent  camps  and  hamlets, 
mostly  quite  old. 

Clark  also  describes  the  French  fort  on  lot  106,  and  says  that  "On 
this  ground  have  been  plowed  up  brass  kettles,  gun  barrels,  axes,  grape 
shot,  etc.  Burnt  earth  and  calcined  stone,  and  broken  bricks,  where 
their  fires  had  been  kept,  are  to  be  seen  even  to  this  day  (1848).  In 
1794  the  ditch  was  easily  to  be  traced,  and  some  of  the  pickets  were 
standing.  The  work  embraced  about  half  an  acre  of  land. "  The  bricks 
of  course  were  of  this  century,  and  even  if  the  fort  were  Frontenac's,  as 
seems  the  case,  the  pickets  would  not  have  stood  over  a  hundred  years. 
This  statement  of  his  seems  a  confusion  of  this  site  with  that  at  Onon- 
daga Valley. 

Twenty  skeletons  were  taken  out  of  a  gravel  bed  in  1878,  in  what  is 
now  East  Syracuse.  The  relics  were  rude,  and  the  best  parts  of  the 
account  due  to  a  reporter's  imagination. 

In  Onondaga  a  large  burial  place  was  found  on  Judge  Strong's  place 
in  1816,  just  north  of  Onondaga  Hill.  The  stockade  built  by  Sir  Will- 
iam Johnson,  in  1756,  was  on  Webster's  Mile  Square,  and  was  burned 
in  1779,  but  some  of  the  oak  pickets  still  appeared  when  the  valley  was 
settled.  The  graded  way  of  field  stone,  leading  from  the  terrace  to  the 
creek,  still  remains,  interrupted  by  a  ditch  with  sloping  walls  of  stone. 
From  the  top  of  the  bank  the  roadway  runs  eighty-four  feet  to  the 
ditch,  which  is  eight  feet  wide  at  the  top,  and  extends  from  this  forty- 
eight  feet  farther  to  the  bottom  land,  terminating  sixty  feet  from  the 
creek.  As  the  oak  posts  were  set  four  feet  in  the  ground,  it  is  probable' 
the  lower  ends  might  still  be  found.     Traces  of  the  fireplaces  of  the 


30  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

blockhouses  appeared,  as  well  as  of  the  blacksmith's  shop.  This  was  on 
the  Clark  farm,  on  Webster's  Mile  Square,  west  of  the  creek  and  east 
of  the  road.  Two  villages  were  burned  in  1779,  farther  up  the  valley. 
A  trench  on  the  Pinckney  farm,  mentioned  by  Clark,  seems  to  be 
natural.  There  were  several  burial  places  east  of  the  creek,  all  quite 
recent.  One  was  found  in  1877,  on  Dr.  Tolman's  land,  lot  133,  near  the 
old  Danforth  house.  No  large  early  villages  have  been  discovered,  but 
there  was  a  prehistoric  hamlet  on  the  Hudson  farm,  lot  161,  and  a  few 
early  relics  occur  elsewhere.  Among  modern  finds  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  is  a  very  rare  Duke  of  Cumberland  medal,  struck  at  the 
taking  of  Carlisle  in  1745.  This  was  found  in  1893  by  George  Slocum. 
It  is  of  bronze  and  in  fine  condition. 

The  stockade  burned  at  Frontenac's  invasion,  in  1696,  was  on  the 
Watkins'  farm,  lot  3,  La  Fayette,  on  the  low  hill  just  east  of  the  reser- 
voir. It  has  often  been  very  incorrectly  described  and  located,  and 
was  one  of  the  three  forts  mentioned  by  Clinton.  Most  of  the  abundant 
relics  are  of  a  modern  character,  and  include  many  Jesuit  articles. 
The  land  was  first  occupied  by  Isaac  Keeler,  and  there  was  an  opening 
of  about  fifty  acres,  of  which  the  fort  is  said  to  have  enclosed  ten.  The 
outlines  were  for  a  long  time  traceable.  The  plan,  according  to  Clark, 
was  a  plain  parallelogram,  divided  through  the  short  axis  by  two  rows 
of  palisades  running  east  and  west,  about  twelve  feet  apart.  At  the 
northwest  corner  was  a  bastion.  Many  stumps  of  the  cedar  posts  were 
plowed  up,  and  heaps  of  kitchen  refuse  and  of  charred  corn  were  found 
within  the  fort.  Schoolcraft's  account  is  worthless.  This  fort  is  also 
mentioned  in  the  New  York  Magazine  for  1  792,  in  a  misleading  way, 
and  by  Squier  was  supposed  from  this  to  be  in  Elbridge  or  Brutus. 
Clark  also  gives  a  confused  idea  from  describing  it  more  than  once.  It 
seems  to  have  been  occupied  about  thirty  years.  The  burial  place  was 
a  little  farther  south  and  on  the  west,  side  of  the  creek,  where  there  are 
also  some  natural  mounds. 

The  Indian  village  of  Tueyahdasso,  visited  by  Bartram  in  1743,  was 
on  lot  13.  When  William  Raskins  plowed  the  land  in  1792,  Clark  says, 
ound  ''almost  every  variety  of  implement  used  in  agriculture  and 
the  common  arts.  .  .  .  The  graves  were  arranged  with  great  regu- 
larity, side  by  side,  in  rows  of  ten  or  fifteen  rods  in  extent;  in  the 
vi<  inity  were  other  groups  of  graves,  but  not  in  regular  order."  The 
Indian  orchard,  at  this  place  long  supplied  the  early  settlers. 

Pompey,  still  earlier  villages  of  the  Onondagas  are  encoun- 


THE  INDIAN  OCCUPANCY.  31 

tered,  that  town  being  their  earliest  home  in  Onondaga  county.  Clin- 
ton said  there  were  eighty  cemeteries  in  Pompey,  which  then  included 
most  of  La  Fayette.  Clark  is  more  moderate,  and  says,  "  These  places 
of  defense  and  burial  were  very  numerous  in  the  township  of  Pompey. 
There  are  not  less  than  fifteen  which  have  been  pointed  out  to  us,  and 
which  we  have  visited.  They  are  scattered  through  several  of  the 
adjoining  towns." 

The  "Old  Indian  Fort,"  in  the  southeast  corner  of  lot  23  (not  33),  is 
usually  considered  recent,  although  it  affords  only  early  relies  now. 
Clark  described  this  as  having  "an  earthen  wall  running  southeast  and 
northwest,  and  when  first  noticed  by  the  early  settlers  was  four  or  five 
feet  high,  with  something  of  a  ditch  in  front,  from  two  to  three  feet 
deep.  Within  the  enclosure  may  be  ten  or  twelve  acres  of  land. 
There  is  a  burying  ground  within  the  enclosure."  The  ditch  really  ran 
northeast  and  southwest  from  one  ravine  to  the  other,  being  about  300 
feet  long,  and  there  are  lodge  sites  on  both  sides  of  it.  The  large 
grooved  stone,  in  the  southern  ravine,  has  been  removed.  The  grooves 
are  fairly  represented  by  these  characters,  XIIIII,  though  not  as  regu- 
lar, and  are  of  the  usual  width  of  three-quarters  of  an  inch.  They 
vary  from  twelve  to  fourteen  inches  in  length,  and  the  undressed  stone 
is  nearly  two  feet  each  way.  Several  of  these  stones  have  been  found 
in  Pompey,  and  they  are  comparatively  recent.  A  burial  place  occurs 
a  mile  south  of  this. 

The  earliest  site  of  the  true  Onondagas,  that  which  they  seem  to 
have  occupied  when  Champlain  attacked  the  Oneida  fort,  is  just  east  of 
lot  44  and  the  county  line,  and  is  known  as  the  Atwell  fort.  It  was  a 
long  stockade  on  a  ridge  between  two  ravines.  The  picket  line  is  per- 
fectly distinct  at  the  east  end,  where  it  is  256  feet  long,  including  a 
gateway  of  eight  feet  near  the  northeast  corner.  The  lines  run  west- 
erly along  the  edges  of  the  ridge  for  about  365  feet,  where  they  are  but 
ninety  feet  apart,  and  beyond  this  the  average  width  for  255  feet  more 
is  a  little  over  100  feet.  The  western  end  curves,  and  has  two  gate- 
ways. The  post-holes  average  two  and  a  half  feet  from  center  to  cen- 
ter, and  are  not  over  two  feet  deep.  A  barbed  bone  fish-honk  was 
found  there,  and  the  curious  pottery  appears,  with  human  faces  or 
forms,  which  occurs  on  Mohawk  sites  of  the  same  period  and  for 
some  years  later,  as  well  as  on  some  later  sites  in  Pompey  and  at  Ka- 
neenda.  The  place  seems  to  have  been  occupied  by  the  Onondagas 
about  A.  D.  1600. 


32  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

The  plan  of  the  stockade  on  H.  Chase's  land,  lot  99,  about  a  mile 
south  of  Delphi,  is  too  large  and  broad  in  Clark's  figure.  It  is  on  a 
long  ridge,  and  the  town  was  evidently  of  a  long,  irregular  form,  run- 
ning north  and  south,  being  about  200  by  750  feet.  Many  post- 
holes  remain,  and  they  average  about  two  feet  from  center  to  center. 
A  natural  trench  near  the  picket  line  deceived  early  observers.  The 
area  is  about  four  acres,  and  the  site  is  quite  recent.  The  burial  place 
is  just  south  of  the  Fabius  line,  and  Clark  describes  a  kind  of  alternate 
burial  in  rows.  There  were  two  grooved  stones  in  this  fort,  very  much 
smaller  than  in  Clark's  account. 

Another  circular  stockade  was  on  the  south  line  of  lot  98,  Pompey, 
extending  into  lot  8,  Fabius,  and  was  about  225  feet  in  diameter.  The 
same  pottery  has  been  found  there,  and  a  few  European  articles.  A 
similar  fort  was  on  Mrs.  Sheldon's  farm,  lot  69,  and  west  of  Limestone 
Creek,  on  a  high  hill.  It  had  later  European  implements.  Another 
long  stockade  was  on  the  Indian  Knolls,  lot  68,  and  about  a  mile  south 
of  Pompey  Center.  The  European  articles  were  more  Dutch  than 
French,  and  it  may  have  been  occupied  aboiit  1640.  It  was  almost  tri- 
angular, being  not  far  from  675  feet  long,  and  about  360  wide  at  the 
southern  end.  There  are  grooved  stones  and  an  ancient  hamlet  a  quar- 
ter of  a  mile  east  of  this. 

The  most  noted  site  is  that  of  Indian  Hill,  lot  9,  and  about  two  miles 
south  of  Manlius  village.  The  outline  of  this  town  was  elliptical,  about 
1,650  by  450  feet,  and  on  a  broad  table  land  between  two  streams.  At 
one  time  it  had  palisades,  but  lay  open  in  1677.  Clark  says  that  early 
settlers  remembered  an  earthwork  there,  whose  "walls  were  then 
some  four  or  five  feet  high.  ...  It  was  circular,  and  from  three 
hundred  to  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  diameter.  There  was  but 
one  gateway,  and  that  quite  narrow."  There  may  be  some  mistake  in 
this,  unless  this  served  as  a  citadel.  Everywhere  there  are  traces  of 
the  French  missions  of  the  seventeenth  century,  and  a  vast  amount  of  me- 
talic  work  has  been  carried  away,  as  well  as  trinkets  of  all  kinds.  This 
was  the  largest  town  the  Onondagas  ever  occupied,  for  they  were  then 
in  the  height  of  their  power.  The  burial  ground  lay  to  the  north,  and 
along  the  sides  of  the  ravine.  Part  of  a  large  bowlder,  used  in  sharp- 
ening tools,  has  been  removed,  but  there  are  six  hollows  in  the  remain- 
ing portion,  which  is  about  seven  feet  long. 

A  site  on  tin  Fitch  and  Williams  farms,  lot  19,  commonly  called  the 
Castle,  has  similar  relics,  and  was  probably  the  small  village  mentioned 


THE  INDIAN  OCCUPANCY.  33 

by  Greenhalgh  in  1677.  There  was  a  burial  place  there  also.  On  lot 
6  were  many  European  articles  on  the  Hibbard  and  Hinsdale  farms, 
and  on  the  latter  were  circular  elevations  of  stone,  regularly  arranged 
as  though  for  the  foundations  of  cabins.  They  were  about  fourteen 
feet  in  diameter,  and  may  have  been  the  homes  of  captives  who  used 
the  circular  lodge.  Perhaps  on  the  same  lot,  Clark  mentions  the  re- 
mains of  a  small  fortification  and  burial  place  on  Dr.  Western's  farm, 
with  an  ossuary  and  European  relics.  Not  far  off,  on  John  Clapp's 
farm,  "were  plainly  traceable    the  lines  of  an  earthen  fortification." 

Other  burial  places  were  on  lots  5,  18,  27,  28,  29,  and  97,  and  Clinton 
describes  one  of  three  or  four  acres,  a  mile  east  of  Indian  Hill,  with 
another  a  little  west  of  this  one.  This  was  on  the  Scoville  farm,  lot  11, 
half  a  mile  from  Oran. 

In  this  town  was  found  the  famous  Pompey  Stone,  bearing  the  date 
of  1520.  After  seventy-three  years  of  acceptance  its  character  was 
first  questioned  and  critically  described  by  the  Rev.  W.  M.  Beauchamp, 
S.  T.  D.,  in  1894,  and  the  testimony  of  John  E.  Sweet  soon  proved  it 
a  hoax,  perpetrated  by  an  uncle  of  his  when  a  boy. 

Besides  the  Kaneenda  site,  there  were  many  Indian  cabins  along  the 
west  bank  of  Onondaga  Creek,  in  Syracuse,  in  1793,  and  also  a  modern 
Indian  cemetery.  When  the  west  locks  were  constructed,  over  a  hun- 
dred skeletons  were  taken  up,  and  some  were  found  in  digging  a  canal 
for  the  red  mill,  on  the  east  side.  Newkirk's  grave  was  near  the  site 
of  the  Syracuse  Pump  House,  and  Timothy  C.  Cheney  relates  that  a 
little  east  of  this  grave,  he  "and  other  boys  used  to  dig  up  the  remains 
of  Indians,  for  the  purpose  of  getting  possession  of  the  beads,  kettles, 
knives  and  other  implements  of  warfare,  or  an  ornamental  dress  that 
had  been  buried  with  them." 

The  earthworks  in  Elbridge  belong  to  a  group  extending  into  Cay- 
uga county,  and  the  one  in  Lysander  is  one  of  an  Oswego  group.  One 
of  these  has  been  vaguely  reported  as  located  on  Ox  Creek,  north  of 
Jacksonville,  and  in  Granby.  Two  were  incorrectly  described  by  Clark, 
in  that  town.  The  one  on  lot  32  was  occupied  for  some  time,  but  is 
obliterated.  Two-thirds  of  the  one  on  lot  ^24  remain  and  can  be  traced. 
It  was  circular,  with  east  and  west  gates,  and  measures  240  feet  across, 
from  the  middle  of  the  ditch  and  through  the  gateways.  The  other 
was  of  the  same  size.  Another  small  earthwork  was  on  the  east  side 
of  the  river  at  Oswego  Falls.  All  forts  contain  earthenware,  but  no 
scrapers  or  stone  drills, 
5 


34  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

Name  of  Iroquois — Traditions  — Hiawatha— Wampum  —  Confederates  — Clans — 
Families— First  Accounts— Villages— Language— Months— Feasts— Worship— Char- 
acter. 

When  the  Europeans  first  came  to  what  is  now  New  York,  they 
found  five  confederated  nations  struggling  against  their  enemies  on 
every  side,  but  practically  confined  to  the  country  between  Schenec- 
tady and  the  Genesee  River.  The  Dutch  divided  these  into  the 
Maquas  and  Sinnekes;  the  French  for  a  short  time  into  the  Iroquois 
and  Entouhonorons,  who  were  allied.  For  many  years  the  French 
spoke  of  the  Mohawks  almost  alone  as  the  Iroquois,  and  Charlevoix 
said  that  "The  name  of  Iroquois  is  purely  French,  and  has  been 
formed  from  the  term  hiro,  I  have  spoken,  a  word  by  which  these  In- 
dians close  all  their  speeches,  and  Koue,  which,  when  long  drawn  out, 
is  a  cry  of  sorrow,  and  when  briefly  uttered,  is  an  exclamation  of  joy." 
Horatio  Hale  properly  objects  that  they  had  this  name  when  Cham- 
plain  came,  and  it  appears  on  maps  as  Irocoisia,  a  little  later.  He 
would  derive  it  from  Garokwa,  a  pipe,  or  the  indeterminate  verb 
ierokwa,  to  smoke.1 

As  to  their  own  origin  their  traditions  differ  greatly,  as  might  be  ex- 
pected with  several  nations,  each  having  its  own  history.  David 
Cusick's  story  is  certainly  erroneous  as  a  whole,  for  he  places  the 
Mohawks  first  in  the  order  of  settlement,  the  others  following.  The 
Mohawks  claimed  to  have  come  from  the  St.  Lawrence;  others  from 
the  West,  and  both  are  probably  right.  In  this  country,  Oundiagatold 
L.i  Fort  that  the  recent  villages  and  forts  in  Pompey  were  occupied  be- 
fore the  League  was  formed,  an  evident  mistake.  The  surviving 
Iroquois  give  a  much  greater  antiquity  to  the  confederacy  than  their 
ancestors  did.  From  what  the  Mohawks  told  him,  Pyrlaeus  thought 
this  formed  a  generation  before  the  whites  came,  which  might  make  it 

'Charlevoix's  New  France, vol.  I,  p. 270. 
[roquoii   'I  i  iil,  p  65. 
Hale's  [roq no!    Boi '!   "i  R [tes,  p.  171. 


THE  IROQUOIS.  35 

about  1580;  but  he  also  says  it  was  a  hundred  years  before  the  Tusca- 
roras  entered  New  York,  or  about  1614.  The  earlier  date  seems 
preferable.  Even  after  the  French  came  the  alliance  was  not  very 
firm,  and  the  nations  made  war  and  peace  independently. 

The  story  of  the  creation  of  man,  and  of  the  formation  of  the  con- 
federacy by  their  deity,  as  given  by  the  Onondaga  chief  Canassatego,1 
a  centur)^  and  a  half  since,  has  some  resemblance  to  Clark's  story  of 
Hiawatha,  in  a  few  points.  "With  five  handfuls  of  red  seed  did  he 
strow  the  fertile  fields  of  Onondaga,"  and  the  five  nations  were  pro- 
duced. He  addressed  each  in  turn.  "  Onondagas,  I  have  made  you 
wise,  just,  and  eloquent;  squashes  and  grapes  I  have  given  you,  and 
tobacco  to  smoke  in  council.  The  beasts,  birds  and  fishes  have  I  given 
to  you  in  common  "  Much  more  he  said,  and  then  "he  wrapped  him- 
self in  a  bright  cloud,  and  went  like  a  swift  arrow  to  the  sun,  where  his 
brethren  rejoiced  at  his  return."  In  both  these  stories  are  strongly 
Christian  features. 

From  history,  traditions,  and  a  xfull  examination  of  their  home 
territory,  it  is  clear  that  the  Mohawks  did  not  reach  that  valley  much 
before  A.  D.  1600,  and  about  the  same  time  the  main  body  of  the  On- 
ondagas apparently  came  to  the  territory  of  this  county  from  the  north, 
but  were  probably  joined  by  others  already  living  near  the  Seneca 
River.  The  Cayugas  and  Senecas  may  have  been  in  Xew  York  much 
longer,  entering  it  from  the  west.  The  long  continuance  as  separate 
nations,  moving  in  different  directions,  accounts  for  early  differences  in 
dialects  and  customs. 

The  later  comers  had  migrated  to  escape  their  enemies,  and  the  fears 
of  these,  who  were  most  exposed,  led  them  to  propose  the  famous 
Iroquois  League.  The  mystic  tale  of  Hiawatha,  as  related  by  Clark,  is 
little  known  among  the  Onondagas,  and  the  ordinary  form,  more  clearly 
historical,  has  been  admirably  set  forth  by  Horatio  Hale  at  various 
times.  Hi-a-wat-ha  was  an  Onondaga,  who  proposed  the  league,  and 
afterwards  became  a  Mohawk  chief.  The  Iroquois  used  elm  bark 
canoes,  but  he  had  brought  with  him,  from  his  early  northern  home, 
one  of  white  birch,  a  vessel  conspicuous  in  one  story.  Dr.  Hale  makes 
the  historic  tale  scarcely  less  picturesque  than  the  mythical.  Clark, 
however,  had  the  merit  of  bringing  Hiawatha's  name  to  light,  although 
Schoolcraft  never  gave  him  credit  for  what  he  learned  from  him. 

'  Miner's  History  of  Wyoming. 


36  ONONDAGA'S   CENTENNIAL. 

There  is  a  still  earlier  published  form,  not  to  speak  of  what  Pyrlaeus 
put  on  record  a  century  and  a  half  ago.  In  the  modest  volumes  of 
Dunlap's  History  of  New  York,  he  says  that  Ephraim  Webster  told  him 
the  story  in  1815.  An  inferior  Onondaga  chief  saw  their  similarity  in 
language,  and  their  disadvantages  as  they  lived;  and  "conceived  the 
bright  idea  of  union,  and  of  a  great  council  of  the  chiefs  of  the  Five 
Nations;  this,  he  said,  and  perhaps  thought,  came  to  him  in  a  dream; 
and  it  was  afterwards  considered  as  coming  from  the  Great  Spirit. 
He  proposed  this  plan  in  a  council  of  his  tribe,  but  the  principal  chief 
opposed  it.  He  was  a  great  warrior  and  feared  to  lose  his  influence  as 
head  man  of  the  Onondagas.  This  was  a  selfish  man.  The  younger 
chief,  whom  we  will  call  Oweko,  was  silenced;  but  he  determined  in 
secret  to  attempt  the  great  political  work.  This  was  a  man  who  loved 
the  welfare  of  others.  To  make  long  journeys  and  be  absent  for 
several  days  while  hunting,  would  cause  no  suspicion,  because  it  was 
common.  He  left  home  as  if  to  hunt;  by  taking  a  circuitous  path 
through  the  woods,  for  all  this  great  country  was  then  a  wilderness,  he 
made  his  way  to  the  village  or  castle  of  the  Mohawks.  He  consulted 
some  of  the  leaders  of  that  tribe,  and  they  received  the  scheme  favor- 
ably ;  he  visited  the  Oneidas,  and  gained  the  assent  of  their  chief ;  he 
then  returned  home.  After  a  time  he  made  another  pretended  hunt, 
and  another;  thus  by  degrees  visiting  the  Cayugas  and  Senecas,  and 
gained  the  assent  of  all  to  a  great  council  to  be  held  at  Onondaga.  With 
consummate  art  he  then  gained  over  his  own  chief,  by  convincing  him 
of  the  advantage  of  the  confederacy,  and  agreeing  that  he  should  be 
considered  as  the  author  of  the  plan.  The  great  council  met,  and  the 
great  chief  of  the  Onondagas  made  use  of  a  figurative  argument  taught 
him  by  Oweko,  which  was  the  same  that  we  read  of  in  the  fable,  where 
a  father  teaches  his  sons  the  value  of  union,  by  taking  one  stick  from  a 
bundle,  and  showing  how  feeble  it  was  and  easily  broken,  and  that 
when  bound  together  the  bundle  resisted  his  utmost  strength." 

The  Iroquois  had  no  true  wampum  until  they  obtained  it  from  the 
Hutch,  but  in  their  legends  Hiawatha  is  considered  its  inventor,  some 

'ting  that  his  wampum  was  of  fresh  water  shells,  and  others  that  it 

was  of  bird's  quills.      Loskiel  says  that  the  Iroquois  at  first  used  short 

licks  tor  this  purpose,  having  nothing  else  until  Dutch  trade 

menced.  It  is  certain  that  none  of  their  town  sites  earlier  than 
L620  afford  any  of  it.  The  Onondaga  wampum  belts  are  but  little, 
if  aii_\-,  over  a  century  old,  ami  all  the  beads  in  them  were  made  by  white 


THE  IROQUOIS.  37 

men.  It  is  the  easiest  thing-  possible  to  distinguish  early  from  modern 
wampum.  Some  of  the  belts  were  even  made  upon  a  common  twine 
foundation,  but  the}-  are  the  finest  existing  examples.  No  beads  made 
of  fresh  water  snail  shells  have  ever  yet  been  found 

Pyrlaeus  said,  "The  alliance  having  been  first  proposed  by  a  Mohawk 
chief,  the  Mohawks  rank  in  the  family  as  the  eldest  brother,  the  Oneidas 
as  the  eldest  son  ;  the  Senecas,  who  were  the  last  who  at  that  time  had 
consented  to  the  alliance,  were  called  the  youngest  son  ;  but  the  Tusea- 
roras,  who  joined  the  confederacy  probably  a  hundred  years  afterwards, 
assumed  that  name,  and  the  Senecas  ranked  in  precedence  before  them 
as  being  the  next  youngest  son,  or  as  we  would  say,  the  youngest  son 
but  one."     This  classification  is  not  that  which  the  Iroquois  now  give. 

The  Onondagas  call  the  confederacy,  the  Long  House,  or  Konosioni; 
more  literally,  the  Real  Cabin;  and  this  varies  but  little  from  other 
interpretations.  The  Mohawks  were  called  Anniez  by  the  French, 
more  properly  Kaniengas,  Possessors  of  the  Flint.  Their  council  name  is 
Te-haw-e-ho-ge,  a  Heart  divided  into  two  Hearts.  The  Oneidas  were 
the  People  of  the  Stone,  and  their  council  name  was  Ne-haw-re  tah-go- 
wah,  Big  Tree  People.  The  Onondagas  are  People  of  the  Mountain, 
and  their  council  name  is  Seuh-no-keh-te,  Bearing  the  Names.  The 
Cayugas  do  not  retain  their  earliest  name,  and  the  meaning  of  the  pres- 
ent one  is  disputed.  D.  Cusick  makes  it  Goyogoh,  Mountain  rising  from 
the  Water;  A.  Cusick,  Kweukwe,  Where  they  drew  their  Boats  ashore; 
L.  H.  Morgan,  Gweugweh,  At  the  Mucky  Land;  their  council  name  is 
Soh-ne-na-we-too  na,  Great  Pipe.  The  word  Seneca,  like  Mohawk,  is 
Algonquin,  and  not  used  by  the  Senecas.  They  call  themselves  Nun- 
da-wa-o-no,  People  of  the  Great  Hill;  their  council  name  being  Ho- 
nan-ne-ho-ont,  Door  Keepers.  The  Tuscaroras  are  the  Shirt-wearing 
People,  and  they  are  called  in  council,  Tu-hah-te-ehn-yah-wah-kou, 
Those  who  embrace  the  Great  Tree;  because  the}-  first  came  to  the 
Oneidas.      They  are  an  addition  to,  but  not  a  part  of,  the  Long  House. 

There  were  originally  but  three  clans  in  these  nations,  the  Turtle, 
Wolf  and  Bear;  but  others  were  added  by  adoption,  so  that  while  the 
Mohawks  and  Oneidas  had  but  three,  the  Onondagas  had  eight,  and  the 
Senecas  sometimes  from  nine  to  eleven.  The  Onondaga  clans  are  the 
three  mentioned,  with  the  Deer,  Eel,  Snipe,  Heaver  and  Little  Turtle. 
They  include  neither  the  Heron  nor  Eagle,  which  Clark  gives  them.  The 
present  and  preceding  Tadodaho  belong  to  the  Eel  clan.  This  origin- 
ated in  the  marshes  of  Seneca  River,  and  the  Bear  ami  Wolf  elans  have 


38  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

been  said  to  come  from  near  Oswego  Falls,  but  there  are  but  slight 
traces  of  early  inhabitants  there.  At  one  time  certain  offices  were 
hereditary  in  certain  clans  or  families,  but  early  rules  are  little  regarded 
now.      There  was  once  burial  by  clans. 

The  device  of  the  Onondagas  was  a  cabin  on  the  top  of  a  mountain 
or  hill,  and  thus  it  appears  on  some  treaties.  Each  clan  had  its  own 
totem,  and  this  was  placed  on  their  cabins,  with  a  purpose  similar  to 
that  of  our  door  plates.  Individuals  had  their  personal  totems,  and 
marriages  were  forbidden  between  members  of  the  same  clan.  Neither 
of  these  are  essential  rules  now,  but  the  line  of  descent  is  still  strictly  in 
the  female  line.  The  children  are  of  the  mother's  clan  and  nation. 
Every  clan  has  its  chiefs,  but  the  Onondagas  have  also  fourteen  of  the 
fifty  principal  chiefs,  who  have  votes  in  the  Grand  Council.  They  are 
often  termed  sachems,  but  this  is  an  Algonquin  title  which  a  true 
Onondaga  could  not  once  have  pronounced.  Each  principal  chief  has 
his  subordinates,  and  while  there  were  at  least  fifty  principal  chiefs,  some- 
times there  were  more. 

In  some  ways  women  stood  high,  having  equal  rights  with  the  men, 
and  often  determining  questions  of  war  and  peace.  Their  lives  were 
reckoned  at  double  the  value  of  men's,  and  the  division  of  labor  was  by 
no  means  unfair.  Charlevoix  says:  "The  Iroquois  in  particular  had 
the  reputation  of  chastity  before  they  had  any  commerce  with  the  Illi- 
nois, and  the  other  nations  in  the  neighborhood  of  Louisiana;  they  have 
gained  nothing  by  the  acquaintance  excepting  becoming  like  them." 
This  may  be  too  high  an  estimate  of  their  virtue,  but  they  certainly 
compared  well  with  others.  Divorces  were  frequent,  but  it  was  rarely 
through  unfaithfulness. 

Their  hospitality  is  well  known,  and  the  most  extraordinary  pains 
were  taken  for  visitors.  Terrible  in  war,  they  received  their  former 
foes  with  open  hands  when  peace  was  made.  They  fought  as  savages 
fight,  but  it  was  for  their  country,  and  except  in  the  brief  episode  of 
the  Revolution,  New  York  owes  much  to  the  friendship  of  the  Iroquois, 

The  Onondagas  are  first  distinctly  mentioned  in  a  list  of  sedentary 
nations  in  the  Relation  of  1635. 1  It  is  added  that  "the  Hurons  are 
friends  of  all  these  peoples,  except  the  Sonontoerrhonons,  Onontaer- 
rhonons,  Ouioenrhonons,  Onoiochrhonons,  and  Agnierrhonons,  all  of 

1  Since  tin  j  in  type  the  journal  of  Arent  Van  Curler's  trip  to  the  Oneidas,  1634-5, 

lias  lir  .  !,  in  which  he  several  times  mentions  the  Onondagas  by  name,  holding  a  coun- 

i  old  men  at  Oneida,  January  11,  n;:r>. 


THE  IROQUOIS.  39 

whom  we  comprehend  under  the  name  of  Iroquois.  Vet  the}-  have 
already  peace  with  the  Sonontoerrhonons,  made  after  their  defeat  in 
the  spring  of  last  year.  The  deputies  of  all  the  country  went  to  Son- 
ontoen  to  confirm  this  peace,  and  they  say  that  the  Onontaerrhonons, 
Ouioenrhonons,  Oniochrhonons  and  Agnierrhonons  wish  to  enter  into 
this  league." 

It  is  probable  that  the  name  of  the  Senecas,  Sonontoerrhonons.  is 
the  same  as  Champlain's  Entouhonorons.  The  estimation  in  which 
the  Onondagas  were  held  by  the  Hurons  is  shown  by  their  place  im- 
mediately after  the  powerful  Senecas,  being  followed  by  the  Cavugas, 
Oneidas  and  Mohawks  in  this  list.  Modern  writers  sometimes  confuse 
the  Iroquet,  a  small  Algonquin  tribe  called  after  its  chief,  with  the 
Iroquois.     They  were  distinct  in  every  way. 

Indian  villages  were  migratory,  and  there  is  no  reason  to  suppose 
that  more  than  two  of  any  size  ever  existed  contemporaneously  in  this 
county.  In  early  times  ten  or  fifteen  years  were  the  duration  of  a  town 
in  one  spot,  and  all  those  in  Pompey  had  a  period  of  less  than  a  hun- 
dred years.  As  fuel  and  the  soil  were  exhausted  near  by,  the  Ononda- 
gas sought  new  places  for  their  homes.  From  six  to  ten  towns  would 
thus  be  successively  occupied  within  a  century,  and  their  number  is  no 
index  of  population. 

All  the  Iroquois  dialects  are  without  labials,  all  words  being  spoken 
without  closing  the  lips,  but  the  Onondagas  also  rarely  used  the  L  and 
R.  Thus  Skaneateles  is  the  Mohawk  form,  not  the  Onondaga.  Indian 
names  are  seldom  poetic,  and  often  allude  to  some  obscure  event.1 

The  Onondaga  months  are  now  Tisgonah,  longer  day,  for  [anuarv; 
February,  Kanatoha,  winter  leaves  fall;  March,  Kanatogonali,  winter 
leaves  fall  and  fill  up  the  large  holes;  April,  Esutah,  warm  and  good 
days,  but  not  planting  time;  May,  Oyeayegonah,  leaves  in  full  size, 
and  strawberries  ripening;  Seskahah,  snn  goes  for  long  days,  June; 
Seskagonah,  sun  goes  for  longer  days,  July;  Kentenah,  deer  sheds  its 
hair,  August;  Kentenahgonah,  deer  in  its  natural  fur,  September; 
October,  Chuthowaah,  little  cold;  November,  Chuthowagonah,  large 
cold;  December,  Tisah,  not  very  long  day.  An  intercalary  month  was 
inserted  at  proper  intervals  in  early  summer,  and  this  properly  has  the 
name  given  for  May,  that  month  lacking  the  gouah,  and  preceding  this. 
Nearly  the  same  names  appear  in  a  lexicon  of  the  seventeenth  centurv, 

1  For  Onondaga  and  Iroquois  names  in  general,  refer  to  L.  II.  Morgan's  League  <>t  the  Iro- 
quois, and  Rev.  Dr.  Beauchamp's  N.  Y.  Indian  Names,  and  Iroquois  Trail. 


40  ONONDAGA'S   CENTENNIAL. 

but  the  present  name  for  November  is  given  to  January,  and  so  of 
others  in  succession.     This  is  an  evident  error. 

The  various  feasts  and  ceremonies  have  been  largely  described  by 
Hale,  Beauchamp,  and  Morgan,  the  latter  of  whom,  in  his  League  of 
the  Iroquois,  has  given  the  fullest  account  of  the  feasts  and  dances, 
and  the  new  religion,  as  well  as  the  characteristic  Iroquois  implements 
and  ornaments.  The  Onondagas  still  observe  the  White  Dog  Feast, 
with  the  dog  left  out;  the  planting,  strawberry,  green  bean,  green  corn 
and  harvest  feasts,  with  some  occasional  ones.  The  worship  of  Agres- 
koue  was  abandoned  in  the  seventeenth  century.  Ta-en-yah-wah-ke  is 
reverenced  as  the  Holder  of  the  Heavens,  when  the  white  dog  is  burned. 
Otherwise  the  term  Sone-yah-tis-sa  ye,  He  that  made  us,  takes  its 
place.  Ha-wen  ne-yu  is  the  usual  name  for  God.  The  Little  People, 
or  Indian  fairies,  lived  in  the  ravine  west  of  Onondaga.  The  Thunders 
had  an  important  place  in  their  belief,  and  the  Four  Persons  are  promi- 
nent in  the  new  religion  introduced  by  Conyatauyou.  This  noted 
Seneca  prophet  was  buried  at  Onondaga,  under  the  old  council  house. 
His  religion  combines  Indian  ideas  with  Christian  principles. 

During  the  Erie  war  some  Onondagas  said  a  demon  in  the  form  of  a 
little  dwarf  appeared  to  them.  "They  called  him  Taronhiaouagui, 
which  signifies  the  one  who  holds  the  heavens.  This  dwarf,  or  this 
demon,  spoke  in  these  terms:  It  is  I  who  hold  the  sky,  who  have  care 
of  the  earth  ;  and  it  is  I  who  preserve  men,  and  give  victory  to  the 
combatants;  it  is  I  who  have  made  you  masters  of  the  earth,  and  con- 
querors of  so  many  nations."  After  this  exordium  they  were  told  what 
to  do. 

It  would  take  long  to 'describe  all  the  customs,  implements  and  orna- 
ments of  this  people,  but  some  will  appear  incidentally  in  the  further 
history.      A  few  traits  only  will  be  mentioned  now. 

In  spite  of  obvious  faults,  those  who  knew  the  Iroquois  as  friends, 
esteemed  them  highly.  The  fear  they  inspired  in  their  enemies  was 
marvelous.  Always  brave,  the  possession  of  guns,  while  other  Indians 
had  none,  gave  them  an  advantage  they  were  not  slow  to  improve. 
Often  they  adopted  individuals  and  tribes;  but  quite  as  often  they 
ed  a  war  of  extermination.  To  Onondaga  came  embassies  from 
every  part  of  this  land  cast  of  the  Mississippi.  A  small  Indian  village 
was  long  the  capital  of  all  that  region,  and  the  pride  of  the  Iro- 
quois  rose  in  proportion.  It  was  not  alone  that  subject  tribes  sent 
tribute,    and    distant   nations   sent    embassies,    but   France   and    Great 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  HURONS.  41 

Britain  sought  their  alliance,  and  honored  their  chiefs.  They  held  the 
vantage  ground,  and  knew  it  well.  For  these  great  powers  it  was  a 
victory  to  secure  their  neutrality  or  alliance.  The  Iroquois  held  the 
balance  of  power;  the  key  of  the  continent  was  in  the  Grand  Council 
at  Onondaea. 


CHAPTER  V. 


Champlain's  Invasion — Iroquois  Fort — Jesuits — Hurons  and  Iroquois — Jogues — 
Hurons  at  Onondaga— Onondaga  Ambassadors — Andastes — Overthrow  of  Hurons 
and  Neutrals. 

In  tracing  the  annals  of  Onondaga  '  county  since  the  advent  of  the 
white  men,  the  local  historian  must  go  far  back  into  the  past.  More 
than  one  hundred  and  sixty  years  before  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence was  signed  ;  five  years  before  the  Pilgrims  landed  on  the  forbidding 
shores  of  Massachusetts;  just  a  century  before  the  thrifty  Palatines 
made  their  homes  in  the  Mohawk  valley;  at  a  time  when  not  another 
white  man  had  set  his  foot  on  the  soil  of  the  Empire  State  excepting 
near  the  Hudson  River,  Samuel  de  Champlain,  the  intrepid  French  ex- 
plorer, who  six  years  earlier  had  killed  his  first  Indian  with  gunpowder 
on  the  shores  of  the  lake  that  bears  his  name,  marched  with  a  company 
of  ten  Europeans  and  a  few  hundred  red  allies  from  the  north  (princi- 
pally Hurons)  into  the  territory  of  Onondaga  county.  A  simple  forest 
incident,  this  was  really  one  of  the  great  events  of  history. 

The  army  left  the  Huron  country,  between  the  Georgian  Bay  and 
Lake  Simcoe,  September  1,  1615,  observing  there  one  Huron  mode  of 
fishing  by  the  combined  use  of  stakes  and  nets  placed  in  the  stream. 
A  halt  was  made  at  this  fishing  place,  so  that  other  warriors  might  join 
them.  Thence  Brule  was  sent  with  twelve  Hurons  to  notify  the  An- 
dastes, of  Pennsylvania,  who  were  to  join  them  with  500  men  before 

'  The  reader  will  notice  that  the  name  of  "  Onondaga  county  "  is  used  long  before  that  county 
was  created,  and  will  understand  that  in  doing  so  we  refer  only  to  the  territory  now  embraced  in 
the  county,  thereby  avoiding  useless  and  confusing  explanation. 
6 


42  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

the  enemy's  fort.1  The  main  army  went  down  the  Trent  River,  "  into 
the  great  Lake  of  the  Entouhonorons,"  or  Senecas,  who  were  allies  of 
the  other  Iroquois.  This  was  Lake  Ontario,  a  word  contracted  from 
the  Mohawk  Ganiatare,  lake,  and  to,  great  or  beautiful.  They  followed 
the  shores  of  this  great  lake  eastward,  crossing  it  from  island  to  island, 
and  then  following  its  southern  shore.  There  they  concealed  their 
canoes,  and  as  they  were  now  in  the  northern  part  of  the  country  of  the 
(  )uondagas,  the  narrative  will  proceed  in  Champlain's  own  words: 

All  the  canoes  being  thus  concealed,  we  left  the  bank  of  the  lake,  which  is  80  leagues 
long  and  25  wide.  It  is  inhabited  for  the  greater  part  by  Savages,  along  the  sides  of 
the  streams,  and  we  continued  our  journey  overland  some  25  to  30  leagues.  In  the 
course  of  four  days  we  traversed  a  number  of  streams,  and  one  river  issuing  from  a 
lake  [Oneida]  which  empties  into  that  of  the  Entouhonorons.  This  lake  is  25  to  30 
leagues  in  circumference,  with  many  beautiful  islands,  and  is  the  Iroquois  fishing 
ground,  fish  being  in  abundance  there. 

The  9th  of  October;  Our  Indians  going  out  scouting,  encountered  eleven  Savages, 
whom  they  took  prisoners,  to  wit:  four  women,  three  boys,  one  girl  and  three  men, 
who  were  going  fishing  four  leagues  distant  from  the  enemy's  fort.  Now  is  to  be 
noted  that  one  of  the  chiefs  seeing  these  prisoners,  cut  the  finger  off  one  of  these  poor 
women,  as  the  commencement  of  their  usual  tortures.  Whereupon  I  interfered,  and 
censured  the  Iroquet  Captain,  representing  to  him  that  a  Warrior,  as  he  called  him- 
self, was  not  in  the  habit  of  acting  cruelly  towards  women,  who  have  no  defence  ex- 
cept their  tears,  and  who  by  reason  of  their  helplessness  and  feebleness,  ought  to  be 
treated  with  humanity.  That  on  the  contrary  this  act  would  be  supposed  to  proceed 
from  a  vile  and  brutal  courage,  and  that  if  he  committed  anymore  of  these  cruelties 
he  would  not  encourage  me  to  assist  them,  nor  to  favor  their  war.  Whereupon  he 
replied,  that  enemies  treated  them  in  the  same  manner.  But  since  such  customs 
displeased  me,  he  would  not  act  so  any  more  to  women,  but  exclusively  to  men. 

Next  day,  at  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  we  arrived  before  the  enemy's  fort, 
where  the  savages  had  some  skirmishes,  the  one  against  the  other,  though  it  was 
not  our  design  to  discover  ourselves  until  the  morrow.  But  the  impatience  of  our 
savages  would  not  brook  this,  as  well  through  the  desire  they  felt  to  see  us  fire  on 

i  The  fort  attacked  by  Champlain,  in    1615,   as   fully   described  farther  on,  has  had  several  sites 

assigned   :;      One   writer  thought    ii    located  on  Canandaigua  Lake.    The  late  O.  H.  Marshall,  of 

ir   lust    antiquarians,   assigned   it    in   the  east  shore  of  Onondaga  Lake,  but  no 

suitable    >i( lid    be   found  there.     Gen.   John  S.  Clark,  of  Auburn,  seems  to  have  been  more 

t  ul,  in  placing  ii  "ii  Nichols'  Pond,  in  tin-  town  of  Fenner,  Madison  county,  but  in  the  terri- 

IS.      In  a  general  way  this  agrees  fairly  well  with  the  picture,   afterwards  made 

i  as  the  Onondagas  were  then  living  west  of  Cazenovia,  we  may  conclude  that 

it  was;.,    ini     i.i  i  I  hi     i  i'  i:   ii    Eorl   on  Onondaga  Lake  was  near  no  Indian  village  of  any 

plan  was  made  of  tlie  Fenner  site  by  the  Rev.  \\  .  M.  Beauchamp,  September  18, 

a    pond    was  dry.     A    large   bowlder,  over  twelve  feel   long,    is   iii  the  woods 

In   original  Oneida  stone,      die  outlel    Mows  at   righl  angles  to  the 

inlet,  and  ti  n     o pation  near  the  former,  nor  traces  of  palisades  anywhere. 

The  whole  p  i        i]  Iain's  picture,  while  differing  greatly  from  it. 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  nURONS.  43 

their  enemies,  as  to  liberate  some  of  their  men  who  had  ventured  too  far.  Then  I 
advanced  and  presented  myself,  but  with  the  few  men  I  had;  nevertheless  I  showed 
them  what  they  never  saw  nor  heard  before.  For  as  soon  as  they  saw  us  and  heard 
the  reports  of  the  arquebus,  and  the  balls  whistling  about  their  ears,  they  retired 
promptly  within  their  fort,  carrying  off  their  wounded  and  dead;  and  we  retreated 
in  like  manner  to  our  main  body,  with  five  or  six  of  our  wounded,  one  of  whom  died. 
This  being  done,  we  retired  within  gun  shot,  beyond  the  view  of  the  enemy,  con- 
trary, however,  to  my  advice,  and  to  what  they  had  promised  me.  Which  moved 
me  to  make  use  of  and  express  to  them  pretty  rude  and  angry  words,  in  order  to  in- 
cite them  to  their  duty,  foreseeing  that  if  everything  went  according  to  their  fantasy 
and  council,  nothing  but  misfortune  would  result,  to  their  ruin  and  destruction. 
Nevertheless,  I  failed  not  to  send  to  them  and  propose  means  necessary  to  be  used  to 
overcome  their  enemies;  which  was  to  construct  a  movable  tower  of  timber  to  over- 
look their  pickets,  whereupon  I  should  post  four  or  five  of  our  arquebusiers  who  would 
fire  over  the  palisades  and  galleries,  which  were  well  supplied  with  stones,  and  by 
this  means  the  enemy  who  annoyed  us  from  their  galleries  would  be  dislodged;  and 
in  the  meantime  we  should  give  orders  for  some  boards  to  form  a  species  of  parapet 
to  cover  and  protect  our  men  from  the  arrows  and  stones.  These  things,  namely, 
the  tower  and  parapets,  could  be  moved  by  main  force ;  and  one  was  made  in  such  a 
way  that  water  could  not  extinguish  the  fire  to  be  applied  to  the  front  of  the  fort; 
and  those  on  the  tower  would  do  their  duty  with  some  arquebusiers  posted  there, 
and  thus  acting,  we  should  so  defend  ourselves  that  they  could  not  approach  to  ex- 
tinguish the  fire  that  we  should  apply  to  their  pickets.  Approving  this,  they  began 
next  morning  to  construct  said  tower  and  parapets;  and  made  such  progress  that 
these  were  finished  in  less  than  four  hours.  They  were  expecting  the  arrival  this 
day  of  the  five  hundred  men  that  had  been  promised,  which  was  however  doubtful; 
not  being  at  the  rendezvous  as  directed,  and  as  they  had  promised,  our  savages  were 
much  afflicted.  But  seeing  that  they  were  numerous  enough  to  capture  the  forts 
and  for  my  part,  considering  delay  to  be  always  prejudicial,  at  least  in  most  cases, 
I  urged  them  to  attack  said  fort,  representing  that  the  enemy  discovering  their 
strength  and  the  effect  of  our  arms,  which  pierced  what  was  arrow  proof,  would  bar- 
ricade and  shelter  themselves,  which,  indeed,  they  did  very  well.  For  their  village 
was  inclosed  with  strong  quadruple  palisades  of  large  timber,  thirty  feet  high,  inter- 
locked the  one  with  the  other,  with  an  interval  of  not  more  than  half  a  foot  between 
them,  with  galleries  in  the  form  of  parapets,  defended  with  double  pieces  of  timber, 
proof  against  our  arquebuses,  and  on  one  side  they  had  a  pond  with  a  never  failing 
supply  of  water,  from  which  proceeded  a  number  of  gutters  which  they  had  laid  along 
the  intermediate  space,  throwing  the  water  without,  and  rendered  it  effectual  inside 
for  the  purpose  of  extinguishing  lire. 

Such  was  their  mode  of  fortification  and  defense,  which  was  much  stronger  than 
the  villages  of  the  Attigouatans  [Hurons]  and  others. 

We  advanced,  then,  to  attack  the  village,  causing  our  tower  to  be  carried  by  two 
hundred  of  our  strongest  men.  They  placed  it  within  a  pike's  length  in  front,  and  I 
posted  on  it  four  arquebusiers,  well  sheltered  from  any  arrows  and  stones  that  might 
have  been  shot  at  them.  Nevertheless  the  enemy  did  not,  for  all  that,  cease  dis- 
charging and  throwing  a  great  number  of  arrows  and  stones  over  their  pickets.  But 
the  multitude  of  arquebus  shots  that  were    fired,  constrained  them   to  vacate  and 


44  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

abandon  their  galleries.  But  according  as  the  tower  was  moved,  instead  of  bringing 
the  parapets  as  ordered,  and  on  which  we  were  to  have  placed  the  fire,  they  aban- 
doned them  and  commenced  to  yell  against  their  enemies, shooting  arrows  within  the 
fort,  which,  in  my  opinion,  did  not  do  much  execution.  They  are  very  excusable, 
for  they  are  not  soldiers,  and  are,  moreover,  averse  to  discipline  or  correction,  and 
do  only  what  they  like.  Wherefore,  one  inconsiderately  applied  the  fire  to  the  wrong 
side  of  the  fort,  or  to  leeward,  so  that  it  produced  no  effect.  On  the  fire  being  kin- 
dled, the  most  of  the  savages  began  to  set  wood  against  the  pickets,  but  in  such 
small  quantities,  that  they  did  not  do  much  good.  The  disorder  that  supervened  was 
in  consequence  so  great,  that  it  was  impossible  to  hear.  In  vain  I  cried  to  them  and 
remonstrated  as  well  as  I  was  able  against  the  imminent  danger  to  which  they  ex- 
posed themselves  by  their  stupidity.  They  heard  nothing  in  consequence  of  the 
violent  noise  they  made.  Seeing  that  by  shouting  I  was  only  splitting  my  skull,  and 
that  my  remonstrances  were  in  vain,  and  that  this  disorder  was  irremediable,  I  re- 
solved to  do  what  was  in  my  power  with  my  men,  and  fire  on  those  we  could  discover 
or  perceive.  Yet  the  enemy  profited  by  our  disorder.  They  went  to  the  water  and 
discharged  it  in  such  abundance  that  rivers,  it  may  be  said,  spouted  from  their 
gutters,  so  that  the  fire  was  extinguished  in  less  than  no  time,  and  they  continued  to 
pour  arrows  on  us  like  hail.     Those  on  the  tower  wounded  and  killed  a  great  many. 

The  engagement  lasted  about  three  hours.  Two  of  our  chiefs  and  leaders  were 
wounded;  to  wit,  one  called  Ochateguain,  the  other  Orani,  and  about  fifteen  individ- 
uals besides.  The  rest,  seeing  their  folks  and  some  of  their  chiefs  wounded,  began 
to  talk  of  retreating,  without  fighting  any  more,  expecting  the  five  hundred  men, 
whose  arrival  was  not  far  off;  so  they  withdrew  having  accomplished  nothing  save 
this  disorderly  splutter.  However,  the  chiefs  have  no  absolute  control  of  their  com- 
panions, who  follow  their  whim  and  act  their  pleasure,  which  is  the  cause  of  their 
disorder  and  ruins  all  their  affairs.  In  having  taken  a  resolution,  any  poor  devil  can 
make  them  violate  it  and  change  their  plan.  Thus,  the  one  with  the  other,  they  ef- 
fect nothing,  as  may  be  seen  by  this  expedition. 

Having  received  two  wounds  from  arrows,  one  in  the  leg  and  the  other  in  the  knee, 
which  sorely  incommoded  me,  we  withdrew  into  our  fort.  Being  all  assembled  there, 
I  remonstrated  with  them  several  times  on  account  of  the  disorder  which  had  oc- 
curred. But  all  my  talk  was  in  vain  ;  they  said  many  of  their  men  had  been  wounded 
and  I  also,  and  that  it  would  be  very  inconvenient  and  fatiguing  to  carry  them  on 
the  retreat;  that  there  was  no  means  of  returning  again  to  the  enemy  as  I  had  pro- 
1  to  them  ;  but  that  they  would  willingly  wait  four  days  more  for  the  five  hun- 
dred men  that  were  expected,  on  whose  arrival  they  would  renew  the  effort  against 
the  enemy  and  execute  what  I  had  told  them,  better  than  they  had  already  done. 
It  was  necessary  to  stop  there  to  my  great  regret. 

Next  day  blew  a  very  strong  and  violent  wind  which  lasted  two  days,  particularly 
favorable  for  setting  the  enemy's  fort  in  a  blaze,  which  I  strongly  urged  on  them. 
But  fearing  a  failure,  and  moreover  representing  themselves  as  wounded,  they  would 
not  do  anything. 

We  remained  in  camp  until  the  16th  of  the  month.  Several  skirmishes  occurred 
during  that  time  between  the  enemy  and  our  people,  who  became  oftenest  engaged 
witli  them  rather  by  their  imprudence  than  through  want  of  courage;  and  I  can 
assure  you,  that  every  time  they  made  a  charge,  we  were  obliged  to  extricate  them 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  HURONS. 


45 


from  the  difficulty,  not  being  able  to  help  themselves,  except  by  the  help  of  our  ar- 
quebuses, which  the  enemy  dreaded  and  greatly  feared.  For  as  soon  as  they  per- 
ceived one  of  our  arquebusiers,  they  immediately  retired,  telling  us  by  way  of  per- 
suasion not  to  meddle  with  their  fights,  and  that  their  enemies  had  very  little  cour- 
age to  require  our  assistance;  with  many  other  such  like  discourses. 


Champlain's  attack  on  the  Indian  Fort.     From  the  original  in  the  State  Library. 


Seeing  that  the  five  hundred  men  were  not  coming,  they  proposed  to  depart  and  re- 
treat at  once,  and  began  to  make  certain  litters  to  convey  their  wounded,  who  are  put 
in  them,  tumbled  in  a  heap,  doubled  and  strapped  in  such  a  way  that  it  is  impossible  to 
stir;  less  than  an  infant  in  swaddling  clothes;  not  without  considerable  pain,  as  I  can 
certify  having  been  carried  several  days  on  the  back  of  one  of  our  Indians,  thus 
tied  and  bound,  so  that  I  lost  all  patience.  As  soon  as  I  had  strength  to  bear  my 
weight,  I  got  out  of  this  prison,  or  to  speak  plainer  out  of  hell. 

The  enemy  pursued  us  about  the  distance  of  half  a  league,  endeavoring  to  catch 
some  of  the  rear  guard.  But  their  labor  was  in  vain  and  they  retired.  ... 
Their  retreat  was  very  tedious,  being  from  23  to  30  leagues,  which  greatly  fatigued 
the  wounded  and  those  who  carried  them,  though  they  relieved  each  other  from  time 
to  time. 


46  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

On  the  18th  of  said  month  some  snow  fell  which  melted  rapidly.  It  was  accompa- 
nied by  a  strong  wind  that  greatly  annoyed  us.  Nevertheless  we  contrived  to  get  to 
the  border  of  the  Lake  of  the  Entouhonorons  and  at  the  place  where  we  had  con- 
cealed our  canoes,  which  we  found  safe;  for  we  feared  lest  the  enemy  might  have 
broken  them. 

Such  is  Champlain's  interesting'  account  of  the  first  battle  between 
white  men  and  Indians  in  this  part  of  New  York.  The  picture  of  the 
scene  varies  much  from  the  facts  of  the  fight  and  the  topography  of  the 
probable  site,  while  illustrating  both.  The  palisades  seem  to  have  been 
carried  some  distance  into  the  very  shallow  pond  before  alluded  to, 
thus  insuring  a  supply  of  water,  and  the  quadruple  palisades  may  have 
required  no  post-holes  at  all.  The  defenses  were  probably  quite  differ- 
ent from  those  in  the  picture,  and  the  arrangement  of  the  town  is  fan- 
ciful, yet  the  sketch  is  of  high  value. 

The  retreating  party  hastened  back  to  the  Huron  country,  and  though 
Champlain  was  anxious  to  return  at  once  to  Quebec,  he  was  compelled 
to  winter  in  that  land.  It  was  many  years  before  the  French  and  Upper 
Iroquois  met  in  battle  again. 

Meanwhile  the  Dutch  were  trading  and  settling  on  the  Hudson,  and 
as  early  as  1600,  King  James  of  England  granted  to  an  association 
called  the  Plymouth  Company,  all  the  region  of  New  England  and 
territory  extending  westward  indefinitely,  thus  bringing  what  is  now 
Onondaga  county  within  the  English  claim.  On  the  9th  day  of  No- 
vember, 1620,  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  landed  on  Plymouth  Rock.  Thus, 
at  the  close  of  that  year  there  were  three  distinct  sources  of  emigration 
from  the  Old  World,  each  acting  under  authority  of  one  of  the  great 
powers,  and  all  tending  toward  occupancy  and  ownership  of  the  terri- 
tory under  consideration  in  these  pages. 

The  Jesuits  did  some  preliminary  work  on  the  North  Atlantic  coast 
in  16]  1,  but  were  withdrawn  and  did  not  resume  it  until  1025.  For  the 
next  seventy-five  years  they  were  powerful  among  all  the  northern  In- 
dians of  this  kmd,  bringing  a  new  and  heroic  spirit  where  nothing  but 
European  selfishness  had  been  seen.  Interesting  incidents  concerning 
the  Onondagas  occur  in  their  Relations. 

In  L636  the  Ilurons  captured  seven  Iroquois  at  Lake  Ontario,  and 
one  wax  brought  to  Onnentisati,  where  the  Jesuit  missionaries  were. 
••  I  [e  was  a  native  of  Sonontotian ;  yet,  as  within  a  few  years  the  Sonon- 
touanhri  i    made   peace  with  the  Hurons,  this  one  not  having 

agreei  >  peace, <  was  married  among  the  Onontaehronon  in  order 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  HURONS.  17 

to  have  liberty  always  to  bear  arms  against  them."  A  minute  account 
of  his  torture  was  given. 

Although  war  went  on  with  the  other  Iroquois,  the  Senecas  were 
very  friendly  to  the  Hurons  for  some  years,  but  the  Relation  of  L639 
describes  the  renewal  of  hostilities  by  some  young  Hurons.  This  led 
to  the  Huron  downfall. 

The  Relation  of  1(140  has  a  longer  list  of  nations,  made  from  Father 
Paul  Ragueneau's  chart,  and  among  them  is  the  Onontaehronon.  Ro- 
iion  means  people,  but  the  spelling  varies.  Nearly  thirty  nations  are 
mentioned,  and  it  is  said,  "  Under  the  name  of  the  Iroquois  we  under- 
stand six  nations,  enemies  of  the  Hurons,  the  Algonquins,  the  Monta- 
gnais,  and  now  of  the  French.  .  .  .  Now  as  their  villages  are 
separated  one  from  the  other,  there  is  only  the  single  nation  of  the 
Agnieeronon,  properly  speaking,  which  is  the  declared  enemy  of  the 
French."  Six  nations  would  seem  an  error,  but  in  the  list  the  Konk- 
handeenhronon  follows  the  Onondaga,  and  may  have  been  a  division 
of  that  people. 

Father  Isaac  Jogues  was  captured  by  the  Mohawks  in  I  »>42,  and  after 
many  months  of  captivity  escaped  to  the  Dutch.  Still  later  he  was 
sent  on  an  embassy  to  the  Mohawks,  and  then  as  a  missionary;  being- 
killed  when  he  came  in  this  capacity  in  1646.  He  met  some  Onondagas 
on  one  occasion,  but  was  never  in  their  country.  The  statement  that 
he  came  here  is  due  to  a  confusion  of  the  Mohawk  town  of  Tiononto- 
guen  with  Onontague.  His  terrible  sufferings  have  been  often  de- 
scribed, most  fully  in  the  Jesuit  Relations. 

In  1646  the  Mohawks  advised  the  Indians  at  Montreal  to  be  on  their 
guard  because  "the  Oneiotchronons  [Oneidas]  and  the  Onontaguero- 
nons  [Onondagas]  had  not  entered  into  the  treaty  of  peace  at  all,  which 
they  had  made  with  the  Algonquins  and  Hurons."  Being  as  yet  little 
more  than  allies,  each  nation  acted  much  for  itself. 

In  1647  we  have  the  interesting  story  of  a  Huron  woman  who  escaped 
from  the  Mohawks.  ''She  had  already  once  been  a  prisoner  in  the 
country  of  the  Upper  Iroquois,  called  the  Onondagheronons, "  and  some 
of  these  recognized  her,  and  persuaded  her  to  go  with  them.  "They 
led  her  then  toOnondaghe;  this  is  the  name  of  their  village  ;  "  but  they 
had  to  pass  by  Oneida,  where  her  master  belonged.  Her  guides  "  gave 
her  a  sack,  an  earthen  pot,  and  a  little  food,"  and  told  her  to  hide  her- 
self awhile.  A  Huron  was  burned  there  that  night.  She  knew  this 
would  be  her  fate  at  Onondaga,  and  tied.      Very  shrewdly  she  took  the 


48  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

beaten  path  towards  that  village,  and  there  hid  "herself  in  the  thickest 
woods,  as  of  the  cedar  and  fir  forests."  Here  she  remained  ten  days 
in  the  snow,  without  fire,  and  almost  naked.  At  night  she  searched 
the  cornfields  for  any  remaining  grain,  sometimes  under  the  snow.  By 
day  she  was  continually  in  danger  of  discovery.  After  many  perils  she 
reached  Canada. 

In  the  relation  of  1648  is  some  account  of  the  location  of  the  Iroquois 
nations.  The  Senecas  were  near  the  Neutrals,  who  lived  near  Niagara 
and  westward,  and  seventy  leagues  from  the  Hurons.  "Lower  fol- 
low the  Ouiouenronnons  almost  in  a  straight  line,  at  about  twenty-five 
leagues  from  the  Sonnontoueronnons.  Lower  yet  the  Onnontaeron- 
nons,  at  ten  or  twelve  leagues  from  the  Ouiouenronnons.  The  Onei- 
ochronnons  at  seven  or  eight  leagues  from  the  Onnontaeronons. "  The 
Mohawks  were  from  twenty-five  to  thirty  leagues  east  of  the  Oneidas. 
In  that  year  the  Hurons  were  well  along  in  their  treaty  of  peace  with 
the  Onondagas,  their  greatest  opponents,  and  hoped  to  make  peace 
with  all  but  the  Senecas  and  the  Mohawks. 

The  beginning  of  these  negotiations  with  "the  Onnontaeronnons,  the 
most  warlike  of  the  five  nations,  enemies  of  our  Hurons,"  is  interest- 
ing. Early  in  1647,  a  band  of  Onondagas  entered  the  Huron  territory 
and  was  defeated.  All  the  captives  were  burned  except  a  principal  chief 
called  Annenraes,  afterwards  killed  by  the  Eries.  The  Huron  chiefs 
helped  him  to  escape,  thinking  he  might  do  them  good  service  at  On- 
ondaga. He  reached  the  south  shore  of  Lake  Ontario,  where  he  found 
three  hundred  Onondagas  encamped,  and  making  canoes  that  they 
might  cross  the  lake  and  avenge  his  death.  Eight  hundred  Cayugas 
and  Senecas  were  to  accompany  them.  The  party  turned  back  and 
sent  an  embassy  of  peace  to  the  Hurons.  These  were  divided  in 
opinion,  but  sent  ambassadors  in  turn  to  Onondaga,  bearing  presents. 
"Our  Hurons  use  for  these  presents  peltries,  precious  in  the  hostile 
country;  the  Onnontaeronnons  use  collars  of  porcelain,"  commonly 
called  wumpum  belts. 

They  reached  Onondaga  in  twenty  days,  and  feasts  and  councils  fol- 
lowed for  a  month.  A  second  Onondaga  embassy  accompanied  them  on 
their  return,  their  leader  being  Scandawati,  a  man  of  sixty  years. 
Their  journey  occupied  them  thirty  days,  and  they  brought  back  fifteen 
1 1  uron  captives.  Seven  wampum  belts  were  sent,  each  of  three  or  four 
thousand  beads.  A  hundred  Hurons  were  still  prisoners.  The  Onon- 
dagas  seemed  to  think  the  peace  settled,  but  there  were  mutual  jeal- 
ousies between  them  and  the  Mohawks,  as  there  often  were. 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  HITRONS.  49 

The  Hurons  sent  another  embassy  in  January,  1648,  consisting  of  six 
men,  two  of  the  three  Onondagas  remaining"  as  hostages.  A  party  of 
Mohawks  captured  this  party,  and  killed  all  but  the  Onondaga,  who  re- 
turned, and  two  of  the  ambassadors  who  made  their  way  to  Onondaga. 
The  two  hostages  were  men  of  high  honor.  Scandawati  disappeared, 
and  was  thought  to  have  escaped,  but  was  found  dead  by  his  own  hand, 
on  a  bed  of  fir  branches  which  he  had  prepared.  They  sent  for  his 
companion  to  see  him,  and  he  said  he  had  expected  this,  because  of  the 
hostilities  of  the  Mohawks  and  Senecas.  He  added:  "Although  they 
are  your  enemies,  they  are  our  allies,  and  they  ought  to  have  shown  us 
this  respect,  that  having  come  here  on  an  embassy,  they  should  defer 
any  evil  attack  until  after  our  return,  when  our  lives  would  be  in 
safety." 

The  other  Onondaga  hostage,  while  hunting  with  the  Hurons,  was 
taken  by  the  Senecas,  who  recognized  him,  and  obliged  him  to  join  their 
party.  A  Huron  woman  became  his  captive,  and  he  was  permitted  to 
return  to  the  Hurons  with  her.  He  told  "  the  Sonnontoueronons  that 
they  might  kill  him  if  they  liked,  but  that  he  could  not  make  up  his 
mind  to  follow  them,  that  he  would  be  ashamed  to  reappear  in  his  own 
country;  the  affairs  which  had  brought  him  to  the  Hurons  for  peace, 
not  permitting  that  he  should  do  anything  else  than  to  die  with  them 
sooner  than  to  appear  to  have  acted  as  an  enemy."  Such  was  the  sense 
of  honor  among  the  early  Onondagas. 

In  the  Huron  overthrow  in  1049,  the  Onondagas  had  a  prominent 
part,  and  books  belonging  to  the  martyred  missionaries  were  afterwards 
found  in  their  town.  The  whole  story  is  of  the  most  tragic  interest, 
with  many  scenes  both  pathetic  and  heroic.  A  deputation  went  from 
the  Hurons  in  Canada,  in  1647,  to  the  Andastes  on  the  Susquehanna, 
asking  aid.  "The  harangue  that  Charles  Ondaaiondiont  made  on  his 
arrival  was  not  long.  He  told  them  that  he  came  from  the  Country  of 
Souls,  where  war  and  the  terrors  of  the  enemy  had  laid  waste  every- 
thing, where  the  fields  were  covered  only  with  blood,  where  the  cabins 
were  filled  only  with  corpses,  and  that  there  did  not  remain  to  them- 
selves any  life  except  what  was  needed  to  come  to  tell  their  friends, 
that  they  might  have  pity  on  a  land  that  was  drawing  to  its  end."  The 
present  made  was  "the  voice  of  their  dying  fatherland." 

When  the  first  strong  towns  of  the  Hurons  fell,  the  terror  was  ex- 
cessive, each  one  expecting  a  similar  fate.  "All  the  country  was 
scattered,  these  poor  afflicted  people  having  left  their  lands,  their 
7 


50  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

houses  and  their  villages,  and  all  that  they  had  most  dear  in  this  world, 
in  order  to  flee  from  the  cruelty  of  an  enemy  whom  they  feared  more 
than  a  thousand  deaths." 

The  destruction  of  the  Neutrals,  and  of  the  Tionontaties  or  Tobacco 
Nation,  quickly  followed,  and  the  Onondagas  were  among  the  foremost 
warriors  in  the  attack.  On  one  occasion,  being  deceived  by  the 
Hurons,  they  met  with  a  heavy  loss,  but  the  general  result  was  to 
swell  the  population  of  all  the  Iroquois  towns  with  Huron,  Petun  and 
Neutral  captives.  One  entire  Huron  town  went  to  the  Senecas,  and 
long  had  a  separate  village  among  them.  Most,  however,  were  held  as 
slaves.  Colden  was  in  error  in  saying  the  Iroquois  held  no  slaves,  and 
while  they  adopted  many  captives,  these  did  not  always  have  full 
citizenship.  In  1665  a  Huron  chief  estimated  that  not  more  than  a 
third  of  the  Iroquois  warriors  were  native  born,  so  great  had  been  their 
losses  in  war,  and  on  such  a  scale  this  adoption.  The  marvel  is  that 
they  remained  Iroquois  still. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

French  Invited  by  Mohawks — Onondagas — Negotiations — Le  Moyne's  Journey — 
Councils — Addresses — Fire — Baptisms — Erie  War — Return — Onondaga  Lake — Salt 
Springs — Rivers. 

As  early  as  April,  1641,  in  sending  back  some  French  prisoners,  the 
Mohawks  said,  "  They  wished  to  invite  us  to  make  a  habitation  in  their 
country,  where  all  the  Iroquois  nations  could  approach  for  their  com- 
merce." At  this  time  they  said  that  all  the  Iroquois  nations  desired  an 
alliance  with  the  French.  In  fact  there  is  no  trace  in  history  of  the 
supposed  implacable  enmity  of  the  Iroquois  against  the  French,  caused 
by  Champlain's  two  invasions.  Friendship  was  very  largely  a  question 
of  trade  and  policy. 

When    they   became  enemies,    however,  the)-  were   troublesome.      In 

L645  Father  Vimont  said:   "  I  would  as  soon  be  besieged  by  hobgoblins 

as  by  the  [roquois.     The  one  are  scarcely  more  visible  than  the  other. 

ii  they  arc  afar  off,  one  believes  that  they  are  at  our  doors;  when 

they  throw  themselves  upon   their  prey,  one  imagines  that  they  are  in 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  FRENCH.  51 

their  own  land."  That  spring,  Pieskaret,  a  noted  Algonquin  chief, 
brought  in  two  Mohawk  prisoners.  At  the  end  of  his  speech  he  said, 
"I  saw,  I  killed,  I  took  captive,  I  brought  home;  behold  them  present. 
I  enter  into  your  thoughts;  they  are  good."  He  gave  the  prisoners  to 
the  governor,  and  they  were  astonished  at  not  suffering  death.  This 
led  to  another  treaty  with  the  Mohawks,  Kiotsaeton  being  sent  by  that 
nation  as  their  principal  ambassador.  "He  was  as  it  were  covered 
with  wampum,"  of  which  he  presented  seventeen  belts.  The  eleventh 
invited  the  French  to  the  bountiful  Mohawk  country.  "Leave,  said 
he,  leave  these  stinking  pigs,  which  run  among  your  habitations,  which 
eat  nothing  but  what  is  filthy,  and  come  and  eat  of  good  victuals  with 
us.  .  .  .  He  intoned  some  songs  between  his  presents,  he  danced 
for  rejoicing;  briefly  he  showed  himself  a  very  good  actor."  Peace 
was  made. 

It  was  at  one  of  the  councils  held  about  this  time,  that  a  Huron  chief 
spoke  of  an  Oneida  prisoner.  "  He  was  of  a  village  named  Ononjote, 
incensed  to  the  last  degree  against  the  Hurons,  because  these  people 
in  a  combat  killed  almost  all  the  men  of  this  village,  which  was 
constrained  to  send  to  ask  the  Iroquois,  named  Agnerronons,  with 
whom  they  had  made  peace,  for  some  men  to  be  married  to  the  girls 
and  women  who  had  remained  without  husbands,  in  order  that  the 
nation  should  not  perish.  This  is  why  the  Iroquois  name  this  village 
their  child."  This  statement  was  a  little  varied  the  following  year. 
"Onneioute  is  a  village  of  which  the  greater  part  of  their  men  having 
been  discomfited  in  war  by  the  Upper  Algonquins,  she  was  constrained 
to  call  some  Annierronon  in  order  to  be  repeopled;  whence  it  happens 
that  the  Annierronon  call  her  their  daughter."  In  recent  times  the 
Onondagas  thus  replaced  a  clan.  After  1645  the  nations  were  usually 
called  by  their  proper  names  in  the  Relations. 

There  came  a  greater  surprise  to  the  suffering  French.  In  1653, 
"the  twenty-sixth  of  June,  there  appeared  sixty  of  them,  of  those  who 
are  called  by  the  Hurons,  Onontaeronons.  asking  at  a  distance  a  safe 
conduct  for  some  among  them,  calling  out  that  they  were  sent  on  the 
part  of  all  their  nation,  to  know  if  the  French  had  a  heart  disposed  for 
peace."  They  were  so  well  received  at  Montreal  that  they  told  the 
Oneidas  of  this,  and  they  also  wished  to  be  in  the  treaty.  Meantime 
the  Mohawks  invaded  Canada,  and  a  curious  rencontre  took  place, 
half  comic,  half  pathetic,  the  result  being  that  both  the  Onondagas  and 
Mohawks  went  to  Ouebec.      On  their  first  coming-  the  former  said  that 


52  ONONDAGA'S   CENTENNIAL. 

it  was  necessary  to  distinguish  between  nation  and  nation,  that  they 
were  not  unfaithful  and  deceitful  like  the  Mohawks,  that  there  was 
nothing-  in  their  hearts  which  gave  the  lie  to  that  which  left  their 
mouths. 

The  fourth  Mohawk  present  was  given  at  this  tinie  "  to  erect  a  French 
habitation  within  their  lands,  and  to  form  there  in  time  a  fine  colony." 
The  same  year  the  Onondagas  came  again  with  definite  plans,  and  the 
French  rejoiced  that  they  were  invited  to  "  make  a  residence  in  the 
midst  of  the  hostile  country  upon  the  great  lake  of  the  Iroquois,  near 
the  Onnontaeronnons. "  They  had  marked  out  the  place  for  this,  and 
had  described  it  as  the  best  in  their  land. 

In  1(553-4  both  Mo hawks  and  Onondagas  had  a  plan  to  bring  the 
Hurons  from  Quebec  to  their  own  towns,  and  these  conflicting  designs 
increased  their  mutual  jealousy,  while  the  Hurons  were  between  two 
fires,  and  held  out  hopes  of  compliance  to  both  nations.  In  the  end 
this  led  to  trouble. 

About  this  time  a  young  French  surgeon  was  carried  off  by  the 
Oneidas,  and  this  was  reported  to  the  Onondaga  ambassadors  at  Mon- 
treal, in  May,  Ki54.  They  sent  at  once  for  the  captive  and  he  was  re- 
turned. Then  the  Onondagas  presented  twenty  belts,  of  which  four 
were  from  different  nations.  Three  others  related  to  the  missionaries. 
During  all  this  time,  Sagochiendagehte,  the  principal  Onondaga  chief, 
remained  as  a  hostage.  His  name,  as  given,  is  the  name  by  which  the 
Onondagas  are  addressed  in  councils. 

The  Mohawks  did  not  like  the  Onondaga  plans.  They  had  several 
times  proposed  a  French  colony,  and  now  the  preference  was  given  to 
the  Onondagas.  It  would  affect  their  trade,  also,  as  heretofore  all  the 
Iroquois  had  to  pass  through  their  country  to  get  European  goods. 
The  Mohawk  chief  gave  other  reasons.  They  were  the  door  of  the 
Hotinnonchiendi,  that  is  to  say  the  finished  cabin,  and  the  French 
should  not  enter  by  the  chimney.  The  blinding  smoke  might  make 
them  fall  into  the  fire.  They  were  pacified  with  presents  and  promises 
at  last. 

The  second  of  Jul)-,  1654,  Father  Simon  le  Moyne  went  from  Quebec 
t"  go  t"  (  mondaga.  A  young  Frenchman  joined  him  at  Montreal,  and 
there  July  IT.  His  journal  has  a  graphic  description  of  the 
voyage  up  the  St.  Lawrence.  July  29-30  a  storm  stopped  them  "at 
the  entrance  of  a  great  lake,  named  Ontario.  We  call  it  the  lake  of  the 
[roquois,  because  they  have  their  villages  on  the  south  side." 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  FRENCH.  53 

August  1,  they  arrived  at  a  fishing  village  of  the  Onondaga  Iroquois, 
at  the  mouth  of  Salmon  River.  Almost  all  those  there  were  Huron 
captives,  and  Le  Moyne  confessed  an  old  friend  of  the  Pctun  or  To- 
bacco nation.  The  next  day  they  traveled  about  thirty  miles  through 
the  forest,  and  reached  Oneida  River  at  noon  the  following  day.  An 
Iroquois  took  them  across  to  a  fishing  village  on  the  other  shore.  In 
another  village,  two  miles  farther  on,  a  young  man  of  rank  feasted 
them,  because  Le  Moyne  bore  the  name  of  his  father,  Ondessonk. 
There  he  baptized  some  dying  children. 

A  dinner  awaited  them  on  the  road  at  noon  of  August  4,  but  they 
spent  the  night  in  the  open  air,  not  far  from  the  site  of  Collamer,  and 
the  following  morning  they  traversed  ten  miles  before  coming  to  the 
principal  Onondaga  village.  Le  Moyne  was  saluted  on  the  way  as 
brother,  uncle,  cousin,  and  said  "  I  never  before  had  so  many  relations. " 
Half  a  mile  from  the  town  he  began  an  oration,  naming  all  their  chiefs 
and  principal  persons.  "Two  chiefs  addressed  me  at  my  entry,  but 
with  a  joy  and  cheerfulness  of  face  which  I  had  never  seen  among  sav- 
ages." That  night  he  held  a  preliminary  conference  with  the  principal 
chiefs. 

There  were  many  Huron  and  other  captives  at  Onondaga,  and  one 
of  these  dwelt  in  one  of  the  many  field  cabins  near  the  town.  Her 
name  was  Therese,  and  she  wished  Le  Moyne  to  baptize  a  girl  of  the 
Neutral  nation  whom  she  had  instructed.  He  asked  why  she  had  not 
done  this  herself.  She  replied,  "  'I  did  not  think  it  was  allowed  me 
to  baptize,  except  in  danger  of  death ;  baptize  her  now  yourself,  since 
you  judge  her  worthy,  and  give  her  my  name.'  This  was  the  first  bap- 
tism of  adults  at  Onnontague,  for  which  we  are  indebted  to  the  piety 
of  a  Huron. " 

"The  9th,  about  noon,  there  came  a  dismal  cry  for  three  of  their 
hunters,  massacred  by  the  nation  of  the  Cat  [EriesJ,  a  day's  journey 
from  there.      That  is  to  say,  the  war  is  kindled  on  that  side."  ' 

On  the  10th,  Le  Moyne  opened  the  Grand  Council  by  public  prayers, 
which  he  made  kneeling.  He  named,  after  this,  all  noted  persons  who 
were  present,  by  nations,  clans,  families  and  individual  titles,  and  told 

'  The  death  whoop  is  still  heard  on  the  New  York  reservations  on  a  chief's  death,  a  messenger 
being  sent  to  each  nation  to  announce  it.  He  bears  wampum,  and  the  cry  is  given  thrice  if  it  is 
for  a  principal  chief;  once  for  a  war  chief.  The  wampum  is  always  purple,  and  in  the  call  for  a 
condolence  for  a  principal  chief,  three  short  strings  are  used,  joined  at  one  end.  For  a  war  chief 
a  single  longer  string,  with  the  ends  united,  Ci  message. 


54  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

them  he  brought  nineteen  words,  which  took  him  two  full  hours  to 
utter.  They  consulted  in  groups  of  separate  nations  and  bands  on  the 
answer  to  be  made,  and  then  he  was  recalled,  and  the  answer  returned. 
The  principal  chief  of  the  Onondagas  made  the  final  speech.      He  said  : 

Hearken,  Ondessonk,  five  entire  nations  speak  to  thee  by  my  mouth;  I  have  in 
my  heart  the  sentiments  of  all  the  Iroquois  nations,  and  my  tongue  is  faithful  to  my 
heart.     Thou  wilt  tell  Onontio  1  four  things,  which  sum  up  all  our  councils. 

1.  We  are  willing  to  recognize  Him  of  whom  thou  hast  spoken  to  us,  who  is  the 
Master  of  our  lives,  who  is  to  us  unknown. 

2.  The  council  tree  of  all  our  affairs  is  this  day  planted  at  Onnontague.  He 
wished  to  say  that  this  would  henceforth  be  the  place  of  meetings,  and  of  consulta- 
tions for  peace. 

3.  We  urge  you  to  choose  upon  the  banks  of  our  great  lake,  a  place  which  may  be 
advantageous  to  you  for  building  a  French  habitation.  Put  yourselves  in  the  heart 
of  the  country,  since  you  ought  to  possess  our  heart.  There  we  will  go  to  be  taught, 
and  thence  you  will  be  able  to  spread  yourselves  everywhere.  Have  for  us  the  care 
of  fathers,  and  we  will  have  for  you  the  submission  of  children. 

4.  We  are  engaged  in  new  wars;  Onontio  animates  us.  We  will  have  nothing 
but  thoughts  of  peace  for  him. 

While  at  Onondaga,  on  the  night  of  August  11,  Le  Moyne  saw  a 
fire  which  consumed  twenty  cabins.  At  this  time  he  recovered  Bre- 
beuf's  New  Testament,  and  Charles  Garnier's  little  book  of  devotions, 
brought  from  the  Huron  country  when  those  missionaries  were  killed. 
His  joy  was  great,  and  he  said,  "I  shall  make  more  account  of  these  two 
little  booklets,  their  cherished  relics,  all  my  life,  than  if  I  had  found 
some  mine  of  gold  or  silver." 

His  formal  leave  taking  of  the  council  took  place  August  13.  He 
made  two  presents.  "Firstly,  I  planted  the  first  post  to  commence  a 
cabin;  this  is  as  if  in  France  one  places  the  first  stone  of  a  house, 
which  he  wishes  to  build.  My  second  present  was  to  throw  down  the 
first  bark  which  must  cover  the  cabin."  They  thanked  him  "by  those 
speeches  which  one  would  not  think  possible  to  proceed  from  the  mind 
of  those  who  are  called  savages." 

The  14.   A  young  captain,   whom   they  had  made  the  chief  of  a  levy  of  eighteen 

1  One  oi   the  earliesl    French  Governors  of  Canada  was  M.  de  Montmagny,  a  name  which  the 

i" i   "great    mtain."    This  they  translated  into  their  own  lan- 

oi  "Onnontio,"  and  this  term  was  afterwards  always  applied  by  them  to 

nors  and  oth  !  pi  i  ions.     So,  they  always  called  the  Governor  of 

New  V  i  l1    Arent   Van  Curler  was  thi  q1   oi   Killaen  Van 

of  Ri  s  '''<•  in  which  capacity    he  endeared  himself  to  the 

[roquois  whi  th  him;  he  b  il  111,111  with  whom  they  were  acquainted,  they 

ibsequent  Governoi  1         ivi  nee  and  State. 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  FRENCH. 

hundred  men,  who  were  soon  to  depart  to  go  in  war  against  the  nation  of  the  Cat, 
urges  me  to  baptize  him.  A  few  days  ago  I  had  given  him  some  instruction.  And 
as  I  wished  to  make  him  esteem  this  grace  by  deferring  it  to  another  journy ;  "Alas, 
my  brother,"  said  he  to  me,  "if  I  have  this  Faith  to-day  why  can  I  not  be  a  Chris- 
tian? hast  thou  power  over  death  to  prevent  him  from  attacking  me  before  thy  or- 
ders? the  arrows  of  our  enemies,  will  they  grow  blunt  for  me?  wilt  thou  that  each 
step  I  take  in  the  combat,  I  should  fear  hell  more  than  death?  If  thou  baptizest  me 
not  I  will  be  without  courage,  and  I  will  not  dare  to  go  to  blows.  Baptize,  me  be- 
cause I  am  willing  to  obey  thee,  and  I  give  thee  my  word  that  I  wish  to  live  and  die 
a  Christian. 

The  15.  Early  in  the  morning  I  lead  my  catechumen  apart,  and  seeing  his  heart 
holily  disposed  to  baptism,  I  give  him  the  name  of  my  dear  travelling  companion, 
Jean  Baptiste.  .  .  .  Meantime  they  seek  me  everywhere  to  make  my  feast  of 
adieu,  all  the  considerable  men  and  women  being  invited  into  our  cabin  in  my  name, 
according  to  the  custom  of  the  country,  to  do  honor  to  my  departure.  We  depart  in 
good  company,  after  the  public  cries  of  the  captains,  all  desiring  to  charge  themselves 
with  our  little  baggage. 

Half  a  league  from  there  we  find  a  troop  of  old  men,  all  people  of  the  council,  who 
were  waiting  for  me  to  say  Adieu,  in  the  hope  of  my  return,  which  they  testified  thev 
wished  for  with  much  impressiveness. 

That  they  were  many  miles  from  Onondaga  Lake  is  seen  in  the  fact 
that  they  arrived  there  the  next  day. 

At  the  entrance  of  a  small  lake,  in  a  great  basin  half  dried,  we  taste  water  of  a 
spring  which  they  dare  not  drink,  saying  that  there  is  a  demon  within  which  renders 
it  fetid;  having  tasted  it,  I  found  that  it  was  a  fountain  of  salt  water;  and  in  fact  we 
made  salt  from  it  as  natural  as  that  from  the  sea,  of  which  we  carried  a  sample  to 
Quebec.     This  lake  abounds  with  fish— with  salmon  trout  and  other  fish. 

This  is  the  earliest  mention  of  the  salt  springs.1  None  of  the  early 
Indians,  who  dwelt  inland,  used  salt  at  all,  nor  do  the  wild  tribes  now. 
Even  the  Eskimo  make  no  use  of  it,  and  the  Iroquois  names  for  it  sig- 
nify something  sour,  as  though  that  was  their  first  impression. 

The  17.  We  enter  into  their  river,  and  at  a  quarter  of  a  league  we  meet  on  the 
left  that  of  the  Sonnontouan,  which  increases  this;  it  leads,  they  say,  to  Onioen 
[Cayuga]  and  to  Sonnontouan  [Seneca]  in  two  nights'  lodgings.  At  three  leagues  •  >'■ 
a  fine  road  from   there  we  leave  the  river  of  Oneiout  [Oneida]  which  appears  very 

1  In  Clark's  Onondaga,  vol.  I,  page  129,   lit-  makes  a  French  quotation,  crediting  it  to  Lale- 

mant's  Relation  of  H>45-4<>.  Of  course  it  is  not  in  that,  but  on  page  349,  Clark  gives  a  good  trans- 
lation of  the  same  passage,  quoting  it  from  the  first  book  of  Charlevoix's  New  France,  where  the 
French  words  maybe  found.  In  the  second  volume  of  Clark's  History,  page  8,  the  assertion  is 
repeated  that  Lalemant  mentioned  the  salt  springs  in  1646-46,  and  a  different  French  quotation  is 
given,  erroneously  translated.  It  is  not  in  that  Relation,  but  will  be  found  under  date  of  No- 
vember 51,1055.  A  caustic  fountain,  said  by  Clark  to  be  "two  leagues  farther  off,  drawing  to- 
wards the  canton  of  Cayuga,"  is  described  in  the  Relation  of  1656  57,  a--  "  two  days  (deux  jour- 
nees)  from  our  dwelling.''  being  probably  west  of  Onondaga  county.  In  this  Clark  con 
quotes  an  error  of  Charlevoix. 


56  ONONDAGA'S   CENTENNIAL. 

deep.  Finally,  a  good  league  lower  down,  we  meet  a  rapid  [Three  River  rift  at 
Phoenix]  which  gives  the  name  to  a  village  of  fishermen.  I  found  there  some  of  our 
Christians,  and  Huron  Christian  women  whom  I  had  not  yet  seen.  I  confessed  them 
with  much  satisfaction  on  the  part  of  both 

The  18.  While  my  boatmen  are  putting  their  canoes  in  order,  one  of  these  good 
Christian  women  made  me  baptize  her  two  year  old  child ;  in  order,  said  she,  that  it 
may  go  to  heaven  with  its  little  sister  formerly  baptized,  whom  this  people  here  have 
massacred.     I  baptized  there  another  little  innocent,  who  was  gasping  in  death. 

The  19.  We  pursue  the  journey  on  the  same  river,  which  is  of  a  fine  width,  and 
deep  throughout,  except  some  rapids,  where  it  is  necessary  to  get  into  the  water  and 
draw  the  canoe,  fearing  lest  the  rocks  should  break  it. 

The  20.   We  arrive  at  the  great  lake  Ontario,  called  the  lake  of  the  Iroquois. 

Such  was  the  white  man's  first  voyage  on  the  Oswego  River.1  There 
were  then  no  villages  towards  the  lower  end,  and  long  research  shows 
few  traces  of  any  occupation  below  Oswego  Falls.  Thence  the  trav- 
elers coasted  Lake  Ontario. 

The  23.  We  arrive  at  the  place  which  they  destine  for  our  house  [Salmon  River] 
and  a  French  settlement.  There  are  charming  prairies,  good  fishing,  an  access  for 
all  nations.     I  found  new  Christians  there. 

On  September  6,  Le  Moyne  arrived  at  Montreal,  and  "at  Quebec,  the 
eleventh  day  of  the  month  of  September  of  this  year,  1654." 


CHAPTER  VII. 


Peace  Ratified — Journey  of  Dablon  and  Chaumonot — Otihatangue — Oneida  River 
— Reception — Council — Onondaga  Lake — Place  of  Settlement — Erie  Child — Religious 
Services — Presents — French  Prisoner — Onondaga  and  Cayuga  Songs — Presents  and 
Addresses — Chapel — Christmas  Eve — Stockade— Stories. 

Some  Onondagas  came  to  Quebec  in  1655,  and  ratified  the  peace. 
They  brought  twenty-four  presents,  of  which  eight  were  for  the  Hurons 
and  Algonquins.  There  were  eighteen  in  the  party,  and  their  fifteenth 
present  "asked  for  some  French  soldiers,  who  should  defend  their  vil- 
lages against  the  irruption  of  the  nation  of  the  Cats,  with  whom  they 
having  a  great  war." 

''I'll.   Oneidas  told  Arenl  Van  Curler,  while  a1  their  town,  1634-5,  that  six  French  traders  had 
been  there  in  August  last,  but  this  was  unknown  in  Canada,  if  true. 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  FRENCH.  57 

"The  sixteenth  was  in  order  to  appoint  us  a  place  in  the  center  of 
all  their  nations,  where  we  hope,  if  God  favors  our  enterprises,  to  erect 
us  a  new  Ste.  Marie,  similar  to  that  which  we  formerly  saw  nourishing 
in  the  midst  of  the  land  of  the  Hurons."  They  were  assured  that  the 
four  upper  Iroquois  nations  unitedly  desired  peace;  and  after  this  they 
asked  for  arms  against  the  nation  of  the  Cats. 

The  people  named  Agnieronnons  are  called  the  Iroquois  from  below,  or  the  lower 
Iroquois;  and  we  take  the  Onnontaeronnons  and  other  nations  for  the  Iroquois  from 
above,  or  the  upper  Iroquois,  because  they  advance  farther  ascending  towards  the 
source  of  the  river  St.  Laurens,  and  they  inhabit  a  country  full  of  mountains. 
Onontae,  or  else,  as  others  pronounce  it,  Onontague,  is  the  principal  village  of  the 
Onontaeronnons,  and  it  is  this  place  where  our  journey  is  made. 

Two  Fathers  were  to  go  there  to  make  preliminary  arrangements  for 
the  colony,  and  "this  happy  lot  fell  upon  Father  Joseph  Chaumonotand 
Father  Claude  Dablon;  the  first  possessed  the  tongue,  the  heart  and 
the  spirit  of  the  savages;  the  second  is  newly  come  from  France,  in  the 
design  and  desire  of  this  mission."  They  left  Quebec,  September  19, 
1655,  with  the  Onondaga  ambassadors,  and  we  have  a  picturesque 
account  of  the  journey,  written  by  Dablon,  full  of  a  quaint  philosophy. 
But  little  of  this  can  be  given  here. 

Oct.  24th.  We  arrive  in  good  season  at  lake  Ontario.  Towards  evening  five 
stags  were  killed  towards  the  entrance  of  the  lake.  It  needed  nothing  more  to  stop 
our  equipage.  We  consider  at  leisure  the  beauty  of  this  lake,  which  is  half  way  be- 
tween Montreal  and  Onontague.  It  is  nevertheless  the  most  difficult  half,  without 
comparison.  It  is  necessary  to  pass  a  furious  rapid,  which  makes  as  it  were  the 
outlet  of  the  lake.  Then  one  enters  into  a  beautiful  sheet  of  water,  sown  with  differ- 
ent islands,  distant  one  from  another  a  short  quarter  of  a  league. 

This  is  placing  the  entrance  to  Lake  Ontario  below  the  Thousand 
Islands. 

The  25th.  We  advance  eight  leagues  within  the  entrance  of  the  lake,  three  short 
quarters  of  a  league  wide. 

The  26th,  we  enter  there  in  earnest,  making  seven  to  eight  leagues.  I  have  seen 
nothing  so  beautiful,  nothing  so  frightful.  There  are  only  islands,  only  great  rocks, 
large  as  some  towns,  all  covered  with  cedars  and  fir  trees;  the  lake  even  is  bordered 
by  great  steep  rocks,  which  are  fearful  to  see,  hidden  by  cedars  for  the  greater  part. 
Being  towards  evening  on  the  north  side,  we  passed  to  that  of  the  south. 

On  the  27th  we  advanced  twelve  good  leagues,  by  an  infinity  of  islands  -real  and 
small.  After  which  one  discovers  nothing  but  water  on  all  sides.  We  met,  towards 
evening,  a  band  of  Sonontouaronons  hunters. 

The  29th  we  arrived  at  Otihatangue,  about  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning.  They  pre- 
sent to  us  the  kettle  of  welcome.     Every  body  crowds  on  each  other  to  see  us  cat 


58  ONONDAGA'S   CENTENNIAL. 

Otihatangue  is  a  river  which  empties  into  Lake  Ontario.  It  is  narrow  at  its  mouth, 
but  very  wide  in  its  ordinary  bed.  It  is  rich  in  prairies,  which  it  fertilizes,  and  which 
it  divides  into  a  number  of  higher  and  low  islands,  all  fit  for  sowing  grain.  [Quite 
an  account  of  the  place  follows,  and  especially  of  the  fishing.  ]  All  the  rest  of  the 
year,  even  in  winter,  the  salmon  furnish  that  which  they  live  on  at  the  town  of 
Onontae. 

The  Hurons  urged  that  they  should  have  prayers  in  public,  and  there 
was  general  rejoicing. 

The  Father  met  there  Otohenha,  the  host  of  the  late  Father  Gamier  and  of  Father 
Garreau,  m  the  nation  of  Petun.  He  was  so  seized  with  joy  at  the  sight  of  the 
Father,  that  he  could  not  speak  at  first,  and  was  obliged  to  defer  to  another  time  to 
relate  to  him  all  his  adventures,  which  were  that  as  he  was  in  a  journey,  with  all  his 
family  and  the  daughter  of  good  Rene,  named  Ondoaskoua,  conducting  a  canoe 
loaded  with  peltries,  and  bearing  presents  on  the  part  of  two  captains  of  his  coun- 
trv.  who  asked  a  place  to  dwell  at  Quebec,  he  was  unfortunately  met  by  the  Onon- 
taeronnons,  and  all  his  family  were  captured. 

The  past  winter  Otohenha  had  gone  with  the  Onondagas  against  the 
Eries,  and  they  took  and  sacked  a  village.  Among  the  dead  he  found 
the  good  Rene  Sondiouaen,  and  his  daughter  and  Martha  Gahatio 
among  the  captives.  The  latter  was  burned  by  the  Onondagas  on 
their  way  home,  but  her  two  children  escaped  from  them. 

The  30th,  we  left  the  water  to  prepare  to  go  by  land  to  Onontague.  In  the  after- 
noon appeared  60  Oneoutchoueronon  warriors,  who  were  going  beyond  the  sault 
against  the  people  who  are  called  Nez  Perces.  Atondatochan  was  leading  them  ;  it 
was  he  who  was  at  Montreal  on  the  second  embassy  from  the  town  of  Oneout.  [The 
next  day  quite  a  merry  council  was  held  with  these,  the  chief  being  especially  amus- 
ing and  witty.  ]  The  sixth  song  was  to  make  the  Frenchman  master  of  the  river 
Ontiahantague. 

The  1st  day  of  November  we  departed  by  land  for  Onontague;  we  met  a  good 
Huron  named  Therese  Oionhaton. 

She  had  come  three  leagues  to  await  the  Father's  passage,  and  was 
overjoyed  to  see  him.  She  had  baptized  her  child,  and  lay  baptism 
was  quite  common  among  the  captives. 

We  passed  the  night  on  the  bank  of  a  stream,  after  having  made  five  good  leagues. 
We  decamped  thence  at  daybreak,  the  2d  of  November;  and  after  having  made  six 
or  seven  leagues,  we  lodge  by  the  same  sign  by  which  we  had  always  camped,  to-wit, 
tin-  beautiful  star  light.  The  3d,  we  leave  there  before  the  sun.  The  father  meets  on 
Up-  mad  the  sister  of  that  Therese  of  whom  we  have  just  spoken.  [She  related  her 
>i  tunes.  1  fe  confessed  her,  but  was  obliged  to]  follow  our  guides,  who  conducted 
us  that  day  to  Tethiroguen;  this  is  a  river  which  leaves  the  lake  called  Goienho 
[a  |  I  Miciout,  the  village  of  one  of  the  nations  of  the  upper  Iroquois,  is  above 
this  lake,  which,  contracting,  forms  the  river  Tethiroguen  [Oneida],  and  afterwards 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  FRENCH.  59 

a  sault  or  a  cascade  of  a  high  fall  [Oswego  Falls]  called  Ahaouete.  As  soon  as  we 
had  arrived  at  this  river,  the  most  notable  among  a  good  number  of  fishermen  that 
we  met  there,  came  to  make  their  compliments,  and  afterwards  conducted  us  to  their 
best  cabins.  The  4.  November  we  made  about  six  leagues,  always  on  foot,  encum- 
bered with  our  small  baggage,  We  passed  the  night  in  a  field  at  four  leagues  from 
Onontague. 

The  5.  day  of  November  of  the  year  1655,  as  we  continued  our  way,  a  captain  of  im- 
portance, called  Gonaterezon,  made  a  good  league  to  meet  us.  He  makes  us  halt, 
compliments  us  agreeably  on  our  arrival,  puts  himself  at  the  head  of  our  band,  and 
leads  us  gravely  nearly  to  a  quarter  of  a  league  from  Onontague,  where  the  ancients 
of  the  country  awaited  us.  Having  taken  place  by  them,  they  presented  us  the  best 
dishes  they  had;  above  all  pumpkins  cooked  under  the  coals.  While  we  are  eating, 
an  ancient  captain,  named  Okonchiarennen,  arises,  causes  them  to  make  silence,  and 
harangues  us  a  full  quarter  of  an  hour. 

After  having  extended  this  discourse,  and  spoken  in  a  fashion  which  seemed 
studied,  the  Father  replied.  .  .  .  All  the  people  listened  with  attention  and  ad- 
miration, enraptured  to  hear  a  Frenchman  speak  their  language  so  well.  Afterwards 
our  introducer  arises,  gives  the  signal,  and  conducts  us  through  a  great  multitude, 
part  of  whom  were  ranged  in  a  hedge  to  see  us  pass  through  their  midst,  others  ran 
after  us,  others  presented  us  their  fruits,  until  we  arrived  at  the  town,  whose  streets 
were  very  clean,  and  the  roofs  of  the  cabins  covered  with  children.  At  last  we  en- 
tered into  a  great  cabin  which  had  been  prepared  for  us,  and  with  us  all  those  it  was 
able  to  contain.     [Feasting  followed.] 

The  ancients  held  a  council  in  the  evening",  and  other  councils  and 
feasts  followed,  on  the  succeeding'  days. 

Sunday  was  the  7th  of  November,  and  there  was  a  secret  council  of 
fifteen  captains  with  Chaumonot,  after  he  had  prayers  with  twenty  per- 
sons who  came  to  him. 

They  said  then  to  the  Father,  in  this  assembly:  1st,  that  Agochiendaguete,  who 
is  as  the  king  of  the  country,  and  Onnontio,  had  a  voice  equally  strong  and  constant, 
and  that  nothing  could  break  a  bond  so  fair  as  that  which  held  them  so  closely  to- 
gether; 2d,  that  they  would  send  the  nimblest  of  their  young  men  to  bring  back  the 
Huron  ambassadors  who  had  come  to  treat  of  peace  with  us;  in  the  third  place  they 
prayed  that  Onnontio  should  be  made  to  know  that  if  any  of  their  people  should  be 
ill  treated,  or  even  killed  by  the  Anmeronnons:  this  would  not  be  able  to  hinder  the 
alliance  the}-  so  much  desired;  that  it  should  be  the  same  on  the  side  of  Onnontio,  if 
there  came  any  misfortune  by  the  French  on  the  same  side ;  in  the  fourth  place, 
having  learned  that  the  thing  the  most  agreeable  to  Onnontio  that  they  were  able  to 
do,  was  to  let  him  know  that  this  autumn  they  had  erected  a  chapel  for  believers;  to 
please  him  they  would  furnish  it  as  soon  as  possible.  At  this  article,  the  Father 
having  taken  the  word,  told  them  that  they  had  found  the  secret  of  carrying  off  the 
heart  of  Monsieur  the  Governor,  and  of  gaining  him  entirely.  All  made  a  cry  of 
approbation,  by  which  the  council  ended. 

On  the  9th,  two  Oneida  deputies  came,  and  addressed  the  Father  at 
an  evening  council. 


fiO  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

The  response  was  that  since  Onnontio  and  Agochiendaguese  were  no  longer  any- 
thing but  one,  it  was  necessary  that  the  Onneioutchoueronnons  should  be  children  of 
the  first,  as  they  already  were  of  the  second. 

The  eleventh,  while  the  Father  x  was  working  to  raise  again  the  foundations  of 
the  Huron  church,  a  visit  was  made  to  the  salt  fountain,  which  is  only  four  leagues 
from  here,  near  the  lake  called  Gannentaa,  the  place  chosen  for  the  French  habita- 
tion, because  it  is  the  center  of  the  four  Iroquois  nations,  which  one  can  from  thence 
visit  in  a  canoe  upon  the  rivers  and  lakes,  which  make  their  commerce  free  and  very 
easy. 

The  fishing  and  the  chase  make  this  a  considerable  place ;  for,  besides  the  fish, 
which  are  taken  there  at  different  times  of  the  year,  the  eel  is  so  abundant  there  in 
the  summer,  that  some  take  with  a  harpoon  as  much  as  a  thousand  in  a  single  night ; 
and  for  the  game,  which  does  not  fail  in  the  winter,  the  pigeons  of  all  the  country 
gather  there  in  spring  in  so  great  a  number,  that  they  take  them  with  nets.  The 
fountain,  of  which  one  makes  very  good  salt,  intersects  a  beautiful  prairie,  sur- 
rounded by  a  wood  of  high  forest  trees.  At  80  or  100  paces  from  this  salt  spring 
is  seen  another  of  fresh  water,  and  these  two  opposites  take  birth  from  the  bosom 

of  the  same  hill. 

\ 

It  is  usual  to  apply  this  description  to  the  later  location  of  Sainte 
Marie,  but  the  French  often  called  low  marshy  lands  prairies,  and  it  is 
not  unlikely,  connecting  this  with  the  account  of  1654  and  1G57,  that 
this  prairie  was  the  marsh.  In  the  latter  Relation  the  salt  springs  are 
mentioned  as  at  a  distance  from  the  fort,  which  had  only  fine  springs 
of  fresh  water  near,  although  upon  the  shores  of  the  same  lake.  A 
more  precise  location  is  given  in  the  Relation  of  1657.  "  We  find  on 
the  south  side  several  springs  or  fountains  of  salt  water,  although  this 
lake  is  very  far  from  the  sea."  These  springs  seem  those  of  Salina, 
and  the  prairie  would  be  the  marshes  there,  instead  of  a  clearing  on 
high  land  farther  north.  It  will  appear  later  that  the  French  cleared 
lands  for  their  colony,  instead  of  finding  them  bare  of  trees.  Creuxius, 
whose  account  of  the  spot  is  sometimes  quoted,  was  never  in  the  ter- 
ritory of  New  York.  On  the  12th  an  Erie  boy  was  brought  to  Onon- 
daga, "who  is  going  to  be  the  object  of' the  rage  of  these  people,  who 
in-  longer  give  quarter  one  to  the  other;  it  is  a  young  child  of  nine  to 
ten  years  old,  who  is  to  be  burned  in  a  little  while."  Father  Chaumo- 
not  resolved  to  baptize  him.  "The  Father  having  seen  him,  and  hav- 
ing spoken  to  him,  made  a  semblance  of  thirst;  they  gave  him  water. 
He  drank  it,  and  in  doing  so  purposely  trickled  a  few  drops  into  his 
handkerchief.      It  needed  but  one  to  open  the  gate  of  heaven  to   him. 

lai  i      makes  this  "French"  instead  of  "Father."    "The  foundations  of 
the  Huron  church"      a  figurative  expression.    Dablon  seems  first  to  have  gone  to  the  lake  alone. 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  FRENCH.  61 

He  baptized  him  before  being  burned.  He  was  but  two  hours  in  tor- 
ments, because  he  was  young-,  but  he  showed  such  constancy  that  he 
uttered  neither  tears  nor  cries,  seeing-  himself  in  the  midst  of  the  flames. " 

The  14th,  which  was  a  Sunday,  could  not  better  commence  than  by  the  Holy  Sac- 
rifice of  the  Mass,  which  we  celebrated  on  a  little  altar,  in  an  oratory  used  in  the 
cabin  of  Teotonharason ;  this  is  one  of  the  women  who  went  down  to  Quebec  with 
the  ambassadors.  She  is  highly  esteemed  here  for  her  nobleness  and  wealth,  but 
notably  because  she  has  openly  declared  herself  for  the  Faith. 

The  presents  were  to  be  made  at  10  o'clock  on  that  day,  and  the 
council  was  opened  with  public  prayers,  but  was  interrupted  by  the  ar- 
rival of  the  Cayuga  deputies,  who  had  to  be  formally  received.  The 
next  day,  at  about  the  same  hour,  all  assembled  in  a  public  place. 
After  prayers  the  Father  adopted  the  Cayugas  as  children,  and  made 
thirty  presents. 

The  ninth  present  touched  them  much  more.  The  Father  showed  a  little  tree,  of 
which  the  upper  branches  bore  the  names  of  their  dead  captains,  and  these  branches 
were  cut  in  order  to  signify  their  death;  but  the  tree  had  a  number  of  other  branches, 
strong  and  very  green,  which  represented  their  children,  by  means  of  whom  one 
could  bring  to  life  these  deceased  heroes  in  the  persons  of  their  posterity.  They  re- 
garded more  attentively  this  piece  of  wood  than  the  porcelain  which  was  attached  to 
this  present. 

That  which  pleased  them  more  was  the  eleventh  present,  for  the  Father,  having 
drawn  out  his  handkerchief,  showed  them  within  on  one  side,  some  ashes  of  a  cer- 
tain Teoteguisen,  buried  at  the  Three  Rivers,  and  on  the  other  some  ashes  of  the 
French,  and  mixing  them  together  declared  that  they  and  the  French  were  only  one, 
both  before  and  after  death. 

By  the  seventeenth  present  we  demanded  that  they  soon  erect  a  chapel  for  us,  in 
order  to  perform  our  duties  there  with  freedom  and  decorum. 

We  found  ourselves  obliged  to  make  another  large  present  for  a  young  Frenchman, 
named  Charles  Garmant,  who  has  been  among  the  Oneioutchronnons  for  some  years. 

He  was  probably  the  first  white  man  resident  in  the  territorv  of 
Central  New  York. 

The  council  closed  for  the  da}-  with  applause.  Dablon  compliments 
Chaumonot's  speech  highly,  and  adds  the  encomiums  of  the  Iroquois. 
The  Dutch  had  no  such  spirit  or  tongue,  nor  had  they  ever  spoken  to 
them  of  Paradise  or  Hell.     A  Cayuga  deputy  added  his  word  of  praise. 

That  day  some  women  came  to  him  for  instruction,  and  on  the  next 
two  girls  were  baptized,  "properly  the  first  two  baptisms  with  some 
services  of  the  Church." 

That  which  inclined  them  to  believe  besides,  was  partly  the  last  victory  that  they 
had  gained  over  the   nation  of  the  Cat,   their  enemies,   being  only  twelve  hundred 


62  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

against  three  or  four  thousand  men,  having  promised  to  embrace  the   Faith  if  they 
returned  victorious. 

Suitable  responses  and  presents  were  made  by  the  Onondagas,  No- 
vember 17,  and  the  whole  affair  was  very  striking. 

Towards  noon,  all  the  notable  men  of  the  town  being  present  in  our  cabin,  with 
the  deputies  of  the  other  nations  and  all  the  people  that  it  could  hold,  they  com- 
menced their  thanks  by  six  airs  or  six  chants,  which  had  nothing  savage,  and  which 
expressed  very  naively,  by  the  diversity  of  tones,  the  different  passions  they  wished 
to  represent.  The  first  song  said  thus:  O,  the  beautiful  /and,  the  beautiful  land, 
which  is  to  be  inhabited  by  the  French.  Agochiendaguese  commenced  alone  in  the 
person  of  an  ancient  who  was  keeping  his  place,  but  always  in  the  same  way  as 
though  he  himself  had  spoken ;  then  all  the  others  repeated  both  his  note  and  his 
letter,  agreeing  marvelously  well. 

In  the  second  chant  the  chief  intoned  these  words:  Good  news!  very  good  news' 
The  others  repeated  them  in  the  very  same  tone.  Then  the  chief  continued,  //  is  all 
good,  my  brother,  it  is  all  good  that  we  speak  together,  it  is  all  good  that  we 
have  a  heavenly  speech. 

The  third  song  had  a  grace  by  a  very  melancholy  refrain,  and  said,  My  brother, 
I  salute  thee:  my  brother,  thou  art  welcome.  Ai,  ai,  ai,  hi.  O,  the  beautiful 
voice!  O,  the  beautiful  voice  that  thou  hast.'  Ai,  ai,  ai,  hi.  O,  the  beautiful 
voice,  O,  the  beautiful  voice  that  I  have!  Ai,  ai,  ai,  hi. 

The  fourth  song  had  another  grace  by  the  cadence  which  these  musicians  kept, 
striking  with  their  feet,  their  hands,  and  their  pipes,  against  the  mat,  but  with  such 
good  accord  that  this  noise  so  well  regulated,  made  a  harmony  sweet  to  hear;  these 
are  the  words  of  it:  My  brother,  I  salute  thee;  yet  again  I  salute  thee;  it  is  all 
good;  without  feigning  I  accept  the  heaven  which  thou  hast  made  me  see;  yes, 
J  agree  to  it;  J  accept  it. 

They  sang  for  the  fifth  time,  saying:  Adieu  to  war,  farewell  to  war,  farewell  to 
the  a.ie;  up  to  the  present  we  have  been  insane,  but  henceforth  we  will  be 
brothers;  yes,  we  will  be  brothers  indeed. 

The  last  song  or  chant  had  these  words:  //  is  to-day  that  the  great  peace  is  made. 
Fare well  to  war,  farewell  to  arms;  the  whole  affair  is  beautiful  throughout; 
thou  dost  support  our  cabins  when  thou  comest  with  us. 

Four  beautiful  presents  followed. 

The  third,  and  the  most  beautiful  of  all  which  appeared  here,  was  a  collar  com- 
posed of  seven  thousand  beads,  which  was  nothing,  however,  in  comparison  of  his 
words:  It  is  the  present  of  the  Faith,  said  he,  that  is  to  say,  that  I  am  really  a  be- 
liever; it  is  to  exhort  you  not  to  be  weary  in  instructing  us;  continue  to  go  about 
■h  the  cabins;  have  patience,  seeing  our  little  wit  in  learning  the  prayer;  in  a 
I  nit  it  well  into  tne  head  and  heart.  Thereupon,  wishing  by  an  extraordinary 
ceremony  to  make  his  ardor  shine,  he  takes  the  Father  by  the  hand,  makes  him  rise, 
leads  liini  into  the  midst  of  all  present,  throws  himself  on  his  neck,  embraces  him, 
hugs  him,  and  holding  in  his  hand  the  beautiful  collar,  makes  a  belt  of  it  for  him, 
protesting  thai  he  wished  to  embrace  the  Faith  as  he  embraced  the  Father. 

Such  was  the  stoical  Onondaga. 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  FRENCH.  6.1 

The  fourth  and  last  present  was  small  in  comparison  with  the  preceding  ;  s<>  it  was 
only  to  assure  the  Father  that  the  war  kettle  against  the  nation  of  the  Cat  v 
the  fire,  and  that  they  should  go  on  this  expedition  towards  spring. 

A  Cayuga  chief  followed,  speaking  at  some  length,  and  then  singing. 

All  present  sang  with  him,  but  with  a  different  and  heavier  tone,  striking  their 
mats  in  cadence,  during  which  this  man  danced  in  the  midst  of  all,  stirring  himself 
in  strange  fashion,  and  sparing  no  part  of  his  body,  so  that  he  made  gestures  with 
his  feet,  with  his  hands,  with  his  head,  with  his  eyes,  with  his  mouth,  keeping  time 
so  well  both  with  his  own  song  and  that  of  the  others,  that  this  appeared  admirable. 
This  is  what  he  sang:  A,  ./,  ha,  gaianderd!  gaianderd!  that  is  to  say  properly,  in 
the  Latin  tongue,  Io:  Io:  triumphe!  and  then,  E,  E,  he,  gaianderd!  gaianderd!  <>, 
0,  ho,  gaiandere!  gaianderd.  He  explained  what  he  meant  by  his  Gaianderd,  which 
signifies  among  them  very  excellent  thing.  He  said  then  that  what  we  others  called 
to  ourselves  the  Faith,  ought  to  be  called  Gaiandere  among  them.  .  .  .  The 
Onnontagueronnon,  who  is  the  father,  and  Oiogoen  and  Onneiout,  who  were  his 
children,  would  embrace  the  Faith. 

The  seventeenth,  after  we  had  celebrated  Holy  Mass,  they  brought  us  to  take  the 
measures  of  a  chapel.  It  was  built  the  next  day,  and  as  a  good  omen  it  was  the  day 
of  the  dedication  of  the  church  of  Saint  Peter  and  Saint  Paul.  It  is  true  that  in 
place  of  marble  and  all  precious  metals  one  used  only  bark.  As  soon  as  it  was  con- 
structed it  was  sanctified  by  the  baptism  of  three  children.  [The  grandmother  of 
Teotonharason  was  baptized  the  second  Sunday  in  Advent].  She  is  the  oldest  in  all 
the  country;  the  oldest  say  that  when  they  were  children,  this  person  was  already 
old,  and  as  wrinkled  as  she  now  appears,  so  that  she  passes  for  many  hundred  years. 
[On  the  first  Sunday  in  Advent  had  been]  made  the  first  solemn  Catechism  in  one  of 
the  largest  cabins  of  Onontague,  our  chapel  being  too  small. 

Christmas  Eve,  the  Father  took  occasion  to  make  a  feast  for  the  principal  persons 
of  the  town,  to  make  them  understand  this  great  mystery.  They  listened  to  him  very 
attentively,  and  one  of  the  fruits  of  the  sermon  was  that  one  of  these  captains  came 
next  day,  in  the  early  morning,  to  the  door  of  our  chapel,  and  exhorted  those  who 
entered  there  to  pray  well. 

Onondaga  was  not  fortified  in  1677,  but  was  twenty  years  earlier. 
This  appears  incidentally.  The  mistress  of  an  Erie  girl  was  displeased 
with  her  slave,  and  employed  a  young  man  to  kill  her.  lie  followed 
her  to  the  woods,  but  determined  to  kill  her  in  the  sight  of  all.  "He 
lets  her  then  return,  and  when  she  was  at  the  gate  of  the  town,  he 
strikes  her  on  the  head  with  his  hatchet,  and  throws  her  to  the  ground 
as  dead."  She  was  carried  into  a  cabin  for  aid,  and  the  man  was  re- 
proached for  his  lack  of  skill.  He  came  back,  dragged  her  out  and 
killed  her.  Towards  evening  it  was  cried  "through  the  streets  and  by 
the  cabins,  that  such  a  person  had  been  put  to  death.  Then  each  one 
began  to  make  a  noise  with  his  feet  and  hands;  some  struck  with  sticks 


64  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

upon  the  barks  of  the  cabins  to  frighten  the  soul  of  the  deceased,  and 
to  drive  it  very  far  away." 

Story  telling  was  common  in  the  long  winter  evenings.  "They  have 
a  pleasant  story  touching  the  production  of  men  upon  earth.  They 
say  that  one  day  the  Master  of  the  heaven  tearing  up  a  great  tree, 
made  a  hole  which  extends  from  heaven  to  earth;  and  that  a  man  of 
that  country,  being  angry  at  his  wife,  threw  her  into  the  hole,  and 
hurled  her  from  heaven  to  earth,  without  wounding  her,  although  she 
was  pregnant  with  two  children,  a  boy  and  a  girl.  Now  it  is  from  these 
twins  that  the  earth  has  been  peopled."  Some  thought  the  Faith  good 
for  the  French,  but  had  no  such  high  ideas  for  themselves.  They 
were  willing  to  go  after  death  where  their  ancestors  dwelt. 

Dablon  related  many  curious  incidents  of  the  influence  of  dreams, 
and  gave  a  lively  description  of  the  annual  war  feast,  as  well  as  of  the 
Honnonouaroia,  or  Dream  Feast.  It  lasted  several  days,  and  was  a 
time  of  the  maddest  license.  This  was  the  original  of  the  compara- 
tively modern  White  Dog  Feast,  but  there  was  then  no  formal  sac- 
rifice. 

It  is  proper  to  give  a  brief  account  of  the  Erie  war,  in  which  the  On- 
ondagas  took  an  important  part. 

The  Eries  had  sent  thirty  ambassadors  to  the  Senecas  to  confirm  the 
peace,  but  a  Seneca  was  killed  by  an  Erie  warrior.  The  enraged  Sen- 
ecas put  to  death  all  the  ambassadors  except  five  who  escaped.  This 
led  to  war.  Two  Onondagas  were  taken,  one  of  whom  fled.  The  other 
was  a  man  of  importance,  and  was  taken  to  the  Erie  country  to  be  tor- 
tured, but  was  given  to  the  sister  of  one  of  the  dead  ambassadors.  She 
was  not  then  at  home,  but  they  clothed  him  handsomely,  and  feasted 
him  well,  supposing  she  would  be  pleased.  The  reverse  was  the  case, 
and  she  wished  him  put  to  death,  that  her  brother  might  be  avenged. 

The  Ancients  represent  to  her  the  importance  of  this  affair;  that  it  will  draw 
upon  their  hands  a  new  war:  she  does  not  desist  for  that.  Finally  they  are  con- 
strained to  give  up  to  her  this  poor  man,  in  order  to  work  her  will.  He  was  still  in 
the  rejoicing  of  the  banquet  when  this  took  place.  They  draw  him  from  the  feast, 
and  lead  him  into  the  cabin  of  this  cruel  one,  without  saying  anything  to  him.  At 
his  entrance  he  was  surprised  when  they  took  away  his  clothes,  and  then  he  saw  that 
his  life  was  lost.  He  cried  out  before  dying,  that  they  were  going  to  burn  all  people 
in  him.  and  that  they  would  cruelly  avenge  his  death.  This  was  true,  for  the  news 
of  it  was  no  sooner  brought  to  Onontague,  than  twelve  hundred  very  determined  men 
started  to  take  satisfaction  for  this  affront. 

The  Cat  or  Erie  nation  was  so  called  because  of  the  abundance  of 
wild  cats  there. 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  FRENCH.  G5 

Our  warriors  had  no  sooner  arrived  in  that  country,  although  distant  from  Onon- 
tague,  than  they  were  discovered.  This  caused  everywhere  so  great  alarm  that  the 
towns  and  houses  were  abandoned  to  the  mercy  of  the  conqueror,  who  having  burned 
everything  started  to  pursue  the  fugitives.  There  were  two  to  three  thousand  com- 
batants, besides  women  and  children,  who,  seeing  themselves  closely  pursued,  re- 
solved after  five  days  of  flight  to  make  a  wooden  fort,  and  there  wait  for  their  ene- 
mies, who  were  only  twelve  hundred.  They  intrenched  themselves  the  best  that 
they  could.  The  enemy  made  his  approaches;  the  two  most  considerable  chiefs, 
clothed  a  la  Francoise,  showed  themselves  in  order  to  frighten  them  by  the  novelty 
of  this  dress.  One  of  them,  baptized  by  Father  Le  Moyne,  and  well  instructed, 
gently  solicited  che  besieged  to  capitulate,  otherwise  it  is  all  over  with  them  if  thev 
endure  the  assault.  The  Master  of  life  fights  for  us,  said  he ;  you  are  lost  if  you  re- 
sist him.  Who  is  this  Master  of  life?  proudly  replied  the  besieged.  We  recognize 
no  others  than  our  arms  and  our  hatchets.  Thereupon  the  assault  commences;  the 
palisade  is  attacked  on  all  sides,  which  is  as  well  defended  as  attacked;  the  combat 
lasts  a  long  time,  and  with  great  courage  on  both  sides.  The  besiegers  use  all  their 
efforts  to  take  the  place  by  storm ;  but  it  is  in  vain ;  they  kill  as  many  as  present 
themselves.  They  took  counsel  to  make  use  of  their  canoes  as  bucklers;  they  carried 
them  before  them,  and  by  favor  of  this  shelter  behold  them  at  the  foot  of  the  in- 
trenchment.  But  it  is  necessary  to  climb  the  great  stakes,  or  the  trees  of  which  it  is 
built.  They  set  up  the  same  canoes,  and  make  use  of  them  as  ladders  to  mount 
upon  this  great  stockade.  This  boldness  astonished  the  besieged  so  much  that,  be- 
ing already  at  the  end  of  their  war  munitions,  of  which  they  were  not  well  provided, 
especially  powder,  they  thought  of  Might,  which  caused  their  ruin;  for  the  first  fugi- 
tives for  the  greater  part  having  been  killed,  the  rest  were  shut  up  by  the  ( >nuonta- 
guehronnons,  who  entered  the  fort,  and  made  such  a  carnage  there  of  women  and 
children  that  the  blood  was  knee  deep  in  certain  places.  Those  who  had  escaped, 
wishing  to  retrieve  their  honor,  having  recovered  their  spirits  a  little,  retraced  their 
steps,  to  the  number  of  three  hundred,  planning  to  surprise  the  enemy  unexpectedly, 
when  he  might  be  less  on  his  guard  in  his  retreat.  This  was  a  good  plan,  but  it  was 
badly  conducted;  for  being  frightened  at  the  first  cry  that  the  Onnontaguehronnons 
made,  they  were  entirely  defeated.  The  vanquisher  did  not  fail  to  lose  a  good  num- 
ber of  his  people;  so  that  he  was  obliged  to  stop  two  months  in  the  country  of  the 
enemy,  to  bury  his  dead,  and  to  dress  his  wounded. 

Such  was  the  sudden  fall  of  the  Eries,  though  fragments  of  the  na- 
tion are  afterwards  mentioned.  Avery  sad  account  is  given  of  the 
torture  of  an  Erie  boy  at  Onondaga,  by  a  chief  who  at  first  adopted 
him.  He  was  the  forty-first  whom  Ahahiron  sacrificed  to  the  memory 
of  his  brother. 
9 


6C  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

FRENCH  COLONY  IN  ONONDAGA. 

The  Journey  —  Hunger —  Gannentaa —  Councils  —  Fruits  —  Country —  Customs  — 
Slaves— Privations— Plots— Flight— The  Settlement. 

At  a  council  on  the  29th  of  February,  1656,  the  Onondagas  expressed 
their  impatience  at  the  dilatoriness  of  the  French,  for  whose  coming 
they  had  waited  three  years.  On  this  account  Dablon  left  Onondaga 
for  Quebec,  March  2,  having  for  chief  of  his  escort  Jean  Baptiste,  the 
leader  against  the  Eries  and  the  first  Onondaga  baptized  in  full  health. 
They  came  to  Oneida  Lake  at  a  distance  of  about  ten  French  leagues 
from  Onondaga,  and  found  the  ice  so  soft  that  they  could  not  cross. 
There  they  waited  a  day  and  two  nights  for  it  to  harden,  and  crossed 
near  the  center  of  the  lake.  They  reached  Lake  Ontario  at  Salmon 
River,  March  8,  expecting  to  take  canoes  there.  The  fishing  village 
had  disappeared,  and  snow  and  ice  made  the  lake  shores  inaccessible. 
Thence  they  had  a  terrible  journey,  and  one  Onondaga  was  drowned. 
Dablon's  graphic  style  heightens  the  interest  of  the  exciting  stcry.  In 
three  weeks  they  made  but  forty  French  leagues,  or  about  a  hundred 
miles. 

A  little  earlier  some  Seneca  ambassadors  came  to  Canada,  and  one  of 
them  was  shot  by  the  Mohawks,  by  mistake,  while  hunting  near  Three 
Rivers ;  this  nearly  occasioned  war  between  the  two  nations.  At  Three 
Rivers  a  Mohawk  chief  spoke  strongly  against  the  Onondagas.  He  had 
hardly  finished,  however,  when  there  appeared  "Jean  Baptiste  Ochiona- 
gueras,  Onnontagueronnon  captain,  who  having  embraced  the  Faith 
within  two  years,  and  from  that  time  having  had  a  heart  entirely 
French,  procured  by  his  influence  the  peace  which  we  have  with  the 
upper  Eroquois."  A  Huron  who  had  escaped  from  Onondaga,  also  tried 
to  hold  back  the  colony.  The  Mohawks  were  enraged  over  the  plan, 
"  1  Living  a  great  interest  for  their  commerce,  as  the  Onnontoeronnons 
were  always  obliged  to  pass  through  their  country." 

The  colonists  were  at  last  ready.     The  Fathers  were  Claude  Dablon, 


FRENCH  COLONY  IN  ONONDAGA.  67 

Francis  Le  Mercier,  Rene  Menard,  and  Jacques  Fremin ;  Brothers  Am- 
brose Broat  and  Joseph  Boursier,  with  an  escort  of  fifty  Frenchmen 
under  Mons.  Du  Puys,  Father  Chaumonot  being  still  at  Onondaga. 
They  left  Quebec  May  17,  1656,  the  fleet  being  composed  of  French, 
Onondagas,  Senecas,  and  a  few  Hurons.  Some  Mohawks  maltreated 
the  French,  Onondagas,  and  Hurons  in  the  rear  canoes,  but  fear  of  a 
war  with  the  Onondagas  at  last  brought  them  to  a  better  mind. 

From  Montreal  an  advance  canoe  was  sent  to  Onondaga,  and  the 
town  was  left  on  the  8th  of  June,  the  party  embarking  in  twenty 
canoes.  That  day  the  Onondagas  retaliated  on  a  party  of  Mohawks, 
pillaging  their  arms  and  taking  what  was  best  of  their  equipage.  The 
league  was  not  yet  old  enough  for  perfect  harmony.  On  the  way  up 
the  river  they  met  some  Andastes,  from  the  distant  Susquehanna. 

The  27th  of  June  we  passed  the  last  rapid,  which  is  found  midway  between  Mon- 
treal and  Onontaghe,  that  is  to  say  at  forty  or  fifty  leagues  from  each.  [Their  pro- 
visions now  rapidly  diminished.]  The  third  day  [of  July],  famine  beginning  to  op- 
press us,  we  made  efforts  to  arrive  at  a  place  called  Otiatannehengue,  which  is 
a  place  to  be  noted  for  the  great  catch  of  fish  which  is  made  there  ever)'  year.  We 
hoped  to  meet  there  a  good  number  of  fishers,  and  to  get  some  relief  from  them. 
Monsieur  Dupuys  had  us  fire  two  small  pieces  of  cannon  that  were  placed  on  our 
canoes,  before  approaching  there,  in  order  to  give  them  notice  that  we  were  not  far 
away,  but  the  season  of  fishing  being  over  in  that  quarter,  we  found  no  one  there. 

A  messenger  was  sent  to  Onondaga  for  relief.  Neither  hook  nor  net 
brought  them  any  fish.  Famine  held  them  by  the  throat,  and  thence 
the  place  was  called  Famine  River,  though  Charlevoix  afterwards  said 
the  name  came  from  the  privations  of  De  la  Barre's  army.  They 
gathered  the  Atoka,  or  partridge  berry  there.  "  It  had  almost  no  taste 
or  substance,  but  hunger  made  us  find  it  excellent." 

Five  of  their  forty  Indians  alone  remained  with  them.  "  The  fifth  and 
sixth  of  July  we  caught  some  fish,  but  in  such  small  quantities  that  one 
gave  for  all  courses,  a  moderate  sized  pike  for  sixty  men." 

On  the  seventh  we  arrived,  about  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening,  at  the  mouth  of  the 
river  which  makes  the  lake  of  Gannentaa,  upon  the  banks  of  which  we  intend  to  es- 
tablish our  dwelling. 

They  had  a  hard  time  ascending  the  Oswego  River,  making  but  one 
league  the  first  day,  but  relief  then  reached  them,  and  with  abundant 
food  came  joy  and  fresh  courage.  That  night  one  man  took  twenty 
salmon,  and  on  the  10th  they  speared  thirty-four  salmon  with  swords 
and  oars.  At  evening  one  of  the  principal  chiefs  of  Onondaga  met 
them,  and  made  a  fine  speech.     Four  nations  awaited  them. 


68  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

The  eleventh  of  July  we  found  ourselves,  at  three  hours  after  noon,  at  the  entrance 
of  the  lake  of  Gannentaa,  upon  the  banks  of  which  we  had  destined  our  dwelling, 
where  the  Ancients,  knowing  that  it  was  the  place  that  the  Fathers  Chaumonot  and 
d'Ablon  had  agreed  upon,  awaited  us,  with  a  great  multitude  of  people. 

The  size  of  the  lake  is  about  two  leagues  long  and  half  a  league  wide.  We  have 
observed  there  three  quite  remarkable  things. 

The  first  is  that  we  find  on  the  south  side  several  springs  or  fountains  of  salt 
water.  .  .  .  We  find  salt  ready  made  upon  the  ground  about  these  springs,  and 
by  making  the  water  boil  it  is  easily  converted  into  salt. 

The  second  is  that  in  spring  time  there  gather  around  these  salines  so  great  a 
quantity  of  pigeons,  that  they  sometimes  take  as  many  as  seven  hundred  in  a 
morning. 

The  third  remarkable  thing  is  that  there  are  met  in  the  same  place  certain  serpents, 
which  are  not  seen  elsewhere,  and  which  we  call  serpents  with  little  bells  [serpents 
a  sonnettes,  or  rattlesnakes],  because,  when  crawling,  they  make  a  noise  similar  to 
that  of  a  little  bell,  or  more  like  a  grasshopper.  They  bear  at  the  end  of  their  tails 
certain  round  scales,  joined  one  into  the  other,  of  such  a  kind  that  in  opening  and 
contracting  they  make  this  noise,  which  one  can  hear  for  twenty  paces.  These  little 
bells  or  scales  cease  not  making  a  noise  when  one  shakes  them  after  the  death  of  the 
serpent,  but  it  is  not  so  great  as  that  which  they  make  when  the  serpent  is  alive.  The 
natives  of  the  land  say  that  these  scales  are  excellent  against  toothache,  and  that 
the  flesh,  which  they  find  of  as  good  taste  as  that  of  the  eel,  cures  fever.  They  cut 
off  the  tail  and  the  head,  which  is  all  flattened  and  almost  square,  and  eat  the  rest. 
,  .  .  I  know  not  if  these  serpents  are  attracted  by  the  salt,  but  I  know  well  that 
the  place  where  we  have  set  up  our  dwelling,  surrounded  by  beautiful  springs  of 
fresh  water,  is  not  infested,  although  it  is  upon  the  shores  of  the  same  lake. 

The  eleventh  of  July  we  entered  into  the  lake  named  Gannentaa,  upon  the  banks 
of  which  we  were  going  to  set  up  our  dwelling.  Having  advanced  within  a  quarter 
of  a  league  of  that  place,  we  landed  ourselves  five  small  pieces  of  cannon,  whose  little 
thunder  which  one  makes  to  be  heard  over  the  waters  of  this  lake,  was  followed  by  a 
discharge  of  all  the  arquebuses  of  our  people.  It  was  the  first  salute  that  we  sent 
through  the  water,  the  air  and  the  woods  to  the  Ancients  of  the  land,  who  awaited  us 
with  a  great  multitude  of  people.  This  sound  wrent  rolling  over  the  waters,  bursting 
forth  in  the  air,  and  resounding  very  agreeably  in  the  forests.  We  rowed  afterwards 
in  beautiful  order,  our  canoes  or  little  bateaux  going  four  by  four  upon  this  little  lake. 
( )ur  French,  at  the  approach,  made  a  second  salute  so  adroitly  that  it  ravished  all 
these  poor  people. 

The  Ancients  had  erected  two  scaffolds  for  us,  to  make  from  on  high  their  compli- 
ments and  harangues,  which  were  interrupted  by  a  heavy  rain,  which  obliged  us  all 
to  seek  shelter;  words  changing  into  caresses,  and  into  testimonies  of  joy  on  the  one 
part  and  the  other. 

Next  day  they  chanted  the  Te  Deum  and  took  possession  of  the  land. 
Sunday,  the  16th,  all  the  French  communed. 

It  was  there  that  we  displayed  all  our  ornaments,  which  might  seem  poor  in 
France,  but  which  passed  here  for  very  magnificent. 


FRENCH  COLONY  IN  ONONDAGA.  69 

Monday,  the  seventeenth,  they  commenced  to  work  in  earnest  to  lodge  us,  and  to 
make  a  good  redoubt  for  the  soldiers;  we  have  placed  it  on  an  eminence  which  com- 
mands the  lake  and  all  the  neighboring  places.  Fountains  of  fresh  water  are  in  abun- 
dance there,  and  in  one  word  the  place  appears  as  beautiful  as  it  is  commodious  and 
advantageous. 

While  work  went  on,  the  Father  Superior  "went  with  fifteen  of  our 
most  active  soldiers  to  the  town  of  Onnontaghe,  distant  five  small  leagues 
from  our  dwelling."  The  usual  reception  took  place  half  a  mile  from 
the  town,  and  the  party  was  escorted  into  the  place.  "Our  soldiers 
made  a  beautiful  salute  at  the  entry  of  the  village,"  and  they  were  re- 
ceived in  one  of  the  largest  cabins.  "Some  time  after  another  band 
of  French  arrived,  en  bonne  conche,  and  beating  the  drum." 

In  the  evening  deputies  from  several  nations  called  on  Achiendase, 
or  the  Father  Superior,  and  even  the  Mohawks  had  to  do  something. 
It  was  a  fortunate  time,  for  the  grand  council  of  the  Iroquois  was  about 
to  meet,  and  the  principal  business  was  to  reconcile  the  Mohawks  and 
Senecas,  the  former  having  killed  Ahiarantonan,  a  chief  of  the  latter 
nation.  The  French  settlement  and  some  war  affairs  were  also  to  be 
discussed.  July  24,  Father  Le  Mercier  reconciled  the  Mohawks  and 
Senecas,  and  then  Father  Chaumonot  made  the  presents,  which  were 
arranged  and  explained  to  the  best  advantage.  Before  these  were  made, 
"  all  our  French  threw  themselves  upon  their  knees,  put  down  their 
hats  and  joined  their  hands,  intoning  with  a  high  voice  the  Vent  Cre- 
ator at  length."  This  is  but  one  of  the  many  picturesque  incidents  of 
which  our  native  artists  might  make  use,  for  the  dark  robes  of  the 
Fathers,  the  gay  attire  of  the  soldiers,  and  the  varied  costumes  of  the 
Iroquois  heightened  the  interest  of  the  scene.  The  emotions  at  Chan 
monot's  glowing  address  might  form  another  theme. 

"  The  27th  of  July,  we  returned  to  the  shores  of  the  lake,  where  a 
good  part  of  our  French  were  working  to  prepare  us  a  house,  that  we 
shall  call  Sainte  Marie  of  Gannentaa."  On  the  30th  the  principal  On- 
ondaga chiefs  visited  them,  cautioning  against  trusting  the  Mohawks, 
who  were  knavish  and  deceitful.  "  They  prayed  us  to  fortify  ourselves 
well,  and  to  make  our  house  capable  of  receiving  them,"'  in  case  of 
necessity. 

In  August  a  chapel  was  built  at  Onondaga,  where  part  of  the  Fathers 
remained.  Father  Menard  was  sent  to  Cayuga,  with  two  Frenchmen, 
and  Chaumonot  went  to  the  Senecas.  Father  Le  Moyne  also  visited 
the  Mohawks  that  vear. 


70  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

The  Jesuits'  account  of  the  country  at  this  time  is  both  interesting 
and  amusing. 

The  land  of  the  five  nations  of  the  Iroquois,  before  their  conquests,  was  between 
the  40th  and  50th  degrees  of  latitude;  now  one  does  not  know  the  extent  of  their 
dominion,  which  has  increased  on  all  sides  by  their  military  valor.  [It  had  grapes, 
plums,  and  other  fruits  common  to  Europe,  and]  Others  which  surpass  ours  in  beauty, 
in  scent  and  in  taste.  The  forests  are  almost  all  composed  of  chestnut  and  walnut 
trees.  There  are  two  kinds  of  nuts,  some  of  which  are  as  sweet  and  agreeable  to  the 
taste  as  the  others  are  bitter;  but  their  bitterness  does  not  prevent  one's  extracting 
excellent  oil  from  them,  by  making  them  pass  through  the  ashes,  the  mill,  the  fire, 
and  through  the  water,  in  the  way  in  which  the  savages  extract  the  oil  of  the  sun- 
flower. One  sees  there  cherries  without  a  stone,  fruits  which  have  the  color  and  size 
of  an  apricot,  the  flower  of  the  white  lily,  and  the  odor  and  taste  of  the  lemon  ;  apples 
of  the  shape  of  a  goose  egg,  the  seed  of  which,  brought  from  the  country  of  the  Cats, 
is  similar  to  beans;  the  fruit  of  it  is  delicate  and  of  an  odor  very  suave,  and  the  trunk 
of  the  tree  of  the  size  and  height  of  our  dwarf  trees.  .  .  .  But  the  most  common 
plant  and  the  most  marvellous  of  those  countries,  is  that  which  we  call  the  universal 
plant,  because  its  leaves  bruised  close  up  in  a  short  time  all  kinds  of  wounds;  these 
leaves,  of  the  size  of  the  hand,  have  the  figure  of  the  lily  painted  on  armor,  and  its 
roots  have  the  odor  of  the  laurel  tree. 

The  most  brilliant  scarlet,  green,  yellow  and  orange  colors  of  Europe, 
were  inferior  to  those  the  savages  extracted  from  roots.  There  were 
"  trees  high  as  oaks,  the  leaves  of  which  are  large  as  cabbages."  Al- 
most all  the  springs  were  mineral. 

Our  little  lake,  which  is  only  six  or  seven  leagues  in  circuit,  is  almost  entirely  sur- 
rounded by  salt  springs.  .  .  .  Another  spring,  distant  two  days'  journey  from 
our  dwelling,  towards  the  country  of  Oiogoen,  has  much  more  strength  than  this 
from  the  springs  of  Gannentaa,  since  its  water,  which  appears  white  as  milk,  and  of 
which  the  stench  can  be  perceived  very  far,  leaves  a  kind  of  salt  as  corrosive  as  caus- 
tic stone,  and  the  rocks  around  this  fountain  are  covered  with  a  foam  which  has  no 
less  solidity  than  cream. 

The  sulphur  spring  of  the  Senecas,  and  the  oil  spring  "  nearer  the 
country  of  the  Cats,"  are  also  described.  Both  land  and  water  were 
productive. 

The  fish  which  are  most  common  here  are  the  eel  and  salmon,  which  are  fished  for 
from  the  spring  until  the  end  of  autumn,  our  savages  managing  so  well  their  dykes 
and  weirs,  that  they  take  at  the  same  time  the  eel  which  is  going  down,  and  the 
salmon  which  is  going  up.  They  take  the  fish  in  another  way  in  the  lakes,  spearing 
it  with  a  trident,  by  the  light  of  a  bituminous  lire  which  they  keep  on  the  end  of  their 
canoi 

The  disposition  and  wars  of  the  Iroquois  are  described. 

Theii  victories  have  so  depopulated  their  towns  that  one  counts  there  more  Strang- 


FRENCH  COLONY  IN  ONONDAGA.  71 

ers  than  natives  of  the  country.     Onnontaghe  has  seven  different  nations  which  have 
come  to  dwell  there,  and  there  are  found  as  many  as  eleven  at  Sonnontouan. 

Marriage  makes  nothing  but  the  bed  common  to  the  husband  and  wife,  each  dwell- 
ing during  the  day  with  their  own  relatives,  and  the  wife  going  at  evening  to  find 
her  husband,  but  returning  early  the  following  morning  to  her  mother  or  nearest 
relative,  without  the  husband's  daring  to  go  into  the  cabin  of  his  wife  before  she  has 
some  children  by  him. 

Some  customs  connected  with  sickness  and  death  may  be  omitted. 
Loud  lamentations  are  made  for  the  dead;  his  tomb  is  heaped  with  food 
for  the  sustenance  of  his  soul,  and  grain  is  burned  as  a  sacrifice.  A 
dead-feast  follows  at  the  house,  and  presents  are  brought  to  the  mourn- 
ers. In  one  scene  described,  an  Ancient  cried  sadly,  '*  Ai !  Ai!  Ai ! 
Agatoiidiclwn  !  Alas  !  Alas  !  Alas  !  my  dear  relatives,  I  have  neither 
spirit  nor  word  with  which  to  console  you.  I  can  do  nothing  but  min- 
gle my  tears  with  yours,  and  lament  the  severity  of  the  disease  which 
treats  us  so  ill.  Ai!  Ai !  Ai !  Agatondichon  !"  with  other  consoling 
words.  The  feast  followed  the  presents  and  speeches,  "from  which 
they  take  the  best  morsels  for  the  sick  people  of  distinction.  " 

Many  virtues  were  seen  among  the  Onondagas.  The  whole  town 
would  lack  corn  before  an  individual  would  be  in  want.  "  Their  catches 
of  fish  they  divide  into  equal  portions  with  all  who  come  unexpectedlv," 
and  they  were  generous  to  the  French.  They  "recognized  in  the  ( )n- 
nontagheronnons  a  mildness  of  conversation  and  a  civility  which  has 
almost  nothing  barbarous.  The  children  there  were  docile,  the  women 
inclined  to  the  most  tender  devotion,  the  Ancients  affable  and  respect- 
ful, and  the  warriors  less  haughty  than  they  appear." 

There  is  a  sad  contrast  to  this.  The  Iroquois  had  three  classes  of 
captives,  of  which  the  first  had  submitted  willingly.  These  became 
family  chiefs  after  the  death  of  their  masters,  or  else  married.  They 
had  a  pleasant  enough  life,  but  "  are  considered  as  slaves,  and  deprived 
of  active  and  passive  voice  in  their  councils. "  The  second  class  had 
nothing  but  food  and  shelter  for  the  hardest  labor.  In  later  days  the 
Iroquois  were  uncles  of  the  Delawares,  and  the  latter  dreaded  meeting 
an  uncle,  as  he  had  to  carry  his  burden.  The  third  class  was  composed 
mostly  of  unmarried  women  and  girls,  helpless  and  badly  treated.  The 
lives  of  all  were  at  the  mercy  of  their  masters.  "  When  a  barbarian 
has  split  the  head  of  his  slave  with  the  blow  of  a  hatchet,  it  is  a  dead 
dog,  they  say;  it  is  necessary  only  to  throw  him  into  the  public  sewer." 

The  two  Fathers  at  Onondaga  wished  to  go  to  Oneida,  but  were  told 
it  would  not  be  safe.      However,  Fathers  Chaumonot  and  Menard,  and 


72  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

two  Frenchmen,  went  with  an  Onondaga  escort.  On  account  of  their 
arrival  the  Onnonhouaroia  was  postponed  at  that  place.  They  returned 
safely. 

Father  Ragueneau  left  Montreal  for  Onondaga,  July  26,  1657,  in 
company  with  fifteen  Senecas,  thirty  Onondagas,  and  about  fifty  Huron 
Christians  who  had  been  prevailed  upon  to  go  with  them.  The  Onon- 
dagas did  not  wish  Frenchmen  with  them,  but  four  went  in  the  last 
canoe.  The  3d  of  August  an  Onondaga  chief  killed  a  Huron  woman  of 
the  party,  and  the  men  were  then  furiously  assaulted.  Seven  were 
killed,  and  the  women  and  children  were  made  captives,  some  being 
afterwards  burned  at  Onondaga.  The  French  were  also  in  peril,  but 
stopped  farther  bloodshed.      It  was  the  prelude  to  the  coming  storm. 

Of  the  French  at  Onondaga  two  had  died,  and  David  Le  Moyne  had 
also  been  buried  on  the  shore  of  Cayuga  Lake.  In  the  colony  there  had 
been  sickness.  Most  historians  have  imagined  the  French  as  landing 
in  a  natural  prairie,  or  clearing.  The  Relation  of  1657  says:  "We 
landed  at  the  edge  of  a  wood,  which  it  was  necessary  to  make  retreat 
by  great  blows  of  axes,  to  give  place  for  the  habitation  that  we  wished 
to  setup."  They  were  assailed  by  mosquitoes,  and  maringouins  or 
gnats,  "  very  greedy  of  a  blood  which  they  never  had  tasted. "  The 
French  gave  up  the  place  to  them  at  night,  and  lodged  on  the  rocks  on 
the  shore  of  the  lake.  They  labored  hard,  and  at  first  had  little  food. 
"  More  than  forty-eight  persons  of  our  company  fell  sick.  This  made 
us  lodge  under  the  rocks  so  closely  that  we  were  almost  heaped  the  one 
upon  the  other.  While  one  burned  with  the  heat  of  fever,  the  other 
trembled  with  the  cold."  But  the  Onondagas  were  kind  as  yet.  They 
brought  corn,  kidney  beans,  pumpkins  and  fish.  The  fish  returned 
into  the  lake  before  the  usual  season,  and  health  and  strength  were  re- 
stored. 

The  Fathers  generally  acquit  the  Onondagas  of  a  perfidious  plan  from 
the  outset,  but  there  came  rumors  of  hostilities  and  plots.  They  all 
agree  that  a  plot  had  been  formed  against  them,  delayed  only  by  the 
absence  of  fifty  Onondagas,  who  had  gone  to  Quebec  to  bring  away  the 
rest  of  the  Hurons.  An  Onondaga  hunter  was  put  in  irons  at  Montreal, 
and  another  was  killed  on  the  river,  provoking  their  anger.  The  death 
or  capture  of  the  Black  Robes  and  French  was  then  determined.  Many 
war  parties  were  in  the  field,  and  other  arrests  followed. 

Monsieur  I  )u  Buys  and  the  Fathers  held  a  council.  Of  the  ten  sol- 
diers  remaining  nine  had  determined  to  abandon  the  place,  and  it  was 


FRENCH  COLONY  IN  ONONDAGA.  73 

resolved  to  withdraw  in  a  body.  We  have  two  accounts  of  the  flight. 
Father  Ragueneau,  a  member  of  the  mission  wrote  one,  and  Charlevoix 
prepared  another  seventy  years  later.  The  former  omits  some  things 
found  in  the  latter,  and  is  more  likely  to  be  correct,  but  the  two  may  be 
combined  with  advantage.  There  were  several  houses  in  the  settle- 
ment, and  the  mission  house  proper  was  larger  than  the  rest.  In  the 
storeroom  of  this  two  bateaux  were  made,  large  enough  for  fifteen 
men,  yet  drawing  little  water.  "We  had,  besides,  four  Algonquin  and 
four  Iroquois  canoes,  which  were  to  compose  our  little  fleet  of  fifty- 
three  Frenchmen.  But  the  difficulty  was  to  make  the  embarkation  with- 
out being  perceived  by  the  Iroquois,  who  beset  us  continually.  "  Charle- 
voix said  that  a  young  Frenchman,  who  had  been  adopted  by  the  Onon- 
dagas,  pretended  to  dream  of  one  of  the  feasts  where  the  guests  ate  all 
that  was  set  before  them,  and  proposed  this  to  his  adopted  father.  The 
Relation  of  1658  does  not  mention  this,  but  says:  "We  invited  all  the 
savages  who  were  near  us  to  a  solemn  feast,  where  we  employed  all  our 
industry,  and  spared  neither  the  sound  of  drums,  nor  instruments  of 
music,  to  put  them  to  sleep  by  an  innocent  charm. "  It  must  be  remem- 
bered that  this  was  miles  away  from  the  Onondaga  village,  but  that  a 
few  huts  had  naturally  clustered  around  the  colon}-. 

Each  one  wished  to  contribute  to  the  public  joy.  It  was  which  could  utter  the 
most  piercing  cries,  as  much  of  war  as  of  gladness ;  the  savages,  by  complaisance, 
sang  and  danced  a  la  Francoise,  and  the  French  a  la  savage.  To  animate  them 
more  and  more  in  this  fine  play,  they  distributed  presents  to  those  who  acted  best 
their  parts,  and  who  most  led  the  noise,  to  stifle  that  which  forty  of  our  people  made 
outside  in  the  transport  of  our  equipage.  All  the  embarkation  being  made,  the 
feast  was  ended  at  a  fixed  time,  the  guests  retired,  and  sleep  having  soon  over- 
whelmed them,  we  sallied  from  our  house  by  a  back  door,  and  embarked  with  little 
noise. 

They  started  at  11  p.  m.,  March  20,  reaching  Quebec  April  23.  On- 
ondaga Lake  froze  as  they  silently  went  on  in  the  darkness,  but  they 
gained  the  river  unobserved.  Hastening  on  "that  night  and  all  the 
following  day  by  precipices  and  through  frightful  chutes  of  water,  at 
last  we  arrived  at  evening  at  the  great  lake  Ontario,  twenty  leagues 
from  the  place  of  our  departure."  There  they  were  comparatively 
safe.  Four  hours  of  this  time  were  occupied  in  making  the  portage  at 
Oswego  Falls. 

Morning  came  at  Onondaga  Lake,  and  the  Indians  "were  astonished 
at  the  great  silence  of  the  French.     They  saw  no  person  going  out  to 

10 


74  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

work;  they  heard  not  any  voice.  They  thought  at  first  that  they  were 
all  at  prayers  or  in  council ;  but  the  day  advancing,  and  these  prayers 
not  being  finished,  they  knocked  at  the  door.  The  dogs,  which  our 
French  had  left  by  design,  answered  by  barking.  The  crow  of  the 
cock,  which  they  had  heard  in  the  morning,  and  the  noise  of  the  dogs, 
made  them  think  that  the  masters  of  these  animals  were  not  far  off." 
Towards  sunset  they  scaled  the  house  to  solve  the  mystery,  and  surprise 
turned  into  fear  and  trouble.  "  They  open  the  door;  the  principal  men 
enter  everywhere ;  they  ascend  to  the  granary ;  they  descend  into  the 
cellars,  and  not  a  Frenchman  appears,  neither  living  nor  dead."  They 
sought  them  in  the  woods,  and  at  last  determined  they  had  dealt  with 
magicians. 

There  are  some  particulars  regarding  this  colony,  which  are  worthy 
of  note.  From  later  records  we  learn  that  some  of  the  soldiers  were 
discharged  before  the  retreat,  and  some  Fathers  were  added  to  the 
mission,  who  brought  men  with  them.  Little  was  taken  away  from  the 
place  by  the  French,  for  their  means  of  transportation  were  limited, 
and  they  were  in  haste.  Thirty  years  later  it  was  said  that  there 
"were  conveyed  there  four  bronze  cannon,  which  have  remained  there, 
and  will  be  found  again  by  the  French  who  were  there  at  the  time,  and 
are  still  living."  They  may  be  there  yet.  Other  property  was  left,  as 
indicated  in  the  description  of  the  burning  of  a  young  Frenchman  at 
Onondaga,  two  years  after  the  retreat,  who  had  belonged  to  the  colony. 
The  Indians  heated  and  applied  to  his  body,  "red  hot  hatchets,  files, 
saws,  ends  of  gun  barrels,  and  other  such  things,  which  we  had  left  in 
in  our  house  of  Gannentaa  when  we  went  away."  Perhaps  the  most 
interesting  of  these  articles  was  the  bell  which  Garakontie,  the  Onon- 
daga chief,  took  to  Indian  Hill,  ringing  it  every  morning  for  prayers. 
Fragments  of  this  have  been  found  in  the  present  century,  and  it  was 
often  mentioned  in  the  Relations. 

In  considering  the  character  of  the  settlement  and  .the  progress  made 
by  the  colonists,  we  may  suppose  that  a  great  amount  of  work  was  per- 
formed, and  many  improvements  made,  considering  its  brief  existence. 
An  old  record  says,  one  written  while  some  of  them  still  lived,  "Sixty 
Frenchmen  cleared  and  planted  lands  with  French  grain  and  other 
legumes,  built  many  large  houses,  and  lived  there  peaceably;"  but  this 
statement  had  a  purpose.  The  expression  of  Charlevoix  may  be  noted, 
on  rinding  "all  the  houses  vacant."  In  all  the  Relations,  however,  "the 
is  prominent,      When  the  Onondagas  sent  an   invitation   to  the 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  FRENCH.  75 

Onondagas  in  July,  1661,  they  did  this  "in  order  that  he  may  return 
upon  his  mat,  which  we  have  preserved  for  him  at  Gannentaa,  where 
his  house  is  yet  which  he  inhabited  when  he  dwelt  with  us;  his  lire  has 
not  been  extinguished  since  his  departure,  and  his  fields,  which  we 
have  cultivated,  await  but  his  hand  there  to  gather  a  rich  harvest." 

Mr.  Clark,  in  his  history,  identified  this  fort  with  the  one  mapped 
by  James  Geddes,  about  a  mile  below  Green  Point  in  Salina.  This  was 
on  lot  106,  and  near  what  is  called  the  Jesuit  Spring,  not  far  from  the 
railroad  bridge  south  of  Liverpool.      A  late  writer  says: 

The  plan  of  the  work  which  James  Geddes  surveyed  does  not  satisfy  the  condi- 
tions. It  was  a  square  with  one  gate,  flanked  by  another  line  having  another  gate. 
There  were  no  bastions.  The  mission  house  of  Ste.  Marie,  among  the  Hurons,  had 
four  bastions  in  its  stockade,  and  the  house  at  Gannentaa  was  modeled  after  this. 
The  Jesuits  taught  the  savages  the  value  of  bastions,  and  would  not  omit  them  here. 
Ste.  Marie  of  Gannentaa  had  also  doors  or  gates  both  in  front  and  rear;  Geddes' s  plan 
shows  them  only  towards  the  lake.  The  mission  house  had  cellars;  in  the  later 
work  none  appear.  The  plan  seems  that  of  Frontenac's  temporary  fort,  and  was  at 
its  precise  distance  from  the  salt  springs.  Used  simply  to  protect  his  boats  and 
stores,  it  needed  no  bastions  nor  gates  on  the  land  side.  This  was  destroyed  on  his 
return  from  Onondaga  in  1696,  and  may  have  covered  the  earlier  site. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  FRENCH. 

Onondaga  Victory— Tortures — Truce— Captives — Le  Moyne's  Mission  —His  Return 
— Ue  Tracy— Missions  Resumed — Baptism  of  Garakontie' — Mohawk  Condolence — 
Catechising — Drunkenness. 

In  the  Relation  of  1660  it  is  said  that  the  Mohawks  had  been  many 
times  at  the  top  and  bottom  of  the  wheel  in  sixty  years.  Towards  the 
end  of  the  last  century  they  were  almost  destroyed  by  the  Algonquins, 
and  yet  so  recovered  in  a  few  years  as  to  turn  the  tables.  A  ten  years' 
war  with  the  Andastes  reduced  them  again,  so  "that  the  name  of  Al- 
gonquin alone  made  them  shudder,  and  his  shadow  seemed  to  pursue 
them  into  their  fireplaces."  The  coming  of  the  Dutch  helped  them, 
and  they  were  supplied  with  guns,  so  that  they  became  victorious  every- 
where.     "They  say  that  their  destruction  cannot  happen  unless  it  drags 


76  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

after  it  the  overturning-  of  all  the  earth.  What  is  more  astonishing  is 
that  they  rule  for  five  hundred  leagues  around." 

There  was  an  exciting  fight  between  two  hundred  Onondagas  and 
some  French  and  Hurons,  in  1G60,  who  waylaid  them  on  the  Ottawa 
River.  The  Onondagas  learned  their  presence,  and  solemnly  and 
gravely  came  down  the  sault  in  their  canoes,  to  the  astonishment  of 
their  enemies,  who  took  refuge  in  a  deserted  fort,  successfully  resisting 
the  Iroquois  assaults.  The  Onondagas  sent  for  some  Mohawks,  who 
were  a  few  miles  away,  and  the  fort  was  besieged  for  ten  days.  Many 
of  the  Hurons  deserted  to  the  enemy,  but  others  stood  manfully  by  the 
French.  Protected  by  mantelets  of  wood,  the  Iroquois  hewed  fiercely 
at  the  palisades  with  their  axes,  and  the  French  tried  to  throw  a  barrel 
of  powder  among  them.  It  caught  in  the  branch  of  a  tree,  and  falling 
within  the  fort,  exploded  with  terrible  effect.  The  assailants  scaled 
the  wall,  and  the  fort  was  soon  in  their  hands. 

One  of  the  captives  was  a  Huron  Christian,  who  afterwards  escaped. 
In  telling  his  story,  he  said: 

When  we  arrived  at  the  top  of  the  mountain  whence  one  discovers  the  town  of 
Onnontaghe,  I  was  seized  with  horror  at  the  sight,  I  cannot  deny  it;  but  much  more 
when,  on  advancing  closer,  I  discovered  a  multitude  of  people  who  were  waiting  for 
me,  to  expend  upon  my  poor  body  all  the  cruelty  with  which  fury  and  revenge  could 
inspire  them. 

One  of  the  Frenchmen  was  also  tortured  by  the  Onondagas  just  be- 
fore the  arrival  of  this  Huron.  The  terrible  story  need  not  be  repeated 
here,  but  ' '  they  had  prepared  the  scaffold  in  a  fashion  more  than  bar- 
barous, and  altogether  unusual  in  the  most  cruel  barbarity."  This 
poor  man  was  the  one  to  whom  they  applied  red  hot  irons  from  the  mis- 
sion house.  The  Onondagas  ate  the  more  delicate  parts  of  his  bod)7; 
the  rest  was  given  to  the  dogs. 

Without  dwelling  on  these  barbarities,  it  may  be  said  that  Iroquois 
tortures  were  prolonged  for  several  days,  and  the  sufferer's  body  was 
rarely  consumed  by  fire.  It  served  for  a  feast.  A  captive  was  brought 
into  a  town,  being  beaten  as  he  passed  between  the  lines  of  people. 
Usually  he  was  taken  to  a  cabin  until  his  fate  was  decided.  If  he  was 
if,  lie  was  placed  on  a  scaffold  in  the  public  place  and  tortured  for 
e  hours,  sometimes  in  a  small  fire.  He  was  then  taken  to  the  cabin, 
and  might  be  brought  to  the  scaffold  several  times  before  the  end  came. 
These  prolonged  torments,  and  the  cannibal  feasts  which  followed,  gave 
the  Iroquois  a  terrible  reputation  everywhere. 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  FRENCH.  77 

The  French  were  almost  in  despair,  from  the  Iroquois  depredations, 
when  in  July,  1661,  "there  appeared  above  Montreal  two  canoes  of 
Iroquois,  who,  bearing  a  white  flag,  came  boldly  under  the  auspices  of 
that  standard  to  put  themselves  in  our  hands."  They  came  on  behalf 
of  the  Onondagas  and  Cayugas,  and  brought  back  four  French  captives. 
The  party  was  headed  by  the  principal  Cayuga  chief,  who  spoke  by 
twenty  presents.  He  broke  the  bonds  of  these  prisoners,  and  promised 
the  liberty  of  more  than  twenty  Frenchmen,  still  held  at  Onondaga. 
Their  lives  depended  on  the  return  of  a  Black  Robe  with  him.  He 
produced  a  leaf  from  some  book,  on  which  all  these  men  had  written 
their  names. 

The  returned  captives  told  of  their  good  treatment  at  Onondaga. 
"  One  of  the  principal  men  took  care  to  sound  every  morning  a  bell,  to 
assemble  the  French  and  the  savages  to  prayers,  which  were  made 
everyday;  that  they  spoke  there  publicly  and  advantageouslv  of  the 
Faith ;  that  these  French  captives  had  even  liberty  to  baptize  children 
there,"  Their  plea  was  heard,  and  for  the  fifth  time  Father  Le  Moyne 
went  to  the  Iroquois,  regarding  "the  day  of  his  departure  as  one  of  the 
happiest  days  of  his  life;  "  though  hostilities  continued. 

Le  Moyne  wrote  "from  the  chapel  of  Onnontaghe,  this  twenty-fifth 
day  of  August,  and  eleventh  of  September,  sixteen  hundred  and  sixty- 
one."  The  good  Father  was  a  favorite,  and  Garakontie  and  others  met 
him  two  leagues  from  the  town;  "an  honor  which  the}-  are  never  ac- 
customed to  give  to  other  ambassadors,  to  meet  whom  they  are  con- 
tented to  go  a  little  eighth  of  a  league  outside  of  the  town. 

After  this  there  is  nothing  more  but  going  and  coming  of  the  common  people,  who 
line  all  this  distance  of  two  leagues,  devouring  me  with  their  eyes,  and  never  being 
quite  satisfied  with  seeing  me.  It  is  he  who  shall  take  the  better  place  in  order  to 
see  me  pass;  who  shall  clear  the  roads;  who  shall  bring  me  more  fruits,  who  shall 
give  me  more  greetings,  who  shall  shout  the  loudest  as  a  mark  of  rejoicing;  the)' 
wait  for  me  as  far  as  they  see  me.  and  they  measure  me  from  head  to  foot,  but  with 
gracious  glances,  and  all  full  of  affection;  and  as  soon  as  I  had  passed,  those  who 
have  seen  me  leave  their  posts,  in  order  to  run  far  before  me,  to  hold  a  place  again. 
and  to  see  me  pass  a  second,  a  third,  and  a  tenth  time.  So  I  walked  gravelv  between 
two  hedges  of  people,  who  give  me  a  thousand  benedictions,  and  who  load  me  with 
all  kinds  of  fruits,  with  pumpkins,  with  mulberries,  with  bread,  with  strawberries 
and  others.  I  kept  making  my  cry  of  ambassador  while  walking,  and  seeing  myself 
near  the  town,  which  was  scarcely  visible  to  me,  the  pickets,  the  cabins  and  the  trees 
were  so  covered  with  people,  I  stopped  before  making  the  first  step  which  would 
give  me  entrance  into  the  town;  then  having  returned,  in  two  words,  my  thanks  for 
this  good  welcome,  I  continued  my  journey  and  my  cry. 


78  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

The  council  was  called  together,  August  12,  by  the  bell,  and  assem- 
bled in  the  great  cabin  where  Le  Moyne  was  entertained.  He  spoke 
partly  in  Onondaga,  and  partly  in  Huron.  The  Huron  closely  resem- 
bles the  Mohawk,  and  as  a  result  early  Indian  names  in  New  York  are 
usually  given  in  the  latter. 

The  result  of  the  council  was  that  seven  French  prisoners  at  Onon- 
daga, and  two  at  Cayuga,  were  sent  to  Montreal  with  Garakontie,  the 
rest  remaining  with  Le  Moyne  at  Onondaga  through  the  winter.  The 
vSenecas  also  united  in  this  embassy,  which  set  out  about  the  middle  of 
September.  On  the  way  they  met  a  party  of  Onondagas  returning  with 
French  scalps,  one  of  them  that  of  a  priest.  The  ambassadors  were 
alarmed,  but  resolved  to  proceed.  Then  they  met  a  war  part}'  of  Onei- 
das,  but  prevailed  on  them  to  seek  other  foes,  and  reached  Montreal  the 
5th  of  October. 

In  10G2  the  Onondagas  sent  war  parties  against  the  Cherokees  and 
other  southern  nations,  of  whom  they  knew  nothing  until  the  Eries 
were  destroyed.  The  Oneidas  were  still  hostile  to  the  French,  and  with 
some  success,  but  there  were  only  two  French  prisoners  there.  Father 
Le  Moyne  made  use  of  all  his  opportunities,  ministering  to  "three 
churches,  let  us  say  eight  or  ten,  since  there  are  in  Onnontaghe  as 
many  conquered  nations."  The  three  alluded  to  were  the  French,  On- 
ondaga and  Huron,  all  these  worshiping  in  the  bark  chapel.  Many 
incidents  of  missionary  life  are  graphically  given.  One  poor  French- 
man was  the  slave  of  two  women  of  opposite  opinions,  and  he  was  con- 
tinually in  danger  from  their  conflicting  orders.  At  last  they  ordered 
his  death,  but  he  escaped  to  a  rocky  islet  in  Limestone  Creek.  Two 
parties  sought  him,  friends  and  foes,  but  without  success,  and  just  as 
they  had  agreed  to  spare  his  life,  hunger  drove  him  from  his  retreat. 

It  was  the  last  day  of  August,  1662,  that  Le  Moyne  returned  to  Mon- 
treal, accompanied  by  eighteen  released  Frenchmen,  and  a  score  of  On- 
ondagas. "  These  happy  Argonauts  made  a  discharge  of  all  their  guns, 
in  order  to  salute  the  land  so  much  desired,  publishing  peace  by  the 
mouth  of  war  itself."     It  was  a  scene  passing  description. 

[roquois  warriors  went  everywhere,  and  the  earliest  New  York  men- 
tion of  the  (  mondagas,  as  such,  until  lately  known,  is  in  the  account 
of  "a  war  party  of  Maquaes,  Sinnekes,  and  Onondakas,"  who  passed 
through  Albany  in  December,  L663,  on  their  return  from  an  attack  on 
the  New  England  Indians.  "Some  of  the  Sinnekes  and  Onondakas 
started  on  this,  and  said  to  the  Maquaes,  We  from  the  Onondake  will 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  FRENCH.  7!. 

go  and  see  where  the  northern  savages  live."  The  castle  they  attacked 
was  in  Maine,  and  they  were  defeated.  One  earlier  mention  occurs  in 
Arent  Corlaer's  meeting-  with  some  Onondagas,  when  he  was  at  ( >neida 
Castle  in  January,  L635. 

An  expedition  of  the  Onondagas  and  other  upper  [roquois  against 
the  Andastes,  in  L663,  also  resulted  disastrously.  Garakontie*  still  con- 
tinued his  efforts  for  peace,  and  saved  many  French  prisoners,  but  hos- 
tilities continued.  An  unfortunate  event  delayed  peace.  Garakontie" 
led  an  embassy  of  thirty  Onondagas  and  Senecas  to  Canada,  in  L664, 
with  "a  prodigious  collection  of  wampum."  In  this  were  "a  hundred 
collars  [belts],  of  which  some  were  more  than  a  foot  in  width."  They 
were  waylaid  by  Algonquins,  below  the  Long  Sault,  and  the  ambas- 
sadors were  killed,  captured,  or  put  to  flight.  All  hopes  of  peace 
vanished. 

M.  de  Tracy  reached  Quebec,  June  30,  L665,  and  soon  took  vigorous 
measures.  At  this  time  the  Mohawks  were  reported  as  having  from 
200  to  300  w:arriors,  the  Oneidas  142,  the  Onondagas  and  Cayugas  each 
300,  and  the  Senecas  1,200.  The  numbers  in  war  parties  were  usually 
exaggerated.  In  this  year  the  Mohawks  and  Onondagas  sent  out  sev- 
eral parties  against  Indian  nations.  Still,  Garakontie  visited  I  >e  Tracy 
in  October,  1005,  and  others  later. 

The  result  of  two  French  invasions  of  the  Mohawk  country  showed 
that  the  Iroquois  country  was  not  impenetrable,  and  the  haughty 
Oneidas  and  distant  Senecas  both  made  treaties  with  the  French,  as 
well  as  the  Mohawks  themselves.  It  is  a  matter  of  interest  that  the 
official  name  of  the  late  Oneida  chief,  Abram  Hill,  which  is  Gannou- 
kwenioton,  appears  in  the  early  treaty,  having  been  borne  by  a  long- 
line  of  chiefs.  Another  result  appeared  in  new  missions.  Fathers 
Fremin  and  Pierron  went  to  the  Mohawks,  Bruyas  to  the  <  >neidas,  and 
others  were  to  go  to  the  other  nations.  In  L668  six  missionaries  had 
revived  four  Iroquois  churches,  and  two  ecclesiastics  were  in  the 
Cayuga  villages  on  the  north  shore  of  Lake  Ontario.  Father  Bruyas 
entered  on  the  mission  of  St.  Francois  Xavier,  at  Oneida,  in  Septem- 
ber, 1667,  and  was  joined  by  Father  Julien  Gamier,  who  went  thence 
to  Onondaga,  "a  short  day's  journey."  Garakontie"  soon  built  a  new 
chapel,  and  then  went  on  an  embassy  to  Quebec.  In  October,  L668, 
Father  Millet  also  went  to  Onondaga,  which  was  "a  great  town,  the 
center  of  all  the  Iroquois  people,  and  the  place  of  the  general  assem 
blies,  which  the}-  make  each  year."      On  account  of  its  importance  two 


80  ONONDAGA'S   CENTENNIAL. 

missionaries  were  stationed  there.  Millet  learned  the  language  fast, 
and  many  incidents  of  interest  are  recorded.  Captives  were  often 
burned,  and  some  of  these  were  instructed  and  baptized.  "  This  office  of 
assisting  the  captives,  who  are  burned  all  alive,  and  who  are  eaten  in 
the  presence  of  the  missionaries,  is  an  exercise  which  demands  great 
courage." 

In  1670  trouble  arose  between  the  upper  Iroquois  and  the  Ottawas, 
but  Garakontie  was  able  to  preserve  peace.  In  this  year,  and  at  the 
time  of  this  council  of  peace,  this  great  chief  was  baptized.  "Monsieur 
the  Governor  offered  to  be  the  godfather,  Mademoiselle  Boutrouee, 
daughter  of  Monsieur  the  Intendant,  was  the  godmother.  Monseignenr 
the  Bishop  wished  to  give  this  sacrament  with  his  own  hands,  and  then 
that  of  confirmation.  It  was  in  the  principal  church  of  Canada,  and  in 
the  cathedral  of  Quebec  that  the  ceremony  was  performed."  He  went 
thence  to  the  governor's  house,  and  "saw  himself  saluted  by  a  dis- 
charge of  all  the  cannons  of  the  fort,  and  all  the  musketry  of  the  sol- 
diers, who  were  ranged  in  line  to  receive  him."  At  the  feast  which 
followed,  a  Huron  chief  published  his  baptismal  name  of  Daniel  Gara- 
kontie, with  appropriate  words. 

It  was  in  1660  that  the  Mahingans,  or  Loups,  made  their  attack  upon 
one  of  the  Mohawk  towns.  The  Mohawks  lost  some  men,  but  defeated 
the  enemy  and  took  many  prisoners  and  scalps.  A  condolence,  or 
"  ceremony  of  the  dead,"  followed,  which  many  have  supposed  to  have 
been  like  the  Huron  feast  of  the  dead,  of  which  there  is  scarcely  a  trace 
among  the  Iroquois.  The  Iroquois  condolence  is  simply  a  mourning 
for  the  dead,  and  an  installation  of  new  chiefs  in  the  place  of  those  de- 
ceased. Anciently,  for  this  purpose,  the  Five  Nations  were  divided 
into  the  Elder  and  the  Younger  Brothers,  the  Mohawks,  Onondagas 
and  Senecas  being  the  former,  and  the  Oneidas  and  Cayugas  forming 
the  latter.  The  Tuscaroras  now  rank  as  Younger  Brothers  also.  If 
an  Onondaga  bereavement  is  to  be  condoled,  all  the  Elder  Brothers 
share  in  the  affliction,  but  the  Younger  Brothers  conduct  the  cere- 
monies, calling  and  superintending  the  mourning  council.  Black  or 
purple  wampum  is  sent  out  with  the  summons,  the  condoling  nations 
meet  the  mourners  at  a  fire  by  the  wayside,  the  ancient  songs  are  sung, 
and  many  interesting  ceremonies  follow.  As  this  was  a  Mohawk 
mourning,  the  Oneidas  had  charge,  the  Onondagas  appearing  only  as 
one  of  the  Elder  Brothers.  In  this  early  instance,  "the  ones  were 
separated  from  the  others,  according  to  custom,"  even  as  they  are  now. 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  FRENCH.  81 

Pierron  interfered  in  a  sarcastic  way,  and  the  Mohawks  were  naturally 
indignant,  on  which  he  joined  the  Onondaga  visitors  and  complained 
to  them,  Garakontie  being  present.  The  result  was  that  the  Mohawks 
soon  renounced  the  worship  of  Agreskoue\ 

All  the  missionaries  assembled  at  Onondaga,  August  27,  1669,  re- 
maining there  until  September  6  One  of  the  expedients  used  by  them 
in  catechizing  is  worthy  of  notice.  "  Whoever  knows  how  to  repeat  on 
Sunday  all  that  is  said  during  the  week,  has  a  string  of  bugle  or  two 
little  glass  cylinders,  or  two  rings  of  brass."  All  these  occur  abun- 
dantly in  recent  Indian  villages  and  graves.  On  Whitsunday,  1670, 
most  of  the  missionaries  were  again  at  Onondaga.  In  that  town  Father 
Millet  had  various  cries  for  calling  the  people  to  the  chapel.  Charts, 
pictures  and  wampum  all  aided  his  teaching.  It  was  at  this  time  he 
introduced  the  Benedicite  in  opening  feasts,  and  traces  of  this  still  exist 
at  Onondaga.  Towards  Christmas,  16(59,  the  little  chapel  would  not 
contain  the  people  who  came  for  instraction,  and  he  formed  two  bands, 
called  at  different  hours.  "  I  borrowed,"  said  he,  "  for  this  purpose  a 
bell  which  they  had  had  thirteen  or  fourteen  years  ago,  of  those  of  our 
Fathers  who  were  at  this  mission  when  the  war  was  rekindled.  This 
bell  used  to  serve  me  for  calling  the  Ancients,  as  I  made  use  of  a 
smaller  one  to  call  the  children."  A  midnight  service  and  ringing  of 
the  bell  at  Christmas  followed,  the  chapel  being  appropriately  adorned, 
and  a  little  later  the  dream  and  Agreskoue  were  publicly  renounced. 
The  latter  proved  a  permanent  gain. 

This  did  not  end  many  barbarous  customs.  The  torture  of  captives 
was  a  frequent  occurrence.  Drunkenness  was  prevalent  then  and 
afterwards,  but,  in  comparison  with  others,  "our  Onnontaguez  are  not 
so  carried  away  or  so  brutal  in  their  drunkenness.  The  greater  part, 
even  when  they  are  in  this  state,  make  us  only  caresses."  Some  An- 
dastes  were  tortured,  and  obliged  to  sing  death  songs.  As  he  minis- 
tered to  them  Millet  was  asked  to  sing,  and  chanted  the  Psalm  begin- 
ning " Laudate,  Domuuim,  omnes gentes."  "It  has  often  happened  since 
that  they  have  begged  me  to  sing  my  death  song." 
li 


82  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

English  and  Iroquois— La  Salle— Garakonties  Death— Missions— Southern  Wars 
and  Lands— De  la  Barre— Garangula— Greenhalgh— Dekanissora— De  Nonville— 
Invasion  of  Canada— Millet's  Capture. 

Except  in  the  affair  with  the  Mohawks,  in  1625,  peaceful  relations 
existed  between  the  Dutch  colonists  and  the  Iroquois,  and  these  were 
perpetuated  when  the  English  succeeded  the  Dutch  in  1664,  and  again 
a  few  years  later.  With  immaterial  exceptions  the  Iroquois  remained 
the  firm  friends  of  the  English  until  the  colonies  gained  their  independ- 
ence. But  a  strife  between  the  French  and  English  soon  arose,  and 
while  the  former  were  the  most  energetic  and  sagacious  in  extending 
their  dominion  and  influence,  the  advantages  of  trade  kept  the  Iroquois 
on  the  English  side.  They  were  constantly  at  war  with  their  savage 
enemies,  and  much  of  the  time  with  the  French  themselves. 

When  strengthened  by  the  coming  of  De  Tracy  and  Courcelles,  in 
L665,  the  French  sent  a  strong  force  against  the  Mohawks,  but  this 
would  have  perished  but  for  the  kindness  of  the  Dutch.  Another,  a 
few  months  later,  burned  the  Mohawk  towns,  and  this  led  to  treaties  of 
peace.  Count  Frontenac  became  governor  of  Canada  in  1672,  and 
French  prospects  brightened.  He  studied  the  country,  the  Indians, 
the  plans  of  others,  and  acted  with  energy. 

In  L673  Count  Frontenac  thought  a  proposed  treaty  between  the  Iro- 
quois and  ( )tta\vas  of  such  importance  as  to  demand  active  measures. 
The  English  had  not  yet  reached  Lake  Ontario,  but  the  Iroquois  were 
to  exchange  English  goods  there  for  western  furs.  This  trade  the 
French  desired,  and  Frontenac  took  measures  to  build  a  fort  near  the 
toot  of  the  lake,  that  it  might  be  secured.  The  consent  of  the  Iroquois 
was  necessary,  and  a  person  of  credit  must  be  the  ambassador. 

For  this  purpose  he  selected  Sieur  de  La  Salle,  as  a  person  qualified  for  such  a  service 
by  tlie  different  journeys  he  had  made  into  that  country,  and  by  his  acquaintance 
with  the  Indians.  IK'  sent  him  orders  to  leave  Montreal  as  soon  as  the  navigation 
would  permit,  and  proceed  to  Onontague,  the  place  where  all  the  nations  assemble 
for  business,  and  invite  them  to  send  delegates  to  Kente  towards  the  end  of  June. 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  FRENCH  AND  ENGLISH.  83 

Frontenac  ascended  the  river  with  his  men.  On  the  evening-  of  July 
9th,  above  the  rapids  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  "two  Iroquois  canoes  ar- 
rived, bringing  letters  from  Sieur  de  La  Salle,  who,  having  been  sent 
into  their  country  two  months  before,"  now  reported  that  two  hundred 
Indians  awaited  him  at  Kente.  The  place  of  meeting,  however,  was 
changed  "  to  the  mouth  of  Katarakoui,"  where  Kingston  now  stands. 
Frontenac  was  delighted  with  the  spot,  which  afterwards  bore  his  name, 
and  quickly  had  the  fort  built.  Garakontie  was  the  principal  speaker, 
out  of  "more  than  sixty  of  the  oldest  and  most  influential  of  the  sa- 
chems." Five  principal  chiefs  spoke,  and  "each  captain  presented,  at 
the  conclusion  of  his  speech,  a  belt  of  wampum,  which  is  worthy  of 
note,  because  formerly  it  was  customary  to  present  only  some  fathoms 
of  stringed  wampum."  In  return  they  asked  his  aid  against  the  An- 
dastes,  "  the  sole  enemies  remaining  on  their  hands,"  and  who  might 
yet  destroy  them.      They  were  of  the  same  family. 

La  Salle  seems  not  to  have  been  present  on  this  occasion,  nor  do  the 
Relations  mention  him.  Incidentally,  however,  a  little  later,  we  find  a 
letter  from  Father  Lamberville,  dated  at  Tethiroguen,  nowBrewerton, 
September  9,  1673.  "  I  am  come  on  purpose  from  Onnontague  to 
present  myself  here  to  see  M.  de  La  Salle,  and  to  give  him  this  letter. 
M.  de  La  Salle  who  is  in  haste  to  depart,  to  go  and  bear  the 
news  of  the  retaking  of  Manathe  and  of  Orange  by  the  Dutch,"  etc. 
The  great  discoverer  was  thus  several  times  at  Onondaga. 

Some  Onondagas  now  went  to  the  new  mission  at  La  Prairie,  near 
Montreal,  and  this  settlement  weakened  several  of  the  Iroquois  nations. 
However,  Millet  at  Oneida,  and  Lamberville  at  Onondaga,  had  no  lack 
of  work.  The  medical  skill  of  the  latter  opened  every  cabin  to  him, 
and  often  led  him  leagues  away  from  the  village.  A  great  loss  to  the 
French  soon  occurred.  Garakontie  became  ill,  and  nothing  could  save 
his  life.  "He  gave  directions  for  his  burial,  and  said,  Onne  wage  che 
ca;  Behold,  I  die!  All  fell  on  their  knees,  and  he  died  while  they  prayed." 
He  was  buried  in  a  coffin,  and  the  grave  was  marked  by  a  lofty  cross. 
In  every  way  he  was  a  remarkable  man. 

In  1679  Bruyas  took  Lamberville's  place  at  Onondaga  for  a  time,  but 
the  latter  soon  returned,  and  was  joined  by  his  brother  James.  Hostil- 
ities were  imminent.  To  anticipate,  Fremin  and  Pierron  left  the  war- 
like Senecas,  and  Gamier  also  abandoned  that  mission  in  1683.  Carheil 
was  driven  from  the  Cayugas  the  following  year.  De  la  Barre's  expe- 
dition failed,  and  there  remained  only  the  two  Lambervilles  at   Onon- 


M  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

daga.  Jean  visited  De  Nonville,  and  returned  with  presents  for  the 
Onondagas.  James  then  went  to  Canada.  Soon  after  the  Iroquois 
chiefs  were  invited  to  Cadaraqui,  where  they  were  treacherously  seized 
by  the  French,  Lamberville  being  still  at  Onondaga.  His  high  charac- 
ter saved  him,  and  the  Onondagas  sent  him  away  unharmed. 

Meanwhile  the  Onondagas  had  been  successful  in  southern  wars,  the 
Xanticokes  becoming  tributary  to  the  Iroquois  in  1680,  and  the  power- 
ful Andastes  or  Susquehannas  about  the  same  time.  The  former  after- 
wards settled  near  Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  bringing  their  dead  with  them. 
The  usual  annual  tribute  which  they  brought  to  Onondaga,  was  twenty 
belts  of  wampum. 

The  question  of  the  Susquehanna  lands  was  an  early  subject  of  dis- 
pute, the  Iroquois  having  won  these  from  the  Andastes.  A  map  of  the 
Susquehanna  was  prepared  for  Governor  Dongan  in  1683,  and  the  In- 
dians were  willing  to  have  the  whites  settle  there,  but  the  Albany  peo- 
ple did  not  want  Penn  to  buy  it,  as  it  would  ruin  the  beaver  trade. 
The  Mohawks,  Oneidas,  Onondagas  and  Cayugas  came  to  Albany  about 
this  matter,  and  two  of  these  said  that  "The  aforesaid  land  belongs  to 
us,  Cayugas  and  Onondagas  alone;  the  other  three  nations,  viz.,  the 
Sinnekes,  Oneydes  and  Maquaas  have  nothing  to  do  with  it.  We  have 
not  only  conveyed,  but  given  it,  four  years  ago,  to  Corlaer,  that  is  the 
Gov.  Genl.,  to  rule  over  it,  and  we  now  convey  and  transport  it  again," 
etc.  The  next  year  the  Onondagas  and  Cayugas  reiterated  "that  we 
do  put  the  Susquehanne  river  above  the  Washinta  or  falls,  and  all  the 
rest  of  our  land  under  the  great  Duke  of  York,  and  to  nobody  else." 
They  refused  to  sell  to  others. 

There  was  a  standing  quarrel  about  these  lands  for  nearly  a  century, 
and  in  this  the  Pennsylvania  Indians  shared.  Shikellimy,  an  Oneida 
chief,  was  settled  there  by  the  Iroquois  as  a  sort  of  regent,  to  govern 
the  Conestogas,  Delawares  and  Shawnees,  and  settle  all  disputes.  The 
ions  of  the  Grand  Council  at  Onondaga  were  explicit  and  final  in 
all  their  affairs. 

In  L684  there  was  trouble  between  the  French  and  the  Senecas,  and 
Governor  de  la  Barre  planned  an  expedition  against  that  nation.  Pre- 
liminary  to  tins  he  wrote  to  Governor  Dongan,  of  New  York,  asking 
him  not  to  supply  guns  and  ammunition  to  the  Indians,  and  indeed  pro- 
posing that  h(  should  join  him  against  them.  On  this,  Dongan  sent  a 
o  (  Miondaga,  to  look  after  English  interests  there,  and  had 
the  English  anus  sot  up  in  all  the  castles,  promising  them  such  aid 
list  the  French  as  he  could  give. 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  FRENCH  AND  ENGLISH.  85 

De  la  Barre  reached  Fort  Frontenac  (Kingston)  on  the  9th  of  August, 
1684,  where  his  forces  were  gathered,  and  was  accused  of  cowardice  or 
self-interest  by  his  own  officers.  De  Meulles  wrote,  before  he  set  out, 
"  I  believe  he  will  content  himself  with  paddling  as  far  as  Cataracnuv, 
or  Fort  Frontenac,  and  send  for  the  Senecas  to  negotiate  a  peace  with 
them,  and  make  a  fool  of  the  people,  of  the  Intendant,  and  of  his 
Majesty."  After  the  expedition  he  added  that  all  the  French  and  In- 
dians were  anxious  to  fight  the  Iroquois,  but  De  la  Barre  needlessly 
made  peace  proposals.  "This  peace,  my  lord,  has  astonished  all  the 
officers  who  had  any  command  in  that  army." 

In  his  memoir  of  this  affair,  De  la  Barre  wrote  that  after  his  arrival 
at  Frontenac,  he  sent  one  of  the  Lambervilles  to,  his  brother  "  at 
Onnontague,  whom  I  instructed  to  assure  those  of  that  nation  that  I 
had  so  much  respect  for  their  requests,  that  I  should  prefer  their 
mediation  to  war,  provided  they  made  me  a  reasonable  satisfaction." 
The  Onondagas  therefore  sent  nine  of  their  chiefs,  three  Oneidas,  and 
two  Cayugas,  as  mediators,  but  not  a  Seneca  was  present. 

On  August  21  De  la  Barre  sent  most  of  his  forces  from  Frontenac  to 
La  Famine,  where  the  French  colonists  had  suffered  so  much  from 
hunger  in  1656.  Grande  Famine  was  the  wSalmon  River,  and  Petite 
Famine  seems  to  have  been  Grindstone  Creek,  or  another  near  it,  but 
the  bay  had  the  general  name  also.  De  la  Barre's  camp  was  at  the 
larger  stream,  usually  known  as  La  Famine.  He  followed  the  army 
on  the  27th,  and  reached  this  in  two  days,  the  whole  force  amounting 
to  900  French  and  300  savages  at  that  place,  while  150  French  and  550 
Indians  assembled  at  Niagara,  to  join  them  in  the  Seneca  country. 
Gaily  dressed  troops  trained  in  the  service  of  the  Grande  Monarque, 
Canadian  militia  in  all  manner  of  costumes,  coureurs  du  bois  in  their 
forest  garb,  Indians  in  their  war  paint  and  little  else;  these  mingled  in 
the  picturesque  army  on  the  shores  of  the  lake. 

The  council  opened,  and  De  la  Barre  spoke.  If  the  Iroquois  did  not 
make  due  satisfaction,  cease  taking  the  English  into  their  lakes,  and  re- 
frain from  making  incursions  on  the  allies  of  the  French,  he  would  de- 
clare war.  The  shrewd  Indians  took  this  for  what  it  was  worth. 
There  was  an  old  and  noted  Onondaga  chief  present,  named  Hotreouati, 
often  confused  with  a  celebrated  Cayuga  chief  whose  name  resembled 
his.  By  the  French  the  former  was  called  La  Grande  Gueule,  or  Big 
Mouth,  changed  into  Garangula  by  Baron  La  Hontan,  and  by  this 
name  he  is  best  known.     Lamberville  said  he  had   "the  strongest  head 


86  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

and  loudest  voice  among  the  Iroquois."  M.  de  Meulles  called  him  a 
"sycophant,  who  seeks  merely  a  good  dinner,  and  a  real  buffoon."  He 
replied  in  words  which  are  a  marvel  of  eloquent  satire,  sarcasm  and  de- 
fiance, a  part  of  which  we  give : 

Yonnondio,  you  must  have  believed  when  you  left  Quebec,  that  the  sun  had  burnt 
up  all  the  forests  which  render  our  country  inaccessible  to  the  French,  or  that  the 
lakes  had  so  far  overflowed  "their  banks  that  they  had  surrounded  our  castles,  and 
that  it  was  impossible  for  us  to  get  out  of  them.  Yes,  surely  you  must  have  dreamed 
so,  and  the  curiosity  of  seeing  so  great  a  wonder  has  brought  you  so  far.  Now  you 
are  undeceived,  since  that  I  and  the  warriors  here  present,  are  come  to  assure  you 
that  the  Senecas,  Cayugas,  Onondagas,  Oneidas,  and  Mohawks  are  yet  alive.  I 
thank  you  in  their  names  for  bringing  back  into  their  country  the  calumet  which 
your  predecessors  received  from  their  hands.  It  was  happy  for  you  that  you  left 
under  ground  that  murdering  hatchet,  so  often  dyed  in  the  blood  of  the  French. 

Hear,  Yonnondio,  I  do  not  sleep,  I  have  my  eyes  wide  open,  and  the  sun  which 
enlightens  me,  shows  me  a  great  captain  at  the  head  of  a  company  of  soldiers,  who 
speaks  as  if  he  were  dreaming.  He  says  that  he  only  came  to  the  lake  to  smoke  the 
great  calumet  with  the  Onondagas.  But  Garangula  says,  he  sees  the  contrary;  that 
it  was  to  knock  them  on  the  head  if  sickness  had  not  weakened  the  arms  of  the 
French.  I  see  Yonnondio  raving  in  a  camp  of  sick  men,  whose  lives  the  Great  Spirit 
has  saved  by  inflicting  this  sickness  upon  them. 

Hear,  Yonnondio.  Our  women  had  taken  their  clubs,  our  children  and  old  men 
had  carried  their  bows  and  arrows  into  the  heart  of  your  camp,  if  our  warriors  had 
not  disarmed  them  and  kept  them  back  when  your  messenger,  Ohguesse  (Le  Moine) 
came  to  our  castles.     It  is  done;  I  have  said  it. 

The  Indian  continued  by  defending  the  actions  of  the  Senecas  in  at- 
tacking the  western  Indians;  upholding  their  conduct  towards  the  Eng- 
lish; and  claiming  they  had  not  attacked  the  French  except  when  the 
latter  carried  arms  to  their  enemies,  including  this  declaration:  "We 
are  born  free.  We  depend  on  neither  Yonnondio,  nor  Corlaer;  we  may 
go  where-  we  please,  and  carry  with  us  whom  we  please,  and  buy  and 
sell  w  hat  we  please." 

I  >e  la  Barre  concluded  what  he  termed  a  treaty  with  the  ambassadors, 
which  did  not  contain  even  promises  of  good  behavior  on  the  part  of 
the  [roquois;  instead  De  la  Barre  promised  to  quit  the  country  the  next 
day. 

He  lost  no  time  in  doing  this,1  and  says  of  his  return: 

I  departed  on  the  6th  of  September,  1(584,  having  had  all  the  sick  of  my  troops 
embarked  before  day  (so  as  not  to  be  seen  by  the  Indians)  to  the  number  of  one  hun- 
dred  and  fifty  canoes  and  twelve  flat  bateaux,  and  arrived  in  the  evening  of  the  same 

1  \'.  V.  Col.  Hist.,  vol.  IX.,  p.  348, 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  FRENCH  AND  ENGLISH.  87 

day  at  Fort  Frontenac,  where  I  found  one  hundred  and  ten  men  of  the  number  I  had 
left  there  already  departed,  all  sick,  to  Montreal. 

In  consequence  of  this  disgraceful  failure,  De  la  Barre  was  recalled, 
and  De  Nonville  took  his  place. 

In  a  desultory  way  the  Jesuit  missions  continued  much  longer  at  On- 
ondaga than  in  the  other  nations.  Lamberville  was  at  his  post  during 
De  la  Barre's  invasion,  and  advised  peace,  as  the  Onondagas  thought 
the  French  would  certainly  be  destroyed  if  there  were  war.  He  said : 
"The  Onontaguez — men  of  business — wish  to  arrange  matters,"  He 
thought  La  Grand  Gueule,  or  Hotreouati,  an  able  man,  and  one  who 
might  be  kept  in  French  pay,  but  he  showed  a  manly  spirit  at  Famine 
Bay. 

De  la  Barre  wished  to  confer  with  the  Iroquois  at  Oswego,  while  on 
his  way  against  the  Senecas,  and  accordingly  the  Onondagas  sent  word 
to  the  Mohawks,  Oneidas  and  Cayugas,  to  meet  him  there.  They  had 
a  word  for  the  French:  "As  you  advised  them  not  to  be  troubled  at 
the  sight  of  your  barks  and  gendarmes,  they  likewise  give  you  notice 
not  to  be  surprised  when  you  will  see  faces  painted  red  and  black  at 
Ochoueguen."1     He  did  not  reach  that  place. 

The  Iroquois  war  against  the  Illinois  was  one  cause  of  De  la  Barre's 
expedition,  but  the  Onondagas  told  him  that  "the  entire  Iroquois  na- 
tion reserved  to  itself  the  power  of  waging  war  against  the  Illinois,  as 
long  as  a  single  one  of  them  remained  on  earth. "  They  were  aban- 
doned to  their  fate,  although  the  best  allies  of  the  French.  That  year 
forty  Onondagas  went  against  them. 

Just  before  this  the  English  had  begun  to  take  an  active  interest  in 
affairs  at  Onondaga.  Dutch  traders  had  gone  as  far  as  the  Senecas 
many  years  before.  In  1677  Wentworth  Greenhalgh  rode  on  horse- 
back from  Albany  to  one  of  the  Seneca  villages  west  of  Canandaigua, 
visiting,  and  thus  describing  Onondaga  on  the  way : 

'J  he  Onondagoes  have  butte  one  towne,  butt  itt  is  very  large;  consisting  of  about 
one  hundred  and  forty  houses,  not  fenced,  is  situate  upon  a  hill  thatt  is  very  large, 

1  It  has  been  erroneously  stated  that  "  Choueguen  "  is  first  mentioned  in  the  French  papers  of 
1734,  as  applied  to  the  site  of  Oswego.  Raffeix  had  spoken  of  "the  river  of  Ochoueguen,"  in  1672, 
which  issued  from  Cayuga  Lake.  Lamberville,  however,  mentions  the  place  several  times  in 
1684,  in  writing  to  De  la  Barre.  The  Indians  would  "repair  to  Choueguen,"  to  meet  him.  They 
also  appointed  a  meeting  with  Count  Frontenac  for  the  spring  of  1682,  "at  Techouegen,  at  the 
mouth  of  the-  Onondaga  River."  [N.  Y.  Col.  Hist.,  vol.  ix,  p.  190.]  In  the  same  year  Ochoue- 
guen was  mentioned  by  the  Onondagas.  This  is  simply  the  French  form  of  ihe  \v<>r<l  Oswego, 
first  used  by  the  English  in  1727,  though  it  occurs  in  an  English  document  as  Sowego,  in  1687,  in 
the  proposition  of  the  Onondagas  for  a  fort  there. 


88  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

the  banke  on  each  side  extending  itself  att  least  two  miles,  all  cleared  land,  whereon 
the  corne  is  planted.  They  have  likewise  a  small  village  about  two  miles  beyond 
thatt,  consisting  of  about  24  houses.  They  ly  to  the  southward  of  ye  west,  about  36 
miles  from  the  Onyades.  They  plant  aboundance  of  corne,  which  they  sell  to  the 
Onyades.  The  Onondagoes  are  said  to  be  about  350  fighting  men.  They  ly  about 
15  miles  from  Tshiroqui.1 

The  eloquent  Dekanissora  began  to  be  prominent  in  1678,  and  was 
the  Onondaga  speaker  for  many  years.  He  dined  with  Frontenac  at 
Montreal  in  1682,  and  the  governor  adopted  his  sister  as  his  daughter. 
In  a  council  at  Quebec,  in  1694,  his  mode  of  speaking  is  described. 
••  These  are  the  words  of  Teganissorens,  which  he  enunciated  with  as 
perfect  a  grace  as  is  vouchsafed  to  an  unpolished  and  uncivilized  peo- 
ple. He  went  through  his  speech  with  freedom  and  collectedness,  and 
concluded  with  a  certain  modesty  and  so  great  a  show  of  respect  and 
submission  to  the  Count,  as  to  be  remarked  by  the  spectators."  The 
road  of  peace  had  been  closed ;  he  opened  it  to  Onondaga  and  prepared 
a  mat  there  for  the  French.     Many  of  his  speeches  are  preserved. 

In  1685  a  French  soldier,  returning  from  conducting  a  Jesuit  to  On- 
ondaga, saw  eleven  English  canoes,  with  goods  for  the  Senecas,  con- 
ducted by  French  deserters,  who  were  common  in  New  York.  The  fol- 
lowing year  five  French  deserters  were  stopped  at  Onondaga  and  re- 
turned to  Fort  Frontenac.  They  did  good  service  for  the  English,  who 
went  no  farther  west  than  the  Senecas  until  1685,  when  some  reached 
the  Ottawas,  a  three  months'  journey. 

On  his  arrival  in  Canada  to  supersede  De  la  Barre,  De  Nonville 
studied  and  reported  the  situation,  and  soon  prepared  to  attack  the 
Senecas.  The  Iroquois  were  powerful  only  through  the  arms  and  am- 
munition furnished  them  freely  by  the  English.  Safety  to  Canada  and 
the  preservation  of  trade  demanded  their  subjugation.  He  planned  to 
destroy  the  Senecas  in  L687,  and  the  Onondagas  and  Cayugas  the  fol- 
lowing year.  Learning  this,  the  Onondagas  asked  the  English  for  six 
cannon  for  their  fort,  but  they  were  not  given. 

With  a  force  of  about  2,000  men,  De  Nonville  crossed  Lake  Ontario 

in  July,   L687,  landing  at  Irondequoit   Bay,  where  he  made  a  stockade 

for  his  stores  and  left  a  guard.     On  his  way  to  the  Seneca  towns  he  fell 

into   .hi   ambuscade,  where  he  met  with   some  loss,  but  held  the  field. 

:n  :.t  day  lie  marched  on,  and  the  destruction  of  the  .Seneca  villages 

ii.     The  French  remained  at  the  four  towns  until  July  24,  destroy- 

1    l  Mlrltl;i    I  ..ii..'. 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  FRENCH  AND  ENGLISH.  89 

ing  corn  in  the  pits  and  fields.  Then  he  went  on  and  established  a  post 
at  Niagara,  in  which  he  placed  a  hundred  men.  This  displeased  the 
Iroquois,  and  it  was  besieged,  most  of  the  garrison  perishing  by  hunger. 
As  for  the  Senecas,  they  were  supplied  with  food,  and  soon  rebuilt  their 
towns. 

This  invasion  led  to  a  closer  alliance  between  the  Iroquois  and  Eng- 
lish ;  and  the  Onondagas,  through  their  chief,  Dekanissora,  proposed 
that  the  English  should  build  a  fort  at  Oswego,  a  day's  journey  from 
Onondaga.      In  return  the  Iroquois  were  assured  of  ample  protection. 

Perhaps  the  only  French  woman  who  was  ever  brought  to  Onondaga 
as  a  prisoner  was  Miss  d'Allone,  who  was  captured  near  Fort  Frontenac 
in  1688.  Governor  Dongan  sent  her  back  in  July,  with  twelve  other 
prisoners,  but  we  have  but  few  notes  of  her  captivity. 

Garangula  and  other  Onondagas  held  a  council  with  De  Nonville,  at 
Montreal,  in  June,  1688.  The  chief  was  very  haughty,  and  the  French 
abandoned  the  cause  of  the  Illinois,  a  declaration  of  neutrality  being 
made.  Garangula  was  to  come  again,  but  a  stratagem  prevented  this. 
A  Huron  chief,  called  Kondiaronk,  or  the  Rat,  did  not  wish  the  Onon- 
dagas to  make  peace  with  the  French,  and  waylaid  the  embassy  at  La 
Famine.  He  killed  one,  seized  the  rest,  and  pretended  to  be  surprised 
at  their  errand.  He  said  the  French  had  told  him  what  to  do,  and  then 
gave  them  their  liberty,  keeping  one  for  adoption.  This  one  he  caused 
some  French  soldiers  to  shoot,  and  took  pains  that  their  deed  should  be 
known  at  Onondaga.  This  led  to  the  bloody  war  of  1689,  the  most 
terrible  page  in  Canadian  history.  The  Rat  died  in  1701,  and  was  in- 
terred in  the  great  church  at  Montreal. 

In  1689  the  indignant  Iroquois  fell  upon  the  island  of  Montreal  like 
demons,  carrying  destruction  before  them,  and  pressing  on  to  the  very 
gates  of  the  city.  Forts  Frontenac  and  Niagara  were  abandoned,  and 
the  French  colonies  seemed  doomed.  Nothing  perhaps  saved  them  but 
the  return  of  Count  Frontenac  as  governor  of  New  France.  Old  as  he 
was,  he  was  vigorous  and  capable,  accustomed  to  dealing  with  the  In- 
dians, and  the  spirits  of  the  French  revived. 

In  England  William  of  Orange  had  come  to  the  throne,  and  war  with 
France  followed.  The  New  England  colonies  now  sent  a  deputation 
to  the  Five  Nations,  asking  their  aid  against  the  eastern  Indians,  who 
had  already  asked  the  Iroquois  to  favor  their  side.  The  Mohawks  re- 
plied that  they  were  friends  of  the  latter,  but  hated  the  French  and 
12 


90  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

would  fight  against  them.  At  a  subsequent  council  at  Albany,  the  New 
England  people  were  promised  their  aid. 

In  1690  the  Oneidas  captured  their  former  missionary,  Father  Millet, 
and  made  him  sing-  a  song  on  his  way  to  to  their  town.  This  was  its 
repeated  burden:  "  Ongienda  kehasakehoua!  I  have  been  taken  by  my 
children !  "  The  Onondagas  wished  him  given  to  them,  in  order  to 
surrender  him  to  the  English.  This  the  Oneidas  would  not  do,  but 
adopted  him  as  a  chief,  and  he  sat  in  the  Grand  Council  until  released. 

It  was  in  1690  that  the  Onondaga  ambassadors  reminded  the  French 
that  they  were  still  masters  of  many  French  prisoners.  They  had 
eaten  four  of  them,  but  had  spared  some  to  show  that  they  were  more 
merciful  than  the  French.  The  latter  did  not  hesitate  to  burn  some  in 
turn.  In  fact  they  had  some  success,  completely  destroying  Schenec- 
tady in  February,  1690,  and  in  January,  1693,  burning  all  the  Mohawk 
towns.     This  last  action  amounted  to  but  little. 

The  great  Kanahjeaga,  or  Black  Kettle,  an  Onondaga  chief,  com- 
manded the  Iroquois  in  their  invasion  of  the  island  of  Montreal  in  1691. 
lie  overran  the  country  like  a  flood,  and  the  French  stood  strictly  on 
the  defensive  until  he  began  his  homeward  march.  Breaking  through 
his  pursuers  he   returned  triumphantly,  leaving  desolation  behind  him. 


CHAPTER  X. 


Iroquois  and    English— Blacksmiths— Aqueendera— Frontenac's   Invasion — Black 

Kettle  — Embassies — Colonel   Romer  —  Dekanissora   and  Jesuits — French   Fort 

(  >swego — Beaver  Lands. 

The  English  were  now  actively  in  league  with  the  Iroquois.  A  pris- 
oner who  escaped  from  the  Onondagas  in  1693,  said  they  now  had  a 
str<»n-  fort,  built  by  the  English,  with  eight  bastions  and  three  rows  of 
stockades.  The  Onondagas  were  angry  at  those  who  went  to  Canada 
to  live,  tor  this  weakened  them  and  strengthened  the  French.  They 
burned  these  emigrants  when  they  fell  into  their  hands.  Many  Iro 
quois  still  used  bows  and  arrows,  and  the  English  supplied  smiths  to 
mend  their  arms.  Dirck  Wessel  went  to  Onondaga  on  public  business, 
in  August,   1693,  and  a  blacksmith  was  sent  there  in  November. 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  FRENCH  AND  ENGLISH.  91 

A  council  was  held  in  Albany,  February  2,  1694,  Dekanissora  being 
speaker.  Aqueendera,  chief  sachem  of  Onondaga,  had  a  sore  leg  and 
could  not  come.  Golden  thought  this  a  mere  excuse,  but  he  had  been 
carried  into  the  council  at  Onondaga,  a  short  time  before,  by  four  men. 
About  this  time  the  Iroquois  made  a  treaty  with  the  Shawnees,  and  the 
Onondagas  adopted  De  Longueuil  and  De  Maricourt  as  their  children. 

Peter  Schuyler  was  the  only  Dutchman  at  Onondaga  at  one  time  in 
1695,  and  the  war  with  the  Andastes  and  Miamis  still  continued;  Even 
the  Sioux  felt  the  force  of  the  Iroquois  arms,  and  the  French  repaired 
Fort  Frontenac  and  prepared  for  a  more  vigorous  war.  In  Aqueen- 
dera's  speech  at  Onondaga  in  this  year,  he  made  severe  comments  on 
European  pretensions,  and  said,  "We,  warriors,  are  the  first  and  the 
ancient  people,  and  the  greatest  of  you  all.  These  parts  and  countries 
were  all  inhabited  and  trod  upon  by  us,  the  warriors,  before  any  Chris- 
tian. (Then,  stamping  hard  with  his  foot  upon  the  ground,  said,)  We 
shall  not  suffer  Cadaraqui  to  be  inhabited  again. "  This  great  chief's 
name  or  title  is  variously  spelled,  and  seems  equivalent  to  that  com- 
monly known  as  Atotarho,  the  title  of  the  principal  Onondaga  chief. 
His  personal  name  was  Sadekanatie. 

Two  years  of  effort  did  not  bring  the  French  peace  on  their  own 
terms,  and  Frontenac  prepared  to  invade  the  territory  of  the  Ononda- 
gas. Assembling  all  the  regular  troops  and  militia,  with  all  his  Indian 
allies  near  and  far,  he  left  Lachine,  July  6,  1696,  with  an  ample  fleet, 
two  small  cannon  and  two  mortars.  Twelve  days  took  the  army  to  Fort 
Frontenac,  where  it  remained  until  July  26,  and  on  the  28th  it  was  at 
the  mouth  of  Oswego  River.  There  the  troops  encamped  one  night, 
and  then  began  their  ascent  of  the  turbulent  stream.  Fifty  scouts 
threaded  the  forests  on  either  side  of  the  river,  close  to  which  marched 
the  main  body.  It  was  tedious  work  pushing  the  bateaux  1  against  the 
strong  current,  but  Oswego  Falls  was  reached  the  second  day,  and  the 
portage  began.  The  count  was  about  to  walk  around  the  falls,  but  the 
enthusiastic  Indians  seized  the  canoe  in  which  he  sat,  and  bore  it  over 
the  portage,  while  the  forest  resounded  with  their  shouts.  Some  of  the 
battalions  did  not  pass  this  point  until  July  31,  after  which  about  ten 

1  Bateau  is  simply  a  French  name  for  boat,  but  is  used  technically  for  a  long  flat-bottomed 
boat,  pointed  at  both  ends,  and  drawing  but  little  water.  It  was  also  known  as  the  Durham  boat. 
Large  ones  were  thirty-five  to  forty  feet  long,  and  six  feet  wide  in  the  center.  On  either  side 
was  a  plank  to  walk  on  when  poling,  and  there  were  seats  for  rowers.  It  carried  a  square  sail 
when  practicable,  and  had  drag  ropes  and  setting  poles.  Such  was  the  boat  generally  in  use  un- 
til the  canals  were  dug,  and  it  appears  in  almost  all  early  records. 


ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

miles  were  made,  probably  bringing  them  to  the  favorite  camping 
ground  on  the  site  of  Phoenix.  They  passed  Oneida  River  next  day 
and  entered  Onondaga  Lake,  finding  on  the  way  a  "descriptive  draw- 
ing of  our  army  on  bark,  after  the  manner  of  the  Indians,  and  two 
bundles  of  cut  rushes,  indicating  that  1434  warriors  were  waiting  for 
us. " 

The  army  entered  the  lake  in  two  divisions,  coasting  either  shore  to 
dislodge  any  lurking  foe.  A  landing  was  made  on  the  high  land  be- 
tween Liverpool  and  Salina,  where  a  fort  was  traced  out  and  completed 
in  two  days,  although  the  timber  had  to  be  drawn  nearly  a  mile.  On 
the  3d  of  August  the  army  advanced  a  mile  farther,  carrying  the  can- 
non across  the  marsh  and  Ley  and  Bear  Creeks.  That  night,  says  the 
journal,  "we  encamped  at  a  place  called  the  Salt  Springs,  which  in 
truth  they  are.  They  produce  enough  of  salt  to  make  us  wish  they  were 
near  Quebec.     The  cod  fishery  would  then  be  very  easy  in  Canada." 

Before  this  two  Senecas  had  deserted,  one  to  the  Onondagas,  and  one 
to  his  own  nation.  The  former  carried  such  a  report  of  the  great  num- 
bers of  the  French  and  of  their  arms,  that  the  Onondagas  were  alarmed 
and  burned  and  evacuated  their  town.  This  was  on  the  Watkins' farm, 
lot  3,  in  the  present  town  of  La  Fayette,  and  has  been  mentioned. 
Frontenac  described  the  fort  "  as  an  oblong,  flanked  by  four  regular 
bastions.  The  two  rows  of  stockades  that  touched  each  other  were  of 
the  thickness  of  an  ordinary  mast,  and  outside,  at  a  distance  of  six  feet, 
stood  another  row  of  much  smaller  dimensions,  but  forty  or  fifty  feet 
in  height."  This  and  another  statement  may  be  compared  with  recent 
plans. 

The  Onondagas  burned  their  town  on  the  evening  of  August  2.  The 
French  army  formed  at  sunrise,  August  4,  in  two  divisions,  the  artillery 
being  in  the  center  of  the  first,  and  Count  Frontenac  was  borne  in  a 
chair  between  the  two.  So  great  were  the  natural  difficulties,  that  they 
"were  from  sunrise  until  sunset  in  getting  to  the  site  of  the  village." 
The  arnn-  left  the  Onondaga  town  August  9,  and  encamped  not  far 
from  the  eastern  line  of  Syracuse,  midway  to  the  fort  on  the  lake,  which 
they  reached  and  destroyed  next  day,  immediately  going  down  the  lake 
and  river. 

While  at  <  >nondaga  many  caches  were  pillaged  of  grain  and  goods, 

s  were  spent  in  cutting  down  the  Indian  corn,  the  fields  of 

whi<  h  ided  from  four  to  five  miles  from  the  fort.     An  aged  Onon- 

was  tortured  on  the  spot.     When  a  savage  gave  him  some  cuts  of 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  FRENCH  AND  ENGLISH.  93 

a  knife,  as  he  stood  in  the  flames,  "I  thank  thee,"  said  he,  "  but  thou 
oughtest  rather  to  complete  my  death  by  fire.  Learn,  French  dogs, 
how  to  suffer;  and  ye  savages,  their  allies,  who  are  dogs  of  dugs,  re- 
member what  you  will  have  to  do  when  you  occupy  a  position  like 
mine."     His  fortitude  greatly  impressed  the  French. 

One  episode  of  this  expedition  was  the  burning  of  the  Oneida  village, 
and  the  destruction  of  its  cornfields  by  M.  de  Vaudreuil,  his  detachment 
of  600  men  having  been  gone  from  Onondaga  but  three  days.  The 
army  was  detained  at  Oswego  two  days  on  its  return  by  a  gale.  In 
this  expedition  Frontenac  had  more  than  400  boats,  with  500  Indians, 
and  1,600  French,  all  well  equipped.  It  was  a  formidable  army  for 
those  days,  and  it  requires  no  lively  imagination  to  recall  its  pictur- 
esque character  as  it  passed  through  the  river  and  Onondaga  Lake,  or 
encamped  in  the  forest  The  torture  of  the  old  Onondaga  chief,  has 
been  graphically  described  by  several  authors,  and  other  incidents  have 
not  been  forgotten.1  The  French  did  not  retreat  without  loss,  and  Can- 
ada received  far  more  injury  than  the  Onondagas  did. 

After  the  burning  of  Onondaga,  Governor  Fletcher  proposed  sending 
troops  in  pursuit  of  Frontenac,  but  the  Colonial  Council  wisely  thought 
this  useless,  though  the  people  of  Albany  were  much  alarmed  by  the 
invasion.  The  governor  prohibited  sending  corn  down  the  Hudson, 
that  the  Indians  might  be  supplied.  They  hunted  on  the  Susquehanna 
until  they  could  again  cultivate  their  fields,  and  the  English  could  re- 
build their  fort. 

The  peace  of  Ryswick  followed,  and  led  to  a  local  disaster.  In  1692 
the  wife  of  the  Onondaga  chief,  Kanahjeagah,  or  Black  Kettle,  while  a 
prisoner  at  the  Sault,  had  been  killed  by  an  Oneida  chief  belonging  to 
this  French  mission.  It  was  a  brutal  murder.  In  1698,  just  after  the 
news  of  peace  between  England  and  France,  Black  Kettle  himself  was 
killed.  Thirty  or  forty  Onondagas  were  securely  hunting  with  him 
near  Fort  Frontenac,  expecting  also  to  conclude  a  peace.  The  French 
informed  some  Algonquins,  and  a  fight  followed,  in  which  twenty  On- 
ondagas were  killed  and  eight  made  prisoners.  Black  Kettle,  his  last 
wife,  and  four  chiefs  were  slain,  the  scalps  and  prisoners  being  taken  to 
Montreal.  This  alarmed  the  Iroquois,  and  they  would  not  go  to  Can- 
ada. Frontenac  made  some  threats,  and  Governor  Bellomont  notified 
him  that  he  had  sent  troops  to  protect  the  Onondagas. 

'See  Charlevoix's  New  France,  Stone's  "Grave  of  the  Indian  King,"  and  Street's  "Fron- 
tenac" 


94  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Captain  Nanfan  was  now  stationed  at  Albany,  to  go  with  soldiers  to 
any  part  of  the  Iroquois  country  threatened  by  the  French,  and  there 
were  several  deputies  sent  to  Onondaga  from  time  to  time.  Frontenac 
died  in  1698,  defiant  but  worn  out,  and  a  general  council  was  called  to 
meet  at  <  mondaga  in  April,  1690. 

Glen  and  Bleeker  were  at  Onondaga,  with  Jan  Baptist,  the  inter- 
preter, from  March  '20,  to  April  21,  1699,  and  some  Indians  brought 
messages  from  the  French,  but  little  was  accomplished.  Arnout  Viele 
arrived  there  April  28,  with  Schuyler  and  Bleeker,  and  the  French  belts 
were  rejected.  Another  council  followed  at  Albany  in  June,  and  the 
Onondagas  favored  the  building  of  a  stone  fort  in  their  country,  and 
the  sending  of  ministers  there.  Governor  Bellomont  thought  a  sod  fort, 
garrisoned  by  100  soldiers,  quite  desirable. 

In  1700  Father  Bruyas  wished  to  go  again  among  the  Mohawks  and 

<  >nondagas,  but  of  this  Bellomont  did  not  approve,  fearing  French  in- 
trigues. There  were  rumors  of  a  general  rising  against  the  English. 
Bellomont  said  that  if  the  Five  Nations  did  join  the  Eastern  Indians, 
as  some  feared,  they  would  soon  drive  the  English  out  of  America,     He 

to  laugh  at  the  colonists  for  letting  three  or  four  hundred  Indians 
cut  off  four  or  five  times  their  number,  but  he  was  wiser  now  and  gave 
an  account  of  their  wars. 

Robert    Livingston   was  at   Onondaga  in  April   of   that   year.      The 

<  >nondagas  were  dejected,  and  must  soon  leave  their  castle,  having  ex- 
hausted the  firewood  near  it.  They  were  then  east  of  Butternut  Creek, 
not  going  to  the  Onondaga  valley  until  some  years  later.  The  present 
village  was  not  a  good  place  for  a  fort,  for  it  was  sixteen  miles  to  water, 
unless  they  went  to  Kaneenda,  at  the  head  of  Onondaga  Lake.  He 
thought  the  fort  should  be  at  Three  River  Point,  and  garrisoned  by  one 
hundred  young  men.  The  French  had  a  faction  at  Onondaga,  and  pro- 
posed  building  a  fort  at  Kaneenda. 

Three  commissioners,  Peter  Schuyler,  Robert  Livingston,  and  Hen- 
driek    II-  me  to  the  fishing  place  of  Onondaga,  called  Kachna- 

-m  Chittenango  Creek  near  Bridgeport,  April  23,  1700,  and 
met  three  Onondaga  sachems  there.  Aqueendera  being  at  his  fishing 
beyond  Oneida  Lake,  had  a  birch  canoe  sent  for  him,  and  soon 
i  ame.  In  a  few  days  all  went  to  Onondaga  Castle,  and  were  welcomed 
with  a  feast  of  hasty  pudding.  They  were  there  for  some  time,  re- 
futing  French  stories. 

■•   hundn  rids  were  sent  from  England  for  the  sod  fort,  and 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  FRENCH  AND  ENGLISH.  15 

plenty  of  arms  also  for  the  Iroquois.  Appropriations  were  made  in  the 
colony,  and  Bellomont  bespoke  400  wheelbarrows  and  other  tools,  for 
the  work,  yet  no  results  followed.  This  was  partly  from  the  opposition 
of  the  traders,  partly  from  trouble  among-  the  Onondagas.  Poisoning 
had  been  introduced  among  them,  and  on  this  account  Aqueendera 
stayed  long  in  Albany.  French  influences  were  also  strong,  and  when 
Colonel  Romer  went  to  Onondaga  to  select  a  place  for  the  fort,  he  was 
coldly  received,  Dekanissora  advising  him  to  wait  until  all  the  Five 
Nations  were  consulted. 

Colonel  Romer 's  party  reached  Onondaga,  on  horseback,  September 
26,  1700,  and  a  house  was  given  them.  They  wanted  a  canoe  at  Ka- 
neenda,  but  could  get  none  until  October  3,  when  the)'  went  to  Three 
River  Point.  This  was  not  suitable  for  a  fort,  and  the5T  visited  Kach- 
nawarage,  on  the  River  Ouohock  or  Chittenango  Creek,  where  a  good 
site  was  found.  This  seems  to  have  been  the  high  land  on  the  Terwil- 
liger  farm,  east  of  the  creek,  opposite  lot  100,  Cicero,  where  a  stockade 
was  afterwards  built.  The  British  engineer  could  not  follow  out  his 
farther  instructions,  but  returned  to  Oneida,  and  visited  the  carrying 
place  there.  His  map  sufficiently  shows  his  route,  but  has  some  odd 
features.  Onondaga  Lake  is  the  Lake  of  Cananda,  usually  called  Ka- 
neenda  by  the  English,  and  Ganentaha  by  the  French.  The  Oneida 
River  is  theOnnondages;  Lake  Erie  is  SwTege,  and  Ontario  isCadragqua. 
Seneca  Lake  is  Senagrawen,  and  Cayuga  is  Theehero.  The  village  of 
Onondaga  appears  on  the  east  side  of  Kachioiahte,  or  Butternut  Creek. 
The  ledge,  or  more  properly  lodge,  as  in  one  journal,  of  Kagnewagrage, 
or  Sachnawarage  as  on  the  map,  is  on  the  Chittenango  Creek,  called 
Quiehook  or  Ouohock.  Clark  erroneously  places  these  on  the  Oswego 
River,  and  credits  the  names  to  the  early  Jesuits.  A  nameless  fort 
appears  at  Oswego,  probably  a  later  addition.  The  Cajouge  River 
takes  the  place  of  the  Seneca,  while  the  true  Seneca  enters  the  Oswego 
between  the  Oneida  and  Lake  Ontario.  The  map  serves  to  correct 
errors  in  the  several  journals. 

Dekanissora  went  to  New  York  with  Lieutenant-Governor  Xanfan  in 
1701.  He  had  also  dined  with  the  governor  of  Canada,  who  told  him 
of  his  picture  in  Paris,  and  other  attentions  naturally  pleased  him,  so 
that  the  French  were  in  favor  again.  Bleeker  and  Schuyler  reached 
Onondaga  June  10,  but  the  sachems  would  do  nothing  without  a  full 
house,  and  a  great  company  of  them  went  to  Kaneenda  to  meet  Mari- 
court.      The  English  were  invited,  but  would  not  go.      Maricourt  came 


96  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

in  great  triumph  to  the  town,  bearing  the  French  flag,  and  Father 
Bruyas  accompanied  him,  to  the  great  delight  of  his  friends.  A  full 
condolence  of  both  Onondagas  and  Cayugas  followed,  both  having  lost 
principal  chiefs.  Dekanissora  made  a  shrewd  speech  in  the  council. 
He  complained  of  the  allies  of  the  French,  but  would  have  accepted  his 
belt  who  gave  the  best  bargains.  He  would  not  wear  a  bear-skin  to 
church;  he  wanted  good  clothes,  and  would  have  a  minister  of  him  who 
sold  the  cheapest  goods.  Maricourt  carried  things  with  a  high  hand, 
and  Dekanissora  arranged  matters  with  him  at  Kaneenda. 

The  Jesuits  promptly  took  advantage  of  the  peaceful  conditions,  and 
were  active  in  their  missions  at  various  points,  a  course  which  gave 
such  offense  to  the  provincial  government  that  an  act  was  passed  by 
the  Colonial  Assembly  in  1700,  requiring  every  "ecclesiastical  person 
receiving  his  ordination  from  the  Pope  or  See  of  Rome,"  then  residing 
in  the  province,  to  depart  from  it  before  the  1st  day  of  November  of 
that  year,  under  penalty  of  death.     The  preamble  of  this  act  is  quaint: 

Whereas,  divers  Jesuits  and  popish  missionaries  have  of  late  come,  and  for  some 
time  have  had  their  residence  in  the  remote  parts  of  this  province,  and  others  his 
majesty's  adjacent  colonies,  who  by  their  wicked  and  subtle  insinuations  industriously 
labor  to  debauch,  seduce,  and  withdraw  the  Indians,  from  their  due  obedience  unto 
his  most  sacred  majesty,  and  to  excite  and  stir  them  up  tp  sedition,  rebellion,  and 
open  hostility  against  his  majesty's  government;  For  prevention  thereof,  etc. 

Many  of  the   Iroquois  took  similar  grounds,  for  the  French  openly 
ted  that  the  missionaries  had  gained  them  hundreds  of  good  Indian 
soldiers,  a  great  loss  to  the  Five  Nations. 

A  close  game  was  now  played.  In  1702,  Dekanissora  said  half  the 
Onondagas  desired  a  French  priest,  half  an  English.  The  next  year 
Father  Lamberville,  a  lay  brother  and  a  smith,  went  to  Onondaga;  and 
Fathers  Gamier  and  Vaillant,  with  Maricourt  and  other  Frenchmen, 
were  with  the  Senecas.  Maricourt  went  also  to  Onondaga,  where  he 
completed  Lamberville's  house  and  chapel,  andTe  Deum  and  mass  were 
sung  there  before  he  left.  Many  conferences  followed,  both  with  the 
French  and  English,  and  the  versatile  Joncaire  made  himself  felt. 

Father  d'Heu  wrote  from  Onondaga,  May  24,  1708,  and  said  that  an 

Englishman    came    there    in    February,   stayed   a   month    there,    some 

3  at  Cayuga,  and  was  then  at  Oneida.      When   he  proposed  a  fort 

iskonchiage,  or  Oswego  Falls;  and  another  at  the  head  of  Lake 

Thiroguen,  or  Oneida,  they  refused  the  first,  and  referred  the  second  to 

das.     The  English  blacksmith   had  returned  to  Onondaga,  but 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  FRENCH  AND  ENGLISH.  97 

the  French  party  were  not  willing  to  give  up  the  anvil,  which  belonged 
to  them.  They  concealed  it  in  the  priest's  house.  They  wanted  a 
French  smith,  and  he  thought  it  "would  be  very  important  for  the 
good  of  religion  and  the  French  colony"  that  they  should  have  one. 
Of  such  political  and  religious  importance  were  blacksmiths  then. 
However,  the  anvil  was  given  up,  to  save  trouble,  and  the  English 
smith  remained. 

Joncaire  could  not  be  everywhere,  and  while  he  was  with  the  Sene- 
cas,  in  1709,  Abraham  Schuyler  came  to  Onondaga  to  sing  the  war  song. 
He  persuaded  Lamberville  to  go  to  Montreal  to  report,  and  then  made 
Father  Mareuil  believe  that  his  life  was  not  safe,  and  he  followed. 
Then  some  drunken  Indians  pillaged  and  burned  up  their  house  and 
chapel.  In  spite  of  this  De  la  Chauviniere  came  to  Onondaga  the  next 
year,  and  was  well  received.  At  the  same  place  De  Longueuil  and 
Joncaire  made  propositions  to  the  Onondagas  and  Oneidas  in  July, 
threatening  to  destroy  them  if  they  sided  with  the  English.  This  again 
led  the  Onondagas  to  desire  an  English  fort. 

The  French  made  one  more  strong  effort  at  Onondaga.  In  the  spring 
of  1711,  some  French  officers  and  men  came  there  to  build  a  trading  house, 
bringing  a  present  of  about  $3, 000,  mostly  in  ammunition .  Colonel  Schuy- 
ler was  sent  at  once  to  stop  this,  setting  out  May  2,  with  six  men.  Ue 
Longueuil  had  then  been  fourteen  days  at  Onondaga  at  work,  the 
Indians  having  given  him  a  lot  in  the  midst  of  their  castle.  Schuyler 
reached  Onondaga  May  IT.  De  Longueuil  left  his  nearly  completed 
building  and  went  to  Kaneenda,  where  his  canoes  were.  The  next  day 
a  council  was  held,  and  the  Onondagas  gave  Schuyler  leave  to  destroy 
the  blockhouse,  which  was  done  next  day.  It  was  twenty-four  and  one- 
half  feet  long  and  eighteen  feet  broad,  covered  with  boards  and  nailed. 
Other  lumber  was  sawed  for  a  chapel,  which  he  also  destroyed.  There 
were  about  twenty-four  French  in  the  party,  with  their  officers. 

Five  hundred  Iroquois  visited  Albany,  August  24,  and  as  they  marched 
down  the  hill,  past  the  fort,  they  had  a  salute  of  five  guns,  after  the 
French  custom.  In  the  council  each  nation  sat  on  the  ground  by  itself. 
All  were  ready  to  join  in  the  war.  Four  (five)  Indians  had  been  in 
England,  and  Lieutenant-Governor  Nicholson  gave  a  set  of  their  pic- 
tures, in  four  glazed  frames,  to  hang  in  the  council  house  at  Onondaga. 
Queen  Anne  had  ordered  that  forts  and  chapels  should  be  built  and 
missionaries  sent  to  the  Iroquois.  She  also  sent  two  communion  sets, 
one  of  which  was  for  the  Onondagas.     This  is  still  preserved  in  Albany. 

13 


98  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

The  Indians  were  practical.  The  queen's  arms  in  their  castles  would 
not  defend  them.     They  wanted  powder. 

The  French  and  English  were  both  busy  at  Onondaga  in  1712.  The 
next  year  Hansen,  Bleeker  and  Clasen  were  sent  there  in  September. 
At  a  council  on  the  20th,  the  sachems  "spoke  with  three  strings  of 
wampum  in  their  loftiest  style."  They  were  told  of  the  peace,  and  the 
hatchet  was  taken  out  of  their  hands.  Dekanissora  asked  the  good 
offices  of  the  commissioners  for  the  Tuscaroras,  and  the  next  year  these 
were  received  in  Xew  York,  where  many  still  reside. 

Meanwhile  the  English  and  the  thrifty  Dutch,  with  renewed  energy, 
pushed  their  trade  farther  and  farther  into  the  Indian  country  north  of 
the  lakes.  The  important  question  of  boundaries  had  been  left  by  the 
Utrecht  treaty  largely  undefined,  a  circumstance  which  led  to  almost 
endless  correspondence  and  complaints,  and  ere  long  it  appeared  that 
harmony  between  the  French  and  the  English  could  not  long  continue. 
At  the  same  time  the  Five  Nations  resumed  hostilities  against  their 
ancient  enemies,  the  Flat  Heads,  in  the  Carolinas,  and  after  a  series  of 
battles  returned. 

At  a  council  held  at  Albany,  August  31,  1715,  Dekanissora,  the  On- 
ondaga chief,  congratulated  the  governor  on  the  accession  to  the  throne 
of  George  I,  Queen  Anne  having  died  in  the  previous  year.  At  an- 
other council,  June  13,  1717,  Governor  Hunter  assured  the  chiefs  of  the 
Five  Nations  of  the  good  will  of  his  master,  the  king,  and  renewed  the 
league  of  friendship.  In  this  council  Dekanissora  informed  the  gov- 
ernor that  the  French  had  built  a  fort  at  "  Ierondoquat, "  where  they 
were  supplying  the  Indians  with  powder  and  lead,  clothing,  etc.,  and 
stopped  tlie  furs  on  the  way  from  the  upper  country. 

Various  matters  followed,  and  in  1721  the  English  took  another  step, 
the  French  having  long  had  a  trading  house  at  Niagara.  In  Septem- 
ber, Peter  Schuyler,  jr.,  was  sent,  with  a  company  of  young  men,  to 
[rondequoit  Bay,  to  trade  for  a  year  with  the  Senecas  and  Far  Indians. 
That  year  the  Tuscaroras  appeared  in  the  Albany  council  for  the  first 
time.  Other  important  councils  followed,  and  in  September,  1724, 
Governor  Burnet  announced  his  purpose  of  building  a  fort  at  the  mouth 
of  th  daga,    now   the  Oswego   River.     The   Onondagas  wanted 

Myndert  Kemp  for  a  smith,  for  he  was  good  and  kind,  but  Burnet  gave 
t  hem  his  brotlici-. 

In  1  ;.'.'.  De  Longueuil  met  100  Englishmen  at  Oswego  Falls,  with 
canoes,  and  tiny  made  him  show  his  pass.     He  reproached  the  Iroquois 


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THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  FRENCH  AND  ENGLISH.  S9 

with  being  no  longer  masters  of  their  own  country.  He  met  also  over 
a  hundred  canoes  going  to  the  English  to  trade,  and  the  Onondagas 
told  him  they  had  consented  to  an  English  fort  at  Oswego  Falls.  M.  de 
Vaudreuil  had  previously  reported  "that  the  English  had  proposed  a 
settlement  at  the  mouth  of  the  River  Choneguen,  on  the  banks  of  Lake 
Ontario,  a  territory  which  had  been  always  considered  to  belong  to 
France."  It  was  necessary  to  prevent  this,  for  it  would  involve  the  loss  of 
Niagara  and  all  the  western  Indian  trade.  If  the  Onondagas  approved  of 
the  plan,  however,  it  could  not  be  hindered.  Longueuil  went  to  Onondaga 
in  October,  1725,  on  this  and  other  matters,  and  had  permission  to 
build  a  stone  house  at  Niagara  and  place  two  barks  on   Lake  Ontario. 

There  are  several  references  to  the  Oswego  fort  before  it  was  actually 
built.  M.  de  Longueuil,  July  26,  1726,  ordered  his  son,  who  was  in 
command  at  Niagara,  "not  to  return  until  the  English  and  Dutch  have 
retired  from  Choueguen,  where  they  have  passed  the  entire  summer, 
to  the  number  of  300  men,  and  to  have  their  canoes  plundered  should 
he  meet  any  of  them  trading  in  the  lake."  His  son  replied,  in  Septem- 
ber, "that  there  are  no  more  Englishmen  at  Choueguen,  along  the 
lake,  nor  in  the  river."  In  May,  1726,  the  Duke  of  Newcastle  wrote  to 
Horatio  Walpole,1  on  the  demand  of  the  French  governor  for  the  demoli- 
tion of  a  fort  which  Governor  Burnet  had  built  at  Oswego.  Meantime 
the  French  themselves  proposed  erecting  a  fort  there.  In  Jul)-,  1727, 
Governor  Beauharnois  mentioned  some  of  the  French  forts  built  pre- 
viously on  Lake  Ontario.  These  were  at  Frontenac,  La  Famine,  Oswego, 
Sodus  Bay,  Irondequoit,  Des  Sables  and  Niagara.  Of  some  of  these 
there  is  no  other  record. 

In  1701  the  Five  Nations  had  conveyed  their  beaver  lands  around 
Lake  Erie  in  trust  to  the  English.  In  1726  the  Onondagas,  Cayugas, 
and  Senecas  added  a  trust  deed  of  a  smaller  extent.  The  second  de.^d 
included  the  lands  in  a  belt  sixty  miles  wide,  extending  from  Caynung- 
hage  (Salmon  River),  belonging  to  the  Onondagas,  all  along  Lake 
Ontario,  the  Niagara  River,  and  "the  Lake  Oswego,"  (Erie),  to  the' 
creek  called  Canahogue  (probably  Cuyahoga).  Of  course  the  Mohawks 
and  Oneidas  were  not  affected  by  this  deed. 

The  fort  at  Oswego  was  commenced  in  the  spring  of  1727,  and  fin- 
ished in  August.  Lest  the  French  should  interfere,  Governor  Burnet 
sent  sixty  soldiers  there,  and  two  hundred  traders  were  already  on  the 

1  Uncle  of  Horace  Walpole,  who  was  born  in  171V.     Horatio  was  an  able  man. 


100  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

spot  The  permanent  garrison  would  be  an  officer  and  twenty  men. 
When  De  Chauvignerie  went  on  an  embassy  to  Onondaga  in  1728,  the 
sachems  met  him  three  leagues  from  Oswego,  and  told  him  when  he 
passed  the  fort  he  must  fire  the  first  salute,  and  lower  his  flag.  He 
refused,  and  kept  the  French  flag  over  his  tent  as  long  as  he  stayed. 
No  salutes  were  fired.  An  Onondaga  wished  to  carry  a  British  flag 
over  the  canoe,  but  the  French  officer  would  not  allow  it.  Into  Onon- 
daga Castle  De  Chauvignerie  marched  under  his  national  colors,  and 
placed  them  over  Ononwaragon's  cabin. 

The  Marquis  de  Beauharnois,  then  governor-general  of  Canada,  took 
Governor  Burnet  to  task  for  building  this  fort,  and  complained  bitterly 
of  it  as  an  infraction  of  the  treaty  of  Utrecht.  He  sent  his  message 
to  Burnet  by  hand,  and  informed  him  that  he,  at  the  same  time,  had 
dispatched  a  major  to  Oswego  to  order  the  officer  in  command  there  to 
retire  with  his  garrison.  In  his  reply  the  wily  Burnet  reproached  the 
Frenchman  for  not  awaiting  a  reply,  before  sending  a  summons  to  Os- 
wego. "  I  think  myself  obliged,"  he  wrote,  "to  maintain  the  Post  of 
Oswego,  till  I  receive  new  orders  from  the  King,  my  Master." 

Too  much  rum  was  carried  to  the  Indians,  and  thus,  in  1730,  they 
murdered  Jacob  Brower,  a  trader,  at  Oswego  Falls.  They  made  sat- 
isfaction, and  certified  that  he  was  duly  interred.  Contrary  to  common 
oj.ii lion  they  seldom  exacted  life  for  life,  as  this  did  not  repair  the  harm, 
but  customary  presents  covered  the  grave  from  sight. 

The  fur  trade  at  Fort  Frontenac  and  Niagara  now  fell  off  greatly, 
the  French  not  being  allowed  to  carry  brandy  there.  Some  voyageurs 
were  seized  and  fined  by  the  French  for  taking  furs  towards  Oswego  in 
L736,  but  this  did  not  stop  the  course  of  trade.  Complaint  was  also 
made  that  the  Oswego  commandant  had  fired  on  a  French  officer  who 
carried  his  flag  past  the  fort,  and  Captain  Congreve  was  reproved  for 
this  and  other  misconduct. 

A  Little  later  the  important  blacksmith  question  again  became  prom- 
inent. The  Iroquois  told  the  French,  in  1740,  that  they  wanted  young 
Joncaire  again,  and  they  condoled  the  death  of  his  father.  They  also 
desired  the  French  blacksmith  to  come  back,  and  retained  the  whole 
forge  for  him,  but  he  afterwards  left  the  Senecas,  because  they  gave 
their  work  to  the  English  smith,  and  he  was  afraid  of  dying  of  hunger. 
La  Forge,  the  French  blacksmith,  was  also  asked  to  come  and  see  his 
friends  al  Onondaga,  where  his  wife  had  been  brought  up.  Some 
months  elapsed  before  he  could  do  this.     Although  smiths  were  a  ne- 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  ENGLISH.  101 

cessity  among  the  Indians,  for  repairing  their  arms,  they  became  skill- 
ful themselves,  buying  smooth  bore  guns  and  rifling  them  in  a  very  effect- 
ive way.  The  manufacture  of  silver  ornaments,  at  first  bought  of  the 
whites,  eventually  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Indians,  and  every  consid- 
erable village  had  its  silversmith  up  to  a  recent  day. 

After  much  effort,  Lieutenant-Governor  Clarke  at  last  got  a  deed  of 
considerable  land  around  Irondequoit  Bay,  and  also  had  Oswego  forti- 
fied. The  Assembly  also  appropriated  $500  to  feed  the  Indians,  who 
were  suffering  from  a  long  and  severe  winter.  At  this  time,  too,  the 
Cherokees  and  Catawbas,  of  South  Carolina,  gladly  accepted  the  peace 
offered  them  by  the  Six  Nations. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


Pennsylvania  Councils — Conrad  Weiser — Black  Prince — Bartram — Sir  William 
Johnson — Peace. 

Southern  affairs,  as  we  have  seen,  interested  the  Iroquois,  and  at  an 
early  day  Onondagas  were  present  at  councils  in  Pennsylvania.  "  Ahoo- 
kassongh,  brother  to  the  Emperor  or  great  King  of  the  Onondagas  of 
the  Five  Nations,"  took  part  in  a  conference  with  Penn  at  Philadelphia, 
in  1701.  The  Conestogas  told  the  Nanticokes,  in  1707,  when  going  to 
Onondaga,  not  to  be  afraid,  "  for  you  will  find  the  King  of  the  Five 
Nations  a  very  great  one,  and  as  good  a  king  as  any  among  the  Indians. " 
Sonachahregi  and  six  other  Onondagas  were  at  a  council  in  Philadel- 
phia in  173-4,  and  the  next  year  Togohaghski,  an  Onondaga  chief,  went 
with  others  to  persuade  the  Shawnees  to  return  from  the  south.  He 
was  killed.  Afterwards  there  were  frequent  Onondaga  embassies.  ( )n 
one  of  these,  Canassatego  said  they  had  adopted  Conrad  Weiser,  the 
interpreter.  "When  we  adopted  him,  we  divided  him  into  two  equal 
parts;  one  we  kept  for  ourselves,  and  one  we  left  for  you.  He  has  had' 
a  great  deal  of  trouble  with  us,  wore  out  his  shoes  in  our  messages, 
and  dirtied  his  clothes  by  being  among  us,  so  that  he  is  as  nasty  as  an 
Indian."  They  gave  him  a  present  with  which  to  buy  new  clothes, 
and 'wished  the  governor  to  be  equally  generous.  He  first  visited  On- 
ondaga in  1737,  and  was  called  Tarachwagon  by  the  Indians. 


102  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

The  Onondagas  and  Senecas  went  to  Canada  to  see  Governor  Beau- 
harnois,  in  July,  1712,  and  Ononwaragon,  grand  sachem  of  Onondaga, 
spoke.  The  Senecas  wanted  La  Forge's  son  for  their  smith  at  the 
Little  Village,  but  he  must  not  be  rude.  They  said  the  Onondagas 
took  down  the  French  flag,  when  they  came  in  sight  of  Oswego  on  their 
way  home,  and  hoisted  the  English.  The  Senecas  kept  up  the  French 
flag,  and  so  they  had  worn  it  out  by  constant  use,  and  wanted  another. 

Clarke  could  get  no  settlers  to  go  to  Irondequoit,  and  in  1743  he  pro- 
posed that  soldiers  should  be  sent  there  and  a  post  established.  Cattle 
could  be  driven  there,  as  they  were  to  Oswego,  but  if  war  now  came  on, 
Oswego  and  the  Iroquois  would  be  lost  to  the  English.  Governor  Clin- 
ton sent  a  corporal  and  nine  men  to  reinforce  that  post. 

The  Onondagas  had  gone  westerly,  some  years  before,  and  were  now 
living  on  the  east  side  of  Onondaga  Creek,  but  with  a  gradual  move- 
ment towards  the  west  side.  At  this  time,  Bartram  the  naturalist,  Con- 
rad Weiser  the  interpreter,  and  Lewis  Evans,  a  Pennsylvania  agent, 
visited  them,  Bartram  and  Evans  going  as  far  as  Oswego.  Their  ar- 
rival was  at  once  reported  at  Albany,  where  it  excited  some  feeling. 
Bartram's  interesting  journal  has  come  down  to  us  in  full. 

Conrad  Weiser  also  wrote  a  very  full  account  of  the  councils  and 
ceremonies  at  Onondaga,  when  he  was  there  in  1743,  with  Bartram, 
whom  he  does  not  name.  During  their  stay,  he  said  they  "  were  well 
entertained  with  hominy,  venison,  dried  eels,  squashes,  and  Indian 
corn  bread."  He  wras  there  again  in  1745,  and  after  the  council,  dined 
with  all  the  members  at  the  house  of  the  Black  Prince,  who  "enter- 
tained us  plentifully  with  hominy,  dried  venison  and  fish,  and  after 
dinner  we  were  served  with  .a  dram  round." 

There  are  several  descriptions  of  Tocanuntie,  the  Black  Prince  of  the 
Onondagas,  so  called  from  his  dark  complexion,  which  came  either 
from  tattooing  or  negro  parentage  on  one  side.  In  1744  he  was  de- 
scribed as  a  ''tall,  thin  man:  old,  and  not  as  well  featured  as  Canassa- 
tego.  I  believe  he  may  be  near  the  same  age  with  him.  He  is  one  of 
tlie  greatest  warriors  that  ever  the  Five  Nations  produced,  and  has  been 
a  great  war  captain  for  many  years  past."  Zinzendorf's  description  is 
graph 

The  Black  Prince  of  Onondaga  is  a  terrible  fellow.  On  one  occasion  he  broke  into 
the  stockaded  castle  of  tin-  enemy;  scalped  the  inhabitants,  and  escaped  unhurt. 
While  on  ,i  visil  to  Colonel  PJicolls,  one  of  the  colored  servants  poured  water  on. him. 

With  a  thrust  of  his  knife,  the  enraged  Indian  stabbed  the  man  in  the  stomach,   so 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  ENGLISH.  103 

that  he  fell  dead  at  his  feet.  Straightway  he  informed  Nicolls  of  what  had  occurred. 
"This  act,"  said  the  latter,  "would  be  regarded  a  capital  offense  in  Europe."  "  With 
us,"  retorted  the  Prince,  "trifling  with  a  warrior  is  regarded  as  a  capital  offense,  and 
hence  I  slew  your  man.  If  death  is  decreed  me,  here  I  am ;  do  with  me  according  to 
your  laws."     The  Prince  is  still  living. 

John  Bartram  pleasantly  describes  his  journey  along  the  west  side  of 
Pompey  Hill,  July  21,  1743.  He  admired  it  greatly.  They  crossed  the 
valley,  and  reached  Tueyahdasso  or  Cachiadachse,  in  La  Fayette,  with 
its  ten  large  cabins,  four  miles  from  Onondaga,  then  east  of  the  creek. 
As  a  naturalist,  the  limestone  ledges,  the  groves  of  arbor  vitae,  and  the 
tufa  at  the  springs  attracted  his  attention.  These  springs  were  the 
third  he  had  seen.      The  council  house  was 

About  eighty  feet  long  and  seventeen  broad ;  the  common  passage  six  feet  wide ; 
and  the  apartments  on  each  side  five  feet,  raised  a  foot  above  the  passage  by  a  long 
sapling,  hewed  square,  and  fitted  with  joists  that  go  from  it  to  the  back  of  the  house. 
On  these  joists  they  lay  a  large  piece  of  bark,  and  on  extraordinary  occasions  spread 
mats,  made  of  rushes.  .  .  .  The  apartments  are  divided  from  each  other  by 
boards  or  bark,  six  or  seven  feet  long,  from  the  lower  floor  to  the  upper,  on  which 
they  put  their  lumber.  When  they  have  eaten  their  hominy,  as  they  sit  in  each 
apartment  before  the  fire,  they  can  put  the  bowl  overhead,  having  not  over  five  foot 
to  reach.  They  sit  on  the  floor,  sometimes  at  each  end,  but  mostly  at  one.  They 
have  a  shed  to  put  their  wood  into  in  the  winter,  or  in  the  summer  to  converse  or 
play,  that  has  a  door  to  the  south.  All  the  sides  and  the  roof  of  the  cabin  are  made 
of  bark,  bound  fast  to  poles  set  in  the  ground,  and  bent  round  on  the  top,  or  set 
aslant  for  the  roofs,  as  we  set  our  rafters.  Over  each  fireplace  they  have  a  hole  to 
let  out  the  smoke,  which  they  cover  with  a  piece  of  bark,  and  this  they  can  easily 
reach  with  a  pole,  to  push  it  on  one  side,  or  quite  over  the  hole.  After  this  model 
are  most  of  their  cabins  built." 

Some  of  these  held  two  families,  and  he  saw  but  forty,  scattered 
along  for  two  miles.  "  The  whole  town  is  a  strange  mixture  of  cabins, 
interspersed  with  great  patches  of  high  grass,  bushes  and  shrubs;  some 
of  peas,  corn  and  squashes." 

On  the  23d  he  went  to  the  salt  springs,  on  the  west  side  of  the  mouth 
of  the  creek.  There  was  a  kind  of  sandy  beach  there,  on  "the  bank 
of  the  river,  containing  3  or  4  acres.  There  the  Indians  dig  holes, 
about  2  foot  deep,  which  soon  filling  with  brine,  they  dip  their  kettles, 
and  boil  the  contents  until  the  salt  remains  at  the  bottom." 

Bartram's  entire  observations  are  of  high  interest,  and  he  describes 
the  feasts,  dances,  and  councils,  which  took  place  during  his  brief  stay. 
He  also  went  to  Oswego,  where  he  cut  his  name  in  the  soft  stone  form- 
ing the  walls  of   the  fort.      Both  he  and  Charlevoix  allude  to  the  occa- 


104  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

sional  tidal  waves  on  the  great  lakes.  They  ' '  ebb  and  flow  several 
times  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  tho'  it  be  perfectly  smooth,  and  scarce 
any  wind."  This  phenomenon  occurs  on  our  smaller  lakes,  generally 
in  a  calm  after  a  strong  wind.  Sir  William  described  something  of  the 
kind  at  Brewerton,  July  22,  1761.  "There  was  such  a  storm  as 
emptied  the  river  at  this  post,  of  water,  so  that  several  salmon  and 
other  fish  were  left  dry  for  awhile." 

On  the  22d  of  June,  1744,  at  noon  there  arrived  at  Lancaster,  Penn., 
252  Iroquois. 

Several  of  their  squaws  or  wives,  with  some  small  children,  rode  on  horseback, 
which  is  very  unusual  with  them.  They  brought  their  fire-arms  and  bows  and  ar- 
rows, as  well  as  tomahawks.  A  great  concourse  of  people  followed  them.  They 
marched  in  very  good  order,  with.  Canassatego,  one  of  the  Onondaga  chiefs,  at  their 
head,  who,  when  he  came  near  to  the  court-house  wherein  we  were  dining,  sung  in 
the  Indian  language  a  song,  inviting  us  to  a  renewal  of  all  treaties  heretofore  made, 
or  about  to  be  made.  [Materials  were  supplied,  out  of  which  the  Iroquois  at  once 
made  temporary  habitations.]  They  will  not  on  any  occasion  whatsoever,  dwell  or 
even  stay  in  houses  built  by  white  people.  They  place  their  cabins  according  to  the 
rank  each  nation  of  them  holds  in  their  grand  council.  The  Onondagoes  nation  were 
placed  on  the  right  hand  and  upper  end. 

Canassatego  was  thus  described  in  1744: 

He  was  a  tall,  well-made  man ;  had  a  very  full  chest  and  brawny  limbs.  He  had  a 
manly  coutenance,  mixed  with  a  good-natured  smile.  He  was  about  60  years  of  age, 
very  active,  strong,  and  had  a  surprising  liveliness  in  his  speech. 

A  conflict  between  France  and  England  was  inevitable,  and  was  com- 
menced in  March,  1744.  One  of  the  consequences  was  the  abandon- 
ment of  Oswego  by  almost  everybody  who  could  get  away.  Governor 
Clinton  wrote  the  Assembly,  August  20.  1744: 

From  the  Kxamination  herewith  laid  before  you,  it  must  be  inferred,  that  the  Prov- 
ince  has  suffered  Considerable  Damage  this  summer,  by  the  precipitate  Retreat  of 
our  Indian  Traders  from  Oswego,  upon  notice  of  the  French  Wax:  most  of  them, 
you  will  find,  left  the  Place  immediately  upon  the  Alarm,  sold  what  they  could  of 
their  Goods,  t<>  those  few  of  their  Brethren,  that  had  Sense,  Courage  and  Resolution, 
to  stay  behind,  and  brought  the  remainder  back  with  them.  .  .  .  How  mean  an 
on  must  the  Savages  entertain  of  us,  when  they  find  our  People  so  easily  fright- 
ened, as  it  were  with  a  Shadow. 

Governor  Clinton  did  what  he  could  to  protect  and  strengthen  Oswe- 
go,  sending  six  cannon  thither  and  calling  a  council  of  the  vSix  Nations 
at  Albany,  to  solicit  their  aid  in  defending  the  post  against  the  common 
enemy.  In  this  he  was  not  very  successful,  the  Indians  claiming  that 
the  place  was  not   as  valuable  as  formerly,  and  showing  some  inclina- 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  ENGLISH.  105 

tion  to  remain  neutral  in  the  coming  conflict.      There  were  good  reasons 
for  their  course. 

The  old  records  abound  in  stories  of  devices  to  gain  the  good  will  of 
the  Iroquois.  Brandy,  rum,  trinkets,  arms,  ammunition,  abundant 
promises,  and  even  false  reports  did  their  part.  The  Iroquois  under- 
stood their  advantages  and  made  the  most  of  them.  The  Onondagas, 
indeed,  were  honestly  and  evenly  divided  in  their  predilections,  but  all 
felt,  and  the  constant  efforts  put  forth  on  both  sides  proved  to  them, 
that  they  held  the  balance  of  power 

When  hostilities  again  broke  out  between  the  French  and  the  English 
in  1744,  the  old  scenes  were  to  a  great  extent  re-enacted,  the  Five  Na- 
tions being  again  an  important  factor  in  the  conflict.  At  about  the  be- 
ginning of  the  struggle,  Sir  William  Johnson,  who  had  come  to  America 
in  1738  as  agent  for  the  lands  of  his  uncle,  Sir  Peter  Warren,  was  made 
superintendent  of  Indian  affairs.  It  was  a  wise  selection.  Johnson 
lived  in  the  Mohawk  valley,  was  a  man  of  great  executive  ability,  ex- 
cellent judgment  and  discriminating  tact,  and  seems  to  have  gained  a 
better  knowledge  of  the  Indian  character,  and  a  better  conception  of 
what  was  due  them,  both  for  their  own  good  and  that  of  the  English, 
than  most  of  his  contemporaries.  Through  his  influence  he  was  able 
to  protect  the  Mohawk  frontier  and  its  vicinity  during  this  period  of 
warfare;  hence  the  details  of  the  struggle  need  not  be  followed  here. 
The  treaty  of  Aix-la-Chapelle,  which  was  signed  on  October  18,  1744, 
ended  the  conflict  for  a  considerable  period.  It  stipulated,  among 
other  things,  that  all  conquests  made  during  the  war  by  either  power, 
should  be  restored  as  they  were  previous  thereto,  and  it  was  now  fondly 
hoped  that  permanent  peace  was  established. 

With  all  barriers  removed,  the  fur  trade  and  other  commerce  with  the 
Indians  was  entered  upon  with  renewed  activity  by  both  the  English 
and  the  French.  The  general  current  of  this  trade  was  along  the  bor- 
der of  this  county,  and  its  operations  were  closely  watched  and  its  ben- 
efits shared  by  the  Onondagas.  The  Oneida  and  the  Oswego  Rivers 
were  a  busy  highway,  while  a  post  at  the  mouth  of  the  latter  stream 
presented  a  scene  of  remarkable  activity.  There  a  considerable  trade 
was  opened  with  the  late  enemies  of  the  English  in  Canada,  who  re- 
mained blind  to  the  illicit  character  of  a  commerce  that  was  profitable 
to  them,  but  the  old  jealousy  and  rivalry,  which  had  been  the  cause  of 
all  the  intercolonial  warfare  thus  far,  still  remained. 

14 


106  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

M<  iravians  —  Zeisberger  —  Spangenberg  —  Cammerhoff  —  Vocabularies  —  War- 
Father  Picquet— Peace— Discouragements— New  Plans. 

Meanwhile  a  religious  episode  of  some  interest  occurred.  The  Mora- 
vians had  reached  Pennsylvania,  and  were  looking  for  missionary  fields 
among  the  Indians.  Count  Zinzendorf  met  some  of  the  Iroquois  at 
Conrad  Weiser's,  August  3,  1742,  and  made  a  covenant  with  them,  re- 
ceiving a  string  of  186  wampum  beads  as  a  token.  These  became 
wSpangenberg's  credentials  when  he  went  to  Onondaga.  The  count 
said,  "  The  Onondagos  are  ye  chief  nation  in  reality;  ye  Judah  amongst 
their  brethren."  He  afterwards  added,  "The  second  nation,  which 
properly  governs  the  rest,  is  the  Nation  of  the  Onondagoes.  Those 
are  philosophers,  and  such  as  among  us  are  called  deists.  They  are 
brave,  honest  people,  who  keep  their  word ;  and  their  general  weak- 
ness is  that  they  delight  in  heroic  deeds Their  government 

is  very  equitable  and  fatherlike."     Their  successors  should  not  fall  be- 
hind them  in  virtues  like  these. 

When  all  was  read}7,  Bishop  A.  G.  Spangenberg,  David  Zeisberger 
and  John  J.  Shebosch  set  out  from  Bethlehem,  Pa.,  for  Onondaga, 
May  ->t,  II  !.">.  There  were  seven  in  the  party  when  they  left  Shamo- 
kin,  and  it  included  Conrad  Weiser,  and  his  two  sons,  the  Oneida  chief 
Shikellimy,  and  others.  Shikellimy  was  the  father  of  the  celebrated 
Logan,  who  was  a  Cayuga  because  his  mother  was  of  that  nation.  He 
was  not  with  him  at  this  time. 

The  journalist  said,  "  Our  guides,    Shikellimy  and  his  son,  and  An- 
drew Sattelihu,  saw  tit  to  give  us  Maqua  names,  as  they  said  ours  were 
difficult  for  them  to  pronounce.      Brother  Spangenberg  they  named 
rhitonti,   i.  e.f  a  row  of  trees;   John  Joseph,    Hajingonis,  i.  c,  one 
who  twists  tobacco;  and  David   Zeisberger,   Ganousseracheri,  i.  c,  on 
the  pumpkin. " 

They  were  near  the  Onondaga  country  by  June  16.  "Early  in  the 
morning  we  passed  the  first  lake,  which  is  called  Ganiataragachrachat, 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  MORAVIANS  107 

and  also  five  others  which  empty  into  the  Susquehanna.  Nooned  at 
Lake  Ganneratareske.  Journeyed  further,  and  came  at  night  to  the 
large  lake,  Oserigooch,  where  we  encamped."  John  W.  Jordan  locates 
these  lakes  in  Cortlandville,  Preble,  and  Tully. 

The  next  day  they  were  delayed  until  nearly  noon.  "Soon  after 
starting  we  got  the  first  Onondaga  water  to  drink,  which  tastes  salty. 
Our  course  was  N.  W.  After  dinner  we  reached  Onondaga,  where  we 
were  heartily  and  courteously  received,  and  invited  into  the  King's 
house." 

"June  19.  In  the  evening  the  Indians  paraded  through  the  town  to 
the  music  of  a  couple  of  violins,  flutes,  and  a  drum;  and  also  around 
the  house  where  we  lodged."  Their  host's  name  was  Aschanchtioni, 
and  the  chief  men  were  Canassatego,  the  Black  Prince,  and  Caxhay- 
ton.  There  were  feasts  and  dancings,  and  Brother  Spangenberg  de- 
lighted the  Indians  by  bleeding  all  who  applied.  While  at  Onondaga 
he  went  to  Oswego  by  the  lake  and  river.  On  their  return  to  Pennsyl- 
vania they  stopped  at  Tiatachtont,  or  Tueyahdasso,  in  La  Fayette,  as 
Bartram  had  done,  and  there  they  parted  company,  Spangenberg  tak- 
ing the  path  to  the  right,  nearly  as  they  had  come,  and  Weiser  follow- 
ing that  to  the  left,  as  he  had  done  two  years  before.  This  was  Zeis- 
berger's  first  visit  to  Onondaga. 

As  the  Moravian  episode  has  little  to  do  with  general  history,  it  may 
be  briefly  given  here. 

A  second  embassy  was  undertaken  to  Onondaga  in  1750,  and  this 
time  Bishop  Cammerhoff  was  the  companion  of  Zeisberger.  This  time 
they  went  by  the  Susquehanna  River  and  Cayuga  Lake,  then  called 
Ganiataragechiat.  They  reached  Onondaga  June  19,  and  were  wel- 
comed at  Canassatego's  great  house,  in  front  of  which  floated  the  Eng- 
lish flag.  They  hastened  to  the  council,  which  was  in  session,  and  the 
bishop  presented  a  pipe  of  tobacco  to  the  assembled  chiefs.  They  gave 
their  message  two  days  later,  or  tried  to  do  so,  but  most  of  the  chiefs 
were  drunk,  and  it  could  not  be  received.  To  pass  away  the  time  the 
Moravians  made  a  perilous  journey  to  the  Cayugas  and  Senecas.  Even 
after  their  return  there  were  delays,  but  at  last  permission  was  obtained 
for  two  of  the  brethren  to  live  among  the  Iroquois  and  learn  their  lan- 
guage.    Cammerhoff  did  not  long  survive  this  terrible  journey. 

Zeisberger  started  again  for  Onondaga,  July  21,  1752,  going  by  Al- 
bany, and  having  Rundt  and  Mack  as  companions.  The  Oneida  chiefs 
ordered  him  to  return,  but  he  proposed  a  council,  and  gained  their  good 


108  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

will.  He  reached  Onondaga  August  20,  and  lodged  with  one  of  the 
sachems  of  Upper  Onondaga.  Within  a  few  years  the  Onondagas  had 
moved  west  of  the  creek,  and  now  had  two  villages  there.  Otschino- 
chiata,  Garachguntie,  Hatachsocu,  and  Ganatschiagaje,  the  host  of  the 
missionaries,  were  sachems  of  the  upper  town;  Zagona  and  Gane- 
chronca,  sachems  of  the  lower.  The  Moravians  were  well  received  by 
the  council  and  were  permitted  to  dwell  among  the  Indians,  and  learn 
their  language.  "They  may  begin  here  at  Onondaga;  they  may  then 
go  to  the  Cayugas,  and  next  to  the  Senecas."  Mack,  however,  soon 
went  home,  as  had  been  intended.  In  his  unpublished  journal,  Zeis- 
berger  gives  many  interesting  incidents  of  their  daily  life,  but  the 
drunkenness  was  so  fearful  that  they  were  obliged  to  return  to  Beth- 
lehem. 

The  following  year  Zeisberger  came  back  to  Onondaga,  and  reached 
it  June  8,  1753.  He  was  accompanied  by  Henry  Frey,  and  remained 
until  November.  He  was  there  again  the  following  summer,  and 
erected  a  log  cabin  as  a  mission  house.  At  this  time  he  acted  as 
Keeper  of  the  Wampum,  and  remained  for  ten  months.  His  next  and 
final  visit  was  in  1766.  His  mission  house  was  still  standing,  and  the 
British  flag  still  waved  over  the  council  house.  All  that  he  had  accom- 
plished was  to  learn  something  of  the  language. 

In  his  first  volume  of  American  Linguistics,  published  in  1859,  J.  G. 
Shea  gives  an  Iroquois  dictionary  from  a  manuscript  of  the  seven- 
teenth century,  now  in  the  Mazarin  Library,  Paris.  It  contains  103 
pages,  in  double  columns.  He  and  others  thought  it  an  Onondaga- 
French  vocabulary,  but  it  is  not  confined  to  one  dialect.  Out  of  fifty- 
four  words  compared,  twenty-three' were  Cayuga,  fourteen  Onon- 
daga, eight  Mohawk,  seven  Seneca,  and  two  Oneida.  A  similar  work, 
of  236  pages,  was  issued  by  the  late  Prof.  E.  N.  Horsford,  in  1887. 
It  is  entitled  "  Zeisberger's  Indian  Dictionary.  English,  German,  Iro- 
quois— the  Onondaga,  and  Algonquin — the  Delaware,"  and  is  from 
the  original  manuscript  in  Harvard  College  Library.  Zeisberger  stud- 
Mohawk  first,  and  although  he  spent  much  time  at  Onondaga  in 
mastering  the  Onondaga  dialect,  most  of  the  Indian  words  in  this  are 
Mohawk.  lie  also  wrote  an  "  Essay  on  an  Onondaga  Grammar,  or  a 
Shorl  [ntroduction  to  learn  the  Onondaga^/.  Maqua  Tongue."  This 
was  reprinted  from  the  Pennsylvania  Magazine  of  History,  in  1888,  and 
contains  forty-five  pages.  This  is  also,  as  might  be  inferred  from  the 
title,  as  much  Mohawk  as  Onondaga,  though  he  constantly  refers  to  the 


CONTINUATION  OF  WAR.  109 

latter,  as  he  says  of  the  labials,  "  the  Onondagos  cannot  well  pronounce 
them  in  the  English."  He  also  prepared  seven  small  quarto  volumes 
of  manuscript,  comprising  2,367  pages,  entitled  "Deutschund  Ononda- 
gaische, "  which  is  as  yet  unpublished,  and  is  preserved  at  Bethlehem, 
Pa.  There  are  one  or  two  other  smaller  works.  Pyrlaeus  also  left  a 
manuscript  Onondaga  vocabulary,  so  called,  and  there  have  been 
briefer  ones  by  Schoolcraft,  Hale,  Beauchamp,  and  others. 

The  renewed  war  went  on.  In  1746  the  Mohawks  brought  in  prison- 
ers and  scalps  to  Governor  Clinton,  as  both  sides  paid  well  for  these. 
William  Johnson  had  been  made  colonel  of  the  Iroquois  warrior,  and 
brought  news  of  a  great  council  to  be  held  at  Onondaga  the  coming 
winter,  which  he  was  directed  to  attend.  Johnson  sent  out  many  war 
parties,  who  returned  with  prisoners  and  scalps.  They  received  $50 
each  for  the  latter. 

The  French  were  not  idle.  De  la  Chauviniere  was  sent  to  Onondaga 
in  1747,  to  condole  those  who  had  died  of  small-pox.  He  wished  to 
make  peace  by  a  belt  seven  feet  long  and  six  inches  broad,  but  was 
told  that  the  Iroquois  had  taken  up  the  English  hatchet.  The  English, 
however,  could  get  nothing  to  Oswego  by  the  river,  as  scalping  parties 
infested  its  course.  Lieutenant  Visgher  made  his  way  through,  with  a 
strong  guard  for  the  goods  sent.  Even  close  to  Johnson's  house  the 
Canadian  Indians  slew  the  Mohawks,  and  the  Iroquois  were  angry, 
saying  the  English  had  got  them  into  a  war,  and  then  did  not  help 
them. 

In  1748  Johnson  sent  six  months'  provisions  to  Oswego,  provided 
smiths  for  the  Six  Nations,  and  held  a  council  at  Onondaga  in  the 
spring.  It  was  the  most  troublesome  and  fatiguing  journey  he  had 
ever  taken,  but  his  kind  reception  made  amends  for  all.  The  Indians 
needed  provisions,  and  were  out  of  humor  at  the  disappointments  of 
the  war.  The  giving  up  of  the  expedition  to  Canada  seemed  to  him 
ruinous,  and  disgusted  the  Indians. 

In  this  year,  Father  Picquet  selected  a  spot  for  a  new  mission  and 
fort  at  the  mouth  of  the  Oswegatchie  River  (site  of  Ogdensburg), 
building  a  fort  and  storehouse  there  in  May,  1 740.  It  was  attacked 
and  destroyed  by  the  Mohawks,  October  26,  and  two  vessels  were 
burned.  The  fort  was  rebuilt,  and  became  a  great  annoyance.  Many 
Indians  were  drawn  there  from  New  York  and  Canada,  expeditions 
were  fitted  out,  and  the  fine  military  talents  of  Father  Picquet  soon 
made  the  mission  a  veritable  church  militant. 


110  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

A  French  paper  afterwards  said,  "The  generals  were  indebted  to  Mr. 
Picquet  for  the  destruction  of  all  the  forts,  as  well  on  the  river  Corlaer 
as  on  that  of  Choueguen.  .  .  .  The  war  parties  which  departed  and 
returned  continually,  filled  the  mission  with  so  many  prisoners  that 
their  numbers  frequently  surpassed  that  of  the  warriors.  .  .  .  M.  du 
Quesne  said  that  the  Abbe  Picquet  was  worth  more  than  ten  regi- 
ments."' Such  was  this  militant  priest.  For  the  present,  however, 
peace  was  declared,  and  the  English  traders  were  scattered  all  over  the 
West  in  1750,  injuring  the  French  traffic,  and  the  younger  Joncaire 
thought  their  goods  should  be  confiscated.  The  English  traders  also 
took  Indian  children  in  pawn,  but  Governor  Clinton  had  these  returned. 
That  year  the  Six  Nations  met  the  Shawnees  in  council  at  Philadelphia, 
and  the  latter  sent  two  bushels  of  wampum  to  be  divided  among  the 
Iroquois.  Johnson  had  never  before  seen  so  large  a  quantity.  About 
tins  time,  Kalm,  the  botanist,  called  on  him  on  his  return  from  Niagara. 
He  said  the  French  were  so  anxious  for  trade  that  they  supplied  the 
Indians  all  the  brandy  and  rum  they  wished,  which  the  priests  had 
always  prevented  before.  The  French  were  again  asking  permission 
to  build  a  fort  at  Onondaga.  On  the  other  hand  many  of  the  Six 
Nations  were  settling  on  the  Ohio  and  its  branches. 

The  discouraging  aspect  of  affairs  at  Onondaga  is  described  by  Con- 
rad Weiser  in  a  letter  dated  September  30,  1750. 

Our  friend  Canassatego  was  buried  to-day  before  I  came  to  Onondaga,  and  Sol- 
conwanaghly,  our  other  good  friend,  died  some  time  before.  He  that  is  on  the  head 
of  affairs  now  is  a  professed  Roman  Catholic,  and  altogether  devoted  to  the  French. 
The  French  priests  have  made  a  hundred  converts  of  the  Onondagas,  that  is  to  say, 
men,  women  and  children,  and  they  are  all  clothed,  and  walk  in  the  finest  clothes, 
dressed  with  silver  and  gold,  and  I  believe  that  the  English  interest  among  the  Six 
Nations  can  be  of  no  consideration  any  more. 

They  spoke  contemptuously  of  the  English,  and  especially  of  the 
Xew  York  colonists.      When  Weiser  arrived  at  Onondaga  that  year,  he 

said  : 

I  took  my  lodging,  as  usual,  with  Tohashwachdiony,  a  house  which  stood  now  by 
itself,  the  rest  of  the  Onondagas  having  moved  over  the  creek,  some  a  mile,  two 
miles,  three  miles  off.      Saristquouh  came  to  see  me;  so  did  Hatachsogu,  two  chiefs. 

A  grand   council    was  held  at  Albany  in  1751,  at  which   the   Iroquois 

mad<  with   a  large  embassy  of   the   Catawbas.      This  was  done 

monies.      Soon  after,  Colonel  Johnson  offered  his  resigna- 

tion,    becoming  discouraged,   and  notified  the   Indians.     The  Albany 


MUTTERINGS  OF  WAR.  Ill 

people  were  jealous  of  him,  having-  "no  other  view  in  life  than  that  of 
getting  money."  He  was  retained  in  office.  "The  Bunt"  came  to 
Oswego  with  an  account  of  the  French  forts  farther  west.  He  was  long 
an  influential  Onondaga  chief,  a  warm  friend  of  Johnson,  and  did  much 
for  the  English. 

In  these  years  of  peace  the  English  pushed  their  trade  operations 
farther  and  more  extensively  among  the  Indians,  the  profits  of  Which, 
with  other  causes,  drew  to  the  colony  a  rapidly-increasing  population. 
At  the  same  time,  while  French  immigration  was  less  rapid,  their 
energy  and  efforts  to  extend  their  domain,  and  in  preparation  for  a  con- 
flict which  they  doubtless  believed  was  not  distant,  were  remarkable. 
A  conspicuous  feature  of  their  plans  was  the  construction  of  a  line  of 
forts  to  extend  from  Canada  to  their  possessions  in  Louisiana.  In  I  752 
the  New  York  Assembly  made  provision  for  repairing  the  fort  at 
Oswego,  which  was  in  a  ruinous  condition.  This  action  was  timely, 
for  rumors  of  approaching  difficulties  with  the  French  began  to  prevail. 

In  the  spring  of  1753  part  of  a  French  army  passed  Oswego  on  its 
way  to  the  Ohio.  This  alarmed  the  Iroquois,  and  diminished  French 
influence.  Conrad  Weiser  again  came  from  Philadelphia  to  the  Mo- 
hawks, by  way  of  New  York,  and  was  kindly  received  by  Johnson,  who 
did  not  wish  him  to  go  to  Onondaga,  but  told  him  he  might.  Johnson 
himself  was  sent  to  Onondaga  in  vSeptember,  to  bury  the  hatchet.  The 
sachems  met  him  a  mile  east  of  the  town,  according  to  custom;  Kagh- 
swoughtiony,  or  Red  Head,  making  a  speech,  and  Johnson  condoling 
the  death  of  three  sachems.  It  was  a  saying  among  them  that  when 
the  fire  was  out  at  Onondaga  they  would  be  no  longer  a  people.  It 
was  almost  extinguished,  and  he  came  to  rekindle  it.  They  thanked 
him  for  speaking  in  their  manner.  In  a  later  instance,  Col.  W.  L. 
Stone  makes  a  mystery  of  this  extinguishment  of  the  Onondaga  coun- 
cil-fire, but  it  was  an  ordinary  expression,  applied  to  the  death  of  any 
principal  chief.  It  had  now  become  customary  to  hold  an  Indian  coun- 
cil at  Albany  every  other  year.  In  the  intermediate  year  Governor 
De  Lancey  thought  a  messenger  might  profitably  be  sent  to  Onondaga 
with  a  small  present,  and  in  December  Arent  Stephens  went  to  the 
Mohawks,  Oneidas  and  Tuscaroras,  and  sent  an  Onondaga  messenger 
to  the  rest.     The  Tuscaroras  lived  among  the  Oneidas. 

In  1754  the  Mohawks  said  they  lost  some  influence  with  the  rest, 
from  being  thought  Johnson's  counselors.  The  Onondagas  were  ex- 
horted to  live  in  one  castle,  as  of  old,  for  many  were  on  the  Ohio,  and 


112  ONONDAGA'S   CENTENNIAL. 

most  of  those  who  had  gone  to  Oswegatchie  were  Onondagas  and 
Cayugas.  Dissatisfaction  with  the  English  was  shown  this  year,  in  the 
fact  that  but  150  men  attended  this  council,  although  large  presents 
were  to  be  distributed.  It  was  thought  that  the  French  should  be  kept 
out  of  Onondaga,  English  placed  in  every  nation,  forts  should  be  built 
among  the  Senecas  and  Onondagas,  missionaries  and  smiths  sent,  and 
educated  voting  men  trained  for  interpreters  and  teachers.  The  com- 
mander of  a  fort  at  Onondaga  might  be  made  a  sachem,  and  have  a 
seat  in  the  council. 

Colonel  Johnson  was  appointed  sole  superintendent  of  the  Six 
Nations,  their  dependants  and  allies,  in  June,  1755,  and  in  the  same 
month  was  delivered  the  "Hon.  Wm.  Johnson's  first  public  speech  to 
the  Indians."  It  was  translated  into  Mohawk  by  Daniel  Clause,  and 
given,  for  Johnson,  by  the  Onondaga  sachem,  Red  Head.  He  removed 
the  council  fire  from  Albany  to  Mount  Johnson.  His  emblem  of  a 
bundle  of  sticks  was  as  vigorously  applauded  as  though  the  Indians  had 
never  heard  of  it  before.  There  were  1,106  of  these  present,  and  Red 
Head  was  appointed  speaker.  Hendrick,  the  Mohawk,  had  been  nom- 
inated, but  declined,  and  proposed  Red  Head  for  this  office.  The 
latter  had  been  recently  gained  over  from  the  French  party  by  Johnson. 
Hendrick  said: 

The  Mohawks,  the  Onondagas  and  the  Senecas,  being  the  Elder  Brothers  of  the  con- 
federacy, the  speaker  at  all  public  times  was  chosen  out  of  one  or  other  of  these  nations, 
nor  was  any  preference  given  to  either  of  the  three;  from  whichever  of  them  a 
speaker  was  chosen,  there  was  no  fear  but  everything  would  be  regularly  con- 
ducted; and  I  give  you  notice  that  our  Brother  Kaghswughtioni  [alias  Red  Head], 
an  Onondaga  sachem,  is  chosen  for  our  speaker  at  this  meeting.  You  warriors  and 
young  men  take  notice,  and  remember  this  custom. 


THE  FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR.  113 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

War — Oswego — French  Activity — Battle  Island — Onondaga  Fort — Condolence — 
Fall  of  Oswego — French  Privations — New  Forts — Brewerton — Niagara  Taken — 
Quebec — Fort  Lewis. 

Hostilities  began  near  the  Ohio  in  1754,  without  a  formal  declaration 
of  war,  intrusive  posts  being  attacked  under  cover  of  civil  law.  Baron 
Dieskau  came  as  commander  of  all  the  French  forces,  and  the  New 
York  Assembly  strengthened  Oswego,  and  doubled  its  garrison.  Gen- 
eral Braddock  arrived  in  February,  1755,  to  take  command  of  all  the 
British  troops,  and  the  able  governor  of  Massachusetts,  William  Shir- 
ley, was  next  in  command.  A  council  of  war  met,  April  14,  1755,  and 
Shirley  advised  an  advance  on  Niagara  by  way  of  Oswego,  and  the 
building  of  a  fleet  on  Lake  Ontario,  sufficient  to  cover  its  waters,  thus 
cutting  the  French  line  in  twain,  when  the  western  forts  would  fall  an 
easy  prey.  Braddock  took  a  different  view,  and  marched  on  his  dis- 
astrous expedition. 

The  battle  at  Lake  George  soon  followed,  in  which  Colonel  Williams 
and  King  Hendrick  were  killed.  Johnson  was  knighted  and  made  a 
major-general  for  his  good  conduct,  but  the  Indians  were  discouraged 
by  their  losses. 

Shirley,  meanwhile,  was  active.  Two  Albany  independent  com- 
panies, and  two  companies  from  Sir  William  Pepperell's  regiment  were 
sent  to  Oswego,  and  a  twelve-gun  schooner  was  launched  there  in  June. 
He  also  sent  300  ship  carpenters  to  build  vessels.  Colonel  Schuyler's 
New  Jersey  regiment  followed  in  July,  and  in  August  Shirley  himself 
embarked  at  Schenectady  with  about  1,500  men,  reaching  Oswego 
Aitgust  21. 

Governor  Shirley  did  not  relax  his  efforts  to  give  the  enemy  cause 
for  apprehension,  in  spite  of  the  news  that  came  from  Duquesne.  He 
pushed  forward  the  building  of  his  fleet,  adding  two  row  galleys  and 
eight  whale  boats,  and  these  numbers  were  largely  increased  as  the 
season  advanced.     When  his  operations  were  completed  for  the  expedi- 

15 


114  ONONDAGA'S   CENTENNIAL. 

tion  to  Niagara,  600  regulars  were  drafted  from  his  forces,  the  ordnance 
stores  and  guns  were  placed  on  board  the  sloop  Ontario,  a  part  of  the 
provisions  on  the  sloop  Oswego,  and  the  remainder  made  ready  for  the 
galleys  and  whale  boats.  Shirley  was  destined  to  disappointment. 
Storms  and  adverse  winds  kept  the  vessels  in  port  thirteen  days,  and 
many  of  his  troops  were  taken  sick.  The  Indians,  too,  left  the  place, 
declaring  that  it  was  too  late  to  make  the  expedition  that  season.  The 
reports  of  scouts  indicated  that  a  considerable  body  of  troops  was  sta 
tioned  at  Frontenac,  and  other  rumors  led  him  to  believe  that  the 
French  contemplated  an  attack  on  Oswego.  Under  all  these  untoward 
circumstances,  a  council  was  called  at  which  the  general  advice  was 
against  the  expedition,  and  the  commander  reluctantly  abandoned  the 
movement  until  another  season.  Leaving  Colonel  Mercer  in  command, 
with  orders  to  construct  two  new  forts,  he  returned  to  Albany,  October 
24,  where  he  was  made  commander-in-chief  of  the  British  forces  in 
America,  a  position  which  he  held  only  a  short  time.  In  carrying  out 
his  orders,  Colonel  Mercer  built  what  has  always  been  known  as  Fort 
Ontario,  on  the  east  side  of  the  mouth  of  Oswego  River,  and  a  smaller 
work  on  the  west  side,  of  which  but  a  slight  trace  remains.  It  was 
known  as  Oswego  New  Fort,  and  as  Fort  Pepperell  on  some  of  the  old 
maps  and  engravings. 

Shirley's  departure  gave  the  French  the  highest  satisfaction,  and  they 
looked  upon  his  abandonment  of  the  campaign  against  Niagara  with 
almost  as  great  complacency  as  they  would  upon  the  winning  of  a  great 
battle.      To  them  it  was  a  victory.1 

General  Shirley  summoned  the  provincial  governors  to  another  coun- 
cil in  Albany,  in  December,  where  he  earnestly  advocated  raising  5,000 
soldiers  who  should  rendezvous  at  Oswego  in  the  spring,  to  aid  in  the 
capture  of  Niagara,  and  the  conquest  of  the  northern  frontier.  Although 
lie  was  soon  relieved  from  military  duty,  his  plan  was  afterwards  sub- 
stantially followed. 

The  year  L756  was  a  memorable  one  in  this  war,  and  opened  omi- 
nously lor  the  English  cause.  Three  expeditions  were  planned  by  Gen. 
James  Ab<  rcrombie,  who  had  been  given  the  chief  command,  similar 
in  their  gi  neral  character  to  those  of  the  preceding  year — one  against 
Fori   Duquesne  and  the  other  Ohio  posts;  one  against  Crown  Point  and 

1 1  jusl  learn  that  their  army  was  retiring,  and  thai  they  were  leaving  only  a  strong-  garrison 
at  placi  mid  not  hope  for  any  thing  more  fortunate,  my  Lord;  I  have  stopped 

i  >■    Vaudreuil's  Letter,  Coli  I  >oc„  vol,  X,  p.  377. 


THE  FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR.  115 

Ticonderoga;  and  the  third  against  Niagara.  Neither  was  successful. 
The  new  French  commander,  succeeding  Dieskau,  was  the  Marquis  de 
Montcalm,  one  of  the  ablest  and  bravest  generals  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury produced. 

On  the  27th  of  March,  1756,  a  small  military  work  guarding  the  car- 
rying place  from  the  Mohawk  to  Wood  Creek,  called  Fort  Bull,  was 
captured  by  a. party  of  French  and  Indians,  numbering  400.  It  was 
garrisoned  by  only  sixty  or  eighty  men,  and  contained  a  large  quantity 
of  stores  destined  for  Oswego.  The  brave  commander  refused  to  sur- 
render, whereupon  the  entrance  was  forced  and  nearly  every  one  of  the 
little  band  was  butchered.     The  supplies  were  thrown  into  the  water. 

The  French  continued  alert  and  active.  The  forts  at  Niagara  and 
Frontenac  were  strengthened,  and  their  garrisons  enlarged.  Following 
close  upon  the  capture  of  Fort  Bull,  Sieur  De  Villiers,  a  French  captain 
who  had  shown  good  qualities  in  the  vicinity  of  Fort  Duquesne,  was 
dispatched  with  a  party  of  900  French  soldiers,  Canadians  and  Indians, 
"  towards  Choueguen. " 

He  made  his  headquarters  at  Niaoure  Bay,  which  on  the  old  maps 
includes  Chaumont  and  Henderson  Bays,  and  Sackett's  Harbor.  It 
was  extremely  convenient  for  support  from  Fort  Frontenac,  and  on  its 
north  side  was  located  "the  Great  Camp"  soon  after.  The  division 
of  the  bays  is  partially  shown  on  Pouchot's  map;  the  location  of  the 
camp  on  Tryon's.  Thence  Villiers  sent  out  parties.  One  of  these 
made  an  attack  on  Fort  Ontario,  June  10,  1756,  killing  a  few  men,  and 
then  retiring. 

Many  acts  of  hostility  occurred  about  Oswego  that  spring  and 
summer.  A  stockade  fort  was  planned  at  Oswego  Falls,  but  was  not 
completed  for  some  years  later.  Colonel  Bradstreet  and  his  bateau 
men  went  twice  to  Oswego  with  supplies.  He  started  back,  July  3, 
1756,  with  300  men  and  their  boats,  and  nine  miles  from  Oswego  he 
was  attacked  by  700  French  and  Indians,  who  were  east  of  the  river. 
He  landed  on  a  small  island  just  above  what  is  now  known  as  Battle 
Island.  Six  men  enabled  him  to  hold  this,  until  six  more  joined  him, 
and  the  second  attack  was  repulsed.  More  came  to  his  aid,  and  the  French 
were  driven  back  a  third  time.  The  battle  lasted  there  an  hour,  and 
then  the  assailed  crossed  to  the  west  shore  to  avoid  being  surrounded. 
The  pursuers  were  driven  into  the  river  with  great  loss.  A  large  body 
of  French  then  crossed  a  mile  above,  and  were  driven  from  their  post 
by  Bradstreet,  who  dispersed  another  party  farther  up.      Many  of  the 


116  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

assailants  were  killed  in  trying  to  recross  the  river.  The  fight  covered 
a  distance  of  over  two  miles,  and  lasted  from  3  to  6  p.  m.  Captain 
Patten,  with  100  grenadiers,  heard  the  firing  when  four  miles  farther 
up  the  river,  as  he  marched  from  Onondaga  (?)  to  Oswego,  and  hurried 
up,  but  the  fight  was  over.  Next  morning  came  200  men  from  Oswego, 
but  a  heavy  rain  prevented  pursuit  of  the  enemy. 

Johnson  was  at  a  council  at  Onondaga  in  May.  Deserters  from 
Shirley's  and  Pepperell's  regiments  made  much  trouble  among  the 
Indians  by  their  false  reports.  Forts  were  building  in  the  Seneca 
country,  at  Onondaga,  Oneida  and  Schoharie,  but  the  Cayugas  had  not 
applied  for  one,  and  never  did.  Orders  were  given  for  the  Oneida  fort 
April  21,  and  for  the  Onondaga  April  30.  The  specifications  for  the 
Onondaga  fort  follow : 

Instructions  to  Mr.  Jacob  Yroman,  head  Carpenter,  going  to  Onondaga  to  build  a 

Fort  for  the  Indians: 

You  are  to  repair  with  your  best  diligence,  with  the  men  under  your  direction  to 
Onondaga,  and  there  to  consult  with  the  Indians  of  that  Nation  on  a  proper  spot  to 
build  a  Fort,  which  Fort  is  to  be  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  square,  the  logs  to  be 
either  Pine  or  Oak,  sixteen  feet  long,  four  feet  of  which  to  be  set  in  the  ground ;  well 
rammed  and  pounded;  two  sides  of  each  Log  to  be  square,  so  they  may  stand  close 
to  each  other ;  proper  Loop  holes  to  be  cut  at  four  feet  distance ;  the  height  from  the 
Ground  to  be  left  to  the  Indians;  two  good  Block  Houses  to  be  built  at  either  Gate 
of  the  opposite  Corners.  Each  Block  House  to  be  twenty-four  feet  square  below  the 
upper  part;  above,  the  beams  to  project  a  foot,  so  as  men  may  fire  down  upon  the 
enemy. 

You  are  to  floor  the  Block  Houses,  Shingle  the  Roofs,  and  build  a  good  sentry  Box 
on  the  top  of  each  house,  and  two  strong  gates  of  oak  Plank,  of  three  Inches  thick, 
to  be  set  up  in  the  properest  places,  with  strong  Iron  Hinges.  You  are  to  keep  an 
exact  account  of  the  number  of  days  each  man  works,  and  of  the  Horses  also,  and 
see  that  they  work  faithfully. 

Lastly,  you  are  to  take  care  that  none  of  your  party  quarrel  with  or  use  any  of  the 
[ndians  ill,  or  sell  them  any  liquor,  at  their  peril. 

Given  under  my  hand  at  Fort  Johnson,  this  30  day  of  April,  1756. 

Wm.  Johnson. 
— [N.  Y.  Col.  Doc,  VII,  101. 

Johnson  met  the  Oneidas,  Tuscaroras,  Cayugas,  and  Skaniadara- 
dighroonas,  at  Oneida,  June  14.  The  next  day,  at  the  "Camp  at 
Oneida."  with  the  aid  of  the  sachems  of  these  nations,  he  prepared  the 
several  speeches  of  condolence  to  be  made  at  Onondaga,  upon  the 
death  of  Kaghswoughtioiiy,  or  Red  Head,  chief  sachem  of  Onondaga, 
and  chose  the  proper  belts  for  the  ceremony.  Although  these  cere- 
monies were  ancient,   both  Johnson   and   the  French   added  much  to 


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THE  FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR.  117 

them.  A  very  particular  account  of  this  one  exists,  but  it  varies  much 
from  the  present  ceremony,  and  will  only  be  outlined  here. 

June  18,  two  Cayuga  messengers  from  Onondaga  met  Sir  William  at 
the  place  where  the  Onondagas  formerly  lived,  about  five  miles  from 
the  town  then  occupied.  This  earlier  site  was  on  the  Watkins  farm, 
a  mile  south  of  Jamesville,  and  on  the  east  side  of  Butternut  Creek. 
He  was  to  send  word  at  what  time  he  would  enter  the  town,  that 
the  Cayugas  might  meet  him,  and  join  in  his  condolence  of  the 
great  Onondaga  chief  Three  Cayugas  met  him  a  mile  from  the 
castle,  and  there  was  a  halt  of  two  hours  to  settle  the  formalities, 
according  to  ancient  custom.  Then  Sir  William  marched  on  at  the 
head  of  the  sachems,  who  sang  the  songs  of  condolence,  containing  the 
names,  laws,  and  customs  of  their  renowned  ancestors,  and  asking  hap- 
piness for  the  departed.  Fifty  founders  of  the  confederacy  are  separ- 
ately recalled  in  the  great  song. 

When  they  came  in  sight  of  the  castle,  the  head  sachems  and  war- 
riors were  found  seated  "in  a  half  moon  across  the  road,  in  profound 
silence,"  an  impressive  sight  still.  In  the  hour's  halt  there,  the  con- 
doling song  was  sung;  hands  were  shaken,  and  the  visitors  welcomed. 
Johnson  marched  into  the  town  at  the  head  of  the  warriors,  the  sachems 
falling  into  the  rear  and  continuing  the  song.  A  salute  was  fired  on 
either  side,  and  the  party  went  to  a  green  bower  by  Red  Head's  house, 
where  addresses  were  made.  The  full  ceremony  took  place  next  dav, 
and  the  chief  sachem  of  the  Mohawks  was  "borrowed  "  for  the  occasion, 
as  knowing  the  ritual  best# 

Johnson  received  full  powers  for  building  forts  and  placing  smiths 
among  the  Indians.  Nearly  all  the  Six  Nations  desired  forts,  and  the 
Onondagas  asked  for  Lieutenant  Mills  as  commander  of  theirs,  and 
William  Printup  as  smith.  The  latter  name  is  still  found  at  Onondaga. 
At  a  council  held  at  this  time,  Johnson  gave  the  Six  Nations  "the 
largest  pipe  in  America,  made  on  purpose,"  to  be  hung  up  in  the  On- 
ondaga council  house,  and  smoked  at  all  important  councils.  Van  Seice 
was  interpreter  at  Onondaga  at  that  time. 

While  the  foregoing  events  were  taking  place,  the  gallant  and  watch- 
ful Montcalm  was  exhibiting  that  military  genius  and  efficiency  for 
which  he  became  famous.  Fort  Frontenac  was  strengthened,  and  the 
great  camp  was  formed  at  Niaoure  Bay.  He  based  the  success  of  the 
proposed  attack  on  Oswego  on  the  supposition  that  the  English  had 
but  1,000  men  there.      The  Senecas  and  Cayugas  had  agreed  to  remain 


118  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

neutral;  the  Onondagas  and  Oneidas  had  sent  eighty  deputies,  who 
promised  Vaudreuil  to  do  their  best  for  him  in  remembrance  of  his 
father. 

Montcalm  arrived  at  Frontenac  on  the  29th  of  July,  and  so  vigorous 
were  his  actions,  that  within  the  succeeding  six  days  he  had  his  army 
of  about  3,000  (stated  by  some  English  authorities  as  high  as  5,000), 
ready  for  the  campaign.  On  the  4th  of  August  he  left  Frontenac  and 
on  the  6th  reached  the  general  rendezvous  at  Niaoure  Bay  with  his  first 
division,  consisting  of  the  battalions  of  La  Sarre  and  Guyenne,  with 
four  cannon.  The  second  division  consisting  of  Beam's  battalion  with 
eighty  bateaux,  laden  with  artillery  and  stores,  reached  the  bay  on  the  8th. 

Montcalm's  genius  will  be  noticed  in  every  detail  of  this  movement, 
his  precautions  being  no  less  conspicuous  than  his  watchful  vigilance 
and  untiring  energy.  Promptly  on  the  8th  of  August  he  sent  forward 
a  vanguard  towards  Oswego,  which  landed  at  a  cove  some  miles  east  of 
the  fort,  and  thence  the  army  went  to  another  about  a  mile  from  the 
river.  vSiege  operations  began  on  the  11th  and  ended  on  the  14th,  and 
although  Colonel  Mercer  and  his  garrison  made  a  moderate  defense, 
the  fort  was  captured,  with  the  work  known  as  Fort  Oswego  on  the 
west  bank  of  the  river.  The  total  number  of  English  who  surrendered 
was  L,520,  many  of  whom  were  mechanics  and  laborers.  The  French 
took  immediate  possession  of  the  works,  surprised  at  the  ease  with 
which  they  had  been  captured,  and  had  destroyed  everything  possible 
by  the  21st  of  August.  It  is  believed  that  one  purpose  of  this  destruc- 
tion was  to  disabuse  the  Indians  of  the  idea  that  the  French  desired  to 
maintain  a  military  station  within  their  territory.  Concerning  the  vic- 
tory, Montcalm  reported  nearly  1,700  prisoners,  among  whom  were 
twelve  naval  officers,  seven  vessels  of  war,  200  bateaux,  and  a  great 
amount  of  stores. 

The  consequences  of  the  fall  of  Oswego  were  less  disastrous  than 
had  been  feared,  though  serious  at  the  time.  In  spite  of  Montcalm's 
efforts  to  restrain  the  Indians,  French  writers  admit  that  there  was  a 
massacre  of  "  more  than  100  persons  who  were  included  in  the  capitula- 
tion." M.  de  Vaudreuil,  in  writing  of  the  similar  affair  at  Fort  William 
Henry,  said  that  Montcalm  had  experienced  the  difficulty  of  making 
Indians  observe  terms,  at  the  reduction  of  Oswego,  and  "was  afraid 
In-  should  In-  less  able  to  control  them  at  a  siege  where  there  were  2,000 
of  them,  of  thirty-three  different  nations."  The  .best  that  can  be  said 
is  that  he  tried  to  restrain  them.  In  both  eases  he  held  the  terrors  of  a 
probable  mas  er  I  tie  besieged. 


THE  FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR.  119 

A  fair  consideration  of  the  taking  of  Oswego  by  Montcalm  reveals 
not  only  the  great  military  abilities  of  that  general,  but  also  deplorable 
lack  of  these  in  the  English  forces.  While  the  French  outnumbered 
the  English  two  to  one,  justifying  a  prudent  course,  they  also  battled 
under  the  disadvantages  always  attending  a  besieging  army ;  and  if  we 
can  mentally  transpose  the  positions  of  the  two  forces,  we  can  only 
reach  the  conclusion  that  Montcalm  in  Fort  Ontario  and  with  an  armed 
fleet  on  the  lake,  would  have  wrought  havoc  on  the  English  before  he 
hoisted  a  white  flag.  Lord  Loudon  attempted  to  shift  the  responsibility 
for  the  disaster  from  his  own  shoulders,  and  at  a  military  council  held 
in  Boston,  in  January,  1757,  he  made  the  claim  that  to  the  colonies 
only  should  be  attributed  the  blame;  that  the  condition  of  Oswego,  as 
well  as  other  posts,  had  not  been  correctly  represented  to  him  by  his 
predecessor,  and  that  the  colonies  had  not  efficiently  supported  him  in 
his  requisitions. 

The  loss  of  Oswego  was  appreciated  as  a  national  misfortune  by  the 
English,  and  as  a  corresponding  triumph  by  the  French,  to  whom  it 
practically  gave  dominion  on  all  the  lakes.  The  value  of  the  property 
taken  was  immense  for  those  times,  while  the  post  itself  was  of  still 
greater  consequence,  and  its  proximity  to  the  territory  of  which  this 
work  treats,  gives  it  unusual  importance  to  our  readers.  The  moral 
effect  of  the  victory  was  disheartening  to  the  English,  and  all  offensive 
operations  ceased  for  a  time.  Forts  Edward  and  William  Henry  were 
placed  in  better  condition  for  defense,  but  the  contemplated  expedition 
against  Ticonderoga  was  abandoned.  The  fall  of  Oswego  also  deeply 
impressed  the  Iroquois,  and  in  November,  1756,  they  sent  a  delegation 
to  Montreal  to  treat  for  peace.  The  result  of  this  action  was  that  while 
the  Iroquois,  excepting  the  Mohawks,  remained  neutral  for  a  period, 
the  French  and  their  adherents  were  left  free  to  ravage  the  frontier  as 
opportunity  offered.1 

That  year  Johnson  had  permission  to  open  a  road  to  Oswego.  The 
Oneidas  and  Tuscaroras  would  help  make  it  from  German  Flats  to 
Canaseraga,  where  the  Tuscaroras  had  their  chief  town;  and  the  On- 

1  The  capture  of  Oswego  produced  the  greatest  effect  upon  all  the  Indian  tribes,  because  the 
English  had  affected  a  decided  superiority  over  us.  and  by  their  braggadocio  on  their  power  and 
courage  sought  to  make  the  Indians  believe  that  we  should  not  be  able  to  resist  t  hem.  The  lat  ter 
saw  with  what  ease  we  took  a  post  which  had  as  many  defenders  as  assailants,  and  their  brisk 
cannonade,  of  which  they  had  never  heard  the  like,  did  not  disturb  the  French  troops.  We  may 
say,  that  since  this  event,  they  have  redoubled  their  attachment  and  friendship  for  the  French. 
[Pouchot's  Memoirs,  vol.   I,  p.  70. 


120  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

ondagas  thence  to  Oswego.  This  road  would  cross  the  Seneca  just 
above  Three  River  Point,  and  follow  the  west  bank  of  Oswego  River 
to  the  lake.  He  might  also  build  a  fort  at  Oswego  Falls,  but  it  must 
be  destroyed  when  the  war  was  over.  In  fact,  that  year,  after  the  fall 
of  Oswego,  General  Webb  destroyed  all  the  forts  at  the  Oneida  carry- 
ing place,  to  the  great  disgust  of  the  Indians.  When  Oswego  was 
taken,  the  Onondagas  carried  large  quantities  of  bread,  pork,  and  peas 
to  their  castle;  but  in  spite  of  all  discouragements  most  of  the  Iroquois 
still  held  to  the  English. 

The  campaign  of  1757  terminated  disastrously,  leaving  the  affairs  of 
Great  Britain  in  America  in  a  worse  condition  than  at  any  former 
period.  Fort  William  Henry,  the  strong  work  at  the  head  of  Lake 
George,  fell  before  Montcalm's  army  in  August,  giving  the  French  con- 
trol of  that  lake,  while  they  also  retained  possession  of  Fort  Duquesne 
and  the  Ohio  region.  But  a  change  was  at  hand.  William  Pitt,  a  de- 
voted friend  of  the  colonies,  and  a  man  of  great  energy  and  ability,  suc- 
ceeded to  the  prime  ministry  in  England,  and  he  promptly  assured  the 
colonists  that  ample  forces  should  be  sent  over,  recommending  that 
they  raise  as  many  soldiers  as  possible.  Massachusetts,  Connecticut, 
New  Hampshire,  and  New  York,  each  voted  from  five  to  seven  thou- 
sand men,  and  so  inspiriting  was  the  outlook  that  these  troops  were 
ready  for  the  field  in  May,  1758.  The  impotent  Loudon  returned  to 
Europe,  and  the  chief  command  devolved  upon  Gen.  James  Abercrom- 
bie.  Three  expeditions  were  planned  for  the  year;  one  directed 
against  Louisburgh,  which  fell  before  the  army  of  Major-General 
Jeffrey  Amherst;  a  second  against  Ticonderoga  and  Crown  Point, 
under  Abercrombie  himself,  who  was  defeated;  the  third  against  Fort 
Duquesne. 

In  the  letters  of  Gen.  Charles  Lee  are  severe  criticisms  of  Aber- 
crombie. After  the  batte  of  Ticonderoga  he  calls  him  the  "  booby  in 
chief,"  and  says  that  "  The  Indians  would  not  go  with  us.  They  told 
the  General  that  the  English  army  had  very  fine  limbs,  but  no  head. 
That  he  was  an  old  squaw,  that  he  should  wear  a  petticoat,  go  home 
and  make  sugar,  and  not  be  pretending  to  a  task  to  which  he  was  not 
equal,  blundering  so  many  braver  men  than  himself  into  destruction." 
ilonel  Bradstreet  had  been  commisssioned  a  brigadier-general,  and 
endeavored  to  gain  Abercrombie's  consent  to  an  expedition  for  the  cap- 
ture "i  I  rontenac,  early  in  the  season,  but  was  refused.  After  the 
Ticonderoga  battle,  however,  the  commander-in-chief  reversed  his  de- 


THE  FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR.  121 

cision,  and  Bradstreet,  accompanied  by  the  brave  Major  Philip  Schuy- 
ler, proceeded  to  the  Mohawk  and  Wood  Creek  portage,  where  3,000 
troops  were  engaged  in  building  Fort  Stanwix.  Of  these  he  took  com. 
mand  and  hurried  on  to  Oswego,  Schuyler  several  days  ahead  with  an 
advance  guard.  On  the  arrival  of  the  latter,  he  immediately  began 
building  a  schooner,  which  he  named  Mohawk,  and  so  energetically  did 
he  pursue  the  work,  that  in  three  weeks  the  vessel  was  ready  to  take  on 
board  the  cannon  and  heavy  stores,  and  accompany  the  fleet  of  bateaux 
and  whale  boats  across  the  lake.  Bradstreet  arrived,  and  the  voyage 
began  about  the  20th  of  August.  The  weather  proved  fair,  and  on  the 
evening  of  the  25th  he  landed  within  a  mile  of  the  works,  constructed 
a  battery,  and  on  the  27th  opened  on  the  enemy  at  short  range.  The 
small  garrison  of  110  (the  Indians  having  previously  deserted)  surren- 
dered the  same  da3^.  Sixty  cannon,  and  sixteen  mortars,  part  of  which 
were  those  previously  captured  at  Oswego,  were  taken.  Under  Aber- 
crombie's  instructions,  most  of  the  property  captured  was  destroyed, 
a  course  which  was  severely  censured.  Two  vessels  were  reserved.  It 
was  thought  that  everything  might  have  been  held,  and  that  it  would 
have  given  the  English  a  powerful  advantage. 

The  capture  of  Frontenac,  the  result  of  this  brilliant  movement,  was 
one  of  the  most  important  events  of  the  war.  It  facilitated  the  fall  of 
Duquesne,  discouraged  the  French,  gave  joy  to  the  English,  and  re- 
flected honor  on  the  provincial  troops.  It  raised  aery  of  peace  through- 
out Canada,  the  resources  of  which  were  almost  exhausted.  "I  am  not 
discouraged,"  wrote  Montcalm,  in  evident  disappointment,  "nor  are 
my  troops.  We  are  resolved  to  find  our  graves  under  the  ruins  of  the 
colony." 

Bradstreet's  force  returned  to  Oswego  early  in  September,  whence 
the  greater  part  departed  for  the  settlements. 

Forty  Onondagas,  under  Red  Head  (not  the  earlier  chief  of  this 
name),  joined  Colonel  Bradstreet  at  Fort  Stanwix  in  1758.  A  year 
later,  the  same  chief  made  a  map  of  the  St.  Lawrence  for  Johnson,  and 
he  appears  often  as  a  warrior.  A  creek  near  Oswego  was  called  after 
him  at  that  time.  In  that  year,  too,  Captain  Fonda  marked  out  a  road 
from  the  nearest  Oneida  station  to  the  ford  a  little  south  of  Three 
River  Point,  being  the  one  projected  by  Johnson. 

General  Amherst  took  full  command  of  the  army  in  September, 
1758,  and  things  became  more  hopeful.  The  recent  successes  and  the 
neutrality  or  active  alliance  of  the  Iroquois,  brightened  the  prospects 
16 


122  ONONDAGA'S   CENTENNIAL. 

of  the  colonies.  The  Indians  advised  sending  an  army  against  Niagara 
at  once,  saying,  "The  sooner  the  thing  is  done  the  better."  It  would 
have  been  well  for  the  colonists  had  their  wise  advice  been  oftener 
taken.  Their  adherence  to  the  English  cause  had  been  solely  due  to 
Johnson's  wonderful  tact  and  influence,  which  held  friends  and  even 
won  over  enemies. 

Meanwhile  the  situation  of  the  French  was  not  improving  on  the 
frontier.  While  never  relaxing  their  efforts  to  secure  the  fealty  of  the 
Iroquois,  they  met  with  indifferent  success.  Pouchot  says  (vol.  I,  p. 
23),  "We  may  infer  from  the  relation  of  M.  de  Longueuil,  who  had 
been  sent  to  the  Five  Nations,  that  they  were  very  little  inclined  in  our 
behalf."  Fort  Duquesne  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  English  on  the  24th 
of  November,  though  the  works  were  burned  before  the  French  aban- 
doned the  post.  Moreover,  in  the  fall  and  winter  of  1757-58,  provis- 
ions on  their  western  frontier  and  in  Canada  became  very  scarce,  as  in- 
dicated in  the  following  paragraph  from  the  observing  Pouchot: 

During  the  winter  provisions  were  extremely  scarce,  and  the  rations  of  bread  were 
reduced  to  a  pound  and  a  half,  and  that  of  pork  to  a  quarter  of  a  pound.  The 
latter  failing,  the  Intendant  proposed  to  issue  horse  flesh  to  the  troops,  which  they 
were  obliged  to  submit  to  without  a  murmur.  With  economy  they  were  still  able  to 
furnish  a  little  pork,  but  when  the  ice  melted,  they  were  obliged  to  throw  it  away  as 
spoiled.  The  contractor  was  therefore  ordered  to  furnish  horses,  and  he  accordingly 
collected  all  the  jaded  nags  of  the  country  to  feed  the  troops. 

Even  the  courageous  Montcalm  had  become  disheartened.  On  April 
L2,  1759,  he  wrote  Marshal  de  Belle  Isle  from  Montreal  that  "  Canada 
will  be  taken  this  campaign,  and  assuredly  during  the  next,  if  there  be 
not  some  unforeseen  good  luck,  a  powerful  diversion  by  sea  against  the 
English  colonies,  or  some  gross  blunders  on  the  part  of  the  enemy. 
The  English  have  (!0,000  men,  we  at  the  most  from  10  to  11,000.  Our 
government  is  good  for  nothing;  money  and  provisions  will  fail." 

Col.  James  Montressor  received  orders  from  General  Amherst,  May 
L8,  I  759,  to  prepare  plans  for  "  3  Posts  to  be  made  as  follows:  At  the 
northeast  end  of  Oneyda  Lake — 50  men ;  at  the  west  end  of  Oneyda 
lake,  50  do;  at  ( )swego  Falls,  100  do.  The  above  Posts  to  be  retrenched 
with  a  ditch,  and  a  block-house  in  the  centre,  with  flankers  at  each  op- 
posite angle  on  which  swivel  guns  are  mounted."  There  seems  to  have 
been  some  change  the  same  day,  for  the  general  "desired  I  would 
li  plans  of  the  several  block-houses  proposed  in  the  Posts  of  the 
Mohock  river,  Lake  Oneyda  and  Oswego  Falls,  for  50,  100,  and  150 
men, " 


THE  FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR. 


123 


The  Royal  Block  House,  east  of  Oneida  Lake,  was  on  the  south  side 
of  Wood  Creek,  near  its  junction  with  Fish  Creek,  and  appears  on  maps 
as  late  as  1825.  It  is  now  locally  forgotten,  but  the  site  is  easily  recog- 
nized. A  bare  trace  of  the  Oswego  Falls  fort  also  remains,  but  the 
banks  and  ditch  of  Fort  Brewerton  are  in  good  preservation.  Good 
figures  of  all  three  may  be  seen  in  "A  Set  of  Plans  of  Forts  in  America, 
1765,"  in  which  the  plan  of  Fort  Brewerton  is  much  better  than  that 
given  by  Clark,  and  leaves  out  some  features  of  his.  The  fort  at  Os- 
wego Falls  was  much  like  this,  but  the  Royal  Block  House  had  a  rec- 
tangular palisade  around  it. 


tVooA* 


fooais 


0 


NOND^WZ* 


Sketch   of  Fort  Brewerton   at   the   West 
End  of  Oneida  Lake. 


Sketch  of  the  Block-House  at 
the  East  End  of  Oneida  Lake,  i 


The  campaign  of  1759  opened  in  a  stirring  way  in  New  York.  Gen. 
John  Prideaux  was  to  proceed  against  Niagara,  and  took  his  army  of 
2,000  regulars  and  provincials  to  Oswego  by  the  usual  route.  June  \!1 
they  embarked  on  Oneida  Lake,  passing  Fort  Brewerton  June  23,  and 


124  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

encamping-  at  Three  River  Point.  From  June  24  to  27  they  were  at 
Oswego  Falls,  and  left  Oswego  July  1,  Colonel  Haldimand  remaining  to 
guard  that  place,  with  about  500  provincials.  The  siege  of  Niagara 
was  continued  under  General  Prideaux  until  the  20th,  when  he  was 
killed,  and  Sir  William  Johnson  took  command.  He  had  joined  the 
army  at  Oswego,  with  about  1,000  Indians.  The  fort  surrendered  on 
the  25th  of  July. 

Meanwhile  the  Chevalier  de  la  Corne  had  attacked  Oswego,  and  of 
this  the  interesting  Pouchot  gives  the  following  graphic  account: 

The  English,  upon  going  to  Niagara,  had  left  at  the  place  where  Fort  Ontario 
was,  about  five  or  six  hundred  men,  who  had  not  as  yet  time  to  entrench  them- 
selves, and  they  had  only  made  a  kind  of  wall  around  their  camp  with  the  barrels  of 
pork  and  flour,  of  which  the  army  corps  had  provided  a  great  supply.  As  this  de- 
tachment felt  itself  very  secure,  the  greater  portion  was  scattered  in  the  neighboring 
forests,  cutting  wood  for  entrenchments. 

M  de  la  Corne  pressed  forward  a  large  body  of  his  forces  as  far  as  the  place  where 
Fort  Ontario  had  stood,  to  reconnoitre  the  enemy.  They  fired  upon  the  workmen, 
who,  on  coming  to  their  camp,  found  it  in  confusion.  The  guard,  and  those  who 
remained  in  camp,  resisted  these  scouts.  Had  M.  de  la  Corne  followed  his  advance 
guard,  the  English  would  have  lost  everything.  But  the  Abbe  Picquet,  who  heard 
the  beginning  of  the  firing,  thought  it  was  his  duty,  before  his  troops  should  attack, 
to  make  a  short  exhortation,  and  give  them  absolution.  This  led  to  the  loss  of  their 
opportunity,  and  the  English  ran  to  arms,  and  placed  themselves  behind  the  barrels. 
M.  de  la  Corne  arrived  after  his  detachment,  who  were  scattered  around  the  Eng- 
lish, but  did  not  approach  nearer  on  account  of  their  (the  English)  superiority.  He 
wished  to  have  them  renew  the  attack,  but  some  Canadians,  who  would  rather 
retreat  than  fight,  cried  out  that  the  blow  had  failed,  and  in  spite  of  their  officers, 
regained  their  boats  as  soon  as  possible.  ,  .  .  We  had  but  a  small  loss,  as  the 
English  did  not  pursue. 

Pouchot  expressed  the  belief,  and  it  seems  reasonable,  that  if  De  la 
Corne  had  taken  advantage  of  his  opportunity  on  this  occasion,  he 
would  have  captured  Oswego,  and  through  that  event  have  saved  Ni- 
agara.    The  English  lost  about  a  dozen  men  killed  and  wounded. 

Other  events  followed  rapidly.  Gen.  Thomas  Gage,  the  later  Revo- 
lutionary commander,  succeeded  Prideaux  in  command  at  Oswego  in 
August,  and  in  the  same  month  De  Vaudreuil  and  Montcalm,  having 
learned  of  the  fall  of  Niagara,  sent  M.  de  Levis  with  several  hundred 
men  to  La  Presentation  (Ogdensburg)  to  place  that  post  in  condition  to 
protect  that  part  of  the  frontier. 

In  June,  L759,  General  Wolfe  sailed  on  his  memorable  expedition 
against  |  and  the  great  stronghold  fell  into  English  possession 


THE  FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR.  125 

i 
on  the  18th  of  September.      Wolfe  gave  up  his  heroic  life,  and  won  im- 
mortal fame.     The  day  of  deliverance  from  French  power  seemed  near. 
The  English  were  filled  with  exultation. 

Early  in  1760  England  and  the  colonies  prepared  for  the  final  strug- 
gle. M.  de  Yaudreuil,  then  governor-general  of  Canada,  collected 
all  his  strength  at  Montreal,  and  on  the  river  above  that  point,  to  pro- 
tect the  French  capital,  now  the  only  remaining  important  strong- 
hold of  the  French.  General  Amherst  had  planned  to  send  north- 
ward three  separate  armies — one  up  the  St.  Lawrence  from  Quebec;  a 
smaller  division  by  way  of  Lake  Champlain;  while  the  main  army, 
under  his  personal  command,  was  to  proceed  from  Oswego  down  the 
St.  Lawrence,  all  to  co-operate  for  the  destruction  of  Montreal.  Am- 
herst's army  of  10,000  men  left  Schenectady  on  the  12th  of  June,  and 
followed  the  usual  course  to  Oswego,  where  he  was  reinforced  by  about 
1,300  Indians,  now  more  than  ever  anxious  to  array  themselves  on  the 
winning  side.  It  was  a  most  picturesque  army;  the  gaudy  uniforms 
of  England's  soldiers,  the  more  somber  dress  of  the  colonists,  and  the 
tawny  skins  and  barbaric  trappings  of  the  savages,  all  lent  their  strik- 
ing features.  Supplies  were  hurried  forward,  boats  were  built,  the  air 
pulsated  with  sounds  of  expectant  victory,  while  such  distinguished 
men  as  Amherst,  Gage  and  Johnson,  mingled  with  the  troops  and  en- 
couraged them  to  zealous  activity.  On  the  10th  of  August  the  embark- 
ation of  the  army  was  accomplished.  Captain  Pouchot  was  in  com- 
mand of  Fort  Levis,  near  the  site  of  Ogdensburg,  with  about  150  men, 
and  was  kept  informed  of  the  movements  of  the  English.  When  the 
latter  reached  the  fort  they  immediately  began  an  assault  upon  it,  and 
although  it  was  gallantly  defended,  Pouchot  surrendered  on  the  25th.' 

A   curious   memorial  of  the  expedition   against   the  forts   at   Oswe- 
gatchie  belongs  to  William  A.  Plant,  of  Syracuse.     It  is  a  powder  horn, 
bearing  this  inscription:   "Solomon   Plant  his   horn.      Made  at   Oswe 
gotchie  in  Canada  September  ye  14,  1760."     It  was  made  by  Mr.  Plant's 
grandfather,  then  in  the  army,  and  about  twenty  years  old. 

The  final  concentration  of  the  armies  before  Montreal  constituted  an 
attacking  force  against  which  the  disheartened  French  could  not  hope 
to  successfully  contend,  and  on  the  7th  of  September,  1760,  Montreal 
and  all  other  posts  held  by  the  French  were  surrendered.  French  power 
was  forever  extinguished  in  this  part  of  the  western  continent. 

1  One  of  the  English  vessels  was  called  the  Onondaga,  being-  the  first  use  of  the  name  in  this 
way. 


126  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Amherst's  provincials  were  sent  home  by  way  of  Lake  Champlain  and 
Lake  Ontario,  while  the  regulars  were  established  at  the  various  posts 
where  their  presence  might  be  needed. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 


Indian  Dissatisfaction — Medals — Kirkland's  Visit— Pontiac — Trade — Discontent — 
Grants  to  Cherokees— Johnson  —Property  Line— Tryon  County— Indian  Customs — 
Grievances— Johnson's  Death — Indian  Mourning. 

The  events  that  took  place  between  the  fall  of  Montreal  and  the 
breaking  out  of  the  Revolution,  are  not  of  paramount  interest  to  these 
pages.  The  English  continued  in  occupation  of  Niagara,  Oswego,  the 
posts  in  the  Mohawk  valley  and  elsewhere,  and  pushed  their  trading 
operations  with  vigor  and  success.  Sir  William  Johnson  held  and 
strengthened  his  great  influence  with  the  Indians,  and  his  position  with 
the  government.  After  the  close  of  the  war  the  Indians  were  disposed 
to  complain  that  they  were  not  fairly  treated  by  the  traders  (which  was 
an  undoubted  fact),  and  that  the  prices  of  goods  were  too  high.  On 
the  17th  of  July,  1761,  Sir  William  was  at  Fort  Brewerton,  and  there 
met  one  of  the  Tuscarora  sachems,  who  wished  to  buy  some  powder 
and  lead.  It  is  recorded  by  Johnson  that  the  Indian  "complained 
greatly  of  the  dearness  of  goods,  and  the  low  prices  of  beavers,  furs, 
etc."  Johnson  sent  to  the  Bunt,  and  to  other  chiefs  of  the  Onondagas, 
asking  them  to  meet  him  at  Oswego,  where  he  arrived  on  the  19th.  On 
the  20th  several  Indians  came  and  on  the  following  day  two  Onondagas 
arrived,  and  informed  Sir  William  that  about  forty  of  their  nation 
were  on  their  way  to  meet  him,  as  he  requested.  A  meeting  was  held 
on  the  21st,  at  which  were  present  Major  Duncan,  Captain  Gray  and 
several  officers  of  the  ooth  Regiment,  Sir  William  and  Guy  Johnson, 
with  more  than  forty  sachems  and  warriors  of  the  Onondagas.  Sir 
William  gave  the  Indians  welcome,  counseled  them  to  remain  true  to 
the  English,  to  pursue  their  trading,  and  presented  them  with  medals 
sent  by  ''uncial  Amherst.  The  chief  speaker  for  the  Onondagas  after- 
wards addressed  Sir  William,  and  a  few  brief  extracts  from  his  speech 
will  indii  situation   as  viewed  from   the   Indian  standpoint;  he 

said  : 


EVENTS  PRECEDING  THE  REVOLUTION.  127 

Brother  Warraghiyagey — On  your  setting  out  with  the  army  to  the  siege  of  Ni- 
agara, you  then  promised  us  a  meeting  with  our  nation.  That  after  the  reduction 
thereof  and  of  the  rest  of  the  country,  you  would  be  enabled  to  regulate  trade,  so  as 
to  reduce  the  exorbitant  price  of  goods,  and  likewise  promised  us  good  treatment 
forever,  should  we  exert  ourselves  in  conjunction  with  the  army  against  the  enemv, 
which  we  cheerfully  agreed  to  do,  and  accordingly  conducted  you  to  Niagara,  and 
assisted  you  in  taking  it,  as  a  salve  for  the  wounds  which  you  had  received.  Not- 
withstanding which  we  find  ourselves  very  much  wronged  and  ill  treated  by  your 
people  in  trade,  and  frequently  ill  used,  without  cause,  at  several  posts.  This  pro- 
ceeding, so  contrary  to  your  promises  and  our  expectations,  has  greatly  alarmed  us, 
and  been  the  cause  of  much  uneasiness.  We  therefore  entreat  you  that  we  may 
meet  with  better  usage  from  the  English  in  future,  otherwise  we  shall  be  induced  to 
believe  what  the  French  have  so  often  told  us  would  be  the  consequence  of  your 
reducing  them.  .  .  .  You  recommend  to  us  to  mind  our  hunting  and  trade,  and 
to  live  on  good  terms  with  our  brethren  at  the  several  posts,  than  which  nothing 
could  be  more  agreeable  to  our  inclinations.  But  we  are  sorry  to  observe  that  your 
brethren  do  not  seem  desirous  of  living  on  any  good  terms  with  us,  from  the  frequent 
acts  of  violence  offered,  as  well  to  us  as  to  our  women,  and  also  from  their  hinder- 
ing us  from  fishing  or  hunting  about  the  posts,  although  in  our  own  country,  and 
frequently  taking  from  us  what  we  have  killed  or  taken,  contrary  to  promise  and  the 
friendship  subsisting  between  us  and  you.  We  therefore  beg,  brother,  that  you  will 
interpose  and  see  justice  done  us — that  we  may  have  a  free  and  reasonable  trade, 
with  powder  allowed  us,  and  that  there  may  be,  also,  interpreters  fixed  at  the  several 
posts,  which  may  prevent  any  further  misunderstanding,  through  not  understanding 
each  other's  language. 

The  chief  continued  at  length,  thanking"  the  donors  for  the  medals, 
expressing"  their  great  need  of  more  powder,  and  promising  to  deserve 
the  good  treatment  which  he  asked.  Sir  "William  began  his  reply  by 
reminding  the  Indians  of  several  instances  of  perfidy  on  their  part,  and 
their  fickleness,  and  scolded  them  in  his  customary  energetic  fashion, 
but  finally  acceded  to  their  wishes  and  made  them  promises  that  were, 
for  that  time  at  least,  satisfactory. 

Medals  were  frequently  given  to  the  Ipoquois  by  both  French  and 
English,  and  it  is  well  known  how  highly  Red  Jacket  prized  the  one  he 
had  from  Washington.  A  silver  medal,  now  belonging  to  L.  W.  Led- 
yard,  of  Cazenovia,  N  Y. ,  was  found  near  Eagle  Village,  in  Manlius. 
It  is  about  the  size  of  a  dollar,  with  a  loop  on  the  upper  edge  for  a  cord. 
On  one  side  is  a  fortified  town  under  the  British  flag,  and  with  several 
steeples.  A  river  is  in  the  foreground,  and  a  small  cartouehe,  enclosing 
the  letters,  D.  C.  F.  The  reverse  was  made  plain,  and  on  it  is  the 
word  ONONDAGOS  in  capitals,  and  also  Caneiya  in  script.  This 
name  may  be  the  Kaneyaagh  of  the  treaty  of  1  ?88.  Another  like  this 
has  also  the  word  Onondagos,    and  the  name  of  Tekahonwagb.se,  and 


128  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

this  may  be  the  Takanaghkwaghsen  of  the  same  treaty.  Other  medals 
of  this  form  have  been  found,  but  only  one  other  given  to  an  Onondaga. 

In  1763,  fohnson  reported  the  Onondagas  as  having  "one  large  vil- 
lage 6  miles  from  the  lake  of  their  name  (which  is  the  place  of  congress 
for  the  confederates),  with  a  smaller  one  at  some  distance." 

When  the  Rev.  Mr.  Kirkland  came  to  Onondaga  in  1 704,  he  was 
welcomed  by  the  Bunt,  or  Tsinryoyota,  meaning  the  vSinew,  at  the 
council  house.  It  was  now  west  of  the  creek,  but  built  as  at  Bartram's 
visit,  eighty  feet  long  and  with  four  fires.  Official  visitors  halted  at 
the  edge  of  a  village,  where  a  runner  met  them  and  reported  their  busi- 
ness. Then  they  were  conducted  to  the  council  house.  In  this  case  it 
was  late  in  the  day,  and  messengers  of  importance  were  to  be  received 
in  broad  daylight,  so  that  a  council  was  called  for  the  next  morning. 
Pipes  were  lighted,  and  the  message  announced  with  the  wampum  belt, 
which  one  of  the  envoys  held  in  his  left  hand,  gesticulating  with  the 
right.      Kirkland's  account  may  well  be  given. 

At  the  end  of  every  sentence,  they  expressed  their  assent,  if  pleasing  to  them,  by 
crying  out,  one  after  another,  or  twenty  all  at  once,  at-Jioet-o-gus-ke  (nat-hoot-o- 
eus-keh),  /.  i.,  It  is  so;  very  true.  When  my  envoy  had  finished  his  address,  the 
venerable  old  chief  replied,  and  spoke  like  a  Demosthenes,  for  more  than  half  an  hour. 
He  then  took  me  by  the  hand,  and  embraced  me,  kissed  one  cheek  and  then  the  other. 
I  supposed  I  must  return  the  compliment ;  I  accordingly  kissed  his  red  cheeks,  not 
disgusted  at  all  with  the  remains  of  the  paint  and  grease  with  which  they  had  lately 
been  besmeared.  He  gave  me  many  blessings  while  he  held  me  by  the  hand.  They 
came,  one  after  another,  to  shake  hands  with  me,  perhaps  nearly  a  hundred.  The 
hoard  of  sachems  all  gave  me  their  benedictions  in  different  ways. 

At  a  meeting  at  Onondaga  in  1763,  the  Senecas  spoke  with  three  belts, 
saving  they  had  loosed  their  warriors  against  the  English,  and  wished 
the  rest  to  do  the  same.  This  was  rejected  by  all,  and  the  Onondagas 
sent  a  large  belt  to  the  Senecas,  desiring  them  to  stop  at  once.  The 
same  year  the  Onondaga  speaker  took  the  large  covenant  chain  belt  of 
I  ;:.  1,  repeated  the  old  engagements  made  thereon,  and  brightened  and 
renewed  the  same  on  behalf  of  eighteen  nations.  Peace  was  made  with 
I  he  following  year. 

What  is  known  as  Pontiac's  war  began  in  the  west  in  1763.  That 
powerful  Ottawa  chieftain  had  been  an  early  ally  of  the  French,  and 
had'  I  their  trading  post  at  Detroit.      His  investment  of  that  fort, 

and  the  warfare  which  succeeded,  are  matters  of  general  history,  and 
noi  be  followed  in  detail  here;  it  is  sufficient  to  state  that  General 
1'.    idstreet  proceeded  westward  in  1764,  with  an  army  of  2,000,  accom- 


EVENTS  PRECEDING  THE  REVOLUTION.  129 

panied  by  500  Iroquois,and  relieved  Detroit.  Johnson  sent  Croghan  to 
the  Illinois  country  in  1765,  where  he  met  Pontine  in  July,  and  per- 
suaded him  to  come  to  Detroit  and  make  peace.  A  council  was  held 
there,  August  2'7-28,  and  peace  was  concluded,  Pontiac  sending  his 
pipe  to  Johnson  as  a  token  of  good  will,  and  the  latter  inviting  him  and 
other  chiefs  to  come  to  Oswego  the  following  spring.  On  the  23d  of 
■  July,  1766,  the  council  began  at  that  place  under  a  bower. 

The  appearance  of  the  council  upon  that  summer's  morning  was  exceedingly  pic- 
turesque. At  one  end  of  the  leafy  canopy  the  manly  form  of  the  superintendent, 
wrapped  in  his  scarlet  blanket  bordered  with  gold  lace,  and  surrounded  by  the  glit- 
tering uniforms  of  the  British  officers,  was  seen  with  hand  extended  in  welcome  to 
the  great  Ottawa,  who,  standing  erect  in  conscious  power,  his  rich  plumes  waving 
over  the  circle  of  his  warriors,  accepted  the  proffered  hand  with  an  air  in  which  de- 
fiance and  respect  were  singularly  blended.  Around,  stretched  at  length  upon  the 
grass,  lay  the  proud  chiefs  of  the  Six  Nations,  gazing  with  curious  eye  upon  the  man 
who  had  come  hundreds  of  miles  to  smoke  the  calumet  with  their  beloved  superin- 
tendent.1 

On  this  occasion  alone  the  great  pipe  of  the  Onondagas  was  men- 
tioned. The  Six  Nations  were  asked  to  reply  to  Pontiac's  string,  "upon 
which  the  Onondaga  speaker  lighted  a  calumet  of  peace,  which  Sir 
William  left  in  their  hands  many  years  ago  for  this  use. "  This  was 
smoked  by  the  Western  Indians,  and  an  address  followed  from  the 
Onondaga  speakert  Teyawarunte,  aud  another  from  Deiacpumde. 

The  council  continued  with  impressive  scenes  and  eloquent  speeches, 
when,  on  the  last  day  of  July,  Pontiac  and  his  companions  launched 
their  canoes,  laden  with  presents,  and  began  their  summer  journey  to 
their  western  homes,  their  paddles  keeping  time  to  a  weird  Indian  sung. 
Four  western  nations  were  represented  at  this  time. 

In  the  spring  of  1766  Sir  William  Johnson  received  the  appointment 
of  "Commissary  of  Trade,"  an  office  which  gave  him  general  supervi- 
sion of  barter  with  the  Indians  in  all  this  region.  From  that  time  for- 
ward, for  nearly  ten  years,  he  wielded  almost  autocratic  power  over 
the  Iroquois,  and  lived  in  a  lordly  way  in  the  Mohawk  valley  amid  the 
wilderness  surroundings,  in  the  stone  mansion  which  is  still  standing. 
Trade  had  been  much  broken  up  by  the  recent  hostilities,  but  under 
Johnson's  orders  all  the  barter  possible  was  concentrated  at  Niagara 
and  Oswego,  the  Lords  of  Trade  having  ordered  him  to  "curtail  as 
much  as  possible  the  expenses  of  his  department."      In  order  to  abolish 

1  Stone  s  Life  o!  Johns* 


130  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

the  frauds  regularly  practiced  by  the  traders  on  the  Indians,  the  baro- 
net established  a  new  basis  for  the  future  conduct  of  Indian  trade.  In 
the  spring-  of  1766  he  appointed  at  Detroit,  Fort  Pitt,  Niagara,  Oswego, 
and  Montreal,  Commissioners  of  Trade,  who  were  charged  with  super- 
vision of  all  trade  matters.  At  the  same  time  he  introduced  a  most 
salutary  regulation  by  prohibiting  the  traders  from  going  out  among 
the  Indians.  He  sent  his  deputy,  George  Croghan,  to  Illinois  in  April, 
to  introduce  these  new  methods  there.  The  good  effects  were  at  once 
apparent,  and  trade  sprang  up  into  its  former  activity.  Land  troubles 
with  lawless  settlers,  however,  increased,  and  the  Indians  were  in- 
dignant at  the  frequent  acts  of  violence. 

Johnson  returned  from  Onondaga  in  October,  1767.  Things  were 
not  favorable  for  peace.  The  Onondagas  did  not  wish  to  be  hostile, 
but  would  not  answer  for  one  another,  injured  as  they  had  been.  He 
was  at  Oneida  Lake  for  three  weeks,  probably  at  Fort  Brewerton,  but 
"met  the  Indians  at  the  Tuscarora  creek  in  Oneida  lake.  They  were 
greatly  affected  at  the  death  of  a  remarkable  chief  of  the  Onondagas, 
and  I  was  obliged  to  perform  all  the  ceremony  on  that  occasion." 
This  seems  to  have  been  Chittenango  Creek,  on  affluents  or  on  the 
banks  of  which  the  Tuscaroras  lived. 

In  December,  1767,  a  deputation  of  Cherokees  reached  New  York, 
having  been  sent  to  complain  of  some  hostile  acts  of  the  Iroquois. 
These  were  frequent,  for  there  was  a  long  war  between  them,  and  de- 
scendants of  this  kindred  southern  people  are  among  the  Onondaga 
chiefs  now.  The  Cherokees  came  to  Johnson  Hall  in  the  spring  of 
L768,  where  they  were  met  by  760  Iroquois.  The  latter  were  discon- 
tented, but  at  last  were  pacified.  The  Cherokees  w7ere  addressed  by 
them  as  Younger  Brothers,  and  peace  was  made. 

In  1760,  the  Mohawks  had,  at  their  lower  castle,  given  Sir  William  a 
-real  tract  of  land  and  insisted  on  his  accepting  a  deed  thereof.  The 
baronet  presented  them  in  return  with  $12,000  in  cash  and  other  gifts. 
Tli is  tract  embraced  land  on  the  north  side  of  the  Mohawk  River,  lying 
between  the  East  and  West  Canada  Creeks  containing  60,000  acres, 
and  constituted  what  became  and  is  known  as  the  Royal  Grant,  being 
sanctioned  by  royal  letters  patent  in  1767. 

Among  other  grants,  Sir  William  Johnson  mentioned  one  made  to 

him    m    L751,  when   the  French  proposed  to  build  a  fort  on  Onondaga 

At  a  conference  with   the  Onondagas,  he  asked  them  to  grant 

him  this  lake,  with  tin    land  for  two  miles  around,  and  he  would  make 


EVENTS  PRECEDING  THE  REVOLUTION.  131 

them  a  handsome  present.  They  signed  a  deed,  and  he  paid  them 
,£350  before  witnesses.  The  government  refused  to  reimburse  him, 
though  this  was  done  for  the  public  good,  but  granted  him  the  tract. 
He  took  no  further  steps,  being  then  unwilling  to  engage  in  land 
affairs. 1 

A  council  was  held  at  Fort  Stanwix,  September  19,  1768,  which  was 
attended  by  Sir  William  Johnson  and  his  three  deputies,  Governor 
Franklin  of  New  Jersey,  Lieutenant-Governor  Penn  of  Pennsylvania, 
commissioners  from  that  province  and  Virginia,  and  Messrs.  Wharton 
and  Trent,  representing  traders  who  had  suffered  in  the  Pontiac  war. 
By  the  24th  of  October  3,000  Indians  had  assembled.  The  object  was 
to  fix  a  "property  line"  between  the  whites  and  Indians,  a  favorite 
measure  of  Johnson's.  He  presented  the  subject,  and  the  Iroquois 
chiefs  held  a  private  conference  of  six  days,  agreeing  on  a  line.  This 
was  not  adopted,  but  the  line  finally  established  began  at  Wood  Creek, 
east  of  Oneida  Lake,  and  extended  thence  southward  to  the  Delaware 
and  Susquehanna  Rivers.  It  gave  to  the  English  the  carrying  place  at 
Fort  Stanwix,  between  the  Mohawk  River  and  Oneida  Lake,  which 
was  one  of  the  points  especially  in  controversy.  It  was  not  continued 
northward  from  Wood  Creek,  as  Sir  William  said  the  land  in  that 
direction  was  owned  by  the  Mohawks  and  Oneidas,  with  whom  an 
agreement  could  be  made  at  another  time.  The  matter  was  concluded 
November  5,  1768,  and  the  line  was  ratified  by  Johnson  in  July,  1770.  2 

A  project  for  dividing  Albany  county  was  broached  first  in  the 
Assembly  by  Philip  Schuyler,  in  the  spring  of  17G9.  While  this  was 
favored  by  Sir  William  Johnson,  he  earnestly  objected  to  the  proposed 
line  of  division.  "Albany  county,"  he  wrote,  "  is  much  too  large,  but 
the  manner  in  which  it  is  proposed  to  be  divided  is  in  many  respects 
extremely  inconvenient,  and  it  would  prove  disagreeable  to  about  all 
the  inhabitants.  The  only  rational  boundary,  it  has  appeared  to  me, 
would  be  at  the  west  bounds  of  the  township  of  Schenectady."  Again, 
in  the  spring  of  1772,  the  subject  was  brought  forward,  and  on  January 
2,  Johnson  sent  to  the  Assembly  by  James  De  Lancey  a  second  peti- 
tion, praying  for  a  division,  and  naming  boundaries  that  would  be  sat- 
isfactory to  the  petitioners.  A  bill  was  passed,  by  which  all  that  part 
of  Albany  county  west  of  the  present  east  line  of  Montgomery  county 
was  erected  into  Tryon  county  (a  name  which   was  changed  to   Mont- 

1  N.  Y.  Col.  Hist.,  VII,  84(1. 

2  N.  Y.  Col.  Hist.,  VIII,  136,  with  Guy  Johnson's  map. 


132  ONONbAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

o-omery  m  L784).  The  county  seat  was  fixed  at  Johnstown,  the  home 
r  William,  who  had  the  naming-  of  nearly  or  quite  all  the  county 
officers.  A  jail  and  court-house  were  promptly  erected,  the  latter  of 
which  is  still  in  use,  Col.  Philip  Schuyler  called  on  Johnson  to  aid 
him  in  the  division  of  the  new  county  into  districts,  and  in  his  reply 
Sir  William  named  five  of  these,  Mohawk,  Stone  Arabia,  Canajoharie, 
Kingsland,  and  German  Flats.  Of  this  new  county  of  Tryon  our  On- 
ondaga county  was,  of  course,  a  part. 

Johnson  sent  an  interesting  account  of  the  Five  Nations  to  Arthur 
Lee,  in  1771,  the  Tuscaroras  not  being  strictly  members  of  the  Grand 
Council.  The  ancient  customs  of  the  Mohawks  and  Oneidas  were 
much  decayed,  but  the  Onondagas  were  better  versed  in  these,  and 
called  themselves  People  of  the  Great  Mountain.  In  1773  they  said 
they  had  summoned  several  troublesome  nations  to  the  great  fireplace 
at  Onondaga.  "  We  have  already  called  upon  them  twice,  and  agree- 
ably  to  our  own  ancient  customs,  shall  do  so  the  third  time  before  we 
strilc 

The  establishment  of  the  Property  Line  did  not  long  suffice  to  pre- 
serve inviolate  the  Indian  territory.  The  influx  of  new  settlers  and 
the  avarice  of  traders  soon  provoked  complaints.  At  a  congress  of  the 
Six  Nations  at  Johnson  Hall,  in  June  and  July,  1771,  a  Seneca  orator 
complained  that  the  whites  and  traders  encroached  upon  their  territory, 
followed  their  people  to  their  hunting  grounds  with  goods  and  liquors, 
"when,"  he  said,  "they  not  only  impose  on  us  at  their  pleasure,  but 
by  the  means  of  carrying  these  articles  to  our  scattered  people,  obstruct 
our  endeavors  to  collect  them.  We  are  sorry,"  he  added,  "to  observe 
to  you  that  your  people  are  as  ungovernable,  or  rather  more  so,  than 
ours." 

The  continued  encroachments  on  the  Indian  domain  prepared  the 
way  for  the  hostility  against  the  colonists  during  the  war  of  the  Revo- 
lution, which  soon  followed.  The  Indians  had  adopted  a  settled  and 
well  understood  policy,  involving  resistance  to  further  inroads;  and  the 
[roquois,  who  had  hitherto  preserved  a  uniform  friendship  towards  the 
lists,  now,  with  the  exception  of  the  Oneidas,  Tuscaroras,  and  pos- 
sibly a  few  others,  opposed  them.  Eighteen  hundred  of  their  warriors 
allied  themselves  with  the  British,  and  only  220  with  the  colonists. 
The  atrocities  of  the  former,  under  the  leadership  of  Johnson,  Butler 
and  Brant,  will  long  be  remembered  in  both  New  York  and  Pennsyl- 
vania; and  with  the  memory  must  ever  be  mingled  the  thought,  that 


EVENTS  PRECEDING  THE  REVOLUTION.  133 

unwarranted  acts  of  white  men  were  to  a  large  extent  the  cause  of 
desertion  by  the  Indians  to  the  royal  cause. 

In  1 774  Sir  William  nominated  Col.  Guy  Johnson,  his  son-in-law,  as 
his  successor  at  his  death,  agreeably  to  the  wish  of  the  Indians.  At 
this  time  he  reckoned  the  Six  Nations  at  10,000  souls,  and  the  warriors 
as  2,000  men.  A  council  assembled  at  Johnson  Hall  in  July,  1  IT  1,  and 
while  it  was  in  progress,  Sir  William  died  suddenly,  July  11.  from 
weakness  and  overwork.  The  Indians  attended  the  funeral,  and  soon 
after  the  couneil  broke  up. 

In  October  of  that  year,  235  Iroquois  chiefs  and  warriors  held  a  coun- 
cil with  Guy  Johnson,  going  through  formal  condolenees,  in  which 
Bunt,  chief  of  the  Onondagas,  was  especially  eloquent.  Teyawarunte, 
Onondaga  speaker,  performed  the  usual  ceremonies,  and  the  Bunt's 
eldest  son  produced  the  several  marks  of  Johnson's  regard  for  him,  and 
according  to  old  custom,  laid  them  down  before  Colonel  Johnson,  who 
restored  them.  Others  did  the  same,  and  the  old  covenant  belt  was 
renewed.  The  Onondagas,  considering  the  Bunt's  great  age,  nomi- 
nated Onagogare  to  succeed  him,  but  the  former  lived  for  several  years 
more.  At  this  time  eighteen  western  nations  had  deputies  at  Onondaga, 
and  said  they  would  abide  by  the  decision  of  the  Grand  Council.  The 
Shawnee  war  belt  was  rejected,  and  some  interesting  accounts  are 
given  of  other  wampum  belts.  The  great  union  belt,  given  them  be- 
fore the  last  war,  and  always  kept  at  Onondaga,  was  placed  for  a  time 
with  the  Senecas,  the  western  door  of  the  confederacv.  It  was  nearly 
five  feet  long,  and  had  thirty  rows  of  white  wampum,  with  a  figure  in 
black.  Another,  given  them  by  Guy  Johnson,  would  be  put  up  care- 
fully among  their  great  belts  at  Onondaga.  A  large  one  was  sent  to 
the  Shawnees,  saying  it  was  the  third  and  last  time,  and  must  be 
heeded. 


134  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

The  Revolution— Mohawk  Valley— Conference— The  Johnsons— Campaign  of  1776 
— Burgoyne  and  St.  Leger — Fort  Stanwix  and  Oriskany — Oswego— Molly  Brant — 
Expedition  against  Onondaga— Beatty's  Journal— Results— Johnson's  Raid— Turtle 
Tree— Attempt  on  Oswego— Close  of  the  War— List  of  Revolutionary  Soldiers. 

The  causes  leading  up  to  the  appeal  to  arms  by  the  American  colo- 
nies against  the  mother  country  need  not  be  recounted  here.  Their 
existence  began  years  before  the  first  gun  of  the  Revolution  was  fired. 
The  famous  Declaration  of  Rights,  prepared  in  Philadelphia  in  Septem- 
ber, 1774,  was  sent  to  the  English  court  only  to  be  received  with 
ridicule  and  threats.  The  battle  of  Lexington,  where  was  "fired  the 
shot  heard  "round  the  world,"  was  fought  on  the  19th  of  April,  1775 — 
a  battle  of  insignificant  proportions,  but  most  momentous  as  the  be- 
ginning of  a  struggle  which  was  to  close  with  the  founding  of  the 
greatest  republic  the  world  has  ever  seen. 

Seeking  nearer  home  for  conditions  surrounding  the  rising  of  the 
curtain  on  the  great  military  drama,  we  find  little  that  was  encouraging 
to  the  colonists.  The  influence  of  the  Johnsons  in  the  Mohawk  valley; 
their  close  alliance  with  the  notorious  tories,  John  Butler  and  his  son, 
and  Walter  N.  ;  the  expected  adherence  of  the  latter  to  England;  the 
extensive  dissatisfaction  of  the  Indians,  all  were  ominous  of  coming 
trouble  in  Tryon  county.  In  this  instance  the  expected  was  what 
occurred.  Guy  Johnson  began  intriguing  with  the  Indians,  planning 
and  inciting  warfare  against  the  Americans,  supported  in  his  traitorous 
work  by  the  elder  Butler,  who  was  a  man  of  wealth  and  influence. 
Sir  John  Johnson  quietly  fortified  Johnson  Hall,  a  large  square  stone 
structure  where  Sir  William  had  lived,  and  which  was  well  adapted  for 
rise,  and  there  gathered  around  him  a  large  body  of  retainers, 
whose  inclinations  were  mainly  identical  with  his  own. 

A  conference  was  held  with  the  Six  Nations  at  German  Flats,  August 

L5,   111"),  on  tin    part  of  the  Americans.      Two  of  the  commissioners  of 

"the  Twelve  United  Colonies"  were  there,  and  invited  them  to  meet 

her  three  at  Albany.      The  Six  Nations  accepted  this 


THE  REVOLUTION.  135 

for  themselves,  but  not  at  once  for  their  allies.  Guy  Johnson  had  been 
already  instructed  "  to  lose  no  time  in  taking  such  steps  as  may  induce 
the  Six  Nations  to  take  up  the  hatchet  against  His  Majesty's  rebellious 
subjects  in  America.  "  He  had  already  gone  to  Canada,  but  held  a  large 
council  at  Oswego  on  the  way. 

The  council  at  Albany  met  August  23,  and  the  Indians  said  they 
would  be  neutral.  The  great  pipe  was  lighted  and  sent  around,  and 
this  was  the  last  council  which  met  there. 

Soon  after  a  letter  was  addressed  to  Sir  John  Johnson,  asking  his 
position  on  several  important  public  questions.  A  journal  of  Col.  Guy 
Johnson's,  from  May  to  November,  1775,  contains  much  of  interest. 
In  his  Life  of  Brant,  Mr.  Stone  erroneously  distinguishes  the  confer- 
ences at  Ontario  and  Oswego,  which  were  really  one.  At  this  1340 
Iroquois  met  Colonel  Johnson.  He  went  thence  to  Canada,  and  sailed 
from  Quebec  for  England,  November  11,  with  Brant,  returning  the 
following  year.  Towards  its  close  most  of  the  Six  Nations  agreed  to 
take  the  king's  side,  an  unfortunate  resolution  for  all.  The  usual  state- 
ments of  Brant's  movements  that  year  are  mostly  erroneous,  but  the 
Mohawks  were  already  active  against  the  colonists.  Congress  also 
wished  the  aid  of  the  Six  Nations,  and  while  deputies  from  four  of  these 
were  on  a  peace  embassy  at  Philadelphia,  the  Onondaga  speaker  con- 
ferred on  John  Hancock  the  name  of  Karanduaan,  or  the  Great  Tree. 

On  the  other  hand,  Guy  Johnson  had  a  letter  from  the  chiefs  of  the 
Six  Nations,  in  June,  1777,  written  at  their  order  by  Brant.  They  had 
assembled  in  May,  and  were  all  ready  except  the  Oneidas.  All  would 
"act  as  one  man."  They  had  commenced  hostilities,  and  TOO  Indians, 
then  at  Oswego,  would  soon  strike  a  blow. 

While  these  proceedings  were  taking  place,  Sir  John  Johnson  re- 
mained in  Johnstown,  where  he  continued  a  secret  but  effective  hostility 
against  the  Americans,  perfecting  the  coalition  between  the  British, 
and  the  Indians  and  tories.  Convinced  at  last  of  his  treacherous  and 
hostile  intentions,  Gen.  Philip  Schuyler,  then  in  command  of  Northern 
New  York,  wrote  Johnson  in  January,  1776,  to  the  effect  that  his  acts 
were  well  known,  and  demanding  that  Johnson  meet  him  for  a  hearing. 
The  baronet's  reply  was  unsatisfactory,  but  after  further  correspondence 
Johnson  signed  a  parole  of  honor,  that  he  would  not  take  up  arms  against 
the  Americans,  and  would  not  go  to  the  westward  of  German  Flats  and 
Kingsland  districts.  His  Scotch  retainers  surrendered  their  arms,  and 
gave  up  six  of  their  number  as  hostages.     Johnson  violated  this  parole, 


136  ONONDAGA'S   CENTENNIAL. 

continued  his  acts  of  hostility,  and  finally,  in  May,  1776,  steps  were 
taken  to  place  him  under  arrest.  He  was  informed  of  this  by  his  friends 
in  Albany,  and  fled  through  the  forests,  reaching-  Montreal  after  a 
journey  filled  with  terrible  hardships.  There  he  was  made  a  colonel 
in  the  British  army,  and  became  an  open  enemy  of  the  Americans,  as 
colonel  of  a  regiment  called  the  Royal  Greens.  It  is  fair  to  say  that 
the  historical  introduction  to  Sir  John  Johnson's  Orderly  Book,  by  J. 
Watts  de  Peyster,  places  his  conduct  in  a  much  more  favorable  light. 

The  results  of  the  campaign  of  1776  in  New  York  were  generally  un- 
favorable to  the  Americans.  The  fort  at  vSt  John's,  the  first  military 
post  within  the  Canadian  border,  had  been  taken  on  the  3d  of  Novem- 
ber, 1775,  by  Montgomery,  who  promptly  pressed  forward  to  attack 
Quebec.  "  Until  Quebec  is  captured,  Canada  remains  unconquered," 
he  wrote  to  the  Continental  Congress.  On  the  last  day  of  the  year,  amid 
the  rigors  of  a  Canadian  winter,  the  patriot  army  stormed  the  almost 
inpregnable  works — Montgomery  fell — Arnold  was  wounded  and  his 
division  captured.      The  assault  had  failed. 

The  more  important  general  events  of  the  year  1776  were  the  evacu- 
ation of  Boston,  before  Washington's  army  on  March  17;  the  signing 
of  the  Declaration  of  Independence;  the  expulsion  of  the  American 
forces  from  Canada,  their  ranks  decimated  by  small- pox;  the  flight  of 
Sir  John  Johnson  before  noted;  the  attack  upon  the  Americans  on  Long- 
Island,  and  the  retreat  of  Washington's  army;  the  capture  of  Fort 
Washington  on  the  Hudson  River  by  the  British  on  November  16;  the 
battle  of  Trenton  and  victory  of  Washington  in  December — almost  the 
only  bright  ray  to  lighten  the  general  gloom  of  the  year.  None  of  these 
events  had  a  direct  bearing  upon  the  history  of  Onondaga  county. 

Inspired  by  their  repeated  successes  the  British  made  extensive  prep- 
arations for  the  campaign  of  L777.  One  conspicuous  feature  of  their 
plans  was  the  invasion  of  this  State  by  a  large  army  from  the  north, 
•r  Gen.  John  Burgoyne.  The  latter  had  recently  returned  from 
England  with  his  commission,  and  had  superseded  in  Canada  Gen.  Guy 
General  Schuyler  anticipated  this  invasion  and  besought 
Washington  to  send  more  troops  to  garrison  Ticonderoga  and  Fort 
Stanwix,  and  to  protect  other  points  in  the  Mohawk  valley.  Schuyler 
arrived  at  Ticonderoga  on  June  20,  the  same  morning  on  which  Bur- 
goync's  army  sel  sail  up  Lake  Champlain.  Ticonderoga  wasunderim- 
medi  ad  of  General  St.  Clair,  who  was  forced  to  evacuate  the 

■[     fl        vith  ins  army  toward.-,  Fort  Edward,  was  defeated  in   a 


THE  REVOLUTION.  137 

battle  at  Hubbardton,  reached  Fort  Edward,  and  thence  was  pressed 
down  the  Hudson  River  to  Albany. 

In  the  mean  time  an  expedition  was  organized  in  Canada  under  Col. 
Barry  St.  Leger,  composed  of  regulars,  Canadians  and  Indians,  under 
orders  to  cross  Lake  Ontario  to  Oswego,  proceed  up  the  Oswego  River, 
penetrate  and  desolate  the  Mohawk  valley,  and  then  join  Burgoyne, 
who  was  expected  from  the  north.  In  this  expedition  the  Canadians 
and  Indians  were  led  by  Sir  John  Johnson  in  person,  his  heart  beating 
to  revenge  his  ignominious  expulsion  from  his  old  home.  He  arrived 
at  Oswego  July  23,  and  was  joined  by  Brant  and  a  band  of  followers. 

Throughout  Try  on  county  alarm  and  anxiety  prevailed.  The  news 
of  the  approaching  invasion  was  carried  to  the  people  by  a  friendly  half- 
breed  Oneida,  who  had  been  present  at  the  Oswego  council.  He  en- 
treated the  dwellers  in  the  valley,  and  his  brethren  of  the  Oneidas,  to 
rise  and  hasten  to  Fort  Schuyler  (Stanwix)  to  repel  the  invaders;  but 
it  was  becoming  the  general  belief  that  the  patriot  cause  would  fail. 
General  Herkimer  issued  a  proclamation,  calling  to  arms  the  militia 
and  the  people  of  the  county  for  the  defense  of  the  frontier,  but  the 
response  was  neither  prompt  nor  enthusiastic.  The  Oneidas  preserved 
their  neutrality,  thus  following  the  counsel  of  General  Schuyler. 

Colonel  St.  Leger  now  set  out  against  Fort  Stanwix,  intending  to 
cross  the  woods  from  Salmon  Creek  to  that  place,  and  surprise  it. 
Further  intelligence  modified  his  plans.  He  rendezvoused  at  Buck 
Island,  at  the  entrance  of  Lake  Ontario,  where  Sir  John  Johnson  joined 
him  with  his  regiment,  and  150  Indians  had  swelled  his  forces  on  the 
way.  He  reached  Salmon  Creek,  and  sent  for  Colonel  Claus  to  come 
to  him  from  Oswego.  Brant  insisted  that  this  must  not  be  done,  and 
St.  Leger  proceeded  to  Oswego  with  two  regiments  and  250  Indians. 
Three  River  Point  was  appointed  for  the  Indian  rendezvous,  and  part 
of  the  army  reached  Fort  Stanwix  August  2. 

On  July  26  the  first  detachment  of  St.  Leger's  army  left  Oswego 
under  command  of  Lieutenant  Bird,  the  main  body  following.  The 
diary  kept  by  Bird  noted  his  arrival  at  Three  Rivers  on  the  28th,  where 
he  had  trouble  with  his  Indians.  At  Wood  Creek  the  Senecas  refused 
to  go  forward  unless  a  small  party  were  sent  out  in  advance;  Bird  pro- 
ceeded without  them  and  invested  the  fort,  which  had  been  consider- 
ably strengthened  and  placed  under  command  of  Col.  Peter  Ganse- 
voort,  who  was  joined,  early  in  June,  by  Col.  Marinus  Willett  and  1  is 
regiment.      The  works  were  gallantly  defended  by  the  heroic  garrison. 

18 


138  ONONDAGA'S   CENTENNIAL. 

The  movement  of  General  Herkimer  up  the  valley  to  its  relief,  and  the 
ensuing  bloody  battle  of  Oriskany;  the  relief  of  the  garrison  by  Arnold 
and  Lamed,  and  the  raising  of  the  siege,  can  only  be  touched  upon 
here;  their  details  illumine  some  of  the  most  interesting  pages  of  our 
history,  and  the  events  themselves  were  especially  important  to  the 
success  of  the  American  arms. 

The  Oneidas  were  interested  and  excited,  fearing  damage  from  the 
other  nations.  Thomas  Spencer,  an  Oneida  chief,  wrote  to  the  Ameri- 
cans, July  29,  1777:  "To-morrow  we  are  going  to  the  Three  Rivers  to 
the  treaty.  We  expect  to  meet  the  warriors  there,  and  when  we  come 
and  declare  we  are  for  peace,  we  expect  to  be  used  with  indifference, 
and  sent  away."  Lieutenant  Bird  was  at  that  place,  July  28,  where 
sixteen  Senecas  and  seventy  or  eighty  Mississagas  joined  him.  He 
camped  seven  miles  up  the  Oneida  River,  probably  at  Oak  Orchard,  a 
most  delightful  spot.  The  next  night  he  was  at  Nine-Mile  Point,  on 
Oneida  Lake,  which  might  have  been  the  east  side  of  Chittenango 
Creek,  where  St.  Leger  arrived  August  2.  Sir  John  Johnson's  Orderly 
Book  has  given  us  a  better  understanding  of  the  British  force  and 
operations.  Familiar  names  were  often  repeated  as  passwords.  It 
was  not  until  July  18,  that  the  password  was  given  as  Onondaga,  with 
the  countersign  Fort  Bull.  The  orderly  book  ends  at  Oswego  Falls. 
The  failure  of  the  expedition  averted  one  great  danger,  but  hostile 
bands  ravaged  the  frontier  until  the  end  of  the  war. 

The  remnant  of  the  discomfited  British  army,  which  had  left  Oswego 
a  few  weeks  before,  full  of  confidence  in  approaching  victory,  now 
hurried  down  the  turbulent  stream,  frustrated  and  disappointed,  their 
artillery  left  in  the  trenches  before  Fort  Schuyler,  and  their  red  allies 
bewailing  the  slaughter  of  their  brethren.  St.  Leger  proceeded  to 
Montreal  with  his  regulars,  Butler  and  Brant  returned  to  Niagara,  and 
Johnson  took  his  Royal  Greens  to Oswegatchie.  Burgoyne's  surrender 
<ui  the  Hudson,  October  17,  closed  the  military  operations  of  the  year, 
but  Colonel  Clans  ordered  three  of  Johnson's  Indian  officers  to  reside  in 
the  Seneca  and  Cayuga  towns. 

Early  in  July,  1778,  Colonel  Gansevoort  sent  a  squad  under  Lieuten- 
ant  McClellan   to  destroy  Fort  Ontario  at  Oswego,  a  measure  adopted 
to   prevenl    its  possible  occupation  by  the  British.     All  the  buildings, 
pting  one  left  for  a  woman  and  her  children  who  were  found  there, 
burned,   and   as  far  as  possible  the    fortification  was  destroyed. 
! -leasing  to  the  Indian  allies  of  the  British;  they,  per- 


THE  REVOLUTION.  139 

haps,  appreciated  its  importance  better  than  the  English  officers,  whose 
neglect  to  occupy  the  post  has  been  cause  for  surprise.  In  1779  the 
Indians  sent  a  delegation  of  chiefs  to  Montreal,  where  they  petitioned 
General  Haldimand  to  grant,  among  other  things,  the  re-establishment 
of  the  fort.     Their  request  was  not  approved. 

A  circumstance  of  some  interest  followed  the  battle  of  Oriskany. 
The  Indians  engaged  there  were  Senecas  and  Mississagas,  and  burned 
an  Oneida  settlement  near,  with  other  depredations.  The  Oneidas 
avenged  themselves  by  plundering  Brant's  sister  and  her  family,  and 
driving  them  from  their  homes.  She  went  to  Onondaga,  and  laid  the 
matter  before  the  Grand  Council,  and  reprisals  were  made.  Molly 
Brant  was  influential,  and  made  her  home  there  for  some  time.  The 
following  letter  regarding  her  was  found  among  the  papers  of  Col. 
Daniel  Claus: 

My  Elder  Brother: — I  received  just  now  a  letter  from  Miss  Mary  Degonwadonti 
[Molly  Brant]. 

She  says :  Tell  the  Governor  that  I  have  heard  that  Oraghgwatrihon  [Guy  Johnson] 
is  coming  back  again. 

She  says:  I  want  to  hear  what  happened  to  his  band  who  was  with  him  on  the 
lake. 

She  says:  Governor  Asharekowa  [Big  Sword,  or  Gen.  Haldimand]  I  greet  and 
thank  him  much  for  what  he  did.  His  message  is  here.  His  words  are  very 
pleasant.  Tell  him,  therefore.  Brother,  that  the  people  of  the  Long  House  are  much 
gratified. 

She  also  says:  We  are  now  expecting  what  will  happen  to  the  whole  Long  House. 

About  500  left  here  Oct.  23d,  for  Kanghtongegh  [Cherry  Valley].  They  said  that 
Karightongegh  shall  be  destroyed.  Sakayengwaraghdon  [Old  Smoke,  the  principal 
Seneca  chief]  is  their  leader. 

To  Col.  Claus,  Montreal,  I,  John  Deserontyon  [Capt.  John  or  Chief  Deseronto] 
have  written  this.     Lachine,  Dec.  3d,  1778."1 

The  war  went  on  and  in  order  to  chastise  the  Iroquois  in  some  meas- 
ure for  their  many  bloody  atrocities  against  the  patriots,  an  expedition 
was  made  against  the  Onondagas  in  the  spring  of  1779,  under  Colonels 
Van  Schaick  and  Willett.  With  their  troops  they  left  Fort  Schuyler  on 
April  19,  penetrated  into  the  heart  of  the  Onondaga  country,  surprised 
the  Indians,  destroyed  their  villages,  burned  their  provisions,  slaugh- 
tered their  stock  and  wrought  general  desolation. 

While  some  of  these  Indian  expeditions  may  have  passed  through 
Onondaga,  and  while  some  of  its  young  men  probably  joined  them,  it 

1  This  letter  was  furnished  Wm.  C.  Bryant,  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  by  Mr.  Kirby,  of  Ontario, 
Canada.     It  does  not  appear  where  Molly  Brant  then  was. 


140  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

does  not  appear  that  many  of  the  Onondagas  were  as  yet  active  in  the 
strife.  As  far  as  they  could  the  old  men  kept  the  hostile  element  in 
check.  A  blow  was  about  to  fall  which  would  make  every  Onondaga 
an  enemy  to  the  Americans.  This  act  had  the  appearance  of  a  breach 
of  faith  ;'  its  effects  proved  it  a  blunder.  As  late  as  January,  1779,  some 
principal  Onondaga  chiefs,  on  their  way  to  Fort  Stanwix,  approved  of 
the  course  of  the  Oneidas  in  adhering  to  the  Americans.  They  told  the 
Oneidas  and  Tuscaroras  that  they  had  ''invariably  pursued  the  path  of 
peace;"  but  now  they  were  disposed  to  follow  their  lead.  In  February 
of  that  year,  the  Oneidas  said  that  fourteen  Onondagas  had  been  sent 
to  Niagara  by  their  chiefs,  to  persuade  all  of  their  nation  to  return 
home.  The  messengers,  even,  were  not  permitted  to  do  this,  and  the 
Onondagas  feared  that  they  and  all  their  people  at  Niagara  had  been 
made  prisoners.  Stone,  in  his  life  of  Brant,  said,  "This  expedition 
against  the  Onondagas  appears  like  a  harsh,  if  not  an  unnecessary  meas- 
ure."  The  Oneidas  were  astounded,  as  not  knowing  what  would  come 
next.  The  Onondagas  desired  the  Oneidas  to  ask  the  Americans 
"Whether  all  this  was  done  by  design,  or  by  mistake.  If  it  was  a  mis- 
take, say  they,  we  hope  to  see  our  brethren  the  prisoners — if  by  design, 
we  will  still  keep  our  engagements  with  you  and  not  join  the  King's 
party.  But  if  our  brethren,  the  Americans,  mean  to  destroy  us  also,  we 
will  wait  here,  and  receive  our  death."  This  manly  and  generous  state- 
ment made  peace  still  possible,  but  it  was  not  met  in  the  same  spirit. 
Colonel  Van  Schaick  answered  truly  and  severely,  "They  were  cut  off 
not  by  mistake,  but  by  design — I  was  ordered  to  do  it — and  it  is  done." 

Clark's  version  of  the  expedition  is  less  accurate  than  Stone's,  but  it 
will  be  better  to  use  the  two  extant  journals  of  this  affair.  One  of  these 
was  written  by  Lieutenant  E.  Beatty,  of  the  Fourth  Pennsylvania  Regi- 
ment, and  the  other  by  Capt.  Thomas  Machin  of  the  2d  N.  Y.  Artillery. 

Thirty  bateaux  were  provided  for  the  558  men  and  officers,  and  they 
embarked  at  the  Royal  Block  House  on  Wood  Creek,  crossing  Oneida 
Lake  in  the  night,  in  the  face  of  a  cold  wind,  and  arriving  at  Brewerton 
at  3  p.  m.,  on  April  20.      Lieutenant  Beatty's  account  follows: 

He  said  under  date  of  April  20: 

We  then  proceeded  on  to  the  Onandaga  landing  at  the  farther  end  of  the  lake, 
which  is  across  :>:!  Miles  and  in  breadth  13  Miles,  where  we  arrived  about  3  o'clock. 
Immediately  Disembarked,  Drawed  Rum,  turned  out  a  sufficient  Guard  to  leave 
with  the  boats,  then  formed  the  line  of  March.  Viz.  The  Men  to  March  in  two  Col- 
umns about    the  Distance  of  100  Yards  each,  Capts.  Graham,  Gray,  Hicks  &  Ren- 


THE   REVOLUTION.  141 

shaw,  with  their  Companies  to  form  the  Right,  and  Capts.  Louie's,  Johnston, 
Fowler,  &  Bleeker  to  form  the  left,  and  the  Rifle  Compy.  to  divide  upon  each 
flank.  The  Main  body  to  march  two  deep,  and  in  case  of  intiruption  to  file  of  to 
Right  and  left,  and  Join  the  line,  and  the  Rifle  men  to  keep  on  the  flanks,  in  this 
Manner  we  march'd  of  thro  the  woods  with  the  greatest  silence  about  14  Miles,  when 
we  stopt  about  dark,  and  laid  down  without  any  fires,  and  the  strictes  orders  to  keep 
silence. 

21st,  this  morning  set  of  about  Day  Break,  on  the  same  line  of  march,  and  went 
about  6  Miles  when  we  halted.  Capt.  Graham  with  his  Compy.  was  sent  forward 
as  an  advance  party,  then  proceeded  on  to  the  Onandaga  lake,  about  8  Miles  in 
length  and  4  in  Breadth,  waded  an  arm  of  it,  about  4  foot  deep,  and  200  yards  wide, 
and  came  to  Onandaga  creek,  small  but  deep,  had  to  cross  it  on  a  log.  Capt.  Gra- 
ham's Co. ,  Just  as  he  had  crossed  the  creek,  caught  an  Indian  who  was  shooting 
Pidgeons,  and  made  him  prisoner.  And  we  got  some  Information  from  him,  then 
proceeded  on  till  we  come  within  about  one  Mile  of  the  Town,  when  we  Rec'd.  word 
from  Capt.  Graham  that  he  had  caught  one  Squaw  and  killed  one,  and  had  taken 
two  or  three  children  and  one  White  man,  and  one  or  two  made  their  escape  and 
alarmed  the  town.  The  Col.  Immediately  sent  me  forward  to  order  him  on  as  quick 
as  possible,  and  make  as  many  prisoners  as  he  could,  and  he  would  support  him  witli 
the  main  body.  I  overtook  him  at  the  first  town,  and  delivered  my  orders,  and  he 
Immediately  pushed  on  about  two  miles  to  the  Next  town,  where  he  made  a  small 
halt  and  took  a  great  many  prisoners,  soon  after  Major  Cochran  with  Capt.  Gray's 
Compy.  came  up  and  ordered  me  to  stay  with  the  prisoners,  and  their  two  Compys. 
to  push  on  to  the  next  town,  about  one  mile  forward,  which  they  did,  and  made  more 
prisoners  and  killed  some,  particularly  a  Negro  who  was  their  Dr.  they  then  plun- 
dered the  houses  of  the  most  valuable  things,  and  set  tire  to  them,  and  Returned  to 
the  middle  town  where  I  was.  Capt.  Bleeker's  Compy.  had  come  up  by  this  time, 
and  left  the  main  body  at  their  first  town ;  we  then  collected  all  our  prisoners,  plun- 
dered this  town  and  set  fire  to  it,  then  marched  of  to  the  main  body,  which  lay  at 
the  first  town  ;  we  stayed  there  about  8  hours  and  killed  some  five  horses  and  a  Num- 
ber of  Hogs,  &  plundered  their  houses,  and  set  fire  to  them,  and  Marched  of  about  4 
o'clock,  in  the  same  line  of  march  as  we  came,  only  the  front  changed,  and  a  Compy. 
to  guard  the  prisrs.  who  was  to  march  between  they  two  colums;  marched  on 
about  2  Miles  from  the  town  down  the  Onand'ga  creek,  when  about  20  Indians  who  Lay 
concealed  on  the  -opposite  side  of  the  Creek  fird  upon  us,  but  the  Rifle  Men  soon 
Dispersed  them,  killing  one  of  them,  we  then  marched  on  and  crossed  the  Onandaga 
Creek  in  two  places,  for  fear  the  enemy  should  attack  us,  but  we  met  with  no  inter- 
ruption, crossed  the  arm  of  the  lake,  and  encamped  by  the  side  of  the  lake  about  8 
Miles  from  the  town.  We  killed  about  15,  took  34  Prisoners,  Burned  about  30  or  40 
Houses,  took  2  stand  of  Coulors,  and  we  had  not  one  man  killed  or  wounded 

22nd.  Marched  of  early  this  morning  and  arrived  at  the  boats  about  4  o'clock, 
stopt  about  one  hour  to  Draw  rum,  then  embarked  and  went  7  Mile  to  a  large  Island 
in  the  lake,  where  we  encamped  and  Drew  provision. 

There  are  some  differences  to  be  noted  in  Captain  Machin's  journal. 
He  says  they  marched  eight  or  nine  miles  from  Brewerton  the  first  day, 
and  that  the  following  night  was  dark  and  cold.      The  arm  of  the   lake 


142  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

was  forded  at  9  a.  m.,  and  Captain  Graham  was  ordered  to  surround  the 
principal  Onondaga  settlement,  which  was  two  miles  from  where  they 
crossed  the  creek.  He  thought  their  settlements  extended  about  eight 
miles  in  length,  with  scattered  houses  on  the  east  side  of  the  creek.  So 
complete  was  the  surprise  that  the  Indians  carried  off  nothing.  Fifty 
houses  were  burned,  and  about  a  hundred  guns  destroyed.  "One 
swivel  taken  at  the  Council  House,  had  the  trunions  broke  off,  and 
otherways  damaged."  A  quantity  of  corn  was  also  destroyed,  and  all 
kinds  of  stock  killed. 

A  fair  estimate  of  distances  would  make  the  first  camp  near  Wood ard 
station,  and  the  second  between  Liverpool  and  Salina.  The  arm  of  the 
lake  also  lay  between  these  two  places,  and  the  creek  was  crossed  a 
little  northeast  of  St.  Agnes's  cemetery,  the  principal  town  being  half 
a  mile  south  of  the  present  village  of  Onondaga  Valley,  where  Johnson 
built  the  fort  of  1756.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  every  wampum  belt 
was  taken  as  plunder,  and  that  every  present  Onondaga  belt  is  of  later 
date.  It  is  a  significant  feature  of  the  expedition  that  a  whole  day  was 
spent  at  Fort  Stanwix  in  dividing  the  plunder.  Machin  called  French- 
man's Island  "the  Seven  Miles  Island." 

Although  successful  to  a  certain  extent,  the  consequences  of  this  ex- 
pedition were  not  such  as  were  anticipated;  and  the  same  may  be  said 
of  the  more  extensive  raid  under  General  Sullivan,  who  arrived  at 
Tioga  Point  on  August  11,  and  was  there  joined  by  Gen.  JamesClinton 
with  1,600  men,  August  22.  The  expedition  wras  slow  in  its  early  move- 
ments, giving  the  British  in  Canada  time  to  send  a  force  to  the  aid  of 
the  threatened  Senecas.  These  troops  fortified  themselves  near  the 
site  of  Elmira  and  the  battle  of  Newtown  was  fought,  resulting  in 
American  victory.  The  expedition  then  pushed  forward  and  repeated 
in  the  rich  Genesee  valley  the  destructive  operations  of  Van  Schaick 
and  Willett  in  Onondaga.  The  Senecas  also  fled  to  the  wToods,  leaving 
army  the  rather  inglorious  work  of  destroying  everything  possible. 
The  ruin  was  complete  and  overwhelming.  These  operations  tempo- 
rarily  awed  the  Indians  as  a  whole,  and  especially  the  Onondagas;  but 
nol  crushed  into  the  spirit  of  submission  expected.  Rather 
their  indignation  and  desire  for  vengeance  were  stimulated.! 

i  i  iettler  in  Pompey,  was  told  by  Cawhicdota,  the  Onondaga,  that 
the  war  of  the  Revolution,  the   Indian  settlement  in   Pompey  (La  Fayette)  was  abandoned, 

tion  "i  thi  corn  fields  and  a  part  of  the  great  orchard,  by  Colonel 
Van  Schaick  in  II 79;  i  hal  the  <  >nondagas  had  become  completely  discouraged  in  consequence  of 
theii  i  i       nil-nil  ni,  however,  was  nut  reached. 


THE  REVOLUTION.  143 

Even  after  the  burning  of  their  towns  some  of  the  Onondagas  pro- 
posed to  go  with  General  Clinton  on  his  expedition,  with  the  Oneidas, 
but  were  deterred  by  the  threats  of  General  Haldimand.  That  expe- 
dition need  not  be  described,  as  but  one  incident  relates  to  Onondaga. 
Colonel  Gansevoort  was  sent  from  near  Geneva,  September  20,  1779, 
to  Fort  Stanwix,  with  100  men.  No  journal  exists  kept  by  this  party, 
but  it  has  been  supposed  it  followed  the  Indian  trail  through  Auburn 
and  over  Onondaga  Hill.  It  reached  Fort  Stanwix  on  the  25th,  and  of 
course  made  no  roads,  and  encountered  no  enemy,  most  of  the  Onon- 
dagas having  now  gone  to  Niagara. 

Predatory  incursions  were  now  common.  In  that  of  Sir  John  John- 
son, in  October,  1780,  his  boats  were  left  at  Chittenango  Creek,  at  the 
bend  opposite  lot  100,  Cicero  There  was  an  old  palisade  there,  possibly 
the  fort  built  for  the  Tuscaroras  by  Sir  William  Johnson,  as  Sir  John 
says  the  boats  were  at  Canaseraga,  which  was  the  name  of  the  principal 
Tuscarora  town.  A  guard  was  left  there,  and  some  stores,  the  little 
army  carrying  its  light  cannon  on  pack  horses.  Captain  Vrooman  was 
sent  from  Fort  Stanwix,  captured  the  guard,  and  destroyed  all  the  boats 
but  two.  In  turn  he  was  surprised  by  Butler's  Rangers  and  some  In- 
dians, while  at  dinner,  and  all  were  taken  without  the  firing  of  a  gun. 
The  enemy  was  exasperated  at  finding  the  boats  and  two  pieces  of  can- 
non sunk,  and  three  of  the  prisoners  fell  victims  to  savage  cruelty. 
One  ran  the  gauntlet,  and  was  afterwards  burned.  The  stump  of  the 
"Turtle  Tree,"  to  which  it  is  said  he  was  tied,  may  still  be  seen  east 
of  the  road.  On  the  tree  a  large  turtle  was  carved,  probably  by  mem- 
bers of  the  Turtle  clan.  The  incident  of  his  extraordinary  jumps  seems 
confused  with  another  well  known  spot,  south  of  Centerville.  This 
prominent  situation  on  Chittenango  Creek  was  the  one  selected  by  Col- 
onel Romer  for  a  fort,  in  1700.      Clark  says: 

John  Adams,  esq.,  who  first  surveyed  a  considerable  portion  of  the  lands  in  that 
region,  and  the  late  Judge  John  Knowles,  who  first  settled  there  in  1805  or  1806,  saw 
the  pickets  then  standing,  and  they  occasionally  found  guns,  knives,  hatchets,  bullets, 
etc.,  and  at  high  water  many  persons  have  seen  whole  boats  and  fragments  of  boats, 
driven  up  among  the  floodwood,  with  timbers  very  little  if  any  decayed,  leaving  more 
than  presumptive  testimony  in  corroboration  of  the  factsbefore  stated,  on  the  authority 
of  the  late  Mrs.  Storms,  of  Sullivan,  who  was  a  prisoner  there  at  the  time,  and  was 
taken  in  this  expedition  of  Johnson's  and  carried  into  Canada,  and  of  a  man  who 
was  one  of  Johnson's  party,  and  known  as  Tory  Foster,  who,  in  former  years  was  a 
resident  of  the  town  of  Cicero,  and  a  frequent  visitor  to  his  friends  in  the  town  of 
Manlius. 


144  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

The  spot  is  still  a  favorite  one  for  treasure  seekers. 

Clark  says  also  that  Harbor  Brook,  in  Geddes,  had  its  name  from 
affording  shelter  to  Sir  John  Johnson's  boats  in  1779.  That  leader  in- 
deed came  to  Oswego  in  that  year,  but  did  not  go  farther  with  his  main 
body,  though  he  sent  out  small  parties  before  he  was  ordered  to  retire. 

In  October,  1781,  Major  Walter  N.  Butler  made  a  descent  upon 
Johnstown,  reaching  the  Mohawk  by  way  of  Oswego  and  Oneida  Lake, 
where  his  boats  were  left,  well  concealed.  This  large  party  was  de- 
feated and  pursued  by  Colonel  Willett,  and  Butler  himself  was  killed  at 
West  Canada  Creek,  unregretted  even  by  those  who  fought  on  the 
same  side. 

The  war  of  the  Revolution  continued,  with  its  succession  of  memora- 
ble events,  all  slowly  but  inevitably  tending  towards  the  establishment 
of  American  freedom;  for  accounts  of  these  the  reader  must  refer  to 
the  pages  of  general  history.  By  the  year  1782  it  was  evident  that  the 
patriot  cause  was  approaching  its  final  triumph.  Demonstrations  of 
conciliation  were  made  by  England,  and  while  these  had  their  effect 
upon  a  large  number  of  tories  in  America,  and  doubtless,  too,  upon 
Washington  and  his  generals,  no  one  was  sanguine  enough  to  believe 
that  hostilities  were  ended.  In  view  of  this  uncertainty  Washington 
kept  his  army  under  discipline,  and  the  country  in  a  state  of  defense. 
At  some  time  between  1780  and  1782,  possibly  under  pressure  of  such 
appeals  by  the  Indians  as  the  one  before  alluded  to,  a  small  British 
garrison  was  placed  at  Oswego,  and  some  work  done  on  the  ruins  of 
the  fort  to  make  it  habitable.  An  attempt  to  take  Fort  Ontario  was 
made  in  February,  1783,  an  account  of  which  is  preserved  in  a  letter 
now  at  Washington's  headquarters,  Newburgh,  N.  Y.  It  was  written 
by  A.  Thompson,  and  dated  at  Fort  Rensselaer  (Canajoharie),  Febru- 
ary 24,  1783.  The  writer  left  that  place  February  8,  with  400  troops 
in  120  sleighs,  arriving  at  Oneida  Lake  on  the  evening  of  the  12th,  and 
crossing  it  that  night  on  the  ice.  They  left  their  sleighs  at  the  lake, 
"and  marched  along  the  Oneida  River  for  Oswego."  Below  Oswego 
Falls  they  took  the  ice,  but  often  had  to  follow  the  land  for  fear  of  dis- 
;  y.  When  within  nine  miles  of  the  fort  they  halted  and  made 
scaling  ladders.  Having  advanced  six  miles  their  Indian  guide  took  a 
circuit,  so  as  to  come  on  the  works  from  the  lake  side,  but  lost  his  way, 
and  daylight  came  on  before  the  fort  was  reached.  As  his  orders  were 
strict  to  attack  only  before  day,  Colonel  Willett  was  obliged  to  give  the 
word    to    return,  which    was   done    on    the    ice.      Two  miles   north  of 


THE  REVOLUTION.  145 

Oswego  Falls  three  Indians  met  them,  but  were  allowed  to  go  free. 
The  snow  was  deep  and  the  weather  very  eold.  Three  men  were 
frozen  to  death,  and  L30  frost  bitten.  They  understood  the  garrison  to 
consist  of  300  regular  troops  and  200  Indians.  Clark  gives  an  account 
slightly  differing,  and  making  the  company  4?0  men. 

Soon  after  came  the  news  of  the  signing  of  preliminary  articles  of 
peace,  January  20,  1 7  8 3 .  In  March  a  letter  from  La  Fayette  announced 
a  general  peace,  and  Congress  issued  a  proclamation  on  April  1  1,  de- 
claring the  cessation  of  military  operations  on  sea  and  land. 

A  considerable  number  of  the  pioneers  of  Onondaga  count}'  served 
in  the  Revolutionary  war;  but  the  number  of  soldiers  who  actually 
settled  on  the  lands  granted  them  in  the  Military  Tract  was  compara- 
tively limited.  They  had  been  irregularly  paid,  and  often  disappointed 
by  the  promises  of  Congress,  and  when  they  did  finally  receive  their 
land  warrants,  the  majority  had  little  confidence  in  their  value,1  and 
"many  cried  out,  Who  will  give  a  pint  of  rum  for  mine?  Who  will 
give  a  blanket  for  mine?  A  great  many  sold  their  shares  for  the 
merest  trifle. " 

Could  the  story  of  the  deeds  of  Revolutionary  soldiers  and  officers  who 
made  their  homes  in  what  is  now  Onondaga  county  be  adequately 
told,  it  would  without  doubt  possess  the  deepest  interest.  Unfortun- 
ately very  much  of  individual  record  is  lost  in  the  past.  The  old 
heroes  told  their  tales  to  heedless  ears.  From  such  records  as  are  now 
in  existence  the  following  brief  personal  notes  have  been  made  of  men 
who  are  known  to  have  served  in  the  war  for  freedom  and  who  later 
made  their  homes  in  what  is  now  Onondaga  county:8 

As  many  as  300  men  who  served  in  the  first  war  with  England 
ultimately  made  this  county  their  home.  Their  names  are  found  mi 
the  old  pension  rolls  and  elsewhere,  and  something,  but  often  very 
little,  has  been  learned  of  each  The  act  of  Congress  of  March  IS, 
ISIS,  granted  a  pension  to  every  commissioned  officer,  musician  and 
private  soldier,  and  all  officers  in  the  hospital  department  and  on  the 
medical  staff,  who  served   until  the  close   of  the  war,  or   for  a   term  of 

1  Statement  of  Conradt  Bush  to  Mr.  Clark,  p.  247,  Clark's  Onondaga,  vol.  II.  Mr.  Bush  kepi 
lu's  land  warrant  and  settled  on  his  lot  in  La  Fayette,  as  did  also  Thomas  Dixon;  they  were  mem- 
bers of  Col.  Lamb's  artillery  regiment,  organized  in  LSI. 

'The  gathering  up  of  the   materials   from    which   tin  arily    brief  notes  have  lien 

made,  in  the  county  clerk's  office  and  elsewhere,  was  done  by  Frank   11.  Chase,  of  the  Syracuse 
Journal,  and  his  sketches  were  printed  in  the  Journal  al   greater  length,  in  the  months  of  July, 
August  and  September.  1895. 
19 


146  ONONDAGA'S   CENTENNIAL. 

nine  months  or  longer  at  any  period  of  the  war,  who  was  yet  a  citizen, 
"and  who  is,  or  hereafter,  by  reason  of  his  reduced  circumstances  in 
life,  shall  be  in  need  of  assistance  from  his  country  for  support."  The 
act  included  also  all  officers  and  marines  in  the  naval  service,  and  gave 
to  each  officer  $20  per  month  and  to  all  others  $8  a  month.  To  obtain 
their  pensions  and  make  their  proofs  the  old  soldiers  gathered  at  Onon- 
daga Hill  in  the  court  house,  on  the  1st  of  September,  1820,  where  on 
that  day  more  than  one  hundred  survivors  of  the  Revolution  made  oath 
to  their  service,  their  families  and  their  destitution.  Judges  James  O. 
Wattles,  Joshua  Forman,  and  Nehemiah  H.  Earll  administered  the 
oaths.  Following  is  a  sample  of  a  complete  affidavit,  made  by  Efobert 
Pain,  of  Camillas,  which  is  characteristic  of  all. 

State  of  New  York,  Onondaga  County,  ss. : — 

On  the  27th  day  of  February,  1822,  personally  appeared  in  open  court,  in  the  Court 
of  Common  Pleas,  in  and  for  the  county  of  Onondaga,  being  a  court  of  record  proceed- 
ing according  to  the  course  of  common  law,  with  a  jurisdiction  unlimited  in  point  of 
amount,  and  keeping  a  record  of  their  proceedings,  Robert  Pain,  aged  73  years,  resi- 
dent in  Camillus,  in  said  county,  who,  being  first  duly  sworn,  according  to  law,  doth 
on  his  oath  declare  that  he  served  in  the  revolutionary  war  as  follows:  That  he  en- 
listed into  the  service  of  the  United  States  in  the  year  1780,  and  in  July  of  said  year, 
at  West  Point,  in  New  York,  he  joined  a  company  commanded  by  Capt.  Pratt,  in  the 
Fourth  Massachusetts  regiment,  and  continued  in  the  service  until  the  month  of  July, 
1783,  when  he  was  discharged  at  West  Point;  that  he  has  lost  his  discharge.  Enlist- 
ment was  for  three  years,  and  I  do  solemnly  swear  that  I  was  a  resident  citizen  of 
the  United  States,  on  the  18th  day  of  March,  1818,  and  that  I  have  not  since  that 
time,  by  gift,  sale,  or  in  any  manner  disposed  of  my  property,  or  any  part  thereof, 
with  intent  thereby  so  to  diminish  it,  as  to  bring  myself  within  the  provision  of  an  act 
of  Congress,  entitled  "an  act  to  provide  for  certain  persons  engaged  in  the  land  and 
naval  service  of  the  United  States,  in  the  Revolutionary  War,"  passed  on  the  18th 
■  lay  of  March,  1818,  and  that  I  have  not,  nor  has  any  person  in  trust  for  me,  any 
rty  or  securities,  contract,  or  debts,  due  to  me;  nor  have  I  any  income  other 
than  what  is  contained  in  the  schedule  hereto  annexed,  and  by  me  subscribed. 

Schedule  of  property: — 

Les  clothing,  which  is  barely  sufficient,  I  have  but  a  knife  which  cost..  12^  cents 
And  a  cane  worth  perhaps 12^  cents 


25    cents 

■  he  now  lives  with  his  son,  John  L.  Pain,  in  the  town  of  Camillus,  upon  whom 

wholly  dependent  for  support.     He  has  no  family;  has  lost  the  sight  of  one 

ntirely,  and  marly  blind  of  the  other— and  without  charity  of  a  public  or  private 

naturi  unable  to  support  himself.     That  on  the  23d  of  April,  1818,  he  made 

to   William  Rogers,  a  judge  of  Ontario  county,  which 
nl  to  and  returned  from  the  War  office. 

His 

Robert  X  Pain. 

mark 


THE   REVOLUTION.  147 

Subscribed  and  sworn  in  open  court  this  27th  day  of  February,  1822. 

X.    II.    Eari.l, 
Judge  of  Onon.   Com.   Pleas. 
Property  valued  at  $0.25. 

It  was  customary  in  early  years  for  the  Revolutionary  veterans  to 
take  part  in  Fourth  of  July  celebrations  and  other  public  demonstra- 
tions. The  first  celebration  of  the  anniversary  of  American  Independ- 
ence held  in  Syracuse  was  on  Monday,  the  5th  of  July,  18*24.  A  local 
paper  had  the  following  in  regard  to  it : 

It  was  a  truly  interesting  sight  to  see  among  our  fellow  citizens  who  participated 
in  the  festivities  of  this  day,  about  thirty  of  the  remnants  of  that  gallant  band  of 
patriots  who  fought  in  the  Revolution.  These  spared  monuments  of  our  country's 
boast  honored  the  company  with  their  presence  throughout  the  day,  giving  a  zest  to 
the  festivities  rarely  to  be  found  in  common  celebrations  of  this  National  anni- 
versary. 

About  thirty  veterans  took  part  in  this  celebration,  for  whom  car- 
riages were  provided;  but  of  course  this  was  only  a  fraction  of  the 
number  in  the  county  at  that  time.  In  1840  there  were  112  Revolu- 
tionary soldiers  alive  in  Onondaga  county,  all  of  whom  were  drawing 
pensions.  We  begin  the  list  with  the  town  of  Pompey,  which  was 
early  settled  by  a  number  of  soldiers  and  officers  from  Connecticut  and 
Massachusetts.  In  that  old  town,  which  included  the  present  town  of 
La  Fayette,  were  fifty-six  Revolutionary  soldiers  who  made  their 
homes  there.  Several  Hessians  also  lived  in  Pompey,  among  whom 
were  John  Bars,  Hendrick  Upperhousen  and  John  Hill: 

Elisha  Baldwin — Served  three  years  in  the  Connecticut  line;  was  sixty-one  years 
old  in  September,  1820.  He  valued  his  property  at  §45.74,  but  against  that  he  owed 
debts  of  §46.  He  had  a  wife  and  five  children,  and  testified  that  he  was  infirm  and 
suffering. 

David  Blackman — Enlisted  in  May,  1777,  also  in  a  Connecticut  regiment;  served 
three  years  and  was  sixty- two  years  old.  His  property  amounted  to  §36.97  and  his 
debts  were  §26.     He  had  been  wounded  and  was  unable  to  support  himself. 

Amos  Benedict — Enlisted  in  1775  in  a  Connecticut  regiment,  served  seven  months 
and  was  discharged  on  account  of  illness.  In  May,  1778,  he  again  enlisted  in  a 
Massachusetts  regiment  for  ten  months.  He  was  a  blacksmith,  sixty-two  years  old, 
and  had  a  wife  and  five  children.  His  assets  were  valued  at  §126.86  while  he  owed 
§1,000.  In  his  pathetic  story  he  said  "Proceedings  of  ejectment  have  been  com- 
menced against  me  to  put  me  off  the  farm,  as  it  has  been  sold  on  execution."  In 
1806  Benedict  had  a  blacksmith  shop  two  miles  north  of  Delphi. 

Daniel  Bunce — Enlisted  in  1777  in  the  First  Massachusetts  Regiment,  and  served 
through  the  war;  was  seventy-one  years  old  in  1820.  He  had  a  wife  and  three  chil- 
dren, and  his  property  was  valued  at  §41.36,  while  he  owed  $50. 


148  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Lemuel  Cook— A  historical  name  in  the  town  of  Pompey.  He  served  two  years 
and  six  months,  from  December,  1780,  in  Colonel  Sheldon's  regiment  of  light  dra- 
goons.  He  was  fifty-five  years  old  and  had  a  wife  and  three  children.  The  value 
of  his  property  was  $24.19.'  In  1810  he  was  one  of  the  subscribers  toward  the  erec- 
tion of  the  famous  Pompey  Academy,  and  was  one  of  the  incorporators. 

Hezekiah  Clark— His  affidavit  was  made  by  a  committee  in  the  person  of  Daniel 
Gilbert  of  Salina,  Clark  being,  in  November,  1822,  a  lunatic.  He  had  been  surgeon's 
mate  in  the  army,  and  was  residing  with  his  son,  John  H.  Clark,  in  Pompey.  He 
had  a  wife  and  seven  children.  His  assets  were  valued  at  only  $30,  while  he  had  a 
indebtedness  to  James  Jackson  of  Manlius,  and  Daniel  Tibbals,  Victory  Birds- 
eye,  Buel  &  Stanton,  and  Thomas  Marsh  of  Pompey.  Dr.  Clark  was  made  surgeon's 
mate  in  the  Third  Connecticut  Regiment,  where  he  served  two  years. 

Jekiel  Foot— Served  two  years  and  two  months,  from  April,  1781,  and  was  sixty 
years  old  in  1820.  He  was  in  the  Second  Massachusetts  Regiment.  He  had  a  wife 
and  seven  children,  and  the  value  of  his  property  was  $71.10,  while  his  debts  were 
$55.67.  Among  his  property  were  "A  broken  bake  kettle,  three  salt  barrels,  a  candle 
mold,  a  flail,  and  a  hundred  sheaves  of  wheat."  The  census  of  1840  showed  Foot 
still  living. 

Enos  Greenfield — Was  seventy-one  years  old  in  1820;  enlisted  for  one  year  in  the 
latter  part  of  177.")  in  a  Connecticut  regiment.  He  had  no  family  and  lived  with  his 
son-in-law  at  Pompey.     His  estate  was  valued  at  $87.25. 

Samuel  Humphreys— Enlisted  in  1777  in  a  company  of  artificers  in  the  Connecticut 
or  the  Massachusetts  line.  He  was  living  in  1840  at  the  age  of  eighty-four,  in  the 
town  of  La  Fayette. 

Francis  Hale — Was  sixty-four  years  old  in  1820,  and  said  in  his  affidavit,  "I  am 
in  linn  and  have  been  lame  ever  since  the  war,  occasioned  by  misplacing  the  knee-pan 
of  my  left  knee  while  in  service,  and  my  left  hip  is  partially  perished  in  consequence 
of  rheumatism."  With  him  lived  his  wife,  a  daughter  and  a  son.  In  1802  Hale  pur- 
chased lot  No    12  of  Judge  Butler. 

Samuel  Johnson — Was  sixty-eight  years  old  in  1820,  and  served  in  a  Connecticut 
regiment.  He  said  in  his  affidavit,  "  I  have  no  family,  and  I  reside  in  the  family  of 
Adolphus  Sweet,  and  I  depend  on  his  charity  for  my  daily  support,  except  the  amount 
of  my  pension." 

Jeremiah  Jackson — Probably  a  son  of  Col.  Jeremiah  Jackson,  of  the  Revolutionary 
war,  and  an  early  settler  near  Jamesville  (see  history  of  the  towm  of  Dewitt),  where 
he  had  large  business  interests.  This  pensioner  was  in  a  Massachusetts  regiment 
and  was  far  more  wealthy  than  most  of  the  Revolutionary  soldiers,  his  property  be- 
ing valued  at  $1,806.72;  $1,600  of  this  was  in  eighty  acres  of  land.  He  was  sixty 
i' sold  in  1820,  and  had  two  sons. 

Phineas  Meigs— Was  sixty-four  years  old  in  1820,  served  three  years  in  a  Connec- 
ticut regiment,  and  had  an  estate  of  $139.92,  with  debts  of  $219.55.  He  had  a  wife 
and  one  son. 

Isaac  Moore  Was  only  fifty-six  years  old  in  1820,  and  served  in  Colonel  Lamb's 
artillery  regiment.      He  had  $131  in  property. 

Moses  Moulthrop  (or  Moultrup) — Was  fifty-six  years  old  in  1820,  served  two  years 
from  April.  17si,  in  the  Connecticut  troops.     He  possessed  only $9 


THE   REVOLUTION.  149 

worth  of  property  and  owed  $100.  He  was  a  farmer  and  lived  with  his  son-in-law; 
he  was  still  a  pensioner  in  1840. 

Joseph  McMillen — Made  his  affidavit  in  May,  1821,  and  served  both  on  sea  and  land. 
He  was  sixty-three  years  old,  and  owned  twenty-five  acres  of  land  in  Pompey,  worth 
$12  an  acre,  but  there  was  a  mortgage  of  §428  on  it.  He  testified  as  to  the  service  on 
board  the  frigate  Warren  of  his  brother  Peter. 

Peter  McMillen,  brother  of  Joseph — Seventy-one  years  old,  said  he  was  supported 
by  the  overseers  of  the  poor,  and  lived  with  his  wife.  His  property  he  valued  at 
*40  87,  and  among  it  was  a  sea  chest  and  a  transit. 

John  Nearing — Was  sixty-seven  years  old,  served  in  the  Connecticut  troops,  and 
valued  his  property  at  $212.70.     He  lived  with  his  wife. 

John  Spoor — Made  affidavit  in  March,  1821,  he  was  seventy-one  years  old,  enlisted 
in  1776  in  Col.  Peter  Gansevoort's  New  York  regiment,  was  appointed  ensign  in  lTTti, 
and  owned  "  19  acres  of  very  poor  land  in  Pompey,  worth  not  over  $5.00  per  acre." 
He  owed  §200.     His  wife  and  daughter  lived  with  him. 

Benjamin  Sutton — Served  three  years  from  January  1,  1777,  in  Col.  Seth  Warner's 
regiment  of  light  infantry ;  was  seventy-five  years  old  in  1820,  lived  with  his  sons, 
Roswell  and  Moses  Sutton,  and  possessed  $21.37. 

Ambrose  Squires — Must  have  enlisted  in  the  Massachusetts  line  when  fifteen  vears 
old,  as  he  was  only  fifty-four  in  1820.  The  value  of  his  property  was  §52.50,  and  he 
owed  817.     He  lived  with  his  wife  and  three  children. 

Richard  Townsend — Made  application  in  March,  1822,  when  he  was  sixty-three 
years  old.  He  enlisted  in  1778  in  Colonel  Gansevoort's  regiment,  and  his  schedule 
of  property  showed  "  barely  enough  to  get  victuals  on  the  table !  "  and  it  was  valued 
at  818.46.     He  had  a  wife  who  had  been  blind  four  years. 

David  Watkins — Was  fifty-eight  years  old  in  1820,  served  three  years  from  June, 
1777,  and  was  possessed  of  fifty  acres  of  land  on  the  town  lot  in  Pompey,  which  was 
subject  to  a  mortgage  of  8450,  with  four  years'  interest,  which  he  thought  was  at 
least  the  whole  value  of  the  land.  His  whole  property  was  valued  at  8227.95  and  he 
owed  8226.  Watkins's  family  consisted  of  his  wife,  six  children  and  a  grandchild. 
He  said  he  was  a  cordwainer,  and  "tolerably  healthy." 

John  Wilcox — This  soldier  is  credited  by  many  as  being  the  first  white  settler 
in  the  town  of  Pompey.  He  made  explorations  in  Onondaga  with  an  Indian  chief 
from  Oneida  in  the  spring  of  1789,  selected  a  lot  two  miles  north  of  the  site  of  La 
Fayette  village,  near  the  old  Indian  orchard.  He  was  fifty-nine  years  old  in  1820,  and 
had  855.31  in  property.  His  first  application  was  rejected,  the  act  of  March  18,  1818, 
not  providing  for  the  artificer  branch  of  the  service.  He  made  a  second  application 
in  February,  1821. 

Ebenezer  Wood — Served  ten  months  only,  was  sixty-six  years  old  in  1820,  and 
owned  one  and  a  quarter  acres  with  a  building  on  it,  in  Pompey.  He  thought  he  was 
worth  $367.93,  but  he  owed  8452.75.  He  was  a  cooper  by  trade,  and  lived  with  his 
wife  and  crippled  son. 

Conradt  Bush — Was  a  matross  in  the  army,  drew  military  lot  47  in  Pompey,  and 
when  he  came  to  locate  thereon  he  found  a  man  with  nine  grown  sons  occupying  it. 
He  proceeded  to  eject  them.  He  gave  his  age  as  eighty-four  years  in  1840.  He  is 
mentioned  by  Clark  as  one  of  the  few  soldiers   "  who  resides  on  the  lot  for  which  he 


150  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

served."     Six  years  after  receiving  his  deed  from  the  State,  Bush  sold  his  lot  to  Elias 
Jackson  for  450  pounds.     A  matross  was  an  assistant  gunner. 

Ebenezer  Butler,  sr.— Served  in  both  the  French  and  Indian  wars  and  in  the  Rev- 
olution; also  aided  in  suppressing  Shays's  Rebellion.  He  was  a  resident  of  Onon- 
daga in  1800,  and  died  in  1829  at  the  age  of  ninety-six. 

Ebenezer  Butler,  jr.— (Son  of  the  former),  was  without  doubt  the  first  white  settler 
within  the  present  limits  of  Pompey.  He  served  in  the  Revolution,  was  taken  pris- 
oner, and  suffered  great  hardships  on  a  prison  ship.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  re- 
turned to  his  former  home  in  Connecticut,  whence  he  migrated  to  Onondaga.  His 
name  appears  in  the  Onondaga  census  of  1800. 

Sylvanus  Bishop— Was  one  of  six  brothers  who  settled  in  Pompey  in  1793,  having 
previously  served  in  the  Revolution.     He  moved  to  Oswego  about  twenty  years  later. 

1  )avid  Beard — Was  a  Revolutionary  pensioner  in  1840,  of  the  town  of  Pompey,  and 
was  aged  eighty-five  years. 

James  Bookhunt — Another  pensioner  of  1840,  was  seventy-nine  years  old  and  lived 
with  his  own  family. 

Paul  Clapp—  Has  many  descendants  in  Onondaga  county,  served  in  the  Revolution, 
was  a  member  of  an  expedition  through  the  northern  wilderness  against  the  Indians, 
was  taken  prisoner,  carried  to  Canada,  and  experienced  great  suffering.  He  took 
up  a  large  tract  of  land  in  Pompey,  and  worked  at  farming  until  his  death  in  1845. 

William  Cook — The  pension  list  of  1840  gives  this  man's  age  as  seventy-nine 
years;  he  was  then  living  with  Albert  Cook.  William  Cook's  name  appears  fre- 
quently in  the  early  town  records;  in  April,  1796,  he  was  made  an  assessor,  and  in 
1813  supervisor.     The  academy  subscription  list  also  contains  his  name. 

Col.  Jeremiah  Jackson— This  early  settler  in  the  county  was  an  old  Indian  fighter, 
as  well  as  a  Revolutionary  soldier.  He  was  at  the  taking  of  Quebec  under  General 
Wolfe,  in  1759,  afterwards  married  and  settled  in  Massachusetts,  and  joined  the 
American  forces  in  the  Revolution,  with  a  captain's  commission;  he  had  three  sons 
with  him.  His  acquaintance  formed  with  Maj.  Asa  Danforth  in  the  army  led  to  his 
moving  into  Onondaga  territory  in  1791,  and  the  purchase  of  Danforth's  mills.  He 
;  in  1802, 

Adonijah  Cole — Was  a  pensioner  living  with  Chauncey  Cooper  in  1840,  when  he  was 
eighty-three  years  old. 

Jeremiah  Crandal— A  pensioner  whose  age  was  eighty-four  years  in  1840,  then 
lived  with  Elanson  Watkins. 

Thomas  Dixon — The  balloting  book  of  the  military  tract  shows  that  Thomas  "Dix- 

son"  drew  lot  No.  4  in  the  town  of  Pompey — northwest  corner  of  the  present  town. 

Clark  says  that  in  1848  he  was  one  of  the  last  four  and  only  survivors  of  Colonel 

Lamb's  regiment  of  artillery.     He  then  lived  just  over  the  line  in  the  town  of  La 

tte.      In  1840  he  was  eighty  years  old. 

This  soldier  was   probably  in  an  expedition  which   marched  to  the 
of   Fort  Schuyler  in  the  summer  of  1777.     He  came  to  what  is  now  La  Fayette 
in  1806,  from  Washington  county,  and  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-three  years  March  29, 
1817. 

Jacob  Goodrich — Was  eighty-six  years  old  in  1840,  and  then  lived  with  Elijah  Good- 
rich in  what  is  now  La  Fayette. 


THE  REVOLUTION.  151 

Nathaniel  Gage — Resided  with  Amos  Gage  in  1840,  and  was  seventy-seven  years 
old. 

Benjamin  Hayes — Was  the  head  of  a  family,  eighty-two  years  old  in  184(1,  and  a 
pensioner. 

Baruch  Holbrook — This  soldier's  name  appears  in  the  rolls  of  Military  Lodge  No. 
93,  F.  &  A.  M.,  as  a  soldier  who  was  commissioned  major  and  was  a  member  of  Wash- 
ington's staff.  He  settled  at  Pompey  Center  in  1794,  where  he  purchased  seventy- 
rive  acres  on  lot  53  from  Josiah  Holbrook,  May  23,  1194. 

David  Hibbard — Settled  on  lot  6,  about  1794.  This  lot  originally  drawn  by  Michael 
Leaster,  was  sold  to  Jeremiah  Van  Rensselaer  in  November,  1790,  for  20  pounds,  and 
to  David  Hibbard  in  August,  1792,  for  200  pounds.  He  was  father  of  a  numerous 
family. 

Richard  Hiscock — Served  as  a  private  through  the  war,  soon  after  which  he 
moved  from  Massachusetts  to  Pompey,  where  he  was  an  early  settler.  In  1840  he 
was  eighty-one  years  old  and  lived  with  Luther  Hiscock.  He  had  a  son  Richard, 
father  of  Frank  Hiscock.  of  Syracuse. 

Moses  Knapp — Was  a  pensioner  in  1840,  eighty-six  years  old,  and  lived  with  his 
own  family. 

James  Midler — Named  in  a  history  of  Oran  as  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  and  a  set- 
tler there  about  1800. 

Christopher  Medler — The  military  tract  ballot  book  shows  that  Christopher  ••  Med- 
ler"  drew  lot  32,  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  town.  In  1796  the  award  of  the  commis- 
sioners gave  this  600  acres  to  the  heirs  of  "  C.  Medler."  He  was  a  brother  of  James 
Midler,  the  name  being  spelled  differently. 

Zenas  Northway — Settled  early  in  what  is  now  La  Fayette,  where  he  kept  a  tav- 
ern. His  brother,  Ozias,  also  came  into  that  town  early,  and  both  were  Revolu- 
tionary soldiers  and  pensioners.     Zenas  was  alive  in  1840,  aged  seventy- five  years. 

Hezekiah  Olcott — A  prominent  Onondaga  man  in  the  early  years  of  the  century, 
is  recorded  as  '-Colonel  Olcutt,"  a  sergeant  of  Baldwin's  artillery  artificer  regiment 
October  1,  1777,  and  second  lieutenant  November  12.  1779.  He  served  to  the  close 
of  the  war,  settled  in  Pompey.  and  while  on  the  work  of  surveying  the  State  road 
between  Cazenovia  and  Skaneateles,  in  1804,  was  taken  sick,  and  died  at  Pompey 
West  Hill. 

Timothy  Sweet — Enlisted  under  Col.  Seth  Warren,  and  was  at  Ticonderoga  and 
Crown  Point;  was  captured  in  1775,  in  the  expedition  against  St.  John's,  was  impris- 
oned at  New  York  for  some  time,  and  afterwards  enlisted  in  the  British  army  as  a 
servant  of  a  Captain  Miles,  and  escaped  to  Connecticut.  He  came  to  Pompey  about 
1794. 

Zadoc  Seymour — A  Revolutionary  hero  whose  name  appears  frequently  in  early 
Pompey  records,  particularly  in  connection  with  building  the  academy.  He  lived 
with  Eliza  Seymour  in  1840,  and  was  eighty-three  years  old  and  a  pensioner. 

Ralph  Wheelock — Was  eighty-one  years  old  in  1840,  and  lived  with  Gershom  B. 
Wheelock  in  Pompey. 

Benjamin  Webb — Lived  in  1840  with  Hiram  Leonard,  in  the  town  of  La  Fayette, 
and  was  eighty-four  years  old. 

Jedediah  Winchell— Lived  in  La  Fayette,  with  Jacob  Winchell,  in  1840,  and  was  a 
pensioner  aged  eighty-eight  years. 


152  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Elisha  Smith,  sr. — Moved  into  Pompey  in  1804,  and  lived  about  a  mile  north  of 
Pompey  Hill.  In  the  Pompey  Re-union  it  is  said  that  he  "was  a  Revolutionary 
soldier,  and  was  in  the  army  of  General  Gates,  and  at  the  capture  of  Burgoyne." 

Asa  Drake — Another  old  soldier,  lived  in  the  north  part  of  La  Fayette. 

["OWN    in      ONONDAGA. 

At  least  thirty-seven  soldiers  of  the  Revolution  lived  at  some  time  in 
the  old  town  of  Onondaga,  and  the  list  includes  the  first  permanent 
white  settlers  of  the  county,  and  many  other  names  familiar  in  early 
local  history. 

Gen.  Asa  Danforth— A  full  record  of  the  life  of  this  man  having  been  given  in  an- 
other chapter,  it  need  only  be  said  here  that  at  the  beginning  of  the  Revolution  he 
ioined  the  regiment  of  Col.  Danforth  Keys,  at  the  instance  of  General  Putnam ;  was 
in  the  battle  of  Lexington,  and  served  through  the  war  and  was  commissioned  major. 
Aside  from  Ephraim  Webster,  he  was  the  first  permanent  white  settler  in  Onondaga 
county. 

William  Abbe — Was  fifty-two  years  old  in  1820,  served  in  a  Connecticut  regiment 
and  had  property  valued  at  $68  75.  He  lived  with  his  wife,  two  daughters,  one  son, 
and  one  granddaughter,  "  all  of  which  I  provide  for  and  support,  besides  myself, 
who  have  not  done  a  day's  work  this  twelve  years  past  on  account  of  infirmity." 
Little  wonder  he  wanted  a  pension  ! 

John  Balch — Was  sixty-one  years  old  in  1820,  a  house  carpenter,  and  served  with 
the  Connecticut  troops.  He  had  property  valued  at  $27. 7o  but  he  owed  $15.  The 
census  of  1840  gives  his  residence  as  Marcellus,  and  his  age  eighty  years. 

Jesse  Bannister — His  affidavit  states:  "  I  was  engaged  in  the  battle  on  the  26th  of 
mber,  1776,  at  Trenton,  in  the  taking  of  the  Hessians;  also  at  the  battle  of 
Princeton,  and  as  a  volunteer  in  the  engagement  at  Stillwater,  under  General  Gates, 
with  Burgoyne."  He  was  discharged  January  1,  1776,  and  enlisted  the  same  day  in 
Capt.  Asa  Danforth's  company.  His  assets  footed  up  $26  75,  including  "half  a  pew 
in  the  meeting  house  at  Windsor,  Vt. ,"  valued  at  $23.     In  1820  he  was  sixty-six  years 

old. 

Richard  Caton — His  name  is  spelled  in  three  different  ways  in  the  records.  He 
enlisted  in  the  3d  Massachusetts  Regiment  in  1781  and  served  through  the  war.  In 
1821  he  was  fifty-six  years  old  and  had  a  wife.  His  property  was  valued  at  $61.62. 
A  year  later  a  second  affidavit  gave  his  property  as  worth  $42.  38.  Having  been 
wounded  he  was  able  to  work  but  very  little  at  farming.  In  1840  he  was  living,  sev- 
enty-seven years  old,  with  Leonard  Caton,  and  drawing  a  pension. 

Ebenezer  Covil— Applied  January  26,  1829,  for  restoration  to  the  pension  list.  He 
was  then  seventy-nine  years  old,  enlisted  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  in  Connecticut, 
and  served  about  two  years.  Ilis  name  had  previously  been  dropped  from  the  pen- 
sion  roll  on  account  of  his  condition  as  to  property.  His  account  possesses  more 
than  ordinary  interest  :  He  said  he  had  a  farm  in  Onondaga  of  eighty  acres,  about 
fifty  acres  of  which  was  under  improvement.  Upon  this  land  there  was  a  mortgage 
to  the  Stati  ol  the  purchase  price,  with  $150  due.     The  annual  product  of 


THE   REVOLUTION.  153 

the  farm  he  considered  worth  but  $50.  But  it  was  in  the  description  of  his  pro 
that  Patriot  Covil  was  especially  interesting,  as  he  had  been  dropped  from  the  roll 
once  because  of  his  wealth.  Everything  which  he  possessed  he  said  was  either  old, 
worn  out  or  small,  with  the  exception  of  his  Bible,  that  was  large.  The  value  ol  all 
his  property  he  placed  at  $105.  Unable  to  work,  he  boarded  with  his  two  sons,  Ed- 
ward and  Nelson.  They  worked  and  managed  the  farm,  and  had  the  use  and  profits 
in  part  pay  for  the  support  of  himself  and  his  daughter,  Anna.  Up  to  date  Covil 
said  that  the  profits  had  not  been  sufficient  to  pay  the  board.  The  law  required  that 
he  should  account  for  all  the  property  he  had  disposed  of  since  1818.  In  1824  he  said 
he  sold  one  old  horse  to  Constant  Fenn  for  $20,  which  was  paid  in  lumber  and 
boards,  and  in  1825,  another  old  horse  to  one  Cornell  for  $50,  paid  for  by  a  lumber 
wagon  worth  $40,  a  pair  of  boots  at  $5  and  85  remaining,  but  Cornell  had  absconded 
without  paying. 

.Solomon  Huntley — Served  three  years  from  1777,  in  the  Connecticut  line,  and  was 
sixty-six  years  old  in  1820.  He  had  a  wife  and  four  children,  the  total  value  of  his 
property  was  842.24,  and  the  most  valuable  article  was  a  five-pail  kettle. 

Ebenezer  Moore — Enlisted  young  in  the  Rhode  Island  line,  served  about  three 
years,  was  sixty  years  old  in  1820,  and  his  earthly  possessions  were  worth  $2.55.  He 
had  a  wife  and  one  child.  In  1840  at  the  age  of  eighty-one,  he  lived  with  Almira 
Wilson,  town  of  Onondaga. 

William  McCraken — Enlisted  in  Colonel  Van  Schaick's  regiment,  New  York  troops, 
served  three  years  and  three  months,  was  fifty-seven  years  old  in  1820,  had  property 
valued  at  $24.87,  but  he  owed  $100.  His  family  consisted  of  his  wife,  three  suns  and 
a  daughter  of  his  own,  and  two  daughters  of  his  wife. 

Ozias  Northway — Mentioned  in  the  list  of  Pompey  veterans  as  brother  of  Zenas, 
settled  in  the  western  part  of  La  Fayette,  and  is  assigned  as  resident  of  <  mondaga 
in  1820.  He  enlisted  in  1775,  served  a  little  over  one  year,  had  property  worth  $50, 
while  his  wife,  he  said,  had  three  or  four  gowns  and  one  bonnet — an  outfit  worth  $15. 
He  owed  about  $340. 

Gideon  Pitts — Aged  sixty-three  years,  had  property  worth  $24.49,  ami  owed  $50; 
served  in  the  Massachusetts  troops  under  Colonel  Shepherd,  and  in  1820  lived  with 
his  wife  and  one  son. 

Richard  Reed — Served  in  various  companies  and  regiments  of  Connecticut  troops, 
was  sixty-three  years  old  in  1820,  when  his  whole  property  consisted  of  an  axe  worth 
82  and  a  debt  due  him  of  $5.  He  had  no  family,  and  said  that  "  from  my  wound  re- 
ceived at  the  battle  of  Monmouth,"  and  rheumatism,  he  was  unable  to  support  him- 
self. 

Benjamin  Robinson — Age  sixty-four  years,  served  one  year  in  the  Connecticut  Hue, 
had  property  valued  at  $46.57,  which  included  shoemaker's  tools,  a  gun,  steel  traps, 
and  other  hunter's  trappings. 

Simeon  Smith — Enlisted  at  the  age  of  sixteen  as  a  drummer  in  Colonel  Tappan's 
regiment,  Massachusetts  line ;  served  thus  three  years  re-enlisted  for  the  war,  and 
served  until  peace  was  declared.  Read  the  list  of  his  property  as  given  in  the  rec- 
ord: "1  cow,  (i  cups  and  saucers,  1  dozen  plates,  1  teapot,  1  sugar  howl,  1  cream  pot, 
1  dish  kettle,  1  teakettle,  1  spider  1  bakepan,  1  razor,  meat  barrel  and  trowel,  and  a 
wife  aged  40  years,  and  5  children."  He  was  850  in  debt. 
20 


154  •  ONONDAGA'S   CENTENNIAL. 

Samuel  Stone— Served  in  the  Connecticut  troops,  and  was  fifty-six  years  old  in 
1820.  He  had  thirty  acres  of  land,  with  a  small  house,  barn,  stock,  etc.,  worth 
si  224.62.     He  owed  only  a  small  amount.      He  had  a  wife  and  two  children. 

John  Walter— Was  sixty  three  years  old  in  1820,  served  three  years  in  the  Connect- 
icut line,  and  was  worth  only  s'-V-',. 

Elisha  Waters— Enlisted  in  the  Connecticut  line  in  1777.  In  1820  he  had  one  cow, 
and  one  old  horse  and  wagon,  and  lived  with  his  son,  Melancthon  S.  Waters,  who  was 
seventeen  years  old.  He  took  out  second  papers  later,  when  his  property  had  been 
reduced  to  one  cow,  worth  $lo. 

Capt.  James  Beebe — Captain  in  the  Connecticut  line,  was  wounded  at  Monmouth, 
settled  in  Chenango  county  179:5.  two  years  later  removed  to  Pompey,  and  a  few  years 
afterwards  located  at  Onondaga  Hill.  There  he  kept  the  public  house  in  early  years, 
near  the  court  house,  was  jailor,  and  in  the  war  of  1812  had  the  care  of  the  old  arsenal 
at  Onondaga  Valley.  He  had  five  children,  one  of  whom  was  Lewis  Beebe,  and  a 
daughter  married  Victory  Birdseye. 

Joseph   W.   Brewster — Born  1764,  died    at  Onondaga  Valley  September  4,    1849; 
.  the  army  at  the  age  of  sixteen  and  was  present  at  the  surrenderof  Cornwallis. 
Alter  the  war  he  studied   medicine,  and  in  the  spring  of  1818  settled  at  Onondaga 
Valley. 

Jonathan  Belding — The  records  of  1840  show  that  this  man  was  a  Revolutionary 
pensioner  of  this  town,  and  was  eighty  years  old. 

George  Clarke — Was  eighty-two  years  old  in  1 840,  lived  with  David  1).  Fellows, 
and  drew  a  pension. 

Jabez  Cole — Was  eighty  years  old  in  1840,  and  a  pensioner  living  at  that  time  with 
Sterling  Cole. 

Jonathan  Conkling — Is  on  the  pension  roll  of  1840,  and  eighty  years  old. 

William  Evans—  Lived  with  Noah  Evans  in  1840,  at  the  age  of  eighty,  and  drew  a 
ion. 

John  Ellis — Ran  away  from  home  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  joined  the  Continental 
army,  and  served  through  the  war.  He  held  a  colonel's  commission  in  the  war  of 
L812,  and  at  his  death  in  1820  was  major-general.  He  settled  first  in  Manlius,  and 
later  at  Onondaga  Hill. 

Ephraim  Hall — Enlisted  while  young,  was  seventy-nine  years  old  in  1840,  and  drew 
a  pension. 

Justus  Johnson — Was  eighty-four  years  old  in  1840.  Lived  with  his  family  in  On- 
ondaga. 

Was  keeping  house  with  his  family  in  1840,  and  aged   seventy-eight 

Sin;  I  in  Onondaga  in  1803,  was  a  brother  of  Andrew,    an  early 

i   m  Salina;  built  a  log  house  on   the  site  of  the  Lake  Shore  House  in  Geddes, 
and  lived  there  until  his  death  in   1820.      He  drew  a  pension. 

' d  on  the  roll  oi   1840  as  eighty-two  years  old. 

Jacob  Sam morj       l  i    ed   in    what  is  now  Geddes,   came  to  Orion daga  in  the  early 
nry,  and  died  in  1815.      He  was  father  of  Thomas  Sammons,  and  drew 
a  pension  foi   Revolutionary  sei'vice. 

Gii  }n    tin-    Revolution,   assisted  John   Cantine  in  the  survey  of 


THE  REVOLUTION.  ]55 

the  Onondaga  Reservation  in  the  summer  of  1791?,  and  in  the  same  year,  with  Com- 
fort Tyler,  bid  in  twenty-one  lots  at  the  Albany  sales. 

Comfort  Tyler — This  (  >nondaga  pioneer,  of  whose  life  a  record  is  given  in  am 
chapter,  entered  the  army  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  and  drew  a  pension. 

Peter  Tenbroeck — Settled  at  Onondaga    Hollow  early  in   the  century,  was  a 
sioner,  and  probably  served  in  the  quartermaster's  department. 

Benonv  Reynolds — In  the  cemetery  at  South  Onondaga  is  the  grave  of  this  veteran, 
who  lived  until  his  hundredth  year.  In  the  same  cemetery  is  also  found  the  grave  of 
Maj.  David  Lawrence,  who  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier. 

Ephraim  Webster — The  first  settler  of  Onondaga  county  and  town,   served  with 
credit  through  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  was  afterwards  employed  by  the  govern- 
ment, 1788-94,  in  procuring  information  of  the  conduct  and  purposes  of  the   w< 
Indians. 

TOWN    OF   MANLIUS. 

In  the  old  town  of  Manlius,  which  included  the  present  town  of  De- 
witt,  the  available  records  show  that  there  lived  forty-five  veterans 
of  the  Revolution  as  follows: 

Levi  Carr — Was  fifty-nine  years  old  in  1820  had  served  in  the  Revolutionary  in- 
fantry, Patterson's  brigade,  and  had  property  valued  at  $174.64,  but  he  was  hope- 
lessly in  debt,  owing  .$409.80.  He  was  probably  a  cooper,  as  a  set  of  coopering  tools 
was  mentioned  in  the  inventory.  His  wife,  a  son  and  daughter,  and  two  grandchil- 
dren depended  on  him  for  support.      He  was  still  a  pensioner  in  1S40. 

John  Cockley — Was  in  the  New  York  line,  and  served  eight  years,  through  the 
entire  war.  He  was  in  both  Colonel  Van  Schaick's  and  Colonel  Nicholson's  regiments. 
His  property  was  ridiculously  meagre,  valued  at  $2.37,  and  included  a  pair  of  spec- 
tacles, a  tobacco  box,  and  $2  in  cash.  He  was  sixty-four  years  old  in  1820  and  lived 
with  his  son  Cornelius. 

Samuel  Clark — Made  his  affidavit  in  May,  1827,  when  he  was  seventy-one  years 
old.  He  had  served  about  nine  months  under  General  Sullivan.  Here  is  hi--  de- 
scription of  his  property :  "  Real  estate  none,  and  never  had  any.  Personal  estate 
none,  except  my  wearing  apparel,  consisting  of  one  suit  of  home-made  clothes,  one 
spare  shirt,  and  an  old  great  coat."     He  had  no  family. 

Benjamin  Darling — Made  three  different  affidavits  in  as  many  years;  all  agreeing 
as  to  his  service,  but  contradictory  as  to  property.  He  was  in  Colonel  Lamb's  New 
York  regiment  nine  months  in  1782.  He  first  testified  that  his  property  was  worth 
$67.37.  Next  that  it  was  worth  $270.37,  while  his  debts  amounted  to  $715.37.  Ik- 
owed  Judge  Miller  $600,  on  which  there  was  due$lll  interest.  In  1840  he  was  seven- 
ty-eight years  old  and  still  a  pensioner.     He  had  two  sons,   Ezra  and  Alexander. 

George  Eager — Made  oath  in  September,  1820,  that  he  was  seventy-four  years  old, 
and  had  served  as  a  surgeon  in  New  Hampshire  troops  during  the  war.  He  had 
considerable  property,  valued  at  81,173,  with  debts  of  $500.  He  owned  a  part  of  lot 
94  in  Manlius.  In  lescribing  his  household  furniture,  the  old  surgeon  was  facetious. 
He  said  he  had  '-one  spare  bed  and  bedding,  one  bedstead,  crockery  barely  sufficient 
to  make  the  family  decently  comfortable,  ironware  and  other  articles  of  household 


156  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

furniture  barely  sufficient  to  be  comfortable,  articles  of  provisions  likewise  "  all  worth 
§52.  He  then  added  that  perhaps  he  might  "have  an  honest  claim  to  two  swine, 
nine  geese,  and  perhaps  six  barnyard  fowls  "  worth  $11.  He  had  living  with  him  his 
son  Samuel,  a  grandson,  and  his  wife  and  her  two  children. 

Ephraim  Eaton— Served  in  the  Massachusetts  Hue,  was  sixty-five  years  old  in  1820, 
had  property  worth  $15.36,  and  owed  twice  that  amount.  In  his  family  were  his  wife, 
a  son  and  daughter. 

George  Grinnell— Served  in  the  Rhode  Island  line,  was  sixty-four  years  old  in  1820, 
had  $48.25  property,  of  which  §40  was  in  a  colt,  and  owed  $47  to  such  old  settlers  as 
Azariah  Smith,  John  Meeker,  M.  Hull  &  Co.,  James  O.  Wattles,  and  Elijah  Rhodes. 
He  had  three  daughters  and  one  son,  George  F.  Grinnell. 

Hendrick  Higbee— A  Manlius  blacksmith,  served  one  year  in  the  New  Jersey  troops, 
and  had  property  worth  $62.09,  With  him  lived  his  wife  and  a  grandson.  The  old 
patriot  was  sixty-one  years  old,  lame  and  almost  blind. 

eph  Hennigan— Enlisted  in  Colonel  Wynkoop's  regiment,  New  York  line,  for 
one  year,  and  afterwards  re-enlisted  for  two  years.  He  had  $162.72  in  property  and 
owned  $110.25  to  William  H.  Sabin,  Dr.  Gordon  Needham  of  Onondaga  Valley,  and 
Amasa  Martin  of  Manlius. 

David  Holbrook— Did  not  apply  for  pension  until  Nov.  29,  1829,  when  he  was  sixty- 
nine  years  old,  forced  to  by  sickness  of  himself  and  wife.  He  served  nine  months 
in  the  Massachusetts  troops,  and  his  personal  property,  including  medical  books  and 
surgical  instruments,  was  worth  only  $27.25.  In  his  story  of  the  loss  of  his  farm  he 
said  he  had  owned  fifty  acres  on  lot  92,  Manlius,  worth  §700,  and  encumbered  by  a 
mortgage.  He  had  made  a  bargain  with  his  son  Henry  to  give  him  the  farm  if  he 
would  support  his  father  and  mother  for  life.  This  was  a  verbal  agreement  and 
without  security-  In  July,  1828,  Henry  deeded  the  land  to  the  youngest  son,  Hiram 
P.  .  who  was  a  minor,  and  left  the  State.  In  October,"  1826,  the  patriot's  wife  died, 
and  in  1829  he  was  living  with  his  son  in-law,  Conrad  G.  Hotaling. 

Lh  Keeler —Was  sixty-six  years  old  in  1820,  served  throughout  the  war  m  the 
Connecticut  line,  in  various  organizations,  was  a  farmer,  with  a  family  depending  on 
him.      His  property  was  valued  at  $48.83,  but  he  owed  824."). 

Phineas    Kellogg— Was  sixty-four   years   old  when  he  made  his   application,   and 
had   property  worth   $790.20,   and  debts  of    $365.13.     He  served  one  year  in    Col, 
diah  I  tuntington's  regiment,  and  lived  with  his  wife  and  daughter. 

Stephen  Leonard— First  applied  in  1820,  when  he  was  sixty-seven  years  old,   and 
had  property  worth  $56.29  and  debts  of  $80.      His  name  had  been  dropped  from  the 
roll,  and  he  made  a  second  application  in   1*24.     He  served  nine  months  in  the  New 
i  line,  and  lived  with  his  wife  and  a  daughter,  Hannah  Goodrich,  who  had  five 
children.     His  .  be  thought  was  worth  $29.92,  and  he  lived  in  a  house  leased 

from   his  son,  David    11.  Leonard,  which   was  sold  to  Azariah  Smith  on  a  mortgage 

Caleb  Merrill— Enlisted  in  1781  when  seventeen  years  old,  in  the  9th  Massachusetts 
Regiment,  and  served  till  June,  17*:;.  In  1820  he  testified  that  his  worldly  posses- 
sions   ]   a    tobacco   box   and  a  knife  worth  thirty-seven  cents,  but  he  had 

nulating  an  indebtedness  of  $3,000.  He  had  a  wife  and  two 
daughters. 

Asa  Merrill— Was  fifty-eight  years  old  in  1820,  served  in  a  Massachusetts  regiment 


THE   REVOLUTION.  157 

three  years,  from  May,  1777,  was  a  cooper  by  trade,  and  had  Fix  in  his  family,  in- 
eluding  his  wife.  His  property  was  worth  $378.95,  while  he  owed  $600.25.  On 
account  of  his  wealth  his  name  was  dropped  from  the  roll,  and  in  May,  L823,  he  made 
a  second  application,  in  which  he  demonstrated  how  his  property  had  depreciated,  as 
follows-  His  set  of  cooper's  tools  were  much  worn  and  reduced  in  value;  1  saw, 
worth  $1.75,  was  sold  to  Samuel  Edwards  in  part  payment  for  pasturing  a  cow; 
"grindstone,"  full  half  worn  out;  "  fifteen  barrels,"  disposed  of  to  Messrs.  Hull  & 
Moseley  for  family  supplies ;  "three  old  kegs,"  gone  to  decay;  "staves,  headings, 
etc.,  made  up,  help  paid,  and  debts  due  Sylvanus  Tousley,  Reuben  Bennett,  Morris 
Hall  &  Co.,  and  W.  &  C.  Gardner,  paid  ;"  "one  barrel  of  soap,"  used  up;  "one  axe, 
one  wheelbarrow,"  nearly  worn  out,  lent  and  lost;  "two  hogs,  five  pigs,"  fatted  and 
eaten;  '  cash  one  dollar,"  expended  in  going  to  Onondaga  to  make  the  schedule  in 
1820;  "debts  due,  supposed  good  and  collectable,"  settled,  except  that  of  Slocum  & 
Williams,  and  they  dispute  the  demand ;  nothing  received  or  can  be  from  "debts 
bad;"  one-half  of  pew  in  Christ  church,  Manlius,  disposed  of  to  Sylvanus  Tousley 
towards  a  note  held  against  him  for  the  pew  itself.  He  was  in  debt  at  this  time 
$349.50.      Merrill  was  still  alive  in  1840  at  the  age  of  eighty  vears. 

William  Orcutt — Was  sixty-nine  years  old  in  1820,  served  in  a  Massachusetts  regi- 
ment, had  property  worth  8132.64  and  was  in  debt  $283.50.  He  had  a  wife  and 
three  sons. 

Asa  Parks — Served  in  Col.  Jonathan  Ward's  Massachusetts  regiment  one  year,  was 
sixty-five  years  old  in  IS'iH,  had  property  valued  at  $39,  but  had  pledged  it  all  to 
Pearl  Kellogg  for  a  debt  of  $20,  exceptinga  set  of  shoemaker'^  tools.  His  grandson. 
George  W.  Parks   aged  twelve,  was  living  with  him. 

George  Ransier— Applied  for  a  pension  January  25,  1825,  when  he  was  sixty-nine 
vears  old.  He  had  a  long  and  varied  military  record  beginning  early  in  1770,  and 
was  discharged  in  February,  177U.  He  immediately  re-enlisted  for  nine  months  and 
served  his  time.  In  1780  he  served  eight  months  as  a  bateauman,  conveying  pro- 
visions and  supplies  up  the  Mohawk  to  Fort  Stanwix.  He  again  enlisted  early  in 
1781  for  nine  months,  in  Col.  Marinus  Willett's  regiment.  His  first  application  was 
not  granted,  for  lack  of  proof,  and  in  September,  1830,  he  again  went  before  the 
court,  when  he  said:  "  I  have  never  been  in  possession  of  money  enough  to  go  in 
search  of  evidence  of  my  services  in  the  Revolution,  and  even  now  have  to  rely  upon 
the  charity  of  my  friends  to  get  evidence."  He  owned  a  quarter  of  an  acre  of  laud 
in  Manlius  worth  three  dollars,  but  not  worth  enclosing  with  a  fence.  He  had 
bought  a  farm  in  1807,  of  eighty-eight  acres  for  $1,250;  but  in  1  si 7  ,ir  181s  he  be- 
came involved  in  debt,  and  conveyed  it  to  his  son  George  for  $25.  He  was  living 
in  1840  at  the  age  of  eighty-four,  with  his  son  George  in  Manlius. 

John  Smith— Was  eighty-four  years  old  in  1800,  and  made  his  application  in  Sep- 
tember. He  enlisted  in  1770  for  one  year  in  Col.  C  I).  Wynkoop's  New 
York  regiment,  in  which  he  served  the  year  as  sergeant.  He  again  enlisted  and 
served  two  years  as  lieutenant.  He  had  considerable  difficulty  in  proving  his 
service,  and  his  first  application  was  rejected.  He  was  entirely  blind  in  1820,  and 
had  no  property  whatever,  had  been  supported  by  the  town  of  Manlius.  and  swore 
that  his  wife  would  not  live  with  him  because  he  was  so  poor. 

John  Sparling — Was  sixty-five  years  old   in  1820,  served   one  year  in  a  Xew  fersey 


158  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

regiment,  and  owned  sixteen  acres  of  wild  land  worth  $48,  but  encumbered  by  a 
mortgage.     He  had  a  wife  and  one  sou,   Joseph  Sparling. 

Thomas  Whipple— Was  sixty  years  old  in  1820,  and  served  in  the  Massachusetts 
troops.  He  was  a  mason  and  his  property  was  worth  $24.82.  He  had  a  wife,  a  son 
and  a  daughter. 

Amos  YVilkins— Served  in  the  Massachusetts  line,  and  was  fifty-four  years  old  in 
1820.  He  had  no  property  except  some  clothing  and  a  pair  of  spectacles.  He  testi- 
fied that  he  was  very  infirm,  having  been  "wounded  during  the  late  war  in  the  battle 
of  Sackett's  Harbor." 

William  Yarrington— Served  in  the  New  York  troops,  was  fifty-nine  years  old  in 
[820,  had  property  valued  at  S110.77  and  owed  $30.      He  had  a  wife  and  a  daughter. 

(  )f  the  succeeding-  Manlius  Revolutionary  heroes  who  applied  for 
relief  under  the  act  of  ISIS,  brief  notes  have  been  obtained  from  vari- 
ous sources,  as  follows: 

Lewis  Bishop-  Was  oue  of  the  last  three  survivors  of  Colonel  Lamb's  regiment  of 
New  York  artillery.  He  was  severity-nine  years  old  in  1840,  and  then  living  with 
Levi  Bishop  in  Manlius. 

Andrew  Balsley — Lived  in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Dewitt,  and  in  1840,  at  the  age 
of  eighty-five,  resided  with  James  Balsley. 

Silas  Burke — Shown  in  the  records  of  1840  as  a  pensioner,  and  living  also  in  De- 
witt. 

Ilenrv  Bogardus — Was  seventy-seven  years  old  in  1840,  a  Revolutionary  pensioner, 
and  living  in  Dewitt. 

Roswell  Cleveland — Was  a  pensioner  in  the  town  of  Manlius  in  1840,  and  eighty- 
one  years  old. 

John  Cole — Was  seventy-five  years  old  in  1840,  a  pensioner  and  lived  with  his 
family  in  Manlius. 

[acob  (i.  Gow  Was  eighty-four  years  old  in  1840,  and  lived  with  John  G.  Gow  in 
Dewitt. 

isalom  Denny— Was  a  pensioner,  and  living  in  1840  with  Abijah  Miller. 

George  Edick— Lived  in  the  town  of  Dewitt  in  1S40,  with  his  family,  and  was 
eighty-four  years  old. 

Elijah  Gridley — Was  eighty  years  old  in  1840. 

Robert   Wilson— Accompanied  his  uncle,  Captain   Gregg,   to   Fort  Schuyler  when 
only  thirteen  years  of  age,  on    tin-  occasion  when  Gregg  was  shot  and  scalped  by  the 
Indians.      Wilson  was  appointed  an  ensign   at  the  age  of  eighteen,  received  a  lieu- 
immission   soon  afterwards,  and  served  through  the  war.      He  was  at  the 
surrc:  ornwallis,  where  he  was  delegated   to  receive  the   British  standards, 

forty-eighl  in  number,      lb'  was  postmaster  at  Manlius  village  in  1803. 

Lakin's  History  of  Military  Lodge  No.  93,  of   Manlius,  contains  a  record  of  Caleb 

I'.     M<  di    to  have  been  a  commissioned  officer  in  the  Revolutionary  army,  but 

this   is  not    borne  out    by  the  army  record.     The  history  gives  his  birth  as  in  Great 

I,    an«l    states    that    lie    was    in    the   battles   of    Bennington, 

Heights,    S.-i  Stillwater,    ami    at    the   surrender   of    Burgoyne.      He 

i    at  White-town,  and  some  time  previous   to  1802   removed  to    Manlius,  where 


THE  REVOLUTION.  159 

he  kept  a  bookstore.  He  was  first  W.  M.  of  the  Manlius  Lodge,  and  died  in  July, 
1842. 

Zebedee  Potter — Was  a  pensioner  who  was  eighty- six  years  old  in  1840. 

Pelhani  W.  Ripley — Lived  with  his  family  ii:  Dewitt  in  1840,  and  was  seventy-six 
years  old. 

Timothy  Teall — Father  of  Oliver  Teall,  a  Syracuse  pioneer,  and  grandfather  of 
W.  W.  Teall,  served  six  years  in  the  Revolution,  during  eighteen  months  of  which 
he  was  a  prisoner.  In  1791  he  settled  in  Manlius,  where  he  practiced  as  a  physician 
and  held  various  town  offices.  He  had  four  brothers,  who  were  also  Revolutionary 
soldiers. 

William  Vermilyea — Enlisted  in  the  army  while  young,  and  in  1840  lived  in  De- 
witt, aged  seventy-four  years. 

Joseph  Williams — Mentioned  in  Lakin's  History  of  the  Manlius  Lodge  as  a  captain 
in  the  Continental  army,  and  located  in  Manlius  in  1795,  where  he  bought  his  land 
at  twenty  shillings  an  acre.  He  brought  his  family  to  the  town  in  the  follow  Jul; 
year  with  an  ox  team  and  sled,  and  had  only  fifty  cents  in  cash  when  he  arrived. 

I  )avid  Williams — Noted  in  the  same  history  as  a  captain  in  the  American  army,  and 
one  of  the  first  overseers  of"  the  poor  of  the  town.  In  1802,  when  Military  Lodge 
was  instituted,  he  presented  it  with  a  sword  that  he  had  secured  on  the  battlefield  at 
Yorktown. 

Major  Watson  —  In  1840  this  old  veteran,  at  the  age  of  ninety-three  years,  lived 
with  Daniel  Downs  in  the  town  of  Dewitt. 

Samuel  Wilcox — Born  according  to  the  records  of  Military  Lodge,  in  Peru.  Mass.. 
January  2,  1744.  The  history  says  he  was  commissioned  as  a  captain.  He  was  at 
the  storming  of  Quebec,  returned  to  the  colonies  in  1770,  and  was  taken  prisoner 
and  confined  in  the  deadly  prison  ships.  He  settled  in  Dewitt  about.  1798,  and  dud 
in  1827. 

John  Young — One  of  the  very  early  settlers  in  Onondaga  county,  was  a  Revolu- 
tionary soldier,  lived  for  a  time  in  Saratoga  county  after  the  war,  and  settled  three 
miles  east  of  the  citv  line  in  1  788. 

Nehemiah  Carpenter — Came  to  Manlius  m  1816.  In  Claytons  History  it  is  said 
that  he  left  Queens  county,  N.  Y.,  with  Washington's  army,  and  afterwards  lived  in 
1  hitchess  county. 

TOWN    OF    MARCELLUS. 

The  old  civil  town  of  Marcellus,  included  the  present  town  of  the 
same  name  and  the  town  of  Skaneateles.  In  the  old  town  lived  at 
some  time  about  thirty  three  Revolutionary  soldiers  who  applied  for 
pensions,  as  follows: 

Stephen  Albro — -Served  during  the  war  in  the  Rhode  Island  line,  and  was  fifty-nine 
years  old  in  1820.  His  property  was  then  worth  $67.38,  in  enumerating  which  he 
went  so  far  into  details  as  to  name  his  cat,  worth  six  cents.  lie  followed  farming 
but  was  infirm  from  a  wound.  He  lived  with  his  wife  and  daughter,  but  in  1840  re- 
sided with  Maria  Hinman  in  the  town  of  Spafford,  and  still  drew  a  pension. 

John  Bristol — Lived  in  1825  in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Skaneateles,  and  was  eighty- 


160  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

three  years  old.      He   served  one  year  in  the  Connecticut  troops,  and  had  property 
valued  at$57.61.      He  was  a  potash  boiler  for  Winston  Day. 

lames  Baker— Was  sixty-four  years  old  in  1820,  a  laborer  whose  most  valuable  pos- 
,ns  were  a  three-pail  kettle  worth  $2,  and  a  fire  shovel  and  tongs  worth  $1.      He 
had  a  wife  and  one  daughter. 

Louis  Baker— Served  in  the  Massachusetts  line,  was  fifty-eight  years  old  in  1820, 
and  had  fifty-nine  acres  of  laud  worth  $10  an  acre,  and  a  potash  kettle,  but  he  owed 
$455,  nearly  twice  the  value  of  his  assets.  He  had  two  sons  and  a  daughter,  and  in 
1S40  lived  with  William   Baker. 

,,h  Coy— Served  about  two  years  in  Col.  John  Durkee's  regiment,  was  seventy- 
nine  years  old  in  1820,  and  had  property  worth  8KJ0.03,  and  debts  of  $56.87.  He  had 
been  a  shoemaker. 

Nehemiah  Cleaveland— Applied  for  a  pension  in  January,  1829,  and  gave  his  age 
as  "  75  past."  He  served  one  year  in  the  Massachusetts  troops,  had  a  lease  of  thirty 
acres  on  lot  36,  during  life,  and  personal  property  worth  $50.  He  had  a  wife  and 
two  children.  In  1840  he  was  living,  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven,  with  Lewis  W. 
Cleaveland  in  Skaneateles. 

Reuben  Farnham— Was  seventy-one  years  old  in  1*20,  and  served  one  year  in  1776 
in  Col.  John  Durkee's  regiment.      His  property  valued  at  $106,  was  evidently  hon- 
estly invoiced,  as   follows:    "  1    mare,  nngboned,  $10;   1  old  cow,  hipped,  $5;  1  small 
pi. 50;  2  small  hoggs,  s:',;  shovel,  tongs,  two  old  chairs;"  etc.      He  was  a  mason 
by  trade,  and  owed  8145. si  to  Day  &  Hecox,  Hall  &  Fynch,  and  others. 

Noble  Gunn — Served  in  Col.  Samuel  Brewer's  regiment,  under  General  Patterson, 
three  years.  Was  fifty-eight  years  old  in  1820,  had  property  worth  s44,  and  debts  of 
$50.  1I<-  said:  "I  am  a  miller  and  have  been  lame  ever  since  the  war,  inconse- 
quence of  having  had  my  knee  broken  in  the  service  of  the  Revolution,  and  am  not 
able  to  labor  much."      He  had  four  sons  and  one  daughter. 

Stephen  Hagar — Served  in  Col.  AVilliam  Hull's  regiment  during  the  war,  was  sixty 
years  old  in  1S2C  and  had  property  worth  831.02.  He  owed  $35.  He  hadawifeand 
four  daughters. 

fonathan  Howard — Applied  for  a  pension  in  February,  1823,  when  he  was  seventy 
years  old.  He  enlisted  early  in  the  spring  of  1776,  and  served  until  the  surrender  of 
Rurgo.ne.     His  property  was  worth  $30.50. 

Zebulon  Moffett — Served  one  year  in  the  New  Hampshire  line,  had  property  worth 
$16.13,  and  debts  of  $55.50,  which  included  $4.50  for  a  coffin.  He  was  seventy-two 
years  old  in  1820,  and  his  wife  sixty-seven. 

William  Miles— Was  chii  I   in  Col.  John  Crane's  regiment    3d  Massachusetts 

Artillery.      He  was  sixty-three  years  old  in  1820,  and  all  his  possessions  were  worth 
$41.60,  with  debts  of  $40.      He  had  three  children. 

Ephraitn  Ma:  b  i  d  ten  months  in  the  Massachusetts  troops,  was  sixty-eight 

old  in  L820,  had  a  wife  and  twochildren,  and  property  worth  $61.15.     He  owed 

•  man  Norton     Was  a  sailor  on  the  frigate  Warren  one  year,  was  sixty-six  years 
old  in  1820,  had  property  worth  $11.50,  and  debt-  of  $29.50,  with  a  wife  and  five  chil- 
>r  support. 
i    ■  ■■  ii     -   tr  in  the   Revolution,  was  sixty-four  years  old  in 


THE   REVOLUTION.  161 

1820  and  his  wife  was  fifty-six.  His  whole  property  comprised  a  pair  of  spectacles 
worty  twenty-five  cents,  and  a  penknife  worth  thirty-seven  and  a  half  cents. 

Samuel  Rounds — Was  sixty-five  years  old  in  May,  1825,  served  nearly  six  years  in 
different  organizations,  and  valued  his  property  at  SGI.  19.  Willett  and  Henry  Ray- 
nor,  the  Onondaga  merchants,  owed  him  $60  to  be  paid  in  goods. 

Simeon  Skeels — Was  in  the  Connecticut  line,  was  sixty-one  years  old  in  1820,  his 
wife  fifty  years  old,  and  a  son  sixteen.  He  was  a  farmer  on  the  east  side  of  Skan- 
eateles  Lake,  and  his  property,  worth  819.81,  was  more  than  offset  by  debts  of  $25. 

Daniel  Smith — Enlisted  early  in  the  war,  in  1775,  served  a  year  and  seven  months, 
was  sixty-five  years  old  in  1820,  and  his  property  was  worth  8181,  which  was  ex- 
ceeded by  his  debts  by  85.      He  lived  with  his  wife. 

Isaac  Staples — Served  in  Colonel  Vose's  First  Massachusetts  Regiment,  was  a 
farmer  fifty- six  years  old  in  1820,  and  had  a  wife,  a  son  and  daughter.  He  was  still 
drawing  a  pension  in  1840,  and  lived  in  Skaneateles. 

William  Webber — Served  two  years  and  three  months  in  the  First  Regiment 
Massachusetts  line,  and  in  1820  his  assets  consisted  of  a  Bible  worth  fifty  cents,  and 
a  psalm  book  worth  twenty  cents,  but  he  had  debts  of  $35.50.  He  lived  with  his  wife 
and  son,  and  in  1840  was  still  drawing  a  pension  at  seventy-seven  years  of  age. 

John  Walsh — Enlisted  in  1775  and  served  through  the  war,  after  the  first  s;.\ 
months  with  Colonel  Van  Schaick's  regiment,  a  part  of  the  time  as  sergeant.  In 
1821,  when  he  made  his  application,  he  was  eighty-one  years  old,  blind,  and  living 
on  the  charity  of  his  friends. 

Other  Marcellus  Revolutionary  patriots,  of  whom  some  meager  in- 
formation has  been  obtained,  were  the  following: 

Job  Barber — In  1840  Job  Barber  lived  with  Erastus  Whiting  in  the  town  of  Mar- 
cellus, and  was  drawing  a  pension  at  eighty-six  years  of  age. 

John  Beach — Lived  in  the  west  end  of  the  old  town,  now  Skaneateles,  in  1840  with 
Samuel  P.  Rhoades,  and  was  seventy-six  years  old. 

Lemuel  Barrows — Was  seventy-eight  years  old  in  1840,  living  in  Marcellus  with 
E/.ekiel  Baker,  jr.,  and  drawing  a  pension. 

Jonathan  Baker — Lived  in  1840  in  Marcellus  with  his  family,  was  seventy-eight 
years  old. 

Jared  Smith — Settled  in  Marcellus  prior  to  1800.  He  joined  the  army  almost  coin- 
cident with  the  battle  of  Lexington,  was  second  lieutenant  in  a  Massachusetts  regi- 
ment in  1775,  and  in  the  12th  Infantry  from  January  1,   1776. 

Joseph  Bishop— Lived  in  1840  with  Ira  Bishop,  and  was  eighty-one  years  old. 

Reuben  Dorchester — This  Revolutionary  veteran  was  the  head  of  a  numerous 
family  in  the  town  of  Marcellus.  He  was  drawing  a  pension  in  1840,  at  the  age  of 
ninety-two  years,  and  lived  with  Eliakim  Dorchester. 

John  Dalliba — Also  a  member  of  a  numerous  family  in  .Marcellus.  was  seventy-five 
years  old  in  1840,  and  lived  in  his  latter  years  with  Sanford  Dalliba. 

Chauncey  Gaylord— Was  eighty-three  years  old  in  1840,  and  lived  with  Asaph  Gay- 
lord. 

Robert  McCullock— This  veteran  was  seventy-nine  years  old  in  1840,  and  lived  with 
his  family  in  Marcellus,  finally  attaining  the  age  of  ninety  years. 
21 


:CJ  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

John  Wilkinson,  sr.— Entered  the  Continental  army  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  was 
taken  prisoner  and  confined  in  the  notorious  Jersey  prison  ship  nine  months,  when 
he  was  exchanged.  In  February,  1799,  he  left  his  home  in  Troy,  and  settled  on  a 
farm  one  mile  from  the  shore  of  Skaneateles  Lake,  where  he  died  three  years 
later.  John  Wilkinson,  jr.  was  born  in  Troy,  September  30,  1798,  and  later  in  life 
became  one  of  the  leading  attorneys  and  business  men  at  Syracuse. 

David  Welsh— Settled  on  lot  7o  in  the  present  town  of  Skaneateles,  in  1798,  was 
wounded  in  the  battle  of  Bennington,  and  drew  a  pension.  He  built  the  first  frame 
barn  in  the  town  in  1800. 

I  «.\\  n    01    <    \M1LI.US. 

Of  those  who  served  in  the  Revolutionary  war  from  this  town,  there 
are  found  recorded  forty-three  names,  nineteen  of  whom  made  applica- 
tion for  government  aid  between  L820  and  L830,  as  follows: 

John  Brittin — At  the  age  of  sixty-four,  when  he  was  living  in  Memphis,  made  affi- 
davit in  1820  that  he  enlisted  in  Capt.  Jonathan  Pierson's  company,  June  1,  1777,  for 
three  years.  He  said  his  property  was  worth  $73.75,  while  his  deDts  were  $101.  He 
owned  fifty  acres  on  lot  37,  fifteen  of  which  were  under  improvement,  with  an  old 
log  house  which  had  been  built  fifteen  years.  A  suit  of  ejectment  was  standing 
against  him,  and  he  considered  his  title  valueless.  He  was  a  mason  by  trade,  had 
no  wife  living,  and  two  young  daughters.  In  1840  he  lived  in  what  is  now  the  town 
of  Van  Buren,  and  died  July  21,  1842. 

Reuben  Clark — Enlisted  in  the  Massachusetts  troops,  and  served  one  year.  His 
assets  were  worth  $182.63,  and  his  liabilities  were  8160.96.  He  was  sixty-one  years 
old  in  L820,  and  lived  with  his  wife  and  grandson,  Julian  Clark. 

Joim  Clark— Was  in  Colonel  Lamb's  artillery  regiment,  had  property  worth  $17 
and  debts  ol  $386.  17.  He  was  sixty-four  years  old  in  1820,  his  wife  Ruth  was  fifty, 
and  they  had  three  children.      In  1840  he  was  living  with  Joel  Chapman. 

Curtis  Chapped   -Enlisted  in  1777  in  the  Connecticut  line,  and  served  through  the 
war.      lie  was  sixty-five  years  old  in  1820,  and  was  worth  $64.91,  with  debts  of  nearly 
[ual  amount.      His  wife  and  two  children  were  living. 

James  Dunham — Was  sixty  two  years  old  in  1820,  was  a  farmer  and  carpenter,  and 
A'orth  $21.34.  He  served  nine  months  in  a  New  Jersey  regiment,  and  lived  with  his 
wife,  a  daughtei .  and  I  wo  sons 

Sherebiah  Evans— Was  a  pensioner  under  the  act  of  1818,  and  died  August  8,  1820, 
1    b)    his   wile.      His  property   was  worth  $92. 76,  and  he  operated  the  first 
mill  at  Marcellus.      He  had  three  sons  and  a  daughter. 

John  [ngalsbe     Served  in  Massachusetts  regiment  and  was  a  minute  man  at  Lex- 
ington.     His  property  was  worth  $620.93  and  his  debts  were  $589.95.      He  was  sixty- 
old  in   L820,  and  infirm.      He  had  one  daughter. 
Kidder      Was  sixty   years  old  in  1820,  hobbled  into  court  on  a  crutch,  and 
said  he  was  worth  $70.  Hi  and  owed  si:,.      He  was  a  cooper  by  trade  and  enlisted  in  a 
New  1 1  iment.      I  [e  had  four  children. 

William   Lai  in     Enlisted   in   a    New    Hampshire  regiment,  in   April,  1777,  served 
and  enlisted  fpi  the  war  in  anothei    regiment.      He  was  discharged  No- 


THE   REVOLUTION.  163 

vember  9,  1782,  as  an  invalid.  He  was  sixty-four  years  old  in  August,  1821,  and  was 
unable  to  work  by  reason  of  wounds.  His  property  was  worth  only  $84.39,  and  he 
had  agreed  with  John  Lakin  to  buy  twenty  acres  of  land  at  $12  per  acre.  He  lived 
with  his  wife  and  daughter,  and  died  February  23,  1835. 

Atchison  Mellin — Served  three  years  from  July,  1775,  in  the  Pennsylvania  troops. 
He  was  seventy-two  years  old  in  1820,  and  had  $17  in  property,  including  a  set  of 
turning  tools.      He  lived  with  his  children. 

Ebenezer  Moseley — Served  in  the  Massachusetts  troops,  was  sixty-four  years  old 
in  1N20,  and  his  property  was  worth  $120.03,  including  a  note  from  Peter  Warner  and 
"  seven  old  hens  "  valued  at  forty-four  cents.  He  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade,  and 
with  his  wife  was  dependent  on  their  son  for  support. 

Robert  Pain— Enlisted  in  1780  in  the  Fourth  Massachusetts,  and  was  seventy- 
three  years  old  in  1820. 

Nicholas  Pickard — Enlisted  in  April,  1776,  in  Colonel  Van  Schaick's  regiment, 
New  York  troops,  and  served  six  months.  In  the  fall  of  1777  he  enlisted  in  a  New 
Jersey  regiment  for  three  years.  In  1778  he  was  sent  to  Jersey  to  make  shoes  for 
the  army.  He  was  sixty-seven  years  old  in  1820,  and  had  twenty-five  acres  of  land 
in  Camillus  worth  §200,  but  thought  he  was  going  to  lose  it.  He  was  living  with  his 
wife. 

Stephen  Robinson — Was  in  Col.  Philip  Van  Cortlandt's  Second  New  York  Regi- 
ment. He  was  fifty-seven  years  old  in  1820,  his  property  was  valued  at  $33.98,  and 
he  had  a  wife  and  four  children. 

Freelove  Roberts — Was  sixty-three  years  old  in  1820,  and  served  about  six  vears  in 
the 'Connecticut  line.  His  property  was  worth  $93.20,  but  he  owed  $90.  He  was 
living  with  his  wife. 

John  Scott — Enlisted  in  1777  in  the -Connecticut  line  and  served  three  years.  He 
was  fifty-nine  years  old  in  1820,  and  his  property  was  worth  836.92.  He  had  a  step- 
son and  a  stepdaughter,  and  lived  with  his  wife. 

Elijah  Ward — Was  sixty-one  years  old  in  1820,  served  in  Col.  Thomas  Nixon's 
regiment,  and  his  only  property  consisted  of  pots,  teakettles,  andirons  and  tongs, 
and  was  worth  $16.35.     He  had  one  daughter. 

Calvin  Waterman — Came  into  court  May  31,  1827,  and  said  he  enlisted  in  a  Con- 
necticut regiment  in  the  fall  of  1775  for  one  year;  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  British 
at  the  battle  of  Long  Island,  August  27,  1776,  and  was  exchanged  at  New  London, 
Conn.,  in  the  spring  of  1777.  His  property  was  valued  at  $360.81,  and  included 
twenty  acres  of  Camillus  land,  worth  not  exceeding-  815  an  acre.  He  was  a  shoe- 
maker by  trade,  and  was  alive  in  1840  at  the  age  of  eighty-five. 

Denison  Whedon — Was  sixty  five  years  old  in  1825,  served  eight  months  in  tin- 
Massachusetts  line  in  1775,  and  re-enlisted  in  1776  for  a  period  of  eleven  months. 
He  was  a  farmer  and  his  property  was  worth  $123  21.  He  had  a  wife  and  one  son, 
Samuel. 

Of  the  remainder  of  the  forty-three  Camillus  veterans  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, brief  records  are  found  as  follows: 

The  monument  in  the  village  of  Baldwiusville  contains  the  names  of  Nathan 
Betts,  Benjamin  Depuy,  Henry  Becker  and  Miles  Bennet,  Revolutionary  soldiers, 
the  latter  of  whom  gave  his  age  as  seventy-four  years  in  1840. 


164  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

John  Cunningham— Was  the  only  one  of  the  thirty-four  soldiers  who  drew  military 
lots  in  the  present  town  of  Van  Buren,  who  settled  upon  his  claim.  His  lot  was  No. 
88.  He  served  in  the  artillery  branch  and  was  in  the  expedition  against  the  Orton- 
dagas  in  1779.     He  settled  in  Van  Buren  in  1808,  and  died  about  1820. 

John  Dill — Entered  what  was  termed  the  five  months'  service  as  a  volunteer 
orderly  sergeant  in  Capt.  John  Graham's  company,  Colonel  Paulding's  regiment, 
under  Gen.  Alexander  McDougall,  and  in  October,  1777,  was  stationed  at  Fort  Mont- 
gomery in  that  part  of  the  work  called  Fort  Clinton.  The  two  were  separated  by  a 
small  creek,  and  when  captured  by  the  British  the  battle  continued  until  late  at 
night,  enabling  those  in  Fort  Clinton  to  escape.  Dill  and  others  swam  the  creek  and 
passed  under  the  wall  of  Fort  Montgomery.  After  Burgoyne's  surrender  Dill  re- 
turned to  the  army  as  an  artificer.  He  was  discharged  in  1780,  and  died  at  Camillus 
September  21,  1846,  when  eighty-eight  years  old.  He  was  a  pensioner  in  1840,  and 
lived  with  Samuel  Dill. 

Other  Revolutionary  veterans  of  this  town,  of  whom  little  is  known, 
and  whose  names  stand  upon  the  Baldwinsville  monument,  were 
George  Fraver,  Thomas  Farrington  (see  History  of  Lysander),  Samuel 
Gilbert,  John  Herrick,  Squire  Munro  (who  kept  the  first  tavern  on  the 
site  of  Elbridge),  Thomas  Marvin,   Silas  Schofield,   and  Austin  Smith. 

John  McHarrie — The  pioneer  of  Van  Buren,  whose  settlement  is  described  in  the 
history  of  that  town,  was  a  Revolutionary  veteran,  and  died  November  26,  1807, 
aged  fifty-five  years. 

Gill  Mallory — Is  down  in  the  record  of  1840  as  a  Revolutionary  veteran  eighty-five 
years  old,  and  living  with  Joel  Mallory  in  Elbridge. 

Stephen  Pratt — A  Revolutionary  soldier,  wras  living  in  Elbridge  in  1840  with  Mary 
Tilly,  at  seventy-nine  years  old. 

I  inmv  Smith — One  of  the  oldest  veterans  of  the  Revolution,  lived  in  Van  Buren  in 
L840  with  Augustus  Smith,  at  the  age  of  105  years.  He  settled  on  lot  20  and  died  in 
1841, 

fohn  Tappan — A  Van  Buren  pioneer,  served  in  a  New  Jersey  regiment,  was  born 
in  New  Jersey  in  1756,  settled  in  Van  Buren  in  1796,  and  died  November  22,  1818. 
1  te  was  the  ancestor  of  a  large  and  prominent  family  in  the  town  of  Lysander. 

foseph  White — Settled  in  Camillus  in  1804,  where  he  bought  a  farm  just  north  of 
the  bridge  over  Nine-Mile  Creek  at  Amboy.  He  was  one  of  the  early  surveyors,  and 
died  in  1830,  aged  eighty-one  years. 

Enoch  Wood— Recorded  in  1840  as  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  then  living  with  his 
family  in  Camillus. 

George  Wagoner-  Was  a  veteran  of  the  Revolution,  and  his  name  appears  in  the 
honor  roll  on  the  Baldwinsville  monument. 

TOWN    OF    CICERO. 

Nine  Revolutionary  soldiers  arc  known  to  have  lived  at  some  time 
in  the  old  town  of  Cicero,  which  included  what  is  now  the  town  of  Clav. 
Onl\    om    "t    those  was  a  grantee  under  the  law  creating  the  Military 


THE  REVOLUTION.  165 

Tract  who  settled  on  his  lot;  this  was  Capt.  John  Shepherd.      The  fol- 
lowing- made  application  for  pensions  under  the  act  of  1818: 

John  Caldwell — Made  his  affidavit  on  May  29,  1827,  enlisted  for  nine  months  in  a 
Massachusetts  regiment,  served  his  time  and  was  discharged  at  West  Point.  In 
September  following  he  re-enlisted  in  Colonel  Livingston's  regiment,  Xew  York 
troops,  and  was  stationed  at  Fort  Ann.  A  month  later  he  was  taken  prisoner  with 
the  whole  garrison  and  sent  to  Montreal,  where  he  was  held  until  November,  17*82, 
when  he  was  exchanged  at  Boston.  He  was  sixty- seven  years  old  in  1827,  and  he 
owned  four  acres  of  land  in  Oxford  county,  Ohio,  worth  840,  "also  one  common  hoe 
and  garden  hoe,  valued  at  nine  shillings."  He  was  without  a  family  and  had  lived 
two  years  with  Eben  T.  Dennis. 

Henry  Desbrow — Was  sixty-seven  years  old  when  he  came  into  court  in  February, 
1821 ;  enlisted  in  the  spring  of  1777  in  a  Connecticut  regiment  and  was  discharged  in 
1780.  Included  in  his  assets,  which  were  worth  $67.81,  was  a  note  against  Gershom 
Tilly  of  $12.50,  given  for  fifty  salt  barrels.     He  had  a  wife  and  two  children. 

Israel  Hooker — Was  sixty-two  years  old  in  1820,  and  served  one  year,  1776.  His 
property  was  worth  $71.98,  but  he  owed  8100.  He  had  a  right  to  occupancy  of 
eighteen  acres  of  land  during  his  life.  He  said  he  was  a  common  laborer,  "  but  was 
unable  to  labor  as  he  had  but  one  eye  and  one  arm."  He  had  a  son  Israel,  and  a 
wife. 

Elijah  Loomis — Went  into  court  September  10,  183(1,  and  testified  that  he  had  a 
lease  of  twenty-five  acres  of  land  for  life  in  the  town  of  Cicero,  and  all  his  property 
was  worth  $146.63.  Loomis  was  the  first  settler  at  South  Bay,  in  1804.  He  and  his 
wife  were  living  in  1847  on  the  same  property  where  he  settled  ;  he  was  then  eighty- 
six  years  old. 

Capt.  John  Shepherd — Applied  for  a  pension  February  27,  1821,  when  he  was  sixty- 
four  years  old.  He  enlisted  in  the  spring  of  1777,  in  Col.  Udney  Hay's  regiment, 
and  in  1779  he  was  commissioned  captain.  Ill  health  compelled  his  retirement  from 
the  army  in  the  fall  of  1781.  He  had  personal  property  worth  $66.96,  and  among  his 
liabilities  was  816  due  Dr.  Gordon  Needham,  of  Onondaga  Hollow.  Captain  Shep- 
herd drew  lot  11,  on  which  he  lived  to  1824,  when  he  died. 

Other  soldiers  of  this  town  of  whom  brief  records  are  found  are  the 
following: 

Samuel  Bragden — Was  living  with  Thomas  Bragden  in  Clay  in  1*40.  when  he  was 
seventy-eight  years  old. 

John  Lynn — Was  a  pensioner,  living  in  1<S40  in  Clay,  and  was  eightv-eight  years 
old. 

Patrick  McGee — Sometimes  erroneously  credited  with  being  the  first  white  settler  in 
what  is  now  Clay ;  he  located  at  Three  River  Point  in  1793,  and  there  built  the  first 
frame  house  in  1808  or  1809.     (See  History  of  Clay,  Chapter  XXXV.) 

James  Smith — Was  a  Revolutionary  pensioner  in  1840,  aged  eighty  vears,  and  was 
then  living  with  Leonard  Smith  in  Clay. 


166  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

TOWN    OF    LYSANDER. 

Twelve  Revolutionary  veterans  lived  in  the  town  of  Lysander,  sev- 
eral of  whom  were  in  the  New  York  troops  and  settled  on  the  lots 
drawn  by  them  for  their  military  service;  but  as  thirty-three  of  the  lots 
in  the  original  town  were  taken  into  Oswego  county  in  L816,  the  list  is 
materially  reduced. 

Joseph  Belong— Testified  September  1,  1820,  that  he  was  fifty-nine  years  old,  and 
enlisted  in  Captain  Swarthout's  company  of  Colonel  Lamb's  regiment,  in  1782,  for 
three  years.  After  part  of  his  term  expired  he  was  in  another  company  until  the 
close  of  the  war.  He  was  discharged  at  West  Point.  He  had  very  little  property 
and  had  a  wife  and  four  children. 

Loam  Nearing — Was  sixty-three  years  old  in  1820,  enlisted  in  June,  1716,  in  the 
Connecticut  line,  and  his  regiment  was  badly  cut  up  in  the  battle  of  Long  Island. 
His  property  was  worth  X47.61  and  he  was  in  debt  $25.98,  and  was  supported  by  his 
von. 

William  lohnson,  sr.— Served  in  the  Massachusetts  troops,  and  was  sixty-four  years 
old  in  1820.  He  lived  with  his  wife  and  two  young  children.  In  1840  he  gave  his 
age  as  eighty-eight  and  still  drew  his  pension. 

William  Foster — Was  a  Revolutionary  pensioner  in  1840,  and  lived  in  Lysander 
with  Ira  Foster. 

Stiles  Freeman — The  name  of  this  veteran  appears  on  the  Baldwinsville  monument 
and  in  the  census  of  1840. 

Israel  Hooker — Was  eighty-two  years  old  in  1840,  was  a  pensioner  and  lived  with 
his  family  in  Lysander. 

Jacob  Northrop — Was  a  Revolutionary  soldier  of  this  town,  drew  a  pension,  and 
his  name  is  among  those  honored  on  the  Baldwinsville  monument.  In  1840  his  pen- 
sion was  drawn  by  Abigail  Northrop. 

Jonathan  Palmer — Was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  in  the  present  limits  of  this 
town,  served  in  the  New  York  line  and  drew  lot  36.  He  settled  in  the  town  in  1793, 
and  was  one  of  seven  brothers  who  served  in  the  army. 

Nathaniel  Palmer-  Brother  of  Jonathan,  also  served  in  the  New  York  troops,  and 
ed  in  placing  the  great  chain  across  the  Hudson  River  to  prevent  British  vessels 
i  rora  ascending. 

Shubal  Preston  Was  a  pensioner  and  was  eighty-two  years  old  in  1840.  He  was 
iving  with  Shubal  Preston,  jr. 

Nathaniel  Root  Was  seventy-three  years  old  in  1840,  lived  with  his  family  and 
drew  a  pension. 

John  Slausoii  Was  seventy-six  years  old  iii  1840,  was  a  veteran  of  the  Revolution 
and  lived  with  his  family. 

L'0 WN  01     SA LI N A . 

Nine  Revolutionary  soldiers  are  known  to  have  lived  in  the   town    of 
Salina.     Only  two  of  these  are  represented   in  the  court  reports  of  the 
nty    -William  Conner  and  Albert  Van  de  Werker. 


THE  REVOLUTION.  167 

William  Conner — Appeared  in  court  in  1820,  and  said  he  was  sixty-two  years  old; 
that  he  enlisted  in  the  spring  of  1775,  joined  the  army  at  Valley  Forge,  and  was 
discharged  about  February  1,  1779.  Besides  his  clothing  his  property  consisted  of  a 
pair  of  spectacles  and  a  tobacco  box,  worth  fifty  cents  each. 

Albert  Van  de  Werker — Held  a  lieutenant's  commission  in  the  army,  and  was  in 
Cornelius  D.  Wvnkoop's  New  York  regiment.  .  He  was  seventy-five  year-- old  in  1820, 
and  had  only  personal  property  worth  §20.62. 

Dennison  Avery — Was  one  of  the  oldest  residents  of  Salina  in  1840,  and  was  then 
drawing  a  pension  at  ninety  years  of  age. 

Vine  Coy — Was  seventy-four  years  old  in  1840  and  a  pensioner,  living  then  with 
William  Ranger. 

Solomon  Huntley — Was  living  at  the  age  of  eighty-six  in  1840,  and  drawing  a 
pension. 

Lewis  Sweeting — Was  eighty-eight  years  old  in  1840,  and  a  pensioner  in  Salina. 

Calvin  Tripp — Was  living  with  Elijah  Tripp  in  Salina  in  1840,  was  eighty-two 
years  old  and  drawing  a  pension. 

Joseph  Wilson — Was  living  with  Jonas  Mann  in  1S40,  was  eighty-one  yearsold  and 
drew  a  pension. 

Hobart — In  Clark's  Onondaga  he  alludes  to  a  Mr.  Hobart.,  who  shared   in 

the  war  and  was  in  Sullivan's  expedition  against  the  Indians. 

I  (  IWN   OF   FABIUS. 

This  town,  originally  apart  of  Pompey,  was  materially  reduced  in 
area  after  its  erection  in  1798,  by  the  formation  of  Tully  and  of  the 
town  of  Truxton  in  Cortland  county;  so  that  now  the  names  of  only 
twelve  veterans  of  the  Revolution  are  found,  who  lived  at  any  time  with  - 
in  the  limits  of  the  present  town.  Those  who  applied  for  pensions  in 
1820  and  at  later  dates,  were  as  follows: 

Jonathan  Brooks — Was  fifty-six  years  old  in  1820,  enlisted  in  the  Massachusetts 
line  in  1781.  He  was  a  farmer  and  lived  with  his  three  daughters  and  a  son,  Alfred. 
He  was  worth  $66.74,  but  was  in  debt  a  still  larger  sum. 

Heartwell  Barnes — Served  in  the  Connecticut  troops  and  was  discharged  at  the 
close  of  the  war.  He  was  seventy-two  years  old  in  1820,  and  his  schedule  of  property 
amounted  to  §32.59,  among  which  was  growing  broom  corn  worth  $2,  a  butcher 
knife,  tobacco  box,  penknife  and  needle,  with  four  cents  in  cash.  He  had  one  son, 
Elias  Jefferson  Barnes,  aged  nineteen,  and  one  daughter,  all  dependent  on  the  son. 

John  Cadwell- -The  affidavit  of  this  pensioner  was  sworn  to  on  the  day  after  his 
death  by  Denison  Belding  and  Olive  Belding,  the  latter  being  his  daughter.  The 
testimony  states  that  he  died  at  his  home  in  Fabius  on  March  3,  1S:;4,  leasing  a 
widow. 

William  Clark — This  veteran  made  two  applications,  one  in  1820  and  one  m  1823, 
when  he  wished  to  be  restored  to  the  pension  list.  His  service  was  performed  in  the 
Connecticut  troops  and  extended  to  over  five  years,  during  which  he  was  in  many  of 
the  prominent  battles.     He  swore  that   "three   years  ago  this  fall  (1820)    I  married 


168  ONONDAGA'S   CENTENNIAL. 

widow  Cluff  who  had  six  children."     Abel  Clough,  as  the  name  is  spelled  in  the 
ond  affidavit,  husband  of  the  widow,  died  in  possession  of  108  acres  of  land,  which  a 
son.  Abel,  jr..  was  working  on  shares.      In  1820  Clark  made   it   appear  that  he  was 
worth  819.  but  he  was  in  debt  $400.      He  was  certainly  entitled  to  the  pension  which 
he  received. 

Daniel  Conner  —  "  In  the  year  1775,  at  the  time  of  the  alarum  at  Lexington,"  as  he 
quaintly  puts  it,  this  soldier  enlisted  in  the  Massachusetts  line  and  served  to  the 
close  of  the  war.  He  was  sixty-seven  years  old  in  1820,  and  had  property  worth  $56. 
He  had  a  wife  and  three  daughters. 

Nathan  Goodale— At  the  age  of  sixteen  this  veteran  enlisted,  January  1,  1777,  in  a 
Massachusetts  regiment  and  served  to  June,  1783.  In  1820  he  said  he  had  thirty 
acres  of  land  on  lot  11  in  Fabius,  worth  §150,  and  a  yoke  of  steers  worth  $29.  Among 
those  to  whom  he  was  indebted  were  William  Goodale,  James  Sanford,  Francis 
Miner,  |ohn  Miller,  Elijah  Miles,  Bacon  &  Wilson,  Noah  Goodrich,  and  Rodney 
Starkweather.  He  lived  with  his  wife,  his  mother,  one  son,  Henry,  and  two  young 
daughters. 

John  Ives — Enlisted  in  1777  in  a  Connecticut  regiment  in  which  he  served  about 
thirteen  months,  when  he  was  transferred  to  Washington's  lifeguard  and  continued 
three  vears.  Ives  thought  his  property  was  worth  §14. 37i,  although  it  embraced  a 
broken  five- pail  kettle  which  he  valued  at  a  dollar.  He  stated  that  in  1816  he  bar- 
gained for  eight  acres  of  land  and  paid  880  of  the  purchase  money;  but  in  1820  the 
man  of  whom  he  had  bought  became  involved,  and  cleared  out  without  giving  Ives  a 
deed  or  other  security.      He  was  living  with  his  wife. 

(  >ther  Fabius  veterans  named  in  the  census  of  1840  were  the  fol- 
lowing: 

Rul'us  Carter — Was  seventy-five  years  old  in  1840,  and  was  living  with  his  family 
on  his  farm. 

Ebenezer  Foot — Was  eighty-seven  years  old  and  lived  with  Thomas  J.  Beden. 

Ambrose  Gron — Was  living  with  his  family  in  1840,  and  was  eighty-seven  years 
old. 

Daniel  Hills — Must  have  enlisted  young  as  he  was  only  seventy-eight  years  old  in 
1840. 

Manuel  Truair — Was  the  ancestor  of  the  Truair  family  of  this  town,  and  in  1840 
was  drawing  a  pension  and  living  with  John  Truair. 

["OWN    OF    TULLY. 

The  names  of  only  six  Revolutionary  soldiers  are  found  in  what  is 
now  the  town  of  Tnlly,  as  follows: 

J  ami  Applied  for  his  pension  in  1825,  and  swore  that  he  resided  in  Otisco; 

but  he  afterwards  made  his   home  in  Tully  and  lived  there  in  1831,  when  he  made  a 

Ltion.      Fuller  served   about  three  years  in  a  Massachusetts  regiment, 

had   property  worth  $95.81,  and  lived  with  his  son  and  two  daughters.      In  1831  his 

propei  tidied  to$48.  12  1  2.     In  L825  he  sold  his  farm  on  lot  (i  for  $500, to  get 

o    upport  him 


THE   REVOLUTION.  169 

Oliver  Hyde — Applied  for  his  pension  in  1822,  and  said  he  enlisted  in  1777  in  Col- 
onel Putnam's  Connecticut  regiment  for  three  years,  and  served  his  time.  His  prop- 
erty, which  included  "  a  yearling  bull  which  had  its  feet  frozen  off,"  was  worth  817, 
and  he  owed  $300.     His  wife  and  daughter  lived  with  him. 

Jedediah  Winchell — Enlisted  in  1777  and  served  two  years.  His  property  was 
$20.97  and  he  lived  with  his  wife;  neither  of  them  was  able  to  work. 

Henry  White — Was  sixty-seven  years  old  in  1820,  had  property  worth  $36.80,  and 
owed  a  little  more  than  that.  Among  those  whom  he  owed  were  P>aker  &  Brooks,  G. 
Van  Heusen,  jr.,  L.  &  S.  King,  and  Peleg  Babcock.  After  giving  a  quaint  list  of  his 
property  the  old  man  said,  "  I  have  a  wife  aged  sixty-four  years,  who  is  an  invalid, 
and  a  son  aged  twenty-one  years,  who  is  incapable  of  maintaining  himself,  both  de- 
pending on  me  for  support.  I  am  not  able  to  do  a  day's  work  and  am  a  farmer  by 
profession." 

Michael  Christian — From  this  Revolutionary  soldier  Christian  Hollow  took  us 
name.  He  was  one  of  the  very  few  who  settled  on  the  land  granted  them  by  the 
government  and  drew  lot  18.     He  settled  in  Christian  Hollow  in  1792. 

Enoch   Bailey — Lived  in  this  town  in  1840,  and  drew  a  pension. 

I  i  >w  X    OF    OTIS*  i '. 

The  records  of  nine  Revolutionary  soldiers  are  found  who  lived  in 
the  town  of  Otisco,  as  follows: 

Leavett  Billings — This  veteran  served  in  a  Massachusetts  regiment  three  years 
and  was  sixty-seven  years  old  in  1820.  He  was  a  laborer  and  had  property  worth 
$73.32. 

Ebenezer  French — This  veteran  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Otisco  and  served 
one  year  in  a  Massachusetts  regiment.  He  was  uncommonly  well-to-do  for  a  Revo- 
lutionary veteran,  having  property  in  1820  worth  $221.60,  but  he  was  considerably 
in  debt.      He  was  a  farmer  and  lived  with  his  wife  and  a  young  son. 

John  Ladow — Served  in  Colonel  Weisenfeldt's  New  York  regiment  and  in  1820 
was  sixty-three  years  old,  and  had  property  worth  $42.69,  with  debts  of  $26.  75.  He 
had  a  wife,  a  daughter,  and  a  son. 

Christopher  Monk — Applied  for  his  pension  in  1825,  when  he  testified  that  he  was 
sixty-seven  years  old  and  had  served  in  a  Massachusetts  regiment.  His  property 
was  worth  §86.12,  and  he  had  a  mortgage  against  property  of  Jonathan  B.  Nichols, 
but  Nichols  was  insolvent  and  on  "  the  gaol  limits,"  which  depreciated  the  value  of 
this  security.  Monk  made  a  second  application  in  1831,  when  he  said  he  had  been 
supported  since  1824  by  his  two  sons,-  Joseph  and  Benjamin.  Ik-  was  alive  at  the 
age  of  eighty-two  in  1840. 

Elon  Norton — Served  in  a  Connecticut  regiment  from  1777  to  the  close  oi  the  war. 
He  said  he  had  property  worth  $30.49,  owed  8823  and  "didn't  know  that  anyone  was 
indebted  to  him  one  cent."  He  was  a  carpenter  and  had  lost  three  fingers  from  one 
hand. 

Chauncey  Atkins— Was  a  pensioner  in  1840,  aged  seventy-seven-  years  and  lived 
with  Hiram  Perkins. 

Eliakim  Clark— Was  father  of  Willis  and  Lewis  Gaylord  Clark  (see  history  of  the 
town),  settled  early  in  Otisco  and  was  a  Revolutionary  veteran. 


170  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Apollos  King— Was  a  pensioner  in  1840,  seventy-six  years  old,  and  lived  with  his 
family. 

Isaac  Robinson— Mentioned  in  the  Pompey  Re-union  as  a  soldier  of  the  Revolu- 
tionary war  who  died  in  Otisco,  having  come  there  at  an  early  clay  from  Saratoga 
county. 

TOWN    OF     SPAFFORD. 

The  records  give  us  information  of  only  six  Revolutionary  veterans 
who  made  their  homes  in  Spafford.  One  of  these  was  the  first  settler  in 
the  town 

Thompson  Burdick—  Made  three  applications  for  a  pension,  the  first  in  1820,  when 
he  was  sixty-eight  years  old ;  but  he  was  too  well  off  then  to  get  the  relief  asked.  In 
1822  lie  tried  again  and  the  third  time  in  182:1  He  testified  to  his  service  in  the 
Rhode  Island  troops  from  May  or  June,  1775,  for  eight  months,  and  here-enlisted 
for  a  year,  and  was  discharged  January  1,  1777.  He  was  wounded  in  the  battle  of 
White  Plains.  In  1820  he  had  thirty  acres  of  land  worth  §150,  and  his  entire  prop- 
erty- was  worth  §237.68.  In  1822  his  land  had  been  sold  on  a  judgment  and  his  assets 
had  dwindled  to  $35.55,  and  were  still  further  reduced  when  he  made  his  third  appli- 
cation. He  had  a  wife,  a  child  and  two  grandchildren.  Mrs.  Burdick  had  asthma 
and  all  she  could  do  was  to  "  spin  a  little  now  and  then  on  a  small  wheel." 

Daniel  Owen — Served  one  year  in  the  Connecticut  line  and  was  discharged  in 
1776;  was  sixty-one  years  old  in  1820,  and  had  property  valued  at  $103.62,  but  he 
owed  §150.  He  was  a  laborer,  and  his  wife,  a  daughter  and  a  granddaughter  lived 
with  him. 

Samuel  Prindle — Served  nine  months  in  the  Massachusetts  troops,  was  discharged, 
and  re-enlisted  for  three  years.  He  was  a  blacksmith,  and  his  property  in  1820  was 
worth  only  $39.54,  while  he  owed  four  times  that  amount.  He  was  living  with  his 
son,  Samuel  Prindle,  and  was  still  drawing  a  pension  in  1840. 

Allen  Breed — Besides  the  foregoing,  mention  is  found  of  Allen  Breed  who  lived  in 
Spafford  in  1840,  with  Rufus  Breed,  at  the  age  of  eighty-one  years. 

Jacob  Green — Also  found  in  the  pension  records  of  1840,  was  living  in  Spafford 
with  his  family  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years. 

Gilbert  Palmer — Was  the  first  settler  in  the  present  limits  of  the  town,  on  the  lot 
granted  him  for  service  in  the  army— No.  70.     (See  History  of  Spafford). 

Some  brief  record  lias  been  found  of  eight  soldiers  who  did  not  give 
the  town  in  which  they  lived  when  applying  for  pensions;  but  they  be- 
longed to  this  countv : 

William  Dean    -Served  one  year  in   the  Connecticut  troops,  and  gave  his  age  as 

fears  in  1820.      He  lived  with  his  wife,  a  son  named  Rial,  and  Lucy  Denny, 

i      r  of  a  soldier  of  1812  who  was  dead. 

Helmer     Aged  sixty-two  years  in  1820,  enlisted  for  six  monts  in  Col.  Marinus 

Willel  and  aided  in  building  Port  Stanwix.     Later  and  about   August, 

Lewis   Dubois's  regiment,  where  he  served  till  April,  1777. 

'had  been  nearly  destroyed  and  was  disbanded,  and  Helmer  served  his 


THE   REVOLUTION.  171 

country  thereafter  in  different  ways,  until  ordered  by  General  Sullivan  at  Tioga 
Point,  to  attach  himself  to  the  army  as  bateauman.  He  did  so  and  was  in  the  battle 
of  Newtown.  He  afterwards  was  taken  by  the  Indians  and  confined  in  Canada 
until  the  close  of  the  Revolution.  The  scars  of  the  irons  which  bound  his  limbs  were 
visible  in  1820.  He  was  a  tailor,  and  his  property  was  valued  at  only  $45.21£.  He 
lived  with  his  wife  and  three  children. 

John  Hurlbert — Had  two  terms  of  service  of  a  year  and  eight  months  respectively, 
in  the  Connecticut  troops.  He  was  a  farmer  in  1820  and  had  property  worth  $86.50. 
He  lived  with  his  wife  and  son,  and  owed  bills  to  three  doctors. 

Jesse  Teague — Enlisted  for  three  years  in  May,  1781,  and  served  to  the  close  of  the 
war  in  the  Massachusetts  troops.  There  were  seven  in  his  family  besides  himself — 
his  wife,  five  children  and  a  grandchild.  He  wasa  mason,  had  property  Worth  $83.35, 
and  was  in  debt  to  Onondaga  and  Pompey  people  $68. 

Martin  Walter — Was  sixty-eight  years  old  in  1820,  served  ten  months  in  Col.  Goose 
Van  Schaick's  regiment,  re-enlisted  for  the  war  and  was  discharged  June  8,  G^:'>. 
He  lived  with  his  wife  and  two  young  sons.  He  owed  $03.51  to  Azariah  Smith  and 
Robert  Gilmore,  of  Manlius,  and  others. 

William  Stevens — Was  a  Revolutionary  veteran  and  one  of  the  Boston  tea  party. 
He  was  the  first  superintendent  of  the  Salt  Springs  and  an  early  judge  of  the  Com- 
mon Pleas.     He  died  in  Salina  February  28,  1801. 

Israel  Sloan,  sr. — Was  one  of  the  early  residents  of  Pompey,  and  a  Revolutionary 
soldier.     He  came  to  this  county  about  1804. 

Jacob  Walter — Drew  lot  79  irvthe  old  town  of  Manlius  and  settled  there,  after  hav- 
ing served  in  the  army. 

This  concludes  the  list  of  those  who  served  their  country  in  its  first 
war  and  lived  at  some  period  in  Onondaga  county.  While,  for  apparent 
reasons,  little  can  now  be  learned  of  many  of  them,  it  is  especially  ap- 
propriate that  what  has  been  thus  collected  should  find  a  prominent 
place  in  these  pages. 


172  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Unsettled  Affairs — Treaty  of  Stanwix — Kirkland  and  Proctor — Later  Treaties — 
( inondaga  Sales — Original  Reservation — Onondagas  since  the  Revolution — Captain 
John  and  other  Chiefs. 

A  period  of  welcome  peace  succeeded  to  the  rude  sway  of  war,  but  Eng- 
land did  not  submit  to  defeat  with  a  good  grace.  The  northern  boundary 
was  to  run  along  the  49th  parallel,  and  in  the  middle  of  the  St.  Lawrence 
and  Niagara  Rivers  and  the  great  lakes;  but  when  in  1783  the  Ameri- 
cans attempted  to  occupy  the  several  posts  just  within  their  northern 
frontier,  England  objected.  Baron  Steuben  was  to  take  possession  of 
these,  but  when  he  arrived  at  Sorel  General  Haldimand  said  his  orders 
were  only  to  cease  hostilities,  and  he  could  not  evacuate  the  forts. 
Great  Britain  also  refused  to  make  a  commercial  treaty,  on  the  ground 
that  the  United  States  could  not  enforce  one,  which  was  probably  true. 
<  )n  the  other  hand  the  payment  of  debts  to  British  subjects  was  neg- 
lected by  the  Americans,  nor  was  confiscated  property  restored.  For 
thirteen  years  the  frontier  posts  were  held. 

At  the  close  of  the  war,  also,  no  stipulations  for  its  Indian  allies  had 
been  made  by  Great  Britain,  and  some  wished  to  expel  them,  but 
Washington  and  Schuyler  both  opposed  this.  Terms  of  peace  were 
offered,  but  they  were  dictated  to  a  conquered  people.  Some  of  their 
lands  they  relinquished,  but  these  they  also  had  won  in  war,  and  lost  them 
in  the  same  way.      In  their  home  territory  their  title  was  made  good. 

A  council  was  held  by  representatives  of  the  United  States  (Oliver 
Wolcott,  Richard  Butler,  and  Arthur  Lee)  with  the  Indians,  at  Fort 
Schuyler,  in  October,  1784,  at  which  the  western  boundary  of  the  ter- 
ritory of  tlie  Six  Nations  was  fixed  at  the  meridian  of  Buffalo,  and  they 
were  guaranteed  peaceable  possession  of  the  lands  eastward  of  that  line, 
with  the  exception  of  a  reservation  six  miles  square  around  the  fort  at 
ego.    Tin  ■uion  was  never  claimed  by  the  general  government. 

tunc  after  L785,  the  State  and  individuals,  by  cession  or 
by  direct  purchase,  procured  Kinds  from  the  Indians.  The  Tuscaroras 
and  '  das,  in  L785,  first  parted  with  some  of  their  territory.      On 


TREATIES  WITH  THE  INDIANS.  173 

March  1,  1788,  an  act  was  passed,  appointing  commissioners  to  treat 
with  the  Indians  for  the  purchase  of  their  lands  by  the  State,  and  a 
council  was  held  at  Fort  Schuyler,  generally  called  Fort  Stanwix,  which 
was  attended  by  Governor  Clinton;  the  commissioners  consisting  of 
William  Floyd,  Ezra  L'Hommedieu,  Richard  Varick,  Samuel  [ones, 
Egbert  Benson,  and  Peter  Gansevoort,  jr.  The  council  convened  on 
the  12th  of  September  and  the  following  treaty  was  made: 

First.  The  Onondagoes  do  cede  and  grant  all  their  lands  to  the  people  of  the  State 
of  New  York  forever.  Second.  The  Onondagoes  shall,  of  the  said  ceded  lands,  hold 
to  themselves  and  their  posterity  forever,  for  their  own  use  and  cultivation,  but  not 
to  be  sold,  leased,  or  in  any  other  manner  aliened  or  disposed  of  to  ethers,  all  that 
tract  of  land  beginning  at  the  southerly  end  of  the  Salt  Lake,  at  the  place  where  the 
river  or  stream  on  which  the  Onondagoes  now  have  their  village,  empties  into  the 
said  lake,  and  runs  from  the  said  place  of  beginning  east  three  miles;  thence  south- 
erly according  to  the  general  course  of  the  said  river,  until  it  shall  intersect  a  line 
running  east  and  west, at  the  distance  of  three  miles  south  from  the  said  village  ;  thence 
from  the  said  point  of  intersection  west  nine  miles;  thence  northerly  parallel  to  the 
second  course  above  mentioned,  until  an  east  line  will  strike  the  place  of  beginning; 
and  thence  east  to  the  said  place  of  beginning.  Third,  The  Onondagoes  and  their 
posterity  forever,  shall  enjoy  the  free  right  of  hunting  in  every  part  of  the  said  ceded 
lands,  and  of  fishing  in  all  the  waters  within  the  same.  Fourth.  The  Salt  Lake  and  the 
lands  for  one  mile  round  the  same,  shall  forever  remain  for  the  common  benefit  of 
the  people  of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  the  Onondagoes  and  their  posterity  for  the 
purpose  of  making  salt,  and  shall  not  be  granted  or  in  any  wise  disposed  of  for  other 
purposes.  Fifth.  In  consideration  of  the  said  cession  and  grant,  the  people  of  the 
State  of  New  York  do,  at  this  treaty,  pay  to  the  Onondagoes  one  thousand  French 
crowns  in  money,  and  two  hundred  pounds  in  clothing,  at  the  price  which  the  same 
cost  the  people  of  the  State  of  New  York  (the  receipt  of  which  money  and  clothing 
the  Onondagoes  do  now  acknowledge);  and  the  people  of  the  State  of  New  York 
shall  annually  pay  said  Indians  and  their  posterity,  forever,  on  the  first  day  of  June 
in  every  year,  at  Fort  Schuyler,  five  hundred  dollars  in  silver;  but  if  the  Onondagoes 
or  their  posterity,  shall  at  any  time  hereafter  elect  that  the  whole  or  any  part  of  the 
said  five  hundred  dollars  shall  be  paid  in  clothing  or  provision,  and  give  six  weeks' 
previous  notice  thereof  to  the  Governor  of  the  said  State  for  the  time  being,  then  so 
much  of  the  annual  payment  shall  for  that  time  be  in  clothing  or  provision,  as  the 
Onondagoes  or  their  posterity  shall  elect,  and  at  the  price  which  the  same  shall  cost 
the  people  of  the  State  of  of  New  York,  at  Fort  Schuyler  aforesaid.  Sixth.  The  peo- 
ple of  the  State  of  New  York  may,  in  such  manner  as  they  shall  deem  proper,  prevent 
any  persons  except  the  Onondagoes  from  residing  or  settling  on  the  lands  so  to  be 
held  by  the  Onondagoes  and  their  posterity,  for  their  own  use  and  cultivation;  and 
if  any  persons  shall,  without  the  consent  of  the  people  of  the  State  of  New  York, 
come  to  reside  or  settle  on  the  said  land,  or  on  any  other  of  the  lands  so  ceded  as 
aforesaid,  the  Onondagoes  and  their  posterity  shall  forthwith  give  notice  of  such 
intrusion  to  the  Governor  of  said  State  for  the  time  being.  And  further,  the  Onon- 
dagoes and  their  posterity  forever,  shall,  at  the  request  of  the  Governor  of  the  said 


174  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

State,  be  aiding  to  the  people  of  the  State  of  New  York,  in  removing  all  such  intrud- 
ers, and  in  apprehending  not  only  such  intruders,  but  also  felons,  and  other  offend- 
ers who  may  happen  to  be  on  the  said  ceded  lands,  to  the  end  that  such  intruders, 
felons,  and  other  offenders  may  be  brought  to  justice.  In  testimony  whereof,  as 
well  the  sachems,  chiefs,  warriors,  and  others  of  the  said  Onondagoes,  in  behalf  of 
their  tribe  or  nation,  as  the  said  Governor  and  other  commissioners  on  behalf  of  the 
people  of  the  State  of  New  York,  have  hereunto  interchangeably  set  their  hands 
and  affixed  their  seals,  the  day  and  year  first  above  written. 

Bear.  Sagoeyons, 

Kahiktoton,  Sagosaiewas, 
Tehojiskeaiyea,  By  the  chief  of  the  clan. 

Waghselonyahhe, 

By  the  chief  of  the  clan.  Beaver. 

Kanadakeawaghte, 

Deer.  Adahsweandaahsea, 

Kanaghssetegea,  Waghshaine, 
Agogighkwayewa,  By  the  chief  of  the  clan. 

By  his  cousin. 

Wolf. 

Eel.  Tehoenagalaongh, 

Agwelondongwas,  Shagohaassegh, 
Thanehaaghkwa,  By  the  chief  of  the  clan. 

By  the  chief  of  the  clan.  Onoewileghte, 
Hyanoenwe.  By  the  chief  of  the  clan. 

Turtle. 
Tehonwaghstoweaghte,  Governesses. 

Sluigoyenawaghskwe.  Tjeanoenikhe, 

Kanadaes,  Kaeghewa. 

This   was  freely  and  absolutely   confirmed  at  the  same  place,    June 
L6,   L790,  being  signed  by  twenty-eight  Onondagas. 

The  Rev.  Samuel  Kirkland  afforded  efficient  service  in  the  early  land 
treaties.  From  the  one  at  Fort  Stanwix  he  went  to  the  Seneca  countrv 
by  water,  and  on  September  21),  1788,  "overtook  a  party  of  Senecas 
on  the  Onondaga  ((  >neida)  River,  who  had  lately  attended  the  Gover- 
nor's treaty  at  Fort  Stanwix.  They  had  been  detained  here  several 
days,  by  one  of  their  party  being  very  sick.  They  requested  me  not  to 
them  in  their  distress,  as  they  were  short  of  provisions,  and  up- 
wards of  thirty  in  number.  1  immediately  dealt  out  a  part  of  my  store 
ol"  bread  and  meat  to  them,  and  encouraged  them  to  come  on  the  next 
day  with  their  light  canoes,  and  overtake  me  at  the  Cross  lake,  and  I 
'  see  them  safe  to  Kanadasegea." 

i    Kahiktoton  were   then  prominent  Onondaga  chiefs, 
and  at  a  council  held  in  the  Seneca  countrv  in  November,  the  influence 


TREATIES  WITH  THE  INDIANS.  175 

of  the  Onondagas  with  the  Senecas  was  felt  in  removing  erroneous  im- 
pressions and  refuting  wrong  stories. 

Several  Cayugas  expressed  their  approbation  to  some  of  the  Onondagas,  they  hav- 
ing no  vo:ce  in  the  public  council, — their  council  fire  being  extinguished,  according 
to  ancient  usage,  by  the  late  death  of  Segucayon,  their  chief.  The  ceremony  of  con- 
dolence must  be  performed  before  they  could  transact  any  national  affairs. 

In  April,  1791,  Colonel  Proctor  attended  a  council  near  Buffalo,  on 
behalf  of  the  United  States.  Some  of  the  Onondagas  had  a  village 
there  at  that  time.  "  After  the  council,  Captain  John,  of  the  Ononda- 
goes,  came  to  my  hut  and  informed  me,  in  private  conversation,  that 
no  scruple  was  made  of  the  authority  I  came  under  to  them,"  but  they 
were  suspicious  of  some  land  agents  present.  He  liked  Captain  John, 
who  seemed  "  a  man  of  veracity,  and  had  received  a  Mohawk  education 
and  undersood  himself  well." 

May  3.  Being  invited,  1  dined  this  day  (in  company  with  Capt.  Houdini  with  the 
principal  chief  of  the  Onondago  nation,  named  Big  Sky.  His  castle  lav  about  three 
miles  east  of  Buffalo,  near  which  were  about  twenty  eight  good  cabins  and  the  in- 
habitants appeared  in  general  to  be  decent  and  well  clothed,  particularlv  their  wo- 
men, some  of  whom  were  dressed  so  richly,  with  silken  stroud,  etc.,  and  ornamented 
with  so  many  silver  trappings,  that  one  dress  must  be  of  the  value  of  at  least  thirty 
pounds. 

On  the  18th  of  November,  1793,  another  treaty  was  made  at  Onon- 
daga, by  John  Cantine  and  Simeon  De  Witt,  agents  appointed  for  the 
purpose  on  behalf  of  the  people  of  the  State,  in  pursuance  of  an  act  of 
the  Legislature,  at  which  the  following  was  adopted: 

First,  the  Onondagoes  do  release  and  quit-claim  to  the  people  of  the  State  of  New 
York  forever,  all  the  rights  reserved  to  the  said  Onondagoes,  in  and  to,  so  much  of 
the  lands  appropriated  to  their  use  by  the  said  State,  commonly  called  the  Onondaga 
Reservation  as  is  comprehended  within  the  following  two  tracts  of  land  (to  wit),  the 
first  of  the  said  tracts  begins  in  the  east  bounds  of  the  said  reservation  at  a  certain 
basswood  tree,  marked  for  seven  miles  south  from  the  northeast  corner  of  the  said 
reservation,  and  runs  from  the  said  place  of  beginning,  west  to  the  river  or  stream 
commonly  called  the  Onondago  Creek,  on  which  the  Onondagoes  now  have  their 
village,  then  northerly  down  along  the  said  river  or  creek,  to  the  lands  appropriated 
for  the  common  benefit  of  the  people  of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  of  the  Onon- 
dagoes and  their  posterity,  for  the  purpose  of  making  salt.  Then  easterly  and 
northerly  along  the  said  last  mentioned  lands  to  the  line  run  from  the  north  bounds 
of  the  said  reservation ;  then  east,  along  the  said  line  to  the  northeast  corner  of  the 
said  reservation,  and  then  south,  along  the  east  bounds  of  the  said  reservation,  seven 
miles  to  the  place  of  beginning.  And  the  second  of  the  said  tracts  begins  at  a  point 
in  the  south  bounds  of  the  said  reservation,  four  miles  west  from  the  southeast  cor- 
ner thereof,  and   runs  from  the  said  place  of  beginning  north,  so  far  until  an  east 


17' ;  ONONDAGA'S   CENTENNIAL. 

course  will  strike  the  aforesaid  basswood  tree,  marked  for  the  seven  miles,  south 
from  the  northeast  corner  of  the  said  reservation;  then  east,  to  a  point  half  a  mile 
west  from  the  aforesaid  Onondago  Creek,  then  northerly  along  straight  lines,  connect- 
ing points  successively  at  intervals  of  half  a  mile  northing  from  each  other;  each  of 
which  points  shall  be  half  a  mile,  measured  west  from  the  said  Onondago  Creek,  to 
the  aforesaid  lands  appropriated  for  the  common  benefit  of  the  people  of  the  State  of 
New  York  and  of  the  Onondagoes  and  their  posterity,  for  the  purpose  of  making 
salt.  Then  along  the  same  westerly  and  northerly  to  the  line  run  for  the  north 
bounds  of  the  said  reservation,  then  along  the  said  line  west,  to  the  northwest  cor- 
ner of  the  said  reservation,  then  along  the  west  bounds  thereof,  south  to  the  southwest 
corner  thereof,  and  then  along  the  south,  bounds  thereof,  east,  to  the  place  of  be- 
ginning. Secondly.  In  consideration  of  the  said  release  and  quit-claim,  the  people 
of  the  State  of  New  York  do,  at  this  treaty,  pay  to  the  Onondagoes,  four  hundred 
and  ten  dollars,  the  receipt  whereof  the  Onondagoes  do  hereby  acknowledge.  And 
the  people  of  the  State  of  New  York  shall  pay  to  the  Onondagoes  the  first  day  of 
June  next,  two  hundred  and  eighteen  dollars,  and  on  the  first  day  of  June,  annually, 
forever  thereafter,  four  hundred  and  ten  dollars.  Thirdly.  The  payments  which  the 
Onondagoes  are  by  virtue  of  these  presents  entitled  annually  to  receive,  and  also 
those  payments  which  they  are  by  covenants  heretofore  entered  into,  entitled 
annually  to  receive  from  the  people  of  the  State  of  New  York,  shall  be  made  and  dis- 
charged at  <  tnondago,  at  the  village  where  the  said  Onondagoes  now  reside,  any- 
thing in  any  former  covenants  contained  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding.  Fourthly. 
The  people  of  the  State  of  New  York,  shall,  from  time  to  time,  and  at  all  times 
forever  hereafter,  have  full  power  and  authority  to  lay  out  and  open  roads  through 
any  part  of  the  lands  appropriated  by  the  people  of  the  State  of  New  York  to  the 
use  of  the  Onondagoes,  and  not  hereby  quit-claimed,  in  the  same  way  and  manner 
as  roads  now  are  and  hereafter  maybe  directed  by  law  to  be  laid  out  and  made 
generally,  in  other  parts  of  the  State.  Fifthly.  The  several  boundaries  of  the  lands 
herein  before  described,  the  rights  to  which  the  said  Onondagoes  have  by  these 
■its  released  and  quit-claimed  to  the  people  of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  also 
to  the  southerly  boundaries  of  the  lands  appropriated  for  the  common  benefit  of  the 
people  of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  of  the  Onondagoes  and  their  posterity,  for  the 
purpose  of  making  salt,  shall,  as  soon  as  conveniently  may  be,  be  surveyed,  run,  and 
marked,  at  the  expense  and  by  the  direction  of  the  people  of  the  State  of  New  York, 
according  to  the  true  intent  and  meaning  of  these  presents,  in  the  presence  of  such 
of  the  Indians  of  tin-  -aid  nation  as  choose  to  attend,  and  of  such  persons  as  the 
said  nation  may  appoint  to  attend  and  inspect  the  surveying,  running  and  marking 
of  the  said  several  boundaries  as  aforesaid, 

The  foregoing  was  signed  by  twenty-four  of  the  chiefs  and  warriors 
of  the  Onondagas,  and  by  John  Cantine  and  Simeon  De  Witt.  James 
md  Ephraim  Webster  were  interpreters  on  this  occasion. 

(  )n  the  28th  of  July,  L795,  a  treaty  was  held  at  the  Cayuga  Ferry,  by 
Philip  Schuyler,  John  ('amine,  David  Brooks  and  John  Richardson, 
with  the  Onondagas,  at  which  the  following  provisions  were  agreed 
upon  : 


TREATIES  WITH  THE  INDIANS.  177 

Whereas,  There  was  reserved  to  the  Onondago  nation  by  the  articles  of  agree- 
ment made  at  Fort  Schuyler,  formerly  called  Fort  Stanwix,  on  the  12th  day  of  Sep- 
tember, one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  eighty-eight,  and  confirmed  by  subsequent 
articles  of  agreement,  made  on  the  16th  day  of  June,  one  thousand  seven  hundred 
and  ninety,  sundry  lands,  in  the  said  articles  particularly  specified  and  described, 
and  whereas,  subsequently  thereto,  in  the  year  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and 
ninety-three,  the  said  Onondago  nation  did  sell,  and  by  a  certain  deed  of  cession 
convey  unto  the  people  of  the  State  of  New  York,  certain  parts  of  the  lands  reserved 
to  them  by  the  treaties  first  above  mentioned,  reference  being  had  unto  the  said  deed 
of  cession  made  in  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  ninety-three,  will  therefrom 
more  particularly  appear,  by  which  said  last  agreement  there  was  stipulated  to  be 
paid  to  the  said  Onondago  Indians,  on  the  part  of  the  people  of  this  State,  a  per- 
petual annuity  of  four  hundred  and  ten  dollars:  Now  know  all  men,  that  the  people 
of  the  State  of  New  York,  in  order  to  render  the  situation  of  the  said  Onondago  In- 
dians more  comfortable,  have  granted,  and  by  these  presents  do  grant  and  agree, 
that  instead  of,  and  in  lieu  of  the  said  four  hundred  and  ten  dollars,  annually  to  be 
paid  to  them,  the  said  Onondagoes,  they  shall  be  and  hereby  are  declared  to  be  en- 
titled to  a  perpetual  annuity  of  eight  hundred  dollars,  and  they  have  been  already 
paid  in  the  year  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  ninety-three,  four  hundred  and 
ten  dollars,  and  the  residue  for  two  years  being  one  thousand  one  hundred  and 
ninety  dollars,  is  now  paid  them  in  the  presence  of  witnesses  whose  names  are  sub- 
scribed to  this  instrument,  and  they  are  hereby  declared  to  be  entitled  to,  and  shall 
be  paid  eight  hundred  dollars  on  the  first  day  of  June  next  ensuing  the  date  hereof, 
and  annually  thereafter,  on  the  first  day  of  June  in  each  year  forever,  the  like  sum 
of  eight  hundred  dollars,  in  manner  hereinafter  specified.  And,  whereas  there  was 
also  reserved  to  the  said  Onondago  Indians  by  the  articles  of  agreement  first  above 
mentioned,  a  common  right  with  the  people  of  this  State  to  the  Salt  Lake,  and  the 
lands  for  one  mile  around  the  same,  and  by  the  agreement  made  in  the  year  one 
thousand  seven  hundred  and  ninety-three,  there  was  also  reserved  to  the  said  nation 
and  their  posterity  forever,  all  the  lands  lying  on  the  west  side  of  the  creek,  running 
from  the  northern  boundary  of  the  square  tract  surrounding  their  village,  to  the  salt 
lake,  an  extent  of  one  half  mile  from  the  said  creek;  Now  know  all  men  further  by 
these  presents,  that  in  order  to  render  the  said  common  right,  and  the  said  lands  ad- 
joining to  the  creek  aforesaid,  more  productive  of  an  annual  income  to  the  said  On- 
ondago nation,  it  is  covenanted,  stipulated  and  agreed  by  the  said  Onondago  nation, 
that  they  will  sell  and  they  do  by  these  presents  sell  to  the  people  of  the  State  of  New 
York  and  their  successors  forever,  all  and  singular,  the  common  right  in  the  said 
Salt  Lake,  and  the  one  mile  of  land  around  the  same,  together  with  all  and  singular 
the  lands  comprised  within  one  half  mile  of  the  creek  between  the  northern  bound- 
ary of  the  land  reserved  to  them  by  the  agreement  of  one  thousand  seven  hundred 
and  ninety-three,  and  the  said  salt  lake,  to  have  and  to  hold  the  same  to  the  people 
of  the  State  of  New  York  and  their  successors  forever,  in  consideration  of  which 
cession  and  grants  it  is  covenanted,  agreed  and  granted,  on  the  part  of  the  people  of 
the  State  of  New  York,  that  they  shall  pay,  and  do  now  pay  to  the  said  Onondago 
nation,  in  the  presence  of  witnesses  who  have  subscribed  their  nameshereunto,  the  sum 
of  five  hundred  dollars  for  the  common  right  aforesaid,  and  also  the  sum  of  two  hun- 
23 


178  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

dred  dollars  for  the  one  half  mile  of  land  adjoining  the  said  creek  in  the  extent  afore- 
said, and  the  people  of  the  State  of  New  York  do  further  promise,  covenant  and  agree, 
that  they  will  pay  to  the  said  Onondago  nation,  in  manner  hereinafter  specified  the 
further  sums  of  five  hundred  dollars  and  of  two  hundred  dollars,  and  also  one  hun- 
dred bushels  of  salt,  to  be  delivered  at  the  Salt  Lake  aforesaid,  on  the  first  day  of 
June  next  ensuing  the  date  hereof,  and  annually  forever  thereafter,  on  the  first  day 
of  June  in  each  year,  the  said  sums  of  five  hundred  and  of  two  hundred  dollars,  and 
the  said  one  hundred  bushels  of  salt;  and  it  is  further  covenanted  and  agreed  that 
as  well  the  said  eight  hundred  dollars  herein  before  mentioned  as  the  said  several 
sums  of  five  hundred  and  of  two  hundred  dollars,  and  the  sum  of  five  hundred  dol. 
lars  stipulated  to  be  paid  to  them  by  the  treaty  at  Fort  Schuyler  first  aforesaid, 
making  together  the  sum  of  two  thousand  dollars  shall  in  future  be  annually  paid 
them  forever  hereafter,  at  Canadaghque,  in  the  county  of  Ontario,  to  the  agent  for 
Indian  Affairs  under  the  United  States  for  the  time  being,  residing  within  this  State, 
and  in  case  no  such  agent  shall  be  appointed  by  the  United  States,  then  by  such  per- 
son as  the  Governor  of  the  State  of  New  York  shall  thereunto  appoint,  to  be  by  the 
said  agent  or  person  so  to  be  appointed,  paid  to  the  said  Onondago  nation,  taking 
their  receipt  therefor  on  the  back  of  the  counterpart  of  this  instrument  in  the  posses- 
sion of  the  said  Indians,  to  wit:  We,  the  Onondago  nation,  do  acknowledge  to  have 
received  from  the  people  of  the  State  of  New  York,  the  sum  of  two  thousand  dollars 
in  full  for  the  several  annuities  mentioned,  as  witness  our  hands  at  Canadaghque, 

this day  of  — — ,  179 — ,  which  money  shall  be  paid  in  the  presence  of  at  least 

one  of  the  magistrates  of  the  county  of  Ontario,  and  in  the  presence  of  at  least  two 
more  reputable  inhabitants  of  the  said  county,  and  which  magistrate  and  other  per- 
sons in  whose  presence  the  same  shall  be  paid,  shall  subscribe  their  names  as  wit- 
nesses to  the  said  receipt,  and  the  said  agent  or  other  persons  so  to  be  appointed, 
shall  also  take  a  duplicate  receipt  for  the  said  money  witnessed  by  the  said  witnesses, 
and  which  duplicate  shall,  as  soon  as  conveniently  may  be,  be  acknowledged  and  re- 
eorded  in  the  records  of  the  said  county  of  Ontario,  and  the  original  duplicate  trans- 
mitted to  the  Governor  of  this  State  for  the  time  being. 

It  was  afterwards  provided  that  half  of  this  amount  should  be  paid  at 
Onondaga.  This  treaty  was  signed  in  behalf  of  the  State  by  Philip 
Schuyler,  John  Cantine,  D.  Brooks,  John  Richardson,  and  by  seventeen 
Onondaga  chiefs  and  warriors.  At  this  time  it  was  also  agreed  that 
Kahiktoton,  Shoronghyowanea  and  Oniatajiwea  should  have  a  mile 
square  of  land  in  common. 

At  a  treaty  in  Albany,  February  25,  1817,  the  Onondagas  sold  and 
conveyed  the  following  described  lands,  being  part  of  what  is  known  as 
Onondaga  Residence  Reservation.  They  are  just  east  and  south- 
cast  of  the  present  reservation,  and  comprised  twenty-seven  lots  of 
from  L50  to  L 60  acres  each,  in  all  about  4,000  acres.  For  this  $1,000 
was  paid  down,  with  an  annuity  of  $430  and  fifty  bushels  of  salt.  At 
this  time  Webster's  :>()()  acres  were  confirmed  to  him  and  his  heirs. 

On   tl)"    lltli  ot    February,  1822,  at  Albany,  the  Onondagas  sold  800 


TREATIES  WITH  THE  INDIANS.  179 

acres  more  of  their  land,  from  the  south  end  of  the  reservation,  for 
$1,700.  This  deed  was  signed  by  five  Onondaga  chiefs,  and  was  their 
last  sale  of  land. 

A  treaty  was  held  at  Albany,  February  28,  1829,  which  provided  for 
the  payment  of  all  annuities  at  Onondaga,  part  having  been  heretofore 
paid  at  Canandaigua.  Some  minor  legislation  has  taken  place  since 
then,  but  nothing  which  might  be  called  a  treaty. 

In  1789  the  Cayugas  completed  the  cession  of  their  territory,  ex- 
cepting a  reservation  of  100  square  miles,  afterwards  sold.  In  the 
reservations  made  by  the  Oneidas  was  a  half  mile  square  at  intervals  of 
each  six  miles  along  the  north  shore  of  Oneida  Lake,  and  "a  conven- 
ient piece  at  the  fishing-place  on  the  Onondaga  river,  three  miles  below 
where  it  issues  from  Oneida  lake."  The  Senecas  parted  with  much  of 
their  territory  in  1797,  and  in  the  same  year  the  Mohawks,  most  of 
whom  had  fled  to  Canada  at  the  close  of  the  war,  relinquished  all  their 
lands  to  the  State  for  a  consideration. 

For  the  reader  who  does  not  care  to  trace  the  boundaries  herein  given, 
it  may  be  stated  that  the  original  reservation  of  the  Onondagas  was 
bounded  on  the  east  by  the  military  townships  of  Manlius  and  Pompey ; 
on  the  south  by  the  townships  of  Pompey  and  Marcellus;  on  the  west 
by  the  townships  of  Marcellus  and  Camillus;  on  the  north  by  the  town- 
ships of  Camillus  and  Manlius,  and  the  State  reservation  bordering  On- 
ondaga Lake.  This  reservation  was  about  eleven  and  three-eighths 
miles  long  north  and  south,  by  nine  and  one-twentieth  miles  wide  east 
and  west,  and  included  parts  of  the  present  towns  of  La  Fayette, 
Camillus,  Geddes,  Dewitt,  and  the  city  of  Syracuse,  and  all  of  Onon- 
daga. By  the  several  cessions  described  it  has  been  shorn  to  its  pres- 
ent dimensions — four  miles  north  and  south  and  a  little  less  than  two 
and  one-half  miles  east  and  west,  containing  a  little  more  than  6,000 
acres,  exclusive  of  300  acres  in  the  northwest  part  granted  by  the 
Indians  to  Ephraim  Webster  in  1817.  One-half  of  its  area  is  in  the 
present  town  of  Onondaga  and  one-half  in  La  Fayette. 

The  succeeding  history  of  the  Onondagas  may  be  properly  summar- 
ized here.  Part  of  those  at  Buffalo  returned  to  their  homes  and  part 
went  to  Canada.  Various  missionaries  have  labored  on  their  reserva- 
tion, and  with  considerable  success,  there  being  now  three  churches 
there  and  two  native  ministers.  A  good  school  with  two  teachers  is 
well  attended,  and  there  has  been  a  gratifying  progress  in  many  ways. 
The  houses  are  now  generally  framed  and  well  furnished,  and  several 


180  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

temperance  societies  have  had  an  excellent  influence.  The  doctrine 
of  Conyatauyou  at  one  time  had  a  salutary  effect  upon  drinking  habits, 
and  his  new  religion  has  a  large  number  of  adherents  yet.  The  old 
observances,  however,  are  fast  dying  out,  and  a  few  years  more  will 
see  their  end.  Many  are  desirous  of  becoming  citizens,  but  the  national 
feeling  is  still  quite  strong,  and  the  war  for  the  Union  proved  that  the 
military  spirit  is  by  no  means  extinct. 

When  the  war  of  1812  began  many  of  the  Onondagas  volunteered  in 
that,  but  there  is  some  confusion  regarding  the  leadership  of  the  Six 
Nations  at  that  time.  In  his  History  of  Onondaga  Mr.  Clark  says  that 
La  Fort  was  chosen  as  leader  for  the  battle  of  Chippewa,  in  which  he 
was  killed.  In  Stone's  Life  of  Red  Jacket,  page  259,  is  a  very  different 
and  probably  correct  account: 

The  selection  of  the  leader  for  this  battle,  or  perhaps  for  the  campaign,  was  made 
in  council  but  a  short  time  before  the  action  took  place.  The  chief  who  expected  the 
distinction  was  an  Onondaga,  named  Ka-was  kant,  or  the  Steel  Trap,  commonly 
known  as  Captain  John.  He  was  an  aged  warrior,  who  had  showed  his  bravery  at 
Wyoming,  Cherry  Valley,  and  Newtown,  and  in  short,  at  almost  every  place  where 
lighting  was  to  be  done,  during  the  war  of  the  Revolution.  He  was  now  seventy- 
rive  years  old,  but  hearing  that  his  people  were  about  to  go  again  upon  the  war-path, 
the  fire  of  heroism  rekindled  in  his  bosom,  and  he  hastened  to  the  front,  confident 
that  from  his  well-known  character  of  old,  he  should  be  chosen  the  leader  on  the 
present  occasion.  But  he  was  not  even  named  in  council,  the  choice  falling  with 
great  unanimity  upon  Pollard.  Captain  John  was  greatly  affected  by  this  neglect, 
and  the  tears  rolled  down  his  cheeks  as  he  related  the  circumstance  to  Mr.  Tyler, 
the  author's  informant.  "  They  think  me  too  old,  and  that  I  am  good  for  nothing," 
said  the  veteran  chief,  in  the  bitterness  of  his  heart;  and  with  a  countenance  sad- 
dened with  disappointment,  he  left  the  warriors  and  retraced  his  steps  to  Onondaga. 
As  they  did  not  want  his  services,  he  would  not  trouble  them  with  his  presence. 

He  died  in  1816,  alone  on  the  west  shore  of  Onondaga  Lake. 

In  Ketchum's  "  History  of  Buffalo  and  the  Senecas,"  is  a  document 
of  local  interest,  relating  to  the  commencement  of  the  war.  It  con- 
tains a  letter  and  resolutions  addressed  to  the  President  of  the  United 
States  by  a  council  at  Onondaga  in  1812: 

Brother, — The  undersigned  chiefs  and  warriors  of  the  Oneida,  Onondaga,  Stock- 
bridge  and  Tuscarora  tribes  of  Indians,  as  far  west  as  Tonawanda,  regularly  de- 
ity our  respective  tribes,  have  this  day  lighted  up  a  council  fire  at, Onondaga, 
the  ancient  council  ground  of  the  Six  Confederated  Nations  of  Indians,  and  have  in- 
line brothers  of  Onondaga  to  meet  with  us,  and  hear  what  we  had  to  say. 
Brother,      We  see  that  the  tomahawk  is  lifted  up  between  you  and'the  British;  we 
are  u  ;t  it,  and  therefore  we  have  met  and  determined  to  tell  you  our  minds 

about  it. 


THE  ONONDAGAS.  181 

Brother  — At  the  close  of  the  late  war,  Gen.  Washington  told  us  to  be  sober,  and 
attend  to  agriculture,  and  to  refrain  from  shedding  blood.  Our  good  prophet  of  the 
Seneca  tribe,  who  is  now  with  us  in  this  council,  has  given  us  the  same  advice,  and 
our  tribes  have  entered  into  a  league  to  follow  this  advice.  We  wish  to  hold  fast  to 
it,  and  not  to  take  any  part  in  the  contest  between  your  people  and  the  British. 

We  have  been  repeatedly  told  by  your  agents,  that  it  was  your  wish  that  we  should 
remain  neutral,  and  therefore  we  are  much  surprised  and  disappointed  in  the  coun- 
cil lately  held  at  Buffalo  Creek,  in  being  invited  to  take  up  the  tomahawk. 

Brother, — You  must  not  suppose,  from  what  we  have  now  told  you,  that  we  are 
unfriendly  to  you  or  to  your  people.  We  are  your  decided  friends.  We  reside  among 
your  people.  Your  friends  are  our  friends,  and  your  enemies  are  our  enemies.  In 
the  former  war  between  your  people  and  the  British,  some  of  us  took  up  the  toma- 
hawk on  their  side.  When  the  peace  took  place  we  buried  it  deep,  and  it  shall  never 
be  raised  against  you  and  your  people. 

Brother, — We  are  few  in  number,  and  can  do  but  little,  but  our  hearts  are  good, 
and  we  are  willing  to  do  what  we  can  ;  and  if  you  want  our  assistance,  say  so,  and  we 
will  go  with  your  people  to  battle.  We  are  anxious  to  know  your  wishes  respecting 
us  as  soon  as  possible,  because  some  of  our  young  men  are  uneasy,  and  we  fear  thev 
may  disperse  among  different  tribss,  and  be  hostile  to  you.  Pray  direct  your  com- 
munication to  the  chiefs  and  warriors  of  the  respective  tribes,  to  be  left  at  Onondaga 
Post  Office. 

Onondaga,  Sept.  28th,  1812. 

Witnessed  by  Ephraim  Webster,  Interpreter  and  Agent  for  the  On- 
ondagas; Jasper  Hopper,  Clerk  of  Onondaga  countv;  Thaddeus 
Patchin,  Captain  of  Artillery;  and  Polaski  King,  Justice  of  Peace. 
Signed  by  sixteen  chiefs  and  warriors. 

Many  Onondagas  went  to  the  frontier,  and  the  names  of  several  ap- 
pear among  the  killed  and  wounded.  Among  the  women  with  them, 
Aunt  Dinah  was  the  last  remaining. 

A  brief  account  of  some  late  chiefs  may  be  added,  of  whom  Oundiaga 
was  one  of  the  most  famous.  During  the  Revolution  he  was  the  first 
war  chief  of  the  Onondagas,  and  was  present  at  Cherry  Valley  and 
elsewhere.  He  never  really  liked  the  whites,  though  he  faithfully 
carried  the  mail  between  Onondaga  and  Oswego  in  1S0C-T.  He  was 
an  able  speaker,  and  died  in  1 839  while  on  his  way  to  Oneida,  where  he 
was  buried.     He  was  then  ninety-one  years  old. 

Kahiktoton,  or  Kawhictoda,  on  the  contrary,  was  a  warm  friend  of 
the  first  white  settlers,  doing  them  many  kind  offices,  but  he  died  in 
1808,  much  lamented  by  all.  His  nephew,  Ossahinta,  was  head  chief 
from  1830  to  1846.  He  also  was  highly  esteemed,  and  was  a  fine  ex- 
ample of  his  race,  well  versed  in  their  traditions  and  usages;  his  por- 
trait, forming  the  frontispiece  to  Clark's  Onondaga.  His  death  occurred 
in  his  eighty-sixth  year,  January  24,  184(3. 


182  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

The  La  Forts  were  connected  with  the  Oneidas,  but  Captain  La  Fort, 
or  Hohahoaqua,  was  a  noted  Onondaga  chief  who  fell  at  the  battle  of 
Chippewa,   July  6,   1814.      His  son,  Abram  La  Fort,   or  Tehatkatons, 

became  a  Christian,  and 
received  a  liberal  educa- 
tion, but  relapsed  into  pa- 
ganism and  became  prin 
cipal  chief.  He  taught 
school  at  the  reservation 
for  three  years,  being  paid 
by  Aiden  T.  Corey,  the 
Quaker.  He  died  October 
3,  1848,  aged  fifty-four 
years  It  was  but  a  short 
time  before  his  death  that 
the  council  fire  was  re- 
stored to  Onondaga, having 
been  held  near  Buffalo  af- 
ter the  Revolution.  His 
J&L  son,     Daniel     La    Fort,    is 

^;.  now  principal  chief,  while 

^Sa   pllip"  Thomas     is     a     Wesleyan 

IBfp^^  minister  at  the  reservation. 

Captain    George    was   a 

later  noted  chief,  who  died 

Ossahinta.  a    few    years    since,     and 

Aunt  Dinah  John,  who 
lived  to  the  age  of  107  years  was  a  remarkable  woman,  well  known 
everywhere.  Her  husband  was  in  the  United  States  service  in  1812. 
Harry  Webster,  one  of  Ephraim  Webster's  children,  was  long  a  chief 
of  high  reputation,  and  Thomas  Webster,  of  the  same  family,  is  keeper 
of  the  wampum. 

The  Rev.  Albert  Cusick,  Sagonaquader,  was  ordained  deacon  in  1891, 
by  Bishop  Huntington,  and  has  also  done  work  of  scientific  importance. 
II'  is  a  grand-nephew  of  the  historian  Cusick,  and  was  the  Atotarho, 
or  head  of  the  Six  Nations,  before  he  became  a  Christian. 


EPHRAIM  WEBSTER.  183 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Webster  and  Newkirk — Danforth — Lessee  Company — Cockburn  and  Yanderkeinp 
— Frenchman's  Island — Roads — Division  of  Counties  and  Erection  of  Onondaga — 
Towns. 

In  the  spring"  of  1784  there  appeared  here  the  pioneer  of  the  Onon- 
daga settlers,  though  in  much  the  same  way  in  which  other  men  had 
preceded  him.  It  was  a  scene  of  sylvan  beauty  on  all  sides,  when  Eph- 
raim  Webster  raised  his  little  trading  house  near  Onondaga  Lake,  on 
the  east  side  of  the  creek.  He  seems  to  have  come  with  a  variety  of 
light  articles,  but  in  three  weeks'  time  he  had  such  a  stock  of  furs  and 
other  things,  that  he  employed  several  Onondagas  to  aid  in  taking  them 
to  Albany.  The  next  year  he  was  there  again,  and  this  went  on  for 
several  years  with  mutual  profit.  Just  after  his  first  visit  he  went  to 
Ohio  on  public  business,  but  soon  came  back.  He  said  that,  after  this 
western  embassy,  "I  now  returned  to  my  old  station  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Onondaga  Creek,  and  resumed  my  business  of  trafficking  in  furs. 
The  second  year  after  my  return,  a  Mr.  Newkirk  came  into  the  country 
with  two  men  in  his  employ,  bringing  with  him  two  barrels  of  New 
England  rum,  five  barrels  of  whisky,  a  quantity  of  blankets,  some  red 
yarn,  several  dozen  hawk  bells,  with  a  large  stock  of  small  white 
beads."  He  was  very  intemperate,  and  Webster  remonstrated  with 
him.  "  He  very  abruptly  replied  that  God  Almighty  owed  him  a  debt 
of  fifteen  hundred  dollars,  and  he  was  determined  to  settle  the  account 
as  soon  as  possible.  He  continued  about  three  months  after  this,  and 
died  alone  in  his  cabin,  in  a  fit  of  what  would  now  be  called  delirium 
tremens,  his  men  having  left  him  some  days  before."  With  great  diffi- 
culty Webster  buried  him  in  a  sand  knoll  near  by,  where  the  inscrip- 
tion, "Benjamin  Newkirk,  1783,"  is  said  to  have  afterwards  marked 
his  grave.     The  reported  date  of  course  is  incorrect. 

A  few  words  may  be  said  regarding  the  adventurous  Webster,  who 
has  left  us  a  brief  sketch  of  part  of  his  life,  free  from  most  of  the  won- 
derful and  doubtful  tales  told  of  him.  He  was  born  in  Hemsted,  N.  H., 
in  1752,  and  enlisted  at  the  beginning  of  the  Revolutionary  war  in  Col- 


184  ONONDAGA'S   CENTENNIAL. 

onel  Johnson's  New  Hampshire  regiment.  A  little  before  it  ended,  he 
became  acquainted  with  Peter  Yain,  a  Mohawk  Indian,  and  after  his 
discharge  spent  three  months  with  his  Indian  friend  in  his  forest  home. 
The  next  spring  he  went  to  the  mouth  of  Onondaga  Creek,  and  began 
trade  there.  Newkirk  followed  him  to  that  place,  and  afterwards 
Adam  Campbell  and  Alexander  Mabie  at  the  valley.  All  these  three 
sold  rum  freely.  "Webster's  Mile  Square,"  where  the  old  fort  stood, 
was  given  him  by  the  Indians  at  an  early  day,  for  services  rendered, 
and  was  made  a  "free  and  voluntary  gift"  by  the  Legislature  in  1795. 
He  was  so  identified  with  the  Indians  as  to  pass  for  one  at  the  British 
posts.  The  Onondagas  called  him  Sogokonis,  and  by  his  Indian  wife 
he  had  several  children.  At  a  later  day  he  married  Miss  Hannah 
Banks,  and  left  other  descendants.  His  old  house  still  stands  on  the 
Bostwick  farm,  in  the  center  of  the  Mile  Square. 

For  many  vears  he  was  the  Onondaga  Indian  Agent,  and  the  Indians 
gave  him  a  lease  of  300  acres,  which  was  also  secured  to  him.  He  was 
the  first  supervisor  of  Onondaga,  in  1798,  and  was  succeeded  by  James 
Geddes  the  following  year.  While  at  Tonawanda  in  1825,  he  died  at 
the  age  of  seventy-two  years,  being  buried  in  the  Indian  cemetery 
there.  The  Svracuse  Herald,  in  1886,  ascertained  "that  Webster's 
body  was  removed  to  the  White  cemetery  on  the  Lewiston  road,  west 
of  Alabama  Center."  in  October,  1831. 1 

Through  Webster,  the  next  settlers  came  in  1788.  In  February  of 
that  year,  while  he  was  hunting  with  two  Onondagas  near  Johnstown, 
X.  Y.,  they  entered  a  clearing  in  Mayfield,  and  asked  of  a  man  the 
privilege  of  sleeping  in  his  barn.  He  hospitably  entertained  him  in  his 
house  instead.  So  highly  did  Webster  extol  Onondaga  that  his  host 
lit  his  enthusiasm,  and  it  was  agreed  that  the  trader  should  ask 
permission  for  him  to  settle  there.  Thus  Asa  Danforth  became  the 
first  real  and  progressive  pioneer  of  the  county. 

An  Indian  messenger  soon  brought  the  desired  permission,  and  early 
in  May,  L788,  Mr.  Danforth  embarked  in  two  flat-bottomed  boats, 
manned  by  three  boatmen,  ascended  the  Mohawk,  passed  through  the 
lakes  and  rivers,  and  partly  unloaded  the  vessels  at  the  mouth  of  On- 
ondaga Creek.  There  they  were  met  by  Mr.  Webster,  and  by  Mr. 
Mian's  son  Asa,  who  had  come  overland  with  Comfort  Tyler,  driv- 
ing tin'  stock.      The  boats  were  pushed  up  the  creek  to  Danforth's  land- 

1  Evening  Herald,  Centennial  number,  1886. 


TEE  LESSEE  COMPANY.  185 

ing,  about  half  a  mile  south  of  the  present  village  of  Onondaga  Valley. 
They  reached  there  May  22. 

In  December  Major  Danforth  and  wife  started  for  Brookfield,  Mass., 
the  early  home  of  the  latter.  The  second  night  they  were  at  Oneida 
Castle,  and  were  entertained  by  the  chief,  Skenandoa;  the  third  night 
they  were  with  their  friend,  Judge  White,  of  Whitestown.  They  re- 
turned the  following  March,  and  after  planting  was  over,  Comfort 
Tyler  and  Asa  Danforth,  jr.,  went  eastward  for  their  brides.  Mrs. 
Amanda,  Phillips,  the  daughter  of  the  latter,  was  the  first  white  child 
born  in  Onondaga. 

In  1791  Mr.  Danforth  became  the  owner  of  lot  81,  in  the  township  of 
Manlius  (now  Dewitt),  removing  there  temporarily  in  the  spring  of 
1792,  and  during  that  summer  he  built  the  first  saw  mill  in  the  county, 
on  Butternut  Creek,  about  a  mile  north  of  Jamesville.  The  gearing 
for  this  mill  was  brought  from  Utica  on  foot,  by  the  men  he  had  em- 
ployed there  to  aid  him,  and  the  major  carried  the  saw  on  his  shoulder 
from  Old  Fort  Schuyler.  The  first  boards  used  in  the  county  were 
sawed  in  this  mill,  and  it  was  a  great  convenience  to  the  early  settlers. 
In  1793  Major  Danforth  built  a  grist  mill  near  the  saw  mill,  an  im- 
provement even  more  needed  than  the  latter.  He  had  previously 
purchased  and  used  a  small  hand  mill,  but  most  of  the  grinding  had 
been  done  in  a  great  mortar,  dug  out  of  the  top  of  a  stump.  The 
grist  mill  went  forward  rapidly,  as  the  lumber  could  be  easily  turned 
out  of  the  saw  mill.  When  all  was  ready,  men  were  hired  far  and  wide, 
and  the  raising  of  the  frame  was  effected  after  a  week  of  hard  labor. 
The  later  work  of  these  and  other  pioneers  may  properly  be  left  for 
the  town  of  Onondaga. 

The  territory  of  Onondaga  county  was  a  part  of  the  vast  tract  sought 
to  be  acquired  by  the  famous  Lessee  Company,  formed  in  the  winter  of 
1787-88,  with  which  the  pioneer,  Comfort  Tyler,  was  associated.  The 
constitution  of  this  State  forbade  the  purchase  of  lands  of  the  Indians 
by  individuals,  the  State  alone  having  that  right.  The  company  com- 
prised nearly  ninety  men,  among  them  being  many  prominent  persons. 
They  entered  into  an  agreement  under  which  the  Indians  leased  to  the 
company  "all  the  land  commonly  known  as  the  lands  of  the  Six  Na- 
tions, in  the  State  of  New  York,  and  at  the  time,  in  the  actual  posses- 
sion of  said  chiefs  and  sachems,"  for  the  term  of  999  years;  some  com- 
paratively insignificant  reservations  were  excepted,  among  them  the 
exclusive  right  to  one  of  the  salt  springs,  with  a  tract  of  land  about  it, 
24 


186  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

and  wood  for  boiling  salt.  The  compensation  for  this  enormous  grant, 
which  was  a  virtual  sale,  was  2,000  Spanish  milled  dollars  annual  rent. 
The  leases  were  duly  signed  by  the  chiefs,  and  dated  July  9,  1788. 
Payment  of  rent  was  to  begin  July  4,  1791.  It  will  be  seen  that  this 
was  a  gigantic  scheme  for  obtaining  possession  of  a  large  tract  of  the 
State  of  New  York  for  a  nominal  price.  Through  the  energy  of  Gov- 
ernor Clinton  and  Senator  Egbert  Benson,  an  act  was  passed  on  the 
18th  of  March,  1789,  defining  the  boundaries  of  the  lands  in  question, 
authorizing  the  governor  to  destroy  all  dwellings,  barns,  or  other  build- 
ings made  on  the  Indian  lands  by  others  than  the  Indians,  and  if  neces- 
sary to  call  out  the  militia  to  eject  trespassers  in  the  territory.  This 
prompt  action  effectually  disposed  of  the  claims  of  the  Lessee  Com- 
pany, though  they  were  in  1793  recompensed  to  some  extent,  through 
an  act  of  the  Legislature  granting  them  a  tract  of  land  equal  to  ten 
miles  square,  in  township  3  of  the  "Old  Military  Tract." 

Two  men  who  passed  through  Oneida  Lake  and  River  in  1792  have 
left  us  graphic  notes  of  their  journey.  One  of  these  was  James  Cock- 
burn,  a  surveyor.      He  said, 

Fort  Brewington  is  now  in  ruins.  It  was  a  square  without  bastions,  mounting  four 
guns,  and  commanded  the  river.  .  .  .  There  are  two  islands  in  the  lake,  the  one 
about  thirty,  the  other  about  twenty  acres.  On  the  westernmost  lives  a  Frenchman 
and  his  family.  .  .  .  About  eight  miles  from  Fort  Brewington  is  a  fine  spring, 
which  is  very  uncommon  in  this  country.  .  .  .  There  is  one  rapid  in  this  [river] 
which  is  called  Kequanderaga;  the  passage  is  not  difficult.  About  four  miles  from 
Three  Rivers  is  a  creek  called  Peter  Gaats.  ...  At  Three  River  Point,  Barker  lives 
on  the  Military  Tract.  .  .  .  Three  miles  below  this  is  a  rapid  called  Three  River 
Rift,  and  very  dangerous  for  bateaux  in  low  water.  The  passage  thence  to 
( )swego  or  Onondaga  Falls  is  pretty  good.  .  .  .  The  British  had  a  saw-mill  here, 
and  a  fort  to  protect  the  portage. 

The  other  journal  was  written  by  Francis  A.  Vanderkemp,  a  gentle- 
man of  culture  and  learning,  who  made  the  journey  with  Baron  De 
Zeng,  camping  and  exploring  all  along  the  route.  He  landed  at 
Frenchman's  Island,  and  graphically  described  all  he  saw.  "Here 
was  the  residence  of  Mr.  and  Madame  des  Wattines,  with  their  three  chil- 
dren!  They  lived  there  without  servants,  without  neighbors,  without 
a  cow;  they  lived,  as  it  were,  separated  from  the  world."  It  was  their 
on  the  island,  and  the  youngest  child,  Camille,  had  been 
born  there.  They  were  cultured  people,  and  the  visit  was  delightful, 
but  Vanderkemp  said  nothing  of  their  being  refugees  or  of  noble  birth. 
In   facl    I  »' ■■  vatines,  as  others  properly  wrote  the  name,  was  a  young 


VANDERKEMP'S  JOURNAL.  187 

Frenchman  of  the  middle  class,  who  came  to  America  in  17SG,  and  after 
various  fortunes  settled  on  Frenchman's  Island,  which  is  the  larger,  in 
1791.  Two  years  later  he  removed  to  Constantia,  where  he  lived  for 
several  years.  The  Duke  de  Rochefoucauld  gave  a  graphic  account  of 
him,  his  wife  and  three  children,  in  1795.  All  made  the  best  of  things 
in  a  careless  way. 

Chittenango  Creek  was  still  known  as  Canaseraga,  in  the  wilderness, 
and  was  noted  as  a  fishing  place.  On  Saturday,  "We  arrived  at  Fort 
Brewerton  about  noon,  situated  at  the  northwestern  corner  of  the  lake. 
Here  is  a  location  of  about  four  hundred  acres,  obtained  by  Mr.  Staats 
during  the  late  British  war.  It  was  now  inhabited  by  two  families, 
viz.,  that  of  one  Captain  Bingham,  and  one  Mr.  Simonds,  the  latter 
from  Caghnawagha.  They  had  rented  it  at  twenty  pounds  a  year,  and 
desired  to  make  a  purchase  of  it,  but  Mr.  Staats,  acquainted  with  its 
value,  had  constantly  declined  their  offers.  I  was  highly  gratified  with 
excellent  bread  and  butter,  feasted  on  milk  for  my  beverage,  and  pur- 
chased two  pints  of  it,  which  we  carried  to  our  bateau."  On  the  river 
they  passed  some  rifts.  "  It  was  said  here  was  an  ancient  eel-weir— by 
which  this  natural  obstruction  in  the  river  had  been  increased.  .  .  . 
To  the  west,  joining  Staats'  location,  is  an  excellent  tract  of  land,  the 
property  of  Mr.  L'Homme  Dieu — to  the  south  the  Military  lands,  chiefly 
a  valuable,  fruitful  soil." 

They  reached  Three  River  Point  at  three  o'clock  the  next  afternoon. 
"  One  Barker  lived  at  the  east  side  of  this  point,  whose  chief  employ- 
ment was  to  conduct  the  bateaux  over  the  falls  in  Oswego  river."  He 
lacked  enterprise  and  loved  rum.  "At  the  southwest  side  of  Oswego 
is  the  valuable  tract  of  L.  Gansevoort,  with  here  and  there  a  cleared 
spot."  Where  Phoenix  now  is  they  encountered  a  large  fishing  camp 
of  Onondagas. 

We  learn  a  little  more  about  some  early  settlers  on  the  return  trip. 
"  Need  I  tell  you,  my  dear  Sir,  that  Fort  Brewerton,  which  we  reached 
at  four  in  the  afternoon,  was  to  us  a  delightful  sight!  Capt.  Bingham 
was  from  home  on  the  salmon  fishery,  and  Capt.  Simonds,  with  the 
women,  on  a  visit  to  the  island.  His  eldest  daughter,  nevertheless,  a 
smart  young  girl,  prepared  us  a  good  supper;  a  bass  of  two  pounds,  a 
dish  with  stewed  eel,  with  fresh  bread  and  butter.  Our  breakfast  was 
congenial,  having  secured  two  capital  eels,  with  a  pot  of  milk  and  rice, 
we  hurried  to  the  island,  and  complimented  Mr.  and  Madame  des 
Wattines  on  Monday  morning,  between  nine  and  ten."  The  former 
accompanied  them  to  Oneida  Creek. 


188  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

In  the  mean  time  a  few  of  the  towns  of  this  county  received  their 
first  settlers,  as  hereafter  noted;  but  the  incipient  immigration  was 
greatly  retarded  by  the  absence  of  roads.  In  1790  or  1791  a  party  of 
emigrants,  under  direction  of  General  Wadsworth,  was  proceeding 
from  Whitestown  to  Canandaigua,  and  cut  out  and  made  some  insig- 
nificant improvement  of  a  roadway  for  their  own  accommodation.  Very 
soon  afterward  the  Old  State  Road  was  opened  and  improved,  following 
in  the  main  the  pathway  of  the  emigrant  party.  It  crossed  the  eastern 
county  line  a  little  north  of  the  Deep  Spring,  passed  through  Manlius 
village  site,  over  Morehouse's  Flats,  when  it  bore  southward  and  crossed 
Butternut  Creek  a  mile  south  of  Jamesville;  thence  continuing  on  west- 
ward, it  entered  Onondaga  Valley  at  Danforth's,  bore  thence  northwest 
across  the  valley  to  the  Mickles  furnace,  then  around  the  hill  and  on 
west.  The  opening  and  improving  of  this  road  greatly  stimulated  em- 
igration, and  before  the  beginning  of  the  present  century,  many  infant 
settlements  sprang  up  along  its  course. 

A  commission  was  appointed  in  1793  for  laying  out  roads  on  the  Mili- 
tary Tract;  it  consisted  of  John  L.  Hardenburgh,  Moses  De  Witt,  and 
John  Patterson.  The  principal  one  of  these  highways  in  which  we  are 
here  interested,  extended  from  the  Deep  Spring  to  the  Cayuga  Ferry, 
and  like  the  others,  was  four  rods  wide.  The  sum  of  $2,700  was  ap- 
propriated for  this  purpose. 

In  1794  an  act  was  passed  by  the  Legislature,  appointing  Israel  Cha- 
pin,  Michael  Myers,  and  Othniel  Taylor,  commissioners  for  laying  out 
a  highway  from  Old  Fort  Schuyler  on  the  Mohawk,  to  the  Cayuga 
Ferry,  "as  nearly  straight  as  the  situation  of  the  country  will  allow." 
This  road  was  to  be  six  rods  wide,  and  the  sum  of  six  hundred  pounds 
was  appropriated  for  opening  so  much  of  it  as  passed  through  the  Mili- 
tary Tract.  In  the  several  acts  relating  to  this  highway  it  is  called  the 
"( ireat  Genesee  Road,"  and  it  became  a  much-traveled  and  widely- 
known  thoroughfare.  It  generally  followed  the  line  of  the  State  Road 
before  mentioned,  which,  in  turn,  had  been  the  Indian  trail.  It  was  to 
aid  in  the  completion  of  this  highway  that  250  acres  of  the  Salt  Springs 
Resi  rvation  were  ordered  sold  in  1804,  and  were  purchased  by  Abra- 
ham Walton,  to  become  eventually  a  part  of  the  site  of  Syracuse. 

In  further  tracing  the  territorial  divisions  of  this  State  which  led 
up  to  the  formation  of  Onondaga  county,  it  must  be  noted  that  in  1788 
the  districl  oJ  German  Flats,  in  the  county  of  Montgomery  (formerly 
Tryon),  was  divided,  and  all  that  part  of  the  State  of   New  York  lying 


EARL7  CIVIL  DIVISIONS.  189 

west  of  a  line  drawn  north  and  south  across  the  State,  crossing  the  Mo- 
hawk river  at  old  Fort  Schuyler  (Utica),  was  erected  into  the  town  of 
Whitestown  (named  in  honor  of  Judge  White,  the  pioneer  of  Whites- 
boro  in  1784).  In  178G  this  great  town  contained  a  population  of  less  than 
200  white  persons.  The  first  town  meeting  of  Whitestown  met  at  the 
house  of  Capt.  Daniel  White,  on  the  7th  of  April,  1789,  and  adjourned 
to  the  barn  of  Hugh  White,  "it  being  more  convenient."  There  the 
following  officers  were  chosen:  Supervisor,  Col.  Jedediah  Sanger; 
town  clerk,  Elijah  Blodgett;  first  assessor,  Amos  .Wetmore;  second 
assessor,  James  Bronson ;  third  assessor,  Ephraim  Blackmore.  At 
the  second  town  meeting  held  at  the  barn  of  Needham  Maynard,  on  the 
6th  ofApril,  1790,  Col.  William  Colbraith  was  chosen  supervisor,  and 
in  the  next  year  (1791),  Colonel  Sanger  was  again  elected  to  the  office, 
with  Ashbel  Beach,  town  clerk;  Ebenezer  Butler  (afterwards  of  Pom- 
pey),  collector;  James  Wadsworth  of  Geneseo,  True  Worthy  Cook  of 
Pompey,  Jeremiah  Gould  ]  of  Salina,  overseers  of  the  poor. 

On  the  27th  of  January,  1789,  Montgomery  county  was  divided  and 
Ontario  county  erected,  comprising  all  that  part  of  the  State  lying  west 
of  a  line  drawn  north  and  south  through  Seneca  Lake.  On  the  16th  of 
February,  1791,  Montgomery  county  was  again  reduced  in  area  by  the 
erection  of  Herkimer  county,  which  embraced  all  the  territory  west  of 
Montgomery,  north  of  Otsego  and  Tioga,  and  east  of  Ontario  counties 
— or,  the  present  counties  of  Onondaga,  Oswego,  Cayuga,  Seneca,  Cort- 
land, Madison,  Oneida,  Lewis,  Jefferson,  and  Herkimer,  and  parts  of 
Tompkins,  Chenango,  Otsego  and  St.  Lawrence.  At  the  same  time 
the  town  of  Whitestown  was  divided  into  three  towns,  the  original 
town  of  that  name  afterwards  extending  west  only  to  the  west  line  of 
the  present  Madison  county.  The  eastern  half  of  the  Military  Tract, 
embracing  a  considerable  part  of  the  territory  of  Onondaga  county 
was  erected  into  the  town  of  Mexico,  and  the  west  half  became  the 
town  of  Peru.  The  boundaries  of  the  town  of  Mexico  were  as  follows: 
East  by  the  east  bounds  of  the  Military  Tract,  and  a  line  drawn  north 
from  the  mouth  of  Chittenango  Creek,  across  Oneida  Lake  to  Lake  On- 
tario; south  by  Tioga  county;  west  by  the  west  bounds  of  the  town- 
ships of  Homer,   Tally,    Camillus,    Lysander  and   Hannibal;   north  bv 

1  Jeremiah  Gould  had  early  business  relations  with  Asa  Danforth,  in  the  Mohawk  valley  and 
through  representations  and  influence  of  the  latter  he  removed  to  Salina  in  1790.  He  held  various 
public  positions  and  was  prominent  in  the  early  militia. 


190 


ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 


Lake  Ontario.     The  first   town  meeting  for   Mexico  was  held   at  the 
house  of  Benjamin  Morehouse.1 

The  town  of  Peru  (embracing  part  of  the  territory  of  Onondaga 
county)  was  bounded  on  the  north  by  Lake  Ontario;  east  by  Mexico; 
south  by  Tioga  county ;  west  by  Ontario  county.  The  first  town  meet- 
ing was  to  be  held  at  the  house  of  Seth  Phelps.  No  records  of  these 
first  town  meetings  are  in  existence,  as  far  as  known.  On  the  5th  of 
March,  1794,  Onondaga  county  was  set  off  from  Herkimer,  as  described 
in  Chapter  I,  and  divided  into  the  following  eleven  towns:  Homer, 
Pompey,  Manlius,  Lysander,  Marcellus,  Ulysses,  Milton,  Scipio,  Ovid, 
Aurelius,  and  Romulus.  (See  outline  map  of  original  county,  p.  5). 
The  organization  and  proceedings  of  the  early  courts  of  Herkimer 
county,  previous  to  the  organization  of  Onondaga  county,  and  in  this 
county  in  1  794,  are  described  in  chapter  XXVI. 

This  is  not  the  place  to  follow  in  detail  the  progress  of  settlement  in 
the  several  towns  of  Onondaga  county — a  task  that  more  properly  be- 
longs in  the  historical  description  of  each  town  in  later  pages  of  these 
volumes.  It  may  be  stated,  however,  that  settlement  had  commenced 
in  every  town  in  the  county,  with  the  possible  exception  of  Otisco,  set- 
tled in  1801,  by  the  beginning  of  the  century.  Nine  of  these  towns 
were  erected  after  the  beginning  of  the  century.  The  list  of  towns  and 
dates  of  formation  and  settlement  is  as  follows: 

Lysander,  organized  1794,   No.     1  of   Military  Tract,    settled  1793. 


Manlius, 

Pompey, 

Camillus, 

Marcellus, 

Cicero, 

Fabius, 

( )tisco, 

Salina, 

Onondaga 

Spafford, 

Tully, 


1794,   No.     7  "  "         settled  1789. 

1794,  No.  10  "  "         settled  1789. 

1794,   No.     5  "  "         settled  1790. 

1794,   No.     9  "  "         settled  1794. 

1807,   No.     6  "  "         settled  1790. 

1798, settled  1794. 

1806, settled  1801. 

1809, settled  1790. 

1798, 1788. 

1811, settled  1794. 

1803....    ...  settled  1795. 


1  Benjamin  Morehouse  was  a  somewhat  noted  character  in  very  early  days.     He  kept  the  first 
•       iii   county  oi  Onondaga,  on  the  flats  about  two  miles  east  of  the 
ai   not  alone  a  noted  stopping  place  on  the  turnpike  but  a  sort  of  gen- 
1  headquai  his  and  a  meeting  place  for  most  of  the  local  gatherings,  public  and  private.    The 
hi      i<  it  town  of  Mexico,  when  it  was  a  part  of  Onondaga  county,  was  held 
political  assi  onvened  there.    Mr.  Morehouse  was  a  man  of  dig- 

el  lectual  coui  and  was  a  good  talker,  and  became  popularly  known 

nor." 


EARLY  STATISTICS.  191 

La  Fayette,  organized  1825, - - settled  1791. 

Clay,  "  1827, settled  1791. 

Elbridge,  "  1829,... - ..settled  1793. 

Van  Buren,  "  1829, .settled  1792-3. 

Skaneateles,       "  1830, ..settled  1793. 

Dewitt,  "  1835,... settled  1789. 

Geddes,  "  1848 .settled  1793. 

None  of  the  very  early  supervisors'  records  is  now  in  existence  as  far 
as  known,  and  hence  only  some  meager  notes  of  their  proceedings  have 
been  found.  The  first  annual  town  meetings  were  held  on  the  3d  day 
of  April,  1794,  and  the  first  meeting  of  the  supervisors  was  held  at  the 
house  of  Asa  Danforth  on  the  27th  of  May.  The  members  present 
were  Silas  Halsey  of  Ovid  (now  in  Cayuga  county),  Benjamin  Board- 
man  of  Romulus  (also  now  in  Cayuga  county),  Comfort  Tyler  of  Man- 
lius,  John  Stoyles  of  Scipio  (now  in  Cayuga  county),  and  Moses  De  Witt 
of  Pompey.  It  is  not  known  how  many  if  any  of  the  remaining  towns 
were  represented;  but  it  is  known  that  some  of  them  were  not,  as  will 
be  seen  in  the  subsequent  town  histories.  No  enumeration  of  the  in- 
habitants had  been  taken  and  the  population  of  the  county  was  not 
otherwise  ascertained.  At  that  time  and  for  some  years  after  values 
were  reckoned  in  sterling  money.  The  board  fixed  the  supervisors' 
valuation  of  the  real  estate  in  the  county  on  the  following  basis:  Aure- 
lius,  1,729  pounds;  Manlius,  2,500  pounds;  Marcellus,  1,303  pounds  4s. ; 
Milton,  2,796  pounds;  Ovid,  1,881  pounds;  Romulus,  2,094  pounds; 
Scipio,  2,576  pounds  16s.  Only  two  of  these  towns  were  in  what  is 
now  this  county,  but  they  comprised  a  large  share  of  the  present 
area  of  the  county.  Other  towns  had  their  values  "estimated  at  ran- 
dom," and  they  put  it  as  follows:  Pompey,  2,700  pounds;  LTlysses, 
100  pounds;  Homer,  500  pounds;  and  Lysander,  400  pounds.  This 
made  the  aggregate  value  19,479  pounds,  or  $98,395.  A  census  of  the 
inhabitants  was  taken  in  1797,  excepting  in  Lysander,  which  gave  the 
number  as  1,759.  Why  Lysander  was  not  included  is  not  explained. 
During  these  three  years  the  property  valuation  had  risen  to  $146,- 
679.37.  In  the  next  year  the  population  increased  rapidly  and  accord- 
ing to  the  figures  of  the  supervisors  in  1798,  numbered  2,375,  the  prop- 
erty valuation  increasing  meanwhile  to  $188,888,  while  the  number  of 
towns  had  increased  from  eleven  to  fifteen.  It  must  be  kept  in  mind 
that  this  then  included  what  are  now  Cayuga,  Cortland  and  Oswego 
counties.  The  four  new  towns  were  Solon,  Sempronius,  Onondaga 
and  Fabius.     With  the  erection  of  Cayuga  county  in  1799  the  number 


192  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

of  towns  was  reduced  to  nine,  one  of  which  was  Camillus,  taken  from 
Marcellus.  This  also  cut  down  the  population  more  than  one-half,  as 
the  following  figures  show:  Camillus,  54;  Fabius,  117;  Homer,  95; 
Lysander,  16;  Manlius,  131;  Marcellus,  152;  Onondaga,  100;  Pompey, 
300;  Solon,  62;  total,  1,036. 

Between  1800  and  1825  the  supervisors'  records  are  probably  wholly 
lost,  as  well  as  those  of  several  other  later  years.  Such  as  are  in  exist- 
ence are  drawn  upon  for  these  pages  in  proper  chronological  order. 

One  of  the  difficulties  encountered  by  the  early  supervisors  of  the 
county  was  the  valuation  of  property  for  a  basis  of  taxation.  When 
the  great  area  of  the  county  at  that  time  is  considered,  and  the  difficul- 
ties of  travel  and  obtaining  information  from  remote  points,  the 
magnitude  of  this  difficulty  may  be  appreciated.  The  following  docu- 
ment throws  considerable  light  upon  this  subject: 

A  Resolve  of  the  Supervisors  at  their  Meeting  in  Scipio. 

Resolved,  That  the  following  recommendations  be  transmitted  to  the  different 
towns  in  the  county  by  their  respective  supervisors,  viz. : 

Whereas,  The  Supervisors  of  the  County  of  Onondaga  have  found  many  incon- 
veniences by  the  various  modes  taken  in  the  different  towns  assessing  the  ratable 
property  in  the  county,  have  thought  it  a  duty  to  recommend  to  the  assessors  of  each 
respective  town  next  to  be  chosen  in  said  towns,  a  mode  of  taking  the  valuation  of 
property  which  appears  to  us  the  most  eligible  in  our  local  situation,  desiring  this  to 
be  read  at  the  next  annual  town  meeting,  which  uniform  mode  will  render  the  next 
Board  of  Supervisors,  our  successors  in  office,  more  capable  of  doing  justice  in  levy- 
ing taxes  in  our  infant  state,  viz. : — Estimate  as  follows: 

Improved  lands  of  a  medium  quality, 20s.  per  acre.  ' 

Working  oxen  of  a  medium  quality, €16  per  yoke. 

Cows  of  a  medium  qualtiy, £5  per  piece. 

Young  cattle  of  three  years  old  and  under, 20s.  per  year. 

Horses  of  a  medium  quality, £10  per  piece. 

Colts,  3  years  and  under, 40s.  per  piece. 

Hogs  that  will  weigh  100  weight, 20s.  per  piece. 

Negro  men, £50  per  head. 

Negro  wenches, £30  per  head. 

Grist  mills, £50  per  piece. 

Saw  mills £30  per  piece. 

And  those  articles  of  an  inferior  or  superior  quality  in  proportion,  and  other  rata- 
ble property  in  like  proportion. 

The  Board  further  recommends  to  the  consideration  of  the  different  towns,  the  fol- 
lowing mode  in  taking  the  assessment,  viz. : — That  each  person  holding  ratable  prop- 
erty shall  give  in  to  the  assessor  a  list  of  his  or  her  ratable  property  or  estate,  in 
writii  -'>le  to  the  request  of  the  assessor,  which  will  be  an  avoucher  for  the 


FIRST  COUNTY  OFFICERS.  193 

assessor,  and  prevent  any  aspersions  of  injustice  of  being  taxed  unequally  by  those 
having  that  part  of  duty  to  do  in  society. 

The  Board  also  recommends  to  assessors  that  they  completely  make  out  their  list  of 
assessment  by  the  first  of  May,  as  the  law  directs,  so  that  the  Supervisors  may  be 
enabled  to  proceed  on  their  business  at  their  first  meeting,  and  save  the  county 
costs. 

And  further,  we  also  recommend  to  the  towns  to  adopt  a  uniform  mode  of  grant- 
ing a  bounty  on  wolves,  and  render  the  reward  of  each  man  in  his  exertions  for  the 
destruction  of  these  animals.  Therefore,  with  submission,  we  think  a  reward  of 
forty  shillings,  in  addition  to  the  bounty  allowed  by  the  county,  to  be  adequate  for 
the  bounty  of  each  wolf. 

The  Board  submits  the  above  recommendations  in  the  consideration  of  the  several 
towns  within  this  county  of  Onondaga. 

By  order  of  the  Board.  Comfort  Tyler,  Clerk. 

A  true  copy  for  the  town  of  Pompey. 
Scipio,  December  20th,  179."). 

The  first  executive  appointments  made  for  Onondaga  county  were 
John  Harris,  sheriff;  Benjamin  Ledyard,  clerk;  Moses  De  Witt,  surro- 
gate; Comfort  Tyler  and  Gilbert  Tracy,  coroners.  Seth  Phelps  was 
appointed  first  judge,  and  Silas  Halsey,  John  Richardson,  and  Moses 
De  Witt,  judges  and  justices.  The  following  were  appointed  the  first 
assistant  judges  and  justices  of  the  peace:  John  Miller,  Asa  Danforth, 
John  L.  Hardenburgh,  Edward  Paine,  Benajah  Boardman,  Alexander 
Coventry,  and  Andrew  English.  The  following  were  appointed  justices 
of  the  peace:  Hezekiah  Olcott,  David  Holbrook,  Ebenezer  Butler,  jr., 
Elijah  Price,  John  Walworth,  Perez  Brownell,  Elisha  Pitch,  John 
Stowell,  Riah  Bingham,  William  Goodwin,  Daniel  Keeler,  Andrew 
Dunlop,  Moses  Carpenter,  Cyrus  Kinne,  and  Walter  Wood.  All  of 
these  appointments  were  made  on  March  14,  1794.  Several  of  the 
assistant  judges  and  justices  of  the  peace  had  been  holding  the  same 
office  in  Herkimer  county  previous  to  the  division,  and  of  course  a  con- 
siderable number  of  the  appointees  were  from  the  territory  now  em- 
braced in  Cayuga,  Oswego  and  Cortland  counties.  The  succeeding 
appointments  and  election  of  principal  officers  are  given  in  the  subse- 
quent printed  lists. 

Warfare  with  the  Indians  had  continued  down  to  this  time  in  various 
parts  of  the  country,  but  it  was  substantially  ended  with  the  victory 
of  General  Anthony  Wayne  on  the  Maumee  River  on  August  20,  L794. 
It  was  at  about  the  time  under  consideration  also  that  excitement  and 
anxiety,  caused  partly  by  the  western  Indian  war,  arose  on  the  north- 
ern frontier  and  extended  into  Onondaga  county.  This  was  greatly 
25 


194  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

augmented  by  an  occurrence  growing  out  of  the  unjustifiable  occupa- 
tion of  American  forts  by  British  soldiers.     The  alarm  throughout  On- 
ondaga county  became  so  great  that  many  persons  buried   their   valua- 
bles, while  others  made  all  preparations  to  leave  the  locality.     A  meet- 
ing of  the  inhabitants    of  the  northern  and  central  parts  of  the   county 
was  called  at   Morehouse's  tavern,   to  consult  upon   means  for  public 
safety,  and  Jonathan  Russell  was  sent  to   Albany  to  inform  the  gover- 
nor of  the  aspect   of  affairs.     After  his   return   another  meeting  was 
held,  and  about  the  middle  of  May,  Governor  Clinton  dispatched   Gen. 
William   North,    Gen.    Stephen   Van  Rensselaer,    and    Adjutant-Gen. 
David  Van  Home  to  the  residence  of  Baron  Steuben  in  Oneida  county, 
whence  all  were  to  attend  the  meeting.    These  men  and  others  had  then 
been  recently  appointed  by  the  Legislature,  commissioners  t:  direct  the 
building  of  such  fortifications  as  they   might  deem  necessary  for  the 
defense  of  the  northern  and  western   frontiers.      An   appropriation    of 
twelve  thousand  pounds  was  made  by  the  Legislature  for  this  purpose. 
The  militia  of  this  county  was  assembled  at   Morehouse's,  where  they 
were  reviewed  by  Baron  Steuben   and  his  associates,  after  which  the 
commissioners  proceeded  to  Salina,  where  they  inspected  the   position 
and  advised  the  erection  of  a  blockhouse.      In   company  with    Moses 
1  >e  Witt,  Isaac  Van  Vleck,  Thomas  Orman,  Simon  Phares,  and   John 
Danforth,  a  site  was  chosen   and  ground  staked  out   for  the  proposed 
blockhouse,  near  the  principal   salt  spring.      They   also   made  several 
special  military  appointments  and  gave  directions  for   the  building   of 
the  house.      Major  Danforth  and  Major  Moses  De   Witt  were  commis- 
sioned to  superintend  the  work,  Cornelius  Higgins  was  delegated  to  act 
as  master  builder,   and  the  blockhouse  was  soon  completed.      It  was 
built  of  squared  oak  logs,  with  high  pickets  of  large  cedar  posts  sur- 
rounding it.     The  following  quotation  is  from  a  manuscript  of  Judge 
James  Geddes,  and  is  interesting  in  this  connection: 

The  commissioners  came  to  inform  us  that  they  had  come  to  fortify  Three-River- 
Point  and  Salt  Point.  Myself  and  all  my  hands  were  summoned  across  the  lake  to 
be  reviewed  by  Baron  Steuben.  Having  shook  hands  with  all  of  us,  and  enquired 
i  if  our  nativity,  the  Baron  informed usof  our  danger,  and  admonished  us  to 
be  on  the  look-out  for  Indians.  How  it  happened,  I  cannot  well  account  for  it,  but 
I  partook  ot  in. in-  of  his  fears,  and  all  my  hands  remained  perfectly  tranquil.  Not 
so  with  the  people  of  Salt  Point;  for  while  the  block  house  and  stockade  were  build- 
ing before  their  eyes,  at  the  expense  and  by  the  authority  of  the  State,  itseemed  that 
they  could  be  no  less  than  afraid.  And  one  afternoon  terror  took 
such  bold  of  them  that  all  the  houses  were  emptied,  and  men,   women  and  children 


BRITISH  OCCUPATION  AND  THE  SETTLERS.  195 

all  took  to  the  woods,  and  spent  that  night  and  the  following  there  for  safety.  As 
none  of  my  folks  happened  to  go  over  to  the  Point  for  two  days,  the  conclusion  there 
was  that  the  Indians  having  found  us,  had  proceeded  no  further,  and  that  they  owed 
their  safety  to  our  being  between  them  and  the  point  of  danger,  for  from  the  west 
they  knew  the  Indians  would  come,  and  the  attack  would  certainly  be  upon  us  first. 
— [Clark's  Onondaga,  vol.  II,  pp.  154-5. 

The  site  chosen  for  the  Salina  blockhouse  was  a  bluff,  at  a  point  just 
across  to  the  northerly  side  and  on  the  right  of  the  present  Oswego 
canal  bridge,  nearly  in  front  of  the  pump  house.  A  six-pound  cannon 
and  other  arms  and  munitions  were  supplied  by  the  State,  and  the 
house  was  for  a  time  garrisoned  by  a  company  of  grenadiers,  which 
was  enlisted  by  Jonathan  Russell,  of  Pompey,  with  Anson  Jackson, 
lieutenant,  and  Jonathan  Bond,  ensign.1  A  depot  for  military  stores 
was  established  at  Jeremiah  Jackson's2  mills,  near  Jamesville,  and  all 
male  persons  over  fourteen  years  of  age  were  required  to  hold  them- 
selves in  readiness  for  any  emergency.  Besides  the  company  stationed 
at  the  blockhouse,  three  men  were  drafted  from  each  military  com- 
pany then  in  the  Military  Tract,  with  instructions  to  arm  themselves 
from  the  supplies  at  Jackson's  Mills  and  be  ready  to  proceed  at  a  mo- 
ment's notice  to  any  point  attacked. 

With  the  British  in  occupation  of  Fort  Ontario  and  other  American 
posts,  and  levying  duties,  as  they  did,  on  all  boats  passing,  it  is  not  a 
subject  of  wonder  that  the  boatmen  rebelled  at  such  gross  injustice,  and 
ran  their  craft  past  the  fort  whenever  possible.  To  prevent  this  the 
British  employed  spies  to  give  warning  of  the  approach  of  boats. 
When  some  of  these  spies  were  captured  by  the  Americans  they  were 
mercilessly  punished,  several  of  them  being  brought  to  Salina  and 
whipped.  While  these  events  were  taking  place  it  was  learned  that 
Col.  Guy  Johnson,  who  was  still  superintendent  of  Indian  affairs  in 
Canada,  had  purchased  a  boat  load  of  valuable  stores  in  Albany  for  his 
Mohawks,  which  would  pass  down  the  Oswego  River  on  its  way  to 
Canada.  A  party  of  thirty  or  forty  headstrong  men  thereupon  gathered 
at  Three  Rivers,  and,  smarting  under  the  exactions  of  the  British,  de- 
termined to  rob  the   boat.     The  enterprise  was  successful,   the  crew 

1  The  blockhouse  was  not  long  used  as  a  military  post,  and  eventually  was  made  a  storehouse 
for  salt. 

2  Col.  Jeremiah  Jackson  was  present  at  the  fall  of  Quebec  in  1759,  afterwards  settled  in  Massa- 
chusetts, entered  the  army  of  the  Revolution  as  a  captain,  and  served  with  credit.  While  in  the 
army  he  became  acquainted  with  Major  Danforth,  who  was  also  in  the  service,  and  who  induced 
Jackson  to  move  to  this  county,  which  he  did  in  1791,  and  purchased  Danforth's mills.  He  sub- 
sequently removed  to  Pompey  (within  the  present  La  Fayette)  and  died  there  in  1802. 


196  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

were  driven  off,  and  the  cargo  divided  among  the  party,  who  then 
scattered  to  their  homes.  This  act  was  like  firing  a  train  to  a  magazine, 
for  nothing  could  have  been  conceived  more  certain  to  inflame  the 
anger  of  the  Indians  than  the  capture  of  goods  destined  for  their  breth- 
ren in  the  north.  The  deed  was,  for  one  reason  or  another,  generally 
condemned  by  the  frontiersmen.  Guy  Johnson  hastened  to  Oswego, 
while  many  Indians  gathered  at  Niagara  and  Oswego  threatening  re- 
taliation. Had  Wayne,  just  at  this  juncture,  been  defeated  instead  of 
victorious,  a  period  of  further  Indian  warfare  might  have  been  inaugu- 
rated. Although  the  robbers  endeavored  to  conceal  themselves  and 
their  plunder,  most  of  the  goods  were  eventually  secured  and  returned 
to  their  owners,  and  serious  trouble  was  averted.  It  was  during  this 
period  of  excitement  that  Oliver  Stevens,  who  was  the  first  settler  at 
Brewerton,  obtained  from  Governor  Clinton  authority  to  build  a  block- 
house at  that  point,  as  an  additional  defense.  This  structure  was 
erected  on  the  site  of  the  present  Fort  Brewerton  Hotel,  on  the  north 
bank  of  the  river,  and  at  the  expense  of  the  State. 

In  1T90  the  pioneers  were  relieved  from  further  annoyance  and 
humiliation,  from  having  a  British  garrison  in  Fort  Ontario  and  at 
other  frontier  posts.  Negotiations  had  continued  since  the  war  be- 
tween the  British  government  and  the  United  States  without  result, 
until  John  Jay  was  sent  as  minister  to  England,  where  he  was  success- 
ful m  concluding  a  treaty  under  which  all  differences  were  settled,  and 
provision  made  for  the  full  surrender  of  the  frontier  posts  on  or  before 
June  1,  1796.  During  the  negotiations  and  preceding  the  settlement, 
Washington  and  his  cabinet  had  been  repeatedly  urged  to  begin  an- 
other war  upon  England,  a  policy  which  was  warmly  advocated  by 
France.     Fortunately  a  more  conservative  and  wiser  policy  prevailed. 

This  chapter  may  be  properly  closed  with  an  extract  from  Dunlap's 
Daily  Advertiser,  published  in  Philadelphia,  and  dated  July  2G,  1792, 
which  gives  an  indication  of  what  was  thought  of  Herkimer  county  at 
that  early  date. 

Gentlemen  who  reside  on  the  military  lands  in  the  county  of  Herkimer,  inform  us, 
that  the  tract  of  country  contains  a  very  great  proportion  of  rich  land,  well  watered 
and  timbered,  that  there  is  already  a  considerable  number  of  settlers  there,  and  that 
it  bids  fair  to  be  peopled  as  rapidly  as  any  part  of  America.  That  sixteen  bushels 
of  salt  are  daily  manufactured  at  Major  Danforth*s  works  at  the  salt  springs,  and 
that  Mr.  Van  Vleck,  formerly  of  Kinderhook,  is  erecting  other  works  at  the  same 
fur  carrying  on  the  like  manufacture;  that  whenever  sufficient  works  shall  be 
erected  at  those  springs,  a  thousand  bushels  of  salt  can  be  made  every  dav;  that  salt 


&£ 


Ci 

o 

X 

i 

o 

> 


o5 

LJ 


THROUGH  THE  WAR  OF  1812.  197 

now  sells  there  for  five  shillings  per  bushel ;  that  it  weighs  about  fifty-six  pounds  to 
the  bushel,  and  is  equal  in  quality  to  that  of  Turk's  Island.  That  the  salmon  fish- 
ing in  that  country  must  become  an  object  of  great  importance,  as  that  fine  fish 
(the  salmon)  abounds  in  their  rivers  and  lakes,  in  spring  and  fall.  That  it  is  not  un- 
common for  a  party  to  spear  twenty  or  fifty  in  an  evening,  from  fourteen  to  thirty 
pounds  each.  The  lands  sell  in  general  at  from  one  shilling  to  three  shillings  per 
acre,  but  some  have  sold  as  high  as  from  eight  to  twelve  shillings  per  acre. 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

THROUGH  THE  WAR  OF  1812. 

The  First  Decade — Transportation — Highways — The  First  Newspapers — The  Salt 
Industry — Beginning  of  the  War  of  1812-15 — The  Militia — Onondaga's   Regiments 
and  Companies — The  Old  Arsenal — Events  of  1813 — Capture   of   Oswego   by   the 
British — Treaty  of  Ghent — Turnpike  Companies — Boundary  of  Onondaga  County- 
Reduction  to  Present  Area. 

The  first  decade  of  the  present  century  constitutes  an  important 
period  in  the  history  of  Onondaga  county — a  period  that  witnessed  a 
large  increase  of  settlers  in  the  already  occupied  localities  and  the  be- 
ginning of  settlement  at  many  other  points.  The  forests  were  falling 
before  the  pioneer's  axe  and  the  log  houses  and  scattering  small  frame 
dwellings  that  were  rising  in  every  town  had  each  its  surrounding  clear- 
ing, which  every  year  extended  its  boundaries  and  ever\Tyear  gladdened 
its  owner's  heart  with  increasing  crops.  Hamlets  sprang  up  in  the 
various  towns,  generally  where  early  mills  had  been  built,  and  prim- 
itive stores  were  opened  at  such  points  where  the  settler  and  his  family 
could  procure  their  limited  supplies  without  the  long  journeys  of  earlier 
years.  Churches  and  schools  were  established,  and  roads  were  opened 
in  many  directions,  making  it  possible  for  distant  neighbors  to  meet  for 
social  and  other  purposes  and  rendering  communication  with  mill  and 
store  and  distant  mart  comparatively  easy. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  century  the  population  of  this  State  had 
reached  589,000,  00,000  of  which  dwelt  in  New  York  city.  Albany  was 
a  considerable  community,  while  at  Utica,  Rochester  and  Buffalo  the 
foundation  had  been  laid  for  the  present  thriving  cities.  At  Oswego 
the  incipient  commerce  of  the  great  lake  was  just  beginning  its  growth, 


198  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

and  salt  from  Salina  was  one  of  the  principal  commodities  shipped  in 
that  direction.  Development  through  the  region  of  Central  New  York 
was  early  stimulated  by  improvement  of  the  old  waterway  from  the 
east  by  the  Western  Inland  Lock  and  Navigation  Company.  This  im- 
provement consisted  of  the  construction  of  a  canal,  with  locks  around 
the  rapids  at  Little  Falls,  the  opening  of  a  canal  from  Rome  to 
Wood  Creek,  connecting  thence  with  Oneida  Lake,  and  the  improve- 
ment of  navigation  facilities  in  the  Oswego  and  Seneca  Rivers.  The 
work  was  completed  in  1800,  and  many  of  the  early  settlers  of  this 
county,  carrying  their  families  and  household  stores,  came  over  this 
route  to  their  new  homes.  In  1812  the  firm  of  Eri  Lasher  &  Co.  were 
running  during  the  season  a  weekly  line  of  boats  from  Schenectady 
for  Cayuga,  Seneca  Falls,  and  Oswego,  which  with  the  use  also  of 
♦wagons  kept  constant^  in  readiness,  enabled  them  to  "  transport  from 
Albany  to  any  part  of  the  western  country  either  by  land  or  water 
whatever  property  might  be  directed  to  their  care."  In  the  mean  time 
the  Great  Genesee  Road  was  considerably  improved  through  this  coun- 
try  under  the  direction  of  Comfort  Tyler,  Seth  Phillips  and  William 
Stevens,  who  were  appointed  commissioners  for  the  purpose  in  1796. 
An  appropriation  was  made  by  the  Legislature  of  $4,000  for  making 
and  repairing  highways  in  Onondaga  county,  $2,000  of  which  was 
ordered  expended  on  the  Great  Genesee  Road  between  the  eastern  and 
the  western  bounds  of  this  county. 

In  1797  the  Legislature  authorized  three  lotteries  for  the  purpose  of 
raising  $45,000  for  the  further  improvement  of  roads.  Of  this  sum 
$13,900  was  appropriated  for  the  Great  Genesee  Road  throughout  its 
whole  extent  from  Old  Fort  Schuyler  to  Geneva.  The  inhabitants  of 
the  section  through  which  this  road  passed  made  a  voluntary  subscrip- 
tion of  4,000  days'  work  in  aid  of  the  undertaking,  with  important 
practical  results.  In  writing  to  England  on  this  subject,  Capt.  Charles 
Williamson  1  said: 

By  this  generous  and   uncommon  exertion,  and  by  some  other  contributions,  the 

mmissioner  was  enabled  to  complete  this  road  of  near  one  hundred  miles, 

og  it  sixty-four  feet  wide,  and  paving  with  logs  and  gravel  the  moist  parts  of 

the  low  country.     Hence    the  road   from   Fort  Schuyler,  on   the  Mohawk  river,   to 

tg  in  the  month  of  June,  171)7,  little  better  than  an  Indian  path, 

Williamson  was  in  this  country  between  1798  and  1800  as  the  agent  of  English 
■■  ners  in  the  ( ',<  >un1  rv,"  and  was  conspicuously  identified  with  the  settlement  and 

i  anandaigua,  and  inaugurated  large  improvements  at  Sodus  Bay, 
which  failed  to  realize  his  expectations. 


THROUGH  THE  WAR  OF  1812.  199 

was  so  far  improved,  that  a  stage  started  from  Fort  Schuyler  on  the  30th  of  Septem- 
ber,'and  arrived  at  the  hotel  in  Geneva,  in  the  afternoon  of  the  third  day,  with  four 
passengers.  This  line  of  road  having  been  established  by  law,  not  less  than  fifty 
families  settled  on  it  in  the  space  of  four  months  after  it  was  opened. 

In  the  year  1800  the  Seneca  Road  Company  was  granted  a  charter 
by  the  Legislature  under  which  they  were  authorized  to  improve  the 
old  State  Road  which,  in  this  county,  passed  through  Manlius,  James- 
ville,  Onondaga  Valley,  and  Marcellus.  The  capital  stock  of  the  com- 
pany was  $110,000,  and  Jedediah  Sanger,  Benjamin  Walker,  Charles 
Williamson,  and  Israel  Chapin  were  appointed  commissioners.  An 
amendment  to  the  charter  in  1801  gave  the  company  some  discretionary 
right  to  deviate  from  the  old  line  of  the  road.  When  it  became  known 
that  the  commissioners  intended  to  greatly  alter  and  straighten  the 
highway,  the  inhabitants  along  its  line  became  deeply  interested.  Each 
wanted  it  to  pass  as  near  as  possible  to  his  own  property.  At  Chitte- 
nango  the  commissioners  met  a  delegation  from  Onondaga  and  Man- 
lius, who  protested  against  the  contemplated  selection  of  a  more  north- 
ern route,  which  would  necessarily  divert  travel  from  several  villages 
along  the  old  road  and  deprive  the  people  of  considerable  revenue. 
Here  the  delegation  undoubtedly  practiced  a  little  deception  on  the 
commissioners  by  leading  them  through  several  almost  impassable 
ravines  and  swamps  on  the  proposed  new  line,  thus  convincing  them 
that  the  proposed  change  was  impracticable.  Eventually  learning  that 
they  had  been  imposed  upon,  the  company  in  1806  secured  a  further 
amendment  to  the  charter,  authorizing  them  to  "build  a  new  road 
from  Sullivan  to  the  Onondaga  Reservation  near  the  Salt  Springs  to 
Cayuga  Bridge,"  and  $50,000  was  added  to  the  capital  stock.  This 
road  was  finished  in  L812  and  became  known  as  the  North  Branch  of 
the  Seneca  Road,  but  later  was  often  called  the  Genesee  Turnpike.  It 
passed  through  Fayetteville,  Syracuse,  Geddes,  and  Camillus  and  on 
west. 

Over  these  highways  early  travel  was  frequent  and  important. 
Almost  all  the  merchandise  from  the  east  passed  over  them,  while  both 
eastward  and  westward,  wheat,  salt  and  other  products  were  trans- 
ported to  market.  They  also  facilitated  the  carrying  of  the  mails,  which 
had  been  during  1797-8  carried  on  horseback  by  a  Mr.  Langdon.  He 
was  succeeded  by  a  Mr.  Lucas,  who  used  a  wagon  for  the  purpose,  and 
with  a  two  horse  passenger  wagon  carried  on  a  considerable  traffic.  In 
1820  Jason  Parker,  of  Utica,  associated  with  Moses  Beal,  made  public 


200  ONONDAGA'S   CENTENNIAL. 

announcement  that  "  a  stage  for  the  conveyance  of  mail,  and  those  who 
wish  to  travel  by  stage,  will  start  from  Utica  for  Onondaga  twice  a 
week.'-  The  first  four-horse  mail  coach  was  sent  through  from  Utica 
to  Canandaigua  in  1804  by  Mr.  Parker,  and  made  the  trip  once  each 
week.  In  the  second  year  he  ran  coaches  through  twice  a  week,  and 
during  that  year  he  and  Levi  Stephens  were  granted  by  the  Legislature 
the  exclusive  right  for  seven  years  to  run  stages  over  the  Genesee  or 
Seneca  roads  between  Utica  and  Canandaigua.  They  were  required  to 
run  the  coaches  at  least  twice  each  week;  to  furnish  substantial  cov- 
ered wagons  or  sleighs,  and  the  fare  was  limited  to  five  cents  a  mile. 
They  were  also  required  to  make  the  trips  in  forty-eight  hours,  acci- 
dents excepted,  and  not  more  than  seven  passengers  were  allowed  in 
any  one  carriage,  except  by  consent  of  the  seven.  If  four  others  ap- 
plied for  passage,  the  proprietors  were  obliged  to  immediately  put  on 
an  extra  coach  for  their  accommodation.  In  1808  this  line  of  stages 
began  running  daily. 

The  records  of  State  legislation  show  that  several  other  highways  of 
more  or  less  importance  were  opened  in  the  county  previous  to  the  war 
of  L812.  In  180G  an  act  appropriated  $600  out  of  the  duties  on  salt  to 
"  improve  the  road  along  the  northeast  shore  of  Onondaga  Lake;  "  and 
in  the  following  year  two  roads  were  laid  out  under  direction  of  Moses 
Carpenter,  Medad  Curtis,  and  Asa  Rice,  as  commissioners.  One  of 
these  roads  ran  "  on  the  most  practicable  route  from  Onondaga  Hill  to 
Ox  Creek"  (town  of  Granby,  Oswego  county),  and  thence  to  Oswego; 
the  other  from  the  village  of  Salina  to  Ox  Creek.  In  the  same  year  the 
surveyor-general  directed  Moses  Carpenter  and  two  others  to  lay  out  a 
State  road  six  rods  wide,  north  and  south  from  the  Walton  Tract, 
through  the  State  lands.  A  part  of  this  road  became  the  Salina  street 
of  Syracuse.  On  April  3,  180?,  an  act  was  passed  incorporating  the 
Chenango  and  Salina  Turnpike  Company,  which  was  authorized  to 
build  "a  good  and  sufficient  turnpike  road,  beginning  at  the  village  of 
Salina,  and  running  thence  south  through  the  Onondaga  Hollow  to  the 
north  line  of  Tully,"  and  thence  on  southward. 

What  was  known  as  the  Hamilton  and  Skaneateles  Turnpike  was  laid 

out  in  L806,  from   Richfield  through  Brookfield,  Hamilton  and   Fabius, 

to  the  outlet  of  Otisco   Lake,  and  thence  to  the  outlet  of  Skaneateles 

Lake:       The   act    of    incorporation    was   procured   largely   through    the 

i    Lemuel    Fitch,  Samuel   Marsh,  Elisha  Payne,    David  Smith, 

ih  St.  John,  Comfort  Tyler,  Samuel  Tyler,  Thaddeus  Edwards,  and 


THROUGH  THE  WAR  OF  1812.  201 

Elnathan  Andrews.  This  road  was  of  great  practical  use  in  stimulat- 
ing settlement  in  the  towns  through  which  it  passed. 

It  was  also  this  year  (1800)  that  witnessed  the  occurrence  of  an  event 
that  is  always  one  of  importance  to  any  community — the  founding  oi 
the  first  newspaper  in  the  count}-.  The  paper  was  called  the  Derne 
Gazette,  and  the  first  number  of  which  was  published  in  the  spring  at 
Manlius  village  by  Abraham  Romeyn.  It  survived  only  about  a  year 
and  none  of  its  numbers  is  known  to  be  in  existence.  It  was  followed 
in  1808  (May  24),  by  the  Herald  of  the  Times,  published  at  the  same 
place  by  Leonard  Kellogg.  The  Democrats  and  Federals  were  then 
the  two  ruling  factions,  the  Herald  of  the  Times  actively  supporting  the 
latter  party. 

Onondaga  county  in  those  early  years  possessed  advantages  over 
many  other  localities  which  were  too  clearly  apparent  to  escape  the 
notice  of  far-seeing  men,  and  which  undoubtedly  accelerated  settlement 
and  increased  local  wealth.  Chief  among  these  was  the  infant  salt  in- 
dustry. Begun  in  1788  by  Asa  Danforth  and  Comfort  Tyler  in  a  single 
small  kettle,  it  had  before  the  war  of  1812  attained  considerable  magni- 
tude. We  have  already  seen  in  the  quoted  extract  from  the  Philadel- 
phia newspaper  that  in  1702,  fifty  bushels  a  day  were  being  made, 
almost  wholly  by  Major  Danforth.  In  the  same  year  Isaac  Van  Yleck 
erected  the  first  arch  for  salt  boiling.  The  Federal  Company  was  or- 
ganized in  1798  for  the  purpose  of  manufacturing  salt  on  a  large  scale. 
The  fame  of  the  springs  had  spread  throughout  the  State,  samples  of 
their  product  having  been  carried  to  distant  localities  by  enthusiastic 
men.  Settlers  came  rapidly  to  Salina  (or  Salt  Point,  as  it  was  then 
almost  universally  known)  and  their  unstable  dwellings  rose  on  every 
hand.  Those  early  houses  were  unique.  The  sills  were  laid  on  short 
posts,  the  corner  posts  set  up  and  plates  put  on.  In  the  posts  were  cut 
grooves  which  received  the  ends  of  sticks  or  poles  laid  one  upon  an- 
other to  form  the  sides  of  the  building,  which  were  then  plastered  with 
mud  or  clay. 

The  treaties  with  the  Onondagas  in  1788  and  1795  related  in  part  to 
the  salt  lands,  and  culminated  in  the  purchase  by  the  State  of  about 
10,000  acres,  which  became  known  as  the  Salt  Springs  Reservation. 
The  tract  was  about  three  and  one-half  miles  wide  on  the  southerly  line 
(afterwards  the  town  line  between  Salina  and  Onondaga),  and  bounded 
on  the  east  and  west  by  two  converging  lines  running  each  side  of  On- 
ondaga Lake  to  the  Seneca  River,  making  its  northern  boundary  about 


202  ONONDAGA'S   CENTENNIAL. 

three-fourths  of  a  mile  long-.  The  treaty  of  1795  ceded  to  the  State  the 
exclusive  control  of  the  Salt  Springs  Reservation,  including  the  lake. 
The  tract  was  laid  out  by  the  surveyor-general  in  1797,  under  authority 
of  law.  It  was  subsequently  believed  that  this  tract  was  larger  than 
would  ever  be  needed  and  accordingly  in  1822  and  1827,  all  but  about 
550  acres  was  sold.  Repurchases  by  the  State  afterwards  increased  the 
area  to  about  700  acres. 

The  salt  product  in  the  first  year  of  the  century  was  something  over 
50,000  bushels,  and  so  rapid  was  the  growth  of  the  industry  that  when 
the  war  broke  out  the  quantity  made  in  a  year  had  reached  nearly  a 
quarter  of  a  million  bushels,  the  profits  of  which  and  the  attendant  in- 
dustries exerted  an  encouraging  influence  throughout  the  whole  county. 

Early  in  the  century  began  the  acts  on  the  part  of  England  and  France 
which  resulted  \n  another  war.  Through  orders  issued  by  Great  Britain 
and  decrees  made  by  Emperor  Napoleon  of  France,  all  American  com- 
merce in  neutral  ships  with  either  of  these  nations  was  suspended. 
American  sailors  were  claimed  as  British  subjects  and  seized  on  Amer- 
ican vessels,  the  right  to  board  such  vessels  for  this  purpose  being  one 
of  the  unjust  claims  set  up  by  Great  Britain.  These  and  other  outrages 
continued  until  forbearance  was  exhausted.  Late  in  October,  1807, 
Congress  opposed  this  action  by  laying  an  embargo  on  all  vessels  in 
United  States  harbors.  This  measure,  necessary  as  it  may  have  ap- 
peared as  a  general  policy,  was  disastrous  to  the  mercantile  and  ship- 
ping interests  of  the  whole  country.  The  embargo  act  was  supported 
by  a  large  part  of  the  Democratic  party,  but  was  strenuously  opposed 
by  the  Federalists.  On  June  1,  1812,  President  Madison  sent  a  con- 
fidential message  to  Congress,  in  which  he  reviewed  the  causes  of  com- 
plaint against  Great  Britain,  and  called  upon  that  body  to  decide 
whether  they  would  act  upon  their  right  and  as  duty  dictated,  or  re- 
main passive  under  accumulating  injustice.  It  was  well  known  that 
the  president  favored  opened  retaliation.  By  one  party  he  was  urged 
by  ridicule  as  well  as  threats  to  declare  war,  while  the  other,  among 
whom  were  the  many  whose  personal  interests  were  already  suffering 
hitterly  opposed  such  a  policy.  Madison's  message  was  referred  to  the 
(  ommittee  on  Foreign  Relations,  which,  on  June  3,  made  a  report 
ii  ing  the  president's  views  and  accompanied  by  a  bill  declaring  war 
with  Greal  Britain.  An  attempt  was  made  to  include  France  in  the 
laration,  which  failed.  After  much  debate  and  amid  the  greatest 
i>"  ni    throughout  the  country,  Congress  passed   the  bill  on  July 


THROUGH  THE  WAR  OF  1812.  203 

18,  and  Madison  signed  it.  On  the  19th  the  president  issued  a  procla- 
mation announcing-  the  fact,  and  calling  on  the  people  of  the  country 
to  support  the  government  in  its  war  policy.  Although  the  settlers  in 
Onondaga  county  felt  a  deep  general  interest  in  the  approaching  con- 
flict, their  inland  situation  relieved  them  to  a  great  extent  from  the 
special  anxiety  that  was  felt  on  the.  seaboard  and  at  lake  ports.  In 
Oswego  for  example,  excitement  and  dread  was  intense,  and  to  a  cer- 
tain extent  their  forebodings  awakened  sympathy  in  Salinaand  at  other 
points  in  this  county.  The  people  of  Oswego  and  other  ports  on  the 
northern  frontier  realized  that  war  meant  the  destruction  of  their  de- 
veloping commerce  and  its  man}7  attendant  blessings,  while  thev  could 
not  escape  the  conviction  that  the  coming  strife  meant  possible  blood- 
shed and  desolation  at  their  very  doors.  The  importance  of  that  port 
to  the  salt  industry  of  Onondaga  was  a  source  of  a  large  share  of  the 
anxiety  felt  in  the  towns  of  this  county,  and  especially  at  Salina  and 
neighboring  villages. 

With  the  victories  over  the  western  Indians  after  the  Revolution,  the 
Onondagas,  as  well  as  others  of  the  Six  Nations,  saw  the  futility  of 
further  hostile  demonstrations  towards  their  near  white  neighbors  and 
settled  down  to  their  fate.  Their  numbers  reduced,  deserted  by  those 
from  whom  they  had  a  right  to  expect  succor,  many  of  the  Onondagas 
moved  westward,  and  those  who  remained  around  their  ancient  council 
fires  accepted  their  fallen  condition  in  gloom  and  despondency.  With 
the  passing  of  time,  however,  and  the  coming  of  a  new  generation,  who 
listened  to  the  tales  of  their  fathers'  valor,  something  of  their  former 
spirit  was  aroused,  and  when  the  tidings  of  approaching  war  reached 
their  ears,  the  Onondagas  were  ready  for  battle  on  the  American  side 
and  gave  good  evidence  of  olden  prowess  on  the  plains  of  Chippewa 
and  at  Lundy's  Lane.  Intense  anxiety  had  been  felt  on  the  American 
side  as  to  the  probable  attitude  of  the  Indians  in  the  approaching  con- 
flict. Great  Britain,  as  might  have  been  foreseen,  made  prompt  efforts 
to  enlist  the  Mohawks  and  the  Canadian  Indians  in  their  service,  and 
messengers  were  sent  by  those  Indians  among  the  Six  Nations  to  urge 
them  to  join  in  the  same  service.  To  avert  this  danger  a  council  was 
held  at  Buffalo  on  the  6th  of  July,  1812,  where  speeches  were  made  by 
the  great  Seneca  chief,  Red  Jacket,  and  by  the  representative  of  the 
government,  Mr.  Granger,  the  latter  explaining  the  causes  of  the  war, 
and  counseling  the  Indians  to  remain  neutral ;  at  the  same  time  inti- 
mating that  if  the  young  warriors  wished  to  do  battle  to  let  it  be  on  the 


204-  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

American  side.  Red  Jacket  declared  in  favor  of  neutrality,  and  volun- 
teered to  send  to  the  Mohawks  and  urge  them  to  abandon  the  war  path. 
This  effort  failed.  The  spirit  of  neutrality  prevailed  only  for  a  short 
time,  and  by  the  year  1814  many  of  the  Wyandottes,  Delawares,  Shaw- 
nees,  and  most  of  the  Miamis  also  joined  the  American  forces. 

After  the  close  of  the  Revolution  the  militia  force  of  Montgomery 
county  in  1786  comprised  five  regiments,  constituting  one  brigade,  of 
which  Frederick  Fisher  was  commander.  On  September  30,  1790,  a 
new  regiment  was  organized  and  Col.  Volkert  Veeder  was  promoted  to 
the  command  of  the  brigade.  In  1791  this  new  regiment  was  divided, 
thus  creating  another.  A  reorganization  was  made  at  this  time  by 
which  Jonas  Piatt  became  commander  of  a  troop  of  horse,  and  John 
Franks  commander  of  a  company  of  artillery,  all  remaining  in  the  one 
brigade.  On  March  3,  1792,  the  militia  of  the  western  part  of  Her- 
kimer county  (including  Onondaga  county  territory)  was  formed  into 
two  battalions,  the  first  of  which  was  officered  by  men  whose  names 
must  be  prominent  in  these  pages,  as  follows:  Moses  De  Witt  and 
Asa  Danforth,  majors;  Hezekiah  Olcott,  Asa  Danforth,  jr.,  and  Josiah 
Buck,  captains;  Jeremiah  Gould  and  Orris  Curtis,  lieutenants.  The 
other  battalion  was  located  farther  west.  On  the  9th  of  October,  1793, 
the  militia  of  the  county  was  organized  into  a  brigade,  with  Patrick 
Campbell  in  command.  At  the  same  time  changes  were  made  in  the 
battalions  of  Majors  De  Witt  and  Danforth.  Jeremiah  Gould,  James 
Clarke,  and  Samuel  Forman  were  appointed  captains;  Comfort  Tyler, 
Samuel  Jerome,  James  Green,  John  Lamb,  and  Elijah  Phillips,  lieu- 
tenants; Ichabod  Lathrop,  David  Williams,  Jesse  Butler,  Robert  Pat- 
erson,  and  Benjamin  Parsons,  ensigns.  Nearly  or  quite  all  of  these 
were  Onondaga  count)'  men. 

<  )n  the  17th  of  March,  1794,  after  the  erection  of  Onondaga  county, 
companies  of  light  infantry  were  attached  to  both  of  these  battalions 
mentioned;  and  on  the  8th  of  April,  1795,  the  militia  of  Onondaga  and 
<  >ntario  counties  was  organized  into  one  brigade  with  Othniel  Taylor, 
brigadier-general;  he  was  succeeded  in  August,  1798,  by  Edward  Paine, 
and  at  the  same  time  Hezekiah  Olcott  succeeded  Lieut. -Col.  Asa 
Danforth,  who  was  removed.  In  17(.)!>,  after  Cayuga  county  was  set 
off  from  Onondaga  count)',  the  militia  of  that  county  was  formed  into 
''lie  I  and  on  Hie  22d  of  January,  1800,  an  order  was  issued  com- 

manding the  organization  of  a  brigade  to  comprise  all  the  militia  of 
daga  county.      Asa  Danforth  was  commissioned  brigadier- general 


THROUGH  THE  WAR  OF  1812.  205 

in  command.  The  brigade  comprised  four  regiments,  among  the  offi- 
cers of  which  were  many  prominent  citizens  of  this  county — Elisha 
Alvord  (father  of  Thomas  G.  Alvord),  Nehemiah  Earll,  Gordon  Need- 
ham,  Levi  Hiscock,  Medad  Curtis,  Benjamin  and  James  Wood,  Orris 
Curtis,  and  others.  Colonel  Danforth  resigned  his  post  toward  the 
close  of  1803  and  on  March  2,  1804,  Col.  Robert  Earll  was  appointed  to 
the  vacancy.  In  1808  three  new  companies  were  raised  for  Col.  Earll 's 
regiment,  one  of  which  was  a  company  of  grenadiers,  of  which  Elisha 
Alvord  was  commissioned  captain ;  Joshua  Forman,  lieutenant;  Elijah 
Phillips,  ensign.  With  the  erection  of  Cortland  county  in  1808,  the 
brigade  was  divided,  and  Lieut. -Col.  Isaac  Hall  was  commissioned 
brigadier-general  of  the  Onondaga  brigade.  In  February,  1809,  a  com- 
pany of  horse  artillery  was  raised  for  General  Earll's  regiment.  Main- 
changes  and  promotions  were  made  previous  to  and  during  the  war  of 
1812,  which  must  be  passed  over.  The  regimental  organizations  and 
their  colonels,  from  1801  to  1812,  may  be  summarized,  beginning  with 
the  formation  of  the  27th  Brigade  from  the  four  regiments  then  con- 
stituting the  county  militia,  which  were  numbered  from  one  to  four 
inclusive: 

First  Regiment — (Col.  Jeremiah  Gould)  Jeremiah  Jackson,  March  10, 
L802;  David  Williams,  March  7,  1803;  Thomas  Olcott,1  March  2.  1804- 
Isaac  Hall,  March  22,  1806;  Thaddeus  M.  Wood,  March  31,  1809. 
This  regiment  became  the  147th,  under  the  new  system  of  numbering 
adopted  in  1812. 

Second  Regiment — (Col.  Elijah  Phillips),  Nehemiah  Earll,  March  10, 
1802;  John  Ellis,  May  31,  1809;  Jacob  De  Puy,  February  11,  1811; 
Christopher  Clark,  April  1,  1812.      This  regiment  became  the  98th. 

Third  Regiment — (Col.  Robert  Earll),  John  Ellis,  May  2,  1802;  Seba 
Brainard;  James  Rathbone,  March  22,  1806;  Levi  Lawrence,  March 
21,  l!->09;  Warren  Hecox,  February  11,  1811.  This  regiment  became 
the  159th. 

Fourth  Regiment — (Colonel  Hopkins),  James  Knapp,  March  S,  1803. 
On  the  6th  of  April,  1807,  a  new  regiment  was  formed  composed  of 
Major  St.  John's  battalion  and  a  part  of  Colonel  Knapp's  regiment, 
with  Major  St.  John  as  colonel.  He  commanded  the  regiment  until 
February   11,    1811,  when  Jacob  Johnson  was  appointed  his  successor 

1  Thomas  Olcott  was  a  brother  of  Hezekiah  Olcott,  both  (if  whom  were  early  and  prominent 
residents  of  the  county.  The  former  joined  the  local  militia  in  August,  1798,  was  made  a  captain 
in  1800,  major  in  1803  and  lieutenant-colonel  in  1804.     He  resigned  in  1806. 


206  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

and  held  the  position  until  March  22,  1816.  Major  St.  John's  battalion 
was  formed  March  2,  1804.  This  regiment  became  the  62d,  and  Colonel 
Knapp  was  promoted  to  brigadier-general. 

In  the  beginning  of  1812  there  were  these  four  regiments,  and  a 
fifth,  which  was  numbered  the  16th.  The  nucleus  of  this  was  drawn 
from  Capt.  Jacob  Chandler's  company  in  Col.  Nehemiah  Earll's  regi- 
ment March  10,  1802.  On  the  21st  of  March,  1809,  a  battalion  was 
formed  out  of  Colonel  Lawrence's  regiment,  comprising  the  militia  of 
the  towns  of  Camillus,  Lysander  and  Hannibal.  Captain  Chandler 
was  appointed  major  commanding.  In  the  general  changes  of  Febru- 
ary 11,  1811,  this  was  formed  into  a  regiment,  and  Major  Chandler  was 
appointed  lieutenant-colonel.  At  that  time  these  five  regiments  con- 
stituted the  27th  Brigade. 

On  the  23d  of  May,  1812,  a  battalion  of  riflemen  was  organized  for 
service  in  the  impending  war,  with  Charles  Mosely  major  commanding. 
It  was  ordered  to  Sackett's  Harber  and  was  disbanded  at  the  close  of 
the  war.  During  the  ensuing  four  years  many  changes  were  made  in 
the  militia  and  Onondaga  county  was  at  all  times  well  represented. 
Such  well  known  names  as  Oliver  Teall,  Richard  C.  Johnson,  Freeborn 
G.  Jewett,  Daniel  Gott,  Johnson  Hall,  Amos  P.  Granger,  and  many 
others  appear  in  the  records. 

Leonard  Kellogg,  of  Manlius  (publisher  of  the  Herald  of  the  Times 
in  1808),  was  commander  of  an  independent  rifle  corps  which  was 
ordered  into  service  in  the  war  of  1812  and  took  part  in  the  battle 
of  Queenston.  It  was  among  the  brave  few  who  crossed  the  river  on 
that  occasion  and  behaved  with  gallantry,  receiving  the  commendation 
of  the  commanding  general. 

Thaddeus  M.  Wood  held  the  office  of  lieutenant-colonel  at  the  break- 
ing out  of  the  war  and  marched  with  his  command  to  Oswego,  when 
that  post  was  threatened. 

Military  preparations  were  made  and  minor  events  occurred  on  the 
northern  frontier  and  in  near  proximity  to  Onondaga  county  in  1812. 
Provisions  were  early  made  for  a  naval  squadron  on  Lake  Ontario,  in 
view  of  the  facility  with  which  the  British  could  occupy  its  waters  for 
offensive  demonstrations.  At  each  end  was  an  important  military 
gateway  through  which  the  enemy  could  send  expeditions  to  act  upon 
water  or  land.  At  the  beginning  of  the  conflict  the  only  armed  vessel 
on  the  lake  was  the  Oneida,  but  all  available  craft  were  promptly  pur- 
chased by  the  government  and  armed,  among  them  being  several  that 


From  Photo  bv  Jos.  I.  H.  Wright.      THE    OLD    ARSENAL. 


a^  re.   on.  ASG  ft 


"*FENCS«^i 


MAP  OF  ARSENAL  GROUNDS. 


THROUGH  THE  WAR  OF  1812.  207 

had  been  employed  in  the  commerce  of  the  port  of  Oswego.  Commo- 
dore Isaac  Chauncey  made  his  headquarters  at  Sackett's  Harbor  in  the 
fall  of  1812,  and  with  several  vessels  blockaded  Kingston  until  the  ice 
closed  it  in.  Late  in  the  autumn,  in  anticipation  of  an  attack  upon 
Ogdensburg,  Gen.  Jacob  Brown  was  sent  thither,  where  he  arrived 
October  1.  He  was  none  too  early,  for  on  the  next  day  a  flotilla  of 
British  vessels  with  about  750  men  from  Prescott  attacked  the  place. 
They  were  soon  repulsed. 

The  old  Onondaga  Arsenal  was  built  in  181'2,  under  authority  of  an 
act  of  the  Legislature  passed  in  1808,  authorizing  the  governor  of  the 
State  to  deposit  500  stand  of  arms  at  Onondaga,  for  possible  use  on  the 
frontier,  with  such  other  military  stores  as  he  thought  necessarv  in 
case  of  an  invasion.  The  same  act  empowered  the  governor  to  provide 
at  the  expense  of  the  State,  a  suitable  place  for  the  deposit  of  such 
arms  and  stores,  and  to  appoint  keepers  thereof.  A  site  on  the  high 
bluff  east  of  the  village  of  Onondaga  Valley  was  selected  and  the  stone 
structure,  the  ruins  of  which  still  overlook  the  beautiful  valley,  was 
erected  and  for  a  period  was  used  for  military  purposes. 

The  following  is  a  copy  of  the  deed  given  to  the  State  for  the  land 
on  which  the  old  arsenal  stands,  taken  by  permission  from  the  only 
duplicate,  which  is  in  possession  of  Carroll  E.  Smith  of  Syracuse: 

This  Indenture  made  this  23d  day  of  October,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  One  Thou- 
sand Eight  Hundred  and  Nine  between  Cornelius  Longstreet  and  Deborah  his  Wife 
of  the  town  and  County  of  Onondaga  of  the  first  part,  and  the  People  of  the  State  of 
New  York  of  the  second  part  Wituesseth  that  the  said  party  of  the  first  part  in  con- 
sideration of  the  sum  of  $5. CO  to  them  in  hand  paid  by  the  said  party  of  the  second 
part,  receipt  whereof  is  hereby  acknowledged,  have  given,  granted,  bargained,  sold, 
remised,  released,  aliened  and  confirmed  and  by  these  presents  do  give,  grant,  bar- 
gain, sell,  remise,  aliene  &  confirm  unto  the  said  people  for  the  purpose  of  erecting 
an  Arsenal  or  other  publick  building  or  buildings  for  the  use  and  benefit  of  the  said  peo- 
ple all  that  certain  piece  or  parcel  of  land  situate  lying  and  being  in  the  town  and  County 
aforesaid  being  a  part  of  Lot  Number  One  Hundred  and  twenty  in  the  late  Onondaga 
Reservation  and  bounded  and  described  as  follows  Beginning  Eight  chains  and 
twenty  Eight  links  South  Seventy  seven  degrees  East  from  the  North  East  corner 
of  George  W.  Olmsted's  house  on  the  east  hill  in  Onondaga,  thence  North  thirteen 
degrees  East  Ten  rods,  thence  South  Seventy  seven  degrees  East  Twenty  four  Rods 
thence  South  Thirteen  degrees  West  Ten  Rods,  thence  to  the  place  of  beginning 
containing  One  Acre  &  one  half  of  land — And  also  the  right  of  passing  to  and  from 
the  said  premises  in  any  manner  and  in  any  direction  which  the  said  People  or  their 
proper  Agent  or  Officer  shall  from  time,  to  time  elect  and  also  the  right  of  making 
and  Repairing  from  time  to  time  such  road  or  roads  as  the  said  People  or  their 
proper  Agent. or  Officer  shall  also  choose  to  occupy. 


208  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Together  with  all  and  singular  the  hereditaments  &  appurtenances  thereunto  be- 
longing or  in  any  wise  appertaining  to  this  reversion  &  reversions  remainder  or  re- 
mainders—To have  and  to  hold  the  premises  aforesaid  in  manner  aforesaid  &  for  the 
purposes  aforesaid  unto  the  said  party  of  the  second  part  forever.  And  the  said  par- 
ties of  the  first  part  do  for  themselves  their  heirs  executors  and  administrators  Cove- 
nant grant  and  agree  with  the  said  party  of  the  second  part— that  they  will  warrant 
and  defend  the  said  people  in  the  quiet  and  peaceable  possession  of  the  said  premises 
against  all  persons  claiming  or  to  claim  the  premises  aforesaid  and  that  they  will  ex- 
ecute in  due  process  of  Law  &  acknowledge  such  other  and  further  conveyance  of  the 
premises  as  the  said  people  shall  elect  to  be  signified  by  their  proper  agent  or  public 
officer  the  more  effectually  to  invest  the  said  premises  and  the  right  thereof  in  the 
said  people  for  the  purposes  aforesaid  which  said  other  and  further  conveyance  shall 
be  at  the  proper  charges  and  expense  of  the  said  people. 

/;/  testimony  whereof  the  parties  have  put  their  hands  and  seals  the 
day  and  year  first  aforesaid. 

Corn8  Longstreet. 

Deborah  Longstreet. 
(  Ine  line  in  first  page  interlined  before  signing.     Signed  sealed  and  delivered  in  our 
presence. 

William  H.  Sabin. 

John  Adams. 

state  of  New  York  |  gg 
Onondaga  County    \  *'  ' 

Be  it  understood  that  on  the  23d  day  of  October,  Eighteen  Hundred  and  Nine  per- 
sonally appeared  before  me  one  of  the  Judges  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  in  and 
for  the  County  of  Onondaga,  Cornelius  Longstreet  and  Deborah  his  wife  within 
named  and  described  and  acknowledged  that  they  did  sign  seal  &  deliver  the  within 
Instrument  as  their  voluntary  Act  and  deed  for  the  purposes  therein  mentioned  and 
further  that  the  said  Deborah  being  examined  separate  and  apart  from  her  said  hus- 
band acknowledged  that  she  executed  the  same  as  aforesaid  freely  and  voluntarily 
without  any  fear  threat  or  compulsion  of  and  from  her  said  husband — and  I  having 
examined  the  same  do  allow  it  to  be  recorded. 

Asa  Danforth, 
One  of  the  Judges  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas 

in  and  for  the  County  of  Onondaga. 
( Endorsed) 

No.  94  1809  October  23. 
nel'  Longstreet  &  Wife  to  the  People  of  New  York.     Deed   \\  acre  part  120 
Onon".     Filed  January  11,  1812,  by  the  Comptroller  Onondaga  Arsenal. 

State  of  New  York  i 
tary's  <  >ffi<  i  -   j 

m  Lib.  I  of  State  Releases  Page  175  the  26th  September,  1815. 

Arch'1  Campbell,  Dep.  See. 

During  the  year  L813    while  the  march  of  military  events  was  rapid, 

there  is  litth   to  record  of  a  local  character.     Sackett's  Harbor  was  the 

hi'  i  di  pot  of  military  and  naval  supplies  on  Lake  Ontario,  and  pre- 


THROUGH  THE  WAR  OF  1812.  209 

sented  a  tempting  prize  for  the  enemy.  About  noon  of  May  28,  1813, 
Sir  James  L.  Yeo,  commanding  the  British  squadron,  arrived  <>ft 
Sackett's  Harbor  from  Kingston,  with  six  armed  vessels  and  forty 
bateaux  carrying  more  than  1,000  troops.  The  harbor  was  feebly  pro- 
tected and  a  prompt  assault  would  have  resulted  in  its  capture ;  but  the 
appearance  of  a  few  American  gun  boats  transporting  a  regiment  to 
its  relief,  frightened  away  the  enemy  for  that  day.  An  attack  was 
made  on  the  following  day,  the  British  landing  on  Horse  Island  and 
the  Americans  believing  the  place  would  be  taken,  burned  stores  worth 
$500,000.  The  British,  seeing  the  hurrying  to  and  fro  of  the  citizens 
on  the  land,  fled  in  disorder  to  their  vessels  and  the  whole  squadron 
sailed  away.      Sackett's  Harbor  was  not  again  molested. 

In  the  month  of  June  several  armed  vessels  of  the  British  appeared 
off  Oswego  Harbor.  They  opened  fire  on  Fort  Ontario,  then  garri- 
soned by  a  small  force  of  regulars  under  Major  Case.  Anchored  in  the 
harbor  at  the  time  was  the  American  vessel,  Growler,  of  three  guns. 
She  replied  vigorously,  as  did  also  the  fort  batteries,  and  after  a  brief 
cannonade  the  enemy  retired. 

In  1812  a  brilliant  young  naval  officer,  twenty-seven  years  of  age, 
had  charge  of  fleet  of  gun  boats  in  New  York  harbor.  In  1813  he  was 
called  north ;  served  a  short  time  on  Lake  Ontario  under  Commodore 
Chauncey;  and  was  then  given  command  of  an  armed  fleet  of  nine 
small  vessels  on  Lake  Erie,  a  body  of  water  the  possession  of  which 
was  to  the  Americans  second  only  in  importance  to  Lake  Ontario. 
This  young  officer's  name  was  Oliver  Hazard  Perry.  His  flag  ship  was 
the  Lawrence.  On  September  10  he  encountered  the  British  squadron 
and  after  a  desperate  and  bloody  battle  the  enemy  was  defeated  with  a 
loss  of  200  killed  and  600  prisoners.  Perry  announced  his  victory  to 
General  Harrison  by  sending  his  famous  dispatch,  "We  have  met  the 
enemy  and  they  are  ours." 

Operations  were  active  also  on  the  Niagara  frontier  during  1813  and 
culminated  on  the  last  day  of  the  year  in  the  burning  of  Buffalo  and 
Black  Rock,  a  deed  which  the  British  justified  by  the  previous  burning 
of  Newark  on  the  other  side  of  the  river  by  the  Americans. 

Early  in  1814  it  became  evident  that  the  British  intended  a  more 
vigorous  prosecution  of  the  war.  The  victory  of  the  allies  over  Napo- 
leon had  relieved  from  European  service  thousands  of  English  soldiers, 
and  early  in  the  summer  nearly  15,000  of  Wellington's  bronzed  veterans 
were  sent  over  to  Canada.  People  throughout  New  York  received  this 
27 


210  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

news  with  deep  concern.  During  the  winter  and  spring  the  military 
authorities  on  both  sides  of  the  St.  Lawrence  and  the  lakes  made  prep- 
arations for  a  determined  struggle  with  Lake  Ontario  as  the  prize. 
Commodore  Chauncey  was  adding-  largely  to  his  fleet  at  Sackett's  Har- 
bor, which  was  finally  armed  with  guns  and  provided  with  stores  which 
were  sent  from  Albany  by  way  of  the  Mohawk,  Oneida  Lake  and  down 
the  Oswego  River,  and  from  Oswego  to  Sackett's  Harbor  by  water. 
This  armament  was  delayed  at  Oswego  Falls,  and  there  were  large 
quantities  of  military  stores  accumulated  at  Oswego.  With  all  these 
valuable  and  necessary  supplies  feebly  protected  and  with  Commodore 
Chauncey  practically  tied  up  at  Sackett's  Harbor  awaiting  their  arrival, 
an  auspicious  opportunity  was  presented  to  the  British  for  an  attack  on 
Oswego.  They  promptly  took  advantage  of  the  situation,  but  with 
only  partial  success. 

No  sooner  had  the  ice  left  Kingston  harbor  than  Sir  James  Yeo 
sailed  out  upon  the  lake  with  a  fleet  of  eight  war  vessels,  several  other 
fighting  craft,  and  a  force  of  about  3,000  men,  with  Oswego  as  his 
destination.  As  soon  as  General  Gaines  (Edmund  P. ),  then  in  command 
of  Sackett's  Harbor,  learned  that  a  fleet  was  preparing  to  sail  from 
Kingston,  he  sent  Colonel  Mitchell  with  five  artillery  companies  about 
300  strong,  armed  as  infantry,  to  Oswego  with  orders  to  protect  the 
stores  there  at  all  hazards.  Mitchell  arrived  at  Fort  Ontario  on  April 
:5it  and  found  a  wretched  state  of  things — five  rusty  guns  only  on  the 
ramparts  and  dilapidation  and  ruin  on  all  sides.  Alvin  Bronson,  who 
was  in  charge  of  the  military  stores,  had  in  the  mean  time  received 
orders  from  the  quartermaster  to  stop  all  stores  moving  northward  at 
( )swego  Falls  and  to  forward  those  at  Oswego  to  Niagara  and  Sackett's 
Harbor,  as  far  as  possible,  concealing  the  remainder  as  best  he  could. 
In  executing  these  instructions  he  secreted  a  large  quantity  of  stores  in 
the  surrounding  forests.  The  schooner  Growler,  under  command  of 
Captain  Woolsey,  with  Lieutenant  Pierce  on  board,  lay  in  the  river 
awaiting  an  opportunity  to  transport  supplies  to  Sackett's  Harbor. 

The  British  fleet  appeared  off  Oswego  on  the  5th  of  May,  carrying  an 

ament  of  •.'•>(>  guns.     The  troops  on  board  were  under  command  of 

it.  Gen.  Sir  George  Gordon  Drummond,  who  had  commanded  the 

.  on  I  Slack  Rock  and  Buffalo  in  the  preceding  December.     When 

reveille    sounded   that  morning  the  line  of   British  vessels,   their 

cannon    menacing    from    gunwale    and    porthole,    was    seen     standing 

towards  the  harbor  undei  a  favoring  breeze.     Colonel  Mitchell's  action 


THROUGH  THE  WAR  OF  1812.  211 

was  prompt  and  as  effective  as  his  comparatively  feeble  force  would 
permit.  He  dispatched  horsemen  at  full  speed  into  the  surrounding 
country  to  call  in  the  militia,  while  he  prepared  to  defend  the  post.  The 
Growler  was  sunk  in  the  river  and  Lieutenant  Nelson  with  a  part  of 
the  crew  joined  Mitchell  at  the  fort. 

When  the  enemy's  fleet  had  come  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  the 
fort  they  hove  to  and  made  preparations  to  land.  Meanwhile  Colonel 
Mitchell  sent  an  old  twelve- pounder  with  a  squad  under  Captain  Boyle 
down  near  the  shore  a  little  to  the  west  of  the  fort.  Under  a  heavy 
cannonade  from  the  fleet,  fifteen  boats  filled  with  troops  now  rowed 
rapidly  toward  the  shore.  Mitchell  at  the  same  time  returned  the  fire 
of  the  vessels  with  such  vigor  as  was  possible  from  his  feeble  guns. 
But  it  was  the  old  twelve-pounder  on  the  shore  which  proved  the  most 
effective.  As  soon  as  the  boats  approached  within  close  range  it  was 
discharged  among  them  with  disastr&us  effect,  killing  and  wounding 
many  of  the  British.  Two  or  three  of  the  shattered  boats  were  aban- 
doned, their  crews  clambering  into  other  boats,  and  after  a  few  shots 
from  the  old  piece,  the  flotilla  rowed  away  to  the  vessels,  which  soon 
set  sail  and  disappeared  in  the  distance. 

On  the  morning  of  the  6th  the  British  fleet  returned  and  the  man-of- 
war  Magnet  sailed  up  to  a  point  in  the  offing,  while  ten  other  vessels 
came'  in  towards  the  mouth  of  the  river,  the  remainder  of  the  fleet 
taking  about  the  same  position  as  on  the  previous  day.  A  cannonade 
was  opened  by  the  vessels  about  ten  o'clock,  to  which  the  fort  re- 
sponded with  its  feeble  battery.  A  large  part  of  the  enemy's  shot  flew 
high.  The  militia  were  posted  in  the  woods  and  underbrush  to  protect 
the  secreted  stores.  All  but  one  of  the  fort  guns  were  silenced  before 
one  o'clock.  Many  other  militia  arrived  during  the  day,  some  of  whom 
were  from  Onondaga  county,  but  most  of  them  too  late  to  be  of 
service. 

Again  the  British  troops  left  their  vessels  in  a  flotilla  of  small  boats, 
and  in  spite  of  the  fire  of  the  old  twelve-pounder  and  from  the  fort, 
they  landed  and  gained  the  top  of  the  bank.  The  American  troops 
under  Mitchell  met  the  enemy  as  they  landed  and  the  engagement  that 
followed  was  hotly  contested.  But  the  British  outnumbered  the 
Americans  two  to  one  and  there  could  be  but  one  result.  The  British 
had  already  pressed  forward  over  the  ramparts  of  the  fort,  seeing  which 
Mitchell  gave  the  order  to  retreat,  to  prevent  his  little  force  from  being 
surrounded  and  captured.      His  battalion  fell  back  in  good  order  and 


212  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

took  their  line  of  march  up  the  river.  The  enemy  fortunately  did  not 
pursue.  It  is  doubtful  if  they  knew  that  the  principal  valuable  stores 
and  guns  were  at  Oswego  Falls,  and  even  if  they  had,  their  loss  had 
been  such  and  the  road  through  the  forest  was  so  easily  defensible, 
that  it  is  not  probable  they  would  have  followed.  The  Americans  lost 
six  killed,  thirty-eight  wounded  (thirteen  mortally)  and  twenty-five 
missing.  The  British  loss  is  reported  by  Lossing  at  nineteen  killed 
and  seventy-five  wounded.  Five  prominent  citizens  of  Oswego  were 
captured  and  carried  on  board  the  British  vessels,  taken  to  Kingston, 
but  were  released  in  a  short  time.  vStrange  as  it  seems  under  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  war,  the  British  did  not  occupy  Fort  Ontario,  and  it 
remained  without  another  garrison  until  1838. 

The  sound  of  the  cannonading  at  Oswego  in  this  battle  was  heard 
for  miles  around  and  caused  intense  anxiety,  which  did  not  subside 
until  the  close  of  the  war.  After  the  battle  most  of  the  militia,  which 
had  arrived  too  late  to  be  of  assistance,  returned  home  carrying  news 
of  the  disaster  through  the  settlements.  The  residents  of  Onondaga 
county  shared  in  the  general  apprehension,  on  account  of  their  exposed 
situation  and  proximity  to  the  regular  highway  from  the  east  to  Lake 
Ontario  and  the  west.  .  Dread  of  a  renewal  of  Indian  atrocity  and  all 
the  other  horrors  of  a  border  war  drove  many  from  near  the  frontier  to 
the  interior. 

Colonel  Mitchell  on  his  retreat  proceeded  to  Oswego  Falls  to  guard 
the  stores  at  that  point,  obstructing  the  road  over  which  he  passed  with 
fallen  trees.  It  was  now  more  than  ever  important  to  remove  these 
stores  to  Sackett's  Harbor,  especially  the  large  guns  for  the  vessels. 
To  attempt  to  do  this  by  way  of  the  lake,  now  patrolled  by  the  British 
fleet,  was  impracticable.  In  the  emergency  Captain  Woolsey  sent  a 
proposal  to  Commodore  Chauncey  to  transport  them  along  the  lake 
shore  in  open  boats  to  the  mouth  of  Stony  Creek  about  twelve  miles 
west  of  vSackett's  Harbor,  thence  up  that  creek  and  overland  to  Hen- 
derson harbor.  The  plan  was  approved  and  the  troops  ordered  to  co- 
operate in  the  movement.  The  heavy  stores  consisted  chiefly  of  thirty- 
five  large  guns  and  the  cable  for  the  Superior,  which  weighed  9,600 
pounds.  The  precious  freight  was  loaded  into  nineteen  large  open 
boats,  manned  by  a  strong  force  of  oarsmen,  and  130  riflemen,  while 
L50  Oneida  warriors  were  engaged  to  meet  the  boats  at  the  mouth  of 
Salmon  River.  The  flotilla  left  Oswego  harbor  on  the  28th  of  May. 
A    boat  lost    from  the  flotilla   in   a  fog  of  that   night  revealed   to   the 


THROUGH  THE  WAR  OF  1812.  213 

British,  who  found  it,  the  character  of  the  movement;  the  vigilant 
Woolsey  also  foresaw  the  result  of  this  misfortune.  He  made  a  desper- 
ate effort  to  reach  the  mouth  of  Big  Sandy  Creek  with  his  boats  and 
at  the  same  time  hurried  off  a  messenger  to  Sackett's  Harbor  for  re- 
inforcements. The  boats  again  put  out,  the  oarsmen  bent  ardently  to 
their  task,  and  the  Oneida  warriors  marched  faithfully  abreast  on  the 
shore.  At  noon  the  flotilla  reached  the  mouth  of  the  creek  and  pro- 
ceeded a  mile  up  the  stream.  When  Sir  James  Yeo  learned  of  the  ex- 
pedition from  his  cruiser  which  had  found  the  lost  boat,  he  sent  two 
gunboats,  three  cutters  and  a  gig  to  intercept  the  Americans.  This 
squadron  learned  of  the  presence  of  the  Americans  in  the  creek  towards 
night,  and  in  the  same  afternoon  a  company  each  of  cavalry  and  ar- 
tillery dashed  through  the  woods  from  Sackett's  Harbor,  followed  a 
little  later  by  a  company  of  infantry.  They  made  immediate  prepara- 
tions to  give  the  enemy  a  warm  reception.  Big  Sandy  Creek  in  that 
vicinity  flows  through  a  flat  country  and  its  banks  were  covered  with 
bushes.  The  boats  lay  just  above  a  bend  in  the  stream,  while  the 
troops  were  stationed  near  them,  with  the  riflemen  and  Indians  hidden 
in  the  bushes  below.  The  British  squadron  hung  near  the  mouth  of 
the  creek  through  the  night  of  the  28th,  confident  of  capturing  their 
rich  prize  in  the  morning.  With  the  approach  of  daylight' the  vessels 
proceeded  up  the  creek  and  when  in  sight  of  the  Americans,  opened 
fire.  The  boats  of  the  latter,  setting  low  in  the  water,  were  but  little 
harmed.  Now  landing  a  flanking  party  on  either  side,  the  British 
moved  forward,  pouring  grape  and  canister  into  the  bushes.  Many  of 
the  Indians  fled  when  the  artillery  fire  began,  while  the  riflemen  lay 
flat  upon  the  ground  to  escape  the  bullets,  and  bided  their  time.  As 
the  vessels  neared  their  ambush,  the  riflemen  arose  and  poured  upon 
them  a  relentless  fire.  Many  of  the  enemy  fell  under  this  storm  of 
lead,  and  at  the  same  time  the  American  artillery  opened.  The  re- 
mainder of  the  story  is  briefly  told.  In  ten  minutes  after  the  Ameri- 
cans opened  fire  the  British  commander  surrendered  his  whole  force, 
having  lost  eighteen  killed  and  fifty  wounded ;  there  were  170  prisoners. 
One  rifleman  and  one  Indian  wounded  was  the  insignificant  loss  to  the 
Americans.  The  victory  was  complete  and  the  capture  large  and  im- 
portant. The  cannon  and  stores  were  safely  taken  on  to  Sackett's 
Harbor,  the  fleet  was  armed  and  Commodore  Chauncey,  suffering  from 
illness,  was  carried  on  board  on  the  31st  of  July  and  his  fleet  sailed  up 
the  lake.      He  blockaded   Kingston  and  vainly  endeavored  to  draw  Sir 


214  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

James  Yeo  into  action.  With  the  completion  at  Kingston  in  Septem- 
ber of  a  man-of-war  of  112  guns,  Commodore  Chauncey  prudently  re- 
turned to  Sackett's  Harbor,  where  prompt  measures  were  adopted  to 
cope  with  the  enemy.  The  keels  of  two  first  class  frigates  were  laid 
and  one  of  these  was  far  advanced  when  peace  was  declared.  Her  hull 
stood  until  recent  years  when  it  was  sold  to  a  citizen  of  Syracuse  and 
broken  up.  When  the  ice  closed  in  on  the  lake  for  the  winter  the  war 
had  ended  on  the  northern  frontier. 

Other  principal  military  operations  of  the  year  1814,  ending  with  the 
final  victory  of  General  Jackson  at  New  Orleans,  January  8,  1815,  were 
those  at  Fort  Erie,  July  3,  and  August  13-15;  at  Lundy's  Lane  July  25; 
on  Lake  Champlain,  and  at  Plattsburgh  September  11;  at  Chippewa 
October  15,  and  the  victories  of  Decatur  and  others  on  the  sea. 

A  treaty  of  peace  was  agreed  to  between  commissioners  of  the  United 
States  and  those  of  Great  Britain,  at  Ghent  on  December  24,  1814,  and 
ratifications  were  exchanged  at  Washington  February  17,  1815.  It 
provided  for  a  mutual  restoration  of  all  conquered  territory,  and  for 
three  commissions — one  to  settle  the  title  to  islands  in  Passamaquoddy 
Bay;  one  to  lay  out  the  northeastern  boundary  of  the  United  States  as 
far  as  the  St.  Lawrence;  and  the  third  to  run  the  line  through  that 
river  and  the  lakes  to  the  Lake  of  the  Woods.  The  settlement  of  all 
other  minor  matters  was  embraced  in  the  treaty.  The  reception  of  the 
news  in  this  country  spread  joy  throughout  the  land,  although  the 
treaty  was  criticised  in  some  quarters,  chiefly  because  immunity  from 
search  or  impressment  had  not  been  secured.  The  news  of  the  peace 
reached  New  York  city  February  11,  1815,  and  banquets  and  illumina- 
tions followed,  not  alone  in  the  metropolis,  but  in  all  principal  cities 
and  villages.  No  one  is  living  to  tell  us  what  he  saw  in  the  little  vil- 
lages of  Onondaga  county  when  the  glad  news  came  slowly  northward  ; 
but  we  may  well  believe  that  in  proportion  to  numbers  of  population, 
the  joy  and  exultation  .of  our  peace-loving  settlers  were  demonstrated 
with  the  same  enthusiasm  displayed  elsewhere  throughout  the  country. 

During  the  progress  of  the  war  civil  affairs,  necessarily  neglected  in 
some  sections  of  the  State,  moved  forward  in  Onondaga  county.  Im- 
migration, however,  received  a  marked  check.  Considerable  legisla- 
tion was  enacted  relating  to  projects  bearing  more  or  less  local  inter- 
est, and  especially  with  the  object  of  promoting  and  improving  facili- 
1  munication  and  transportation  through  and  within  the 
Stat--;  some  of  this  has  been  noticed.      From  1792  down  to  about  1806 


THROUGH  THE  WAR  OF  1812.  215 

the  system  of  water  communication  projected  and  finally  established 
by  the  Western  Inland  and  Lock  Navigation  Company  between  Albany 
and  Central  New  York  received  frequent  attention  from  the  Legisla- 
ture, and  when  finished  became  of  vast  importance  in  the  settlement 
and  prosperity  of  this  part  of  the  State.  On  the  northern  borders  and 
across  a  section  of  this  county  by  way  of  Oneida  Lake  and  the  Seneca 
River,  traffic  and  travel  in  the  early  years  of  the  century  were  large. 

In  April,  1796,  it  was  enacted  that  Seth  Phelps,  William  Stevens  and 
Comfort  Tyler  (the  last  two  Onondaga  county  men)  should  serve  as 
commissioners  to  ''make,  repair  the  highways  already  laid  out  or  which 
may  be  laid  out  therein"  (Onondaga  county).  They  were  enjoined  to 
expend  $2,000  on  the  Great  Genesee  Read.  The  fund  was  to  come 
from  the  surplus  money  arising  from  the  sale  of  State  lots  in  the  various 
towns. 

On  the  10th  of  April,  1804,  the  surveyor  general  was  directed  by  law 
to  lay  out  250  acres  "  where  the  road  running  south  from  the  village  of 
Salina  crosses  the  road  running  east  and  west  through  the  lots  in  the 
Indian  Reservation,  appropriated  for  the  use  of  the  salt  works,  and  sell 
the  same  at  vendue  on  the  first  of  June  next,  at  the  hotel  in  the  village 
of  Utica."  The  money  thus  raised  was  to  be  expended  by  Moses  Car- 
penter, John  Young,  and  James  Geddes  "in  improving  the  road  run- 
ning from  lot  oS,  in  Onondaga  to  lot  49,  in  Manlius."  On  the  same 
date  a  law  was  passed  naming  William  I.  Vredenburgh  and  f  asper  Hop- 
per, commissioners  to  expend  $1,500  of  the  money  arising  from  the  salt 
springs  in  enlarging  and  repairing  the  wharf  at  Salina;  repairing  and 
improving  the  road  from  Salina  along  the  northeast  shore  of  the  lake; 
draining  stagnant  waters  near  the  salt  springs  and  in  clearing  the  rivers 
adjacent  from  logs  and  other  obstructions.  The  road  mentioned  along 
the  lake  was  further  improved  under  act  of  April,  1806,  at  an  expense 
of  $800. 

On  the  4th  of  April,  1805,  an  act  was  passed  incorporating  a  com- 
pany under  the  name  of  "The  President,  Directors  and  Company  of 
the  Onondaga  Salt  Spring  Turnpike,"  and  naming  Anson  Cary,  Henry 
Whiting,  jasper  Hopper,  and  William  I.  Vredenburgh,  commissioners, 
to  open  a  road  from  Oxford  village  "northerly  and  westerly  by  the 
most  eligible  route  through  Pompey  or  Marcellus  to  the  Salt  Springs," 
also  a  branch  from  Pompey  or  Marcellus  to  the  outlet  of  Skaneatelcs 
Lake. 

Meanwhile  in  1803-4  what  was  known  as  the  Cherry  Valley  turnpike 


216  ONONDAGA'S   CENTENNIAL. 

was  opened,  extending-  from  Cherry  Valley  westward  through  Otsego 
county  to  Cazenovia,  and  thence  to  intersect  the  Seneca  turnpike  in 
Manlius,  with  the  option  of  going  otherwise  through  Pompey  and  Mar- 
cellus  to  intersect  the  Seneca  turnpike  at  the  outlet  of  Skaneateles 
Lake.  It  was  in  1804  also  that  commissioners  were  authorized  to  lay 
out  a  highway  from  Salina  to  the  northwest  corner  of  Galen  and  thence 
westward  to  the  Genesee  River. 

The  Salina  and  Chenango  Turnpike  Company  was  incorporated 
April  6,  1807,  with  Thaddeus  M.  Wood,  John  Ballard,  Ira  Seymour, 
Reuben  Cross,  and  Daniel  Hudson,  commissioners;  Elisha  Alvord  was 
a  member  of  the  company,  which  was  authorized  to  open  a  road  south- 
ward from  Salina  through  Onondaga  Hollow,  Tully,  Homer,  Virgil, 
Cincinnatus  and  Lisle.  These  were  all  important  thoroughfares,  and 
others  secondary  in  importance  were  soon  established.  Before  the 
spring  of  1813  there  had  been  180  turnpike  companies  incorporated  in 
the  State  of  New  York.  Those  whose  roads  passed  into  or  through 
Onondaga  connty  were  the  First  Northern  Company,  incorporated 
April  1,  1799;  the  Great  Northern  Company,  incorporated  April  4, 
1805;  the  Great  Western  Company,  incorporated  March  15,  1799;  the 
Second  Great  Western  Company,  incorporated  April  4,  1801 ;  the  Third 
Great  Western  Company,  incorporated  April  4.  1803;  the  Fourth  Great 
Western  Company,  incorporated  March  28,  1805;  the  Manlius  and 
Truxton,  incorporated  April  9,  1811;  the  Military  Road,  April  6,  1808; 
the  Onondaga  Salt  Spring  Company,  incorporated  April  4,  1805;  the 
Salina  and  Chenango  Company,  incorporated  April  6,  1807;  the  Seneca 
Turnpike  Company,  incorporated  April  1,  1800.  The  Skaneateles 
Turnpike  Company  was  incorporated  in  February,  1813,  and  the  time 
for  the  construction  of  their  road  was  afterwards  extended  to  1817. 

(  Hher  legislative  enactments  of  the  war  period  show  that  general 
progress  was  uninterrupted.  The  general  act  of  April  3,  1801,  divid- 
ing the  State  into  thirty  counties  and  giving  the  boundaries  of  each, 
S  I  lie  boundaries  of  Onondaga  county  as  follows: 

The  county  of  Onondaga  to  contain  all  that  part  of  the  tract  of  land  in  this  State 
commonly  called  the  military  tract,  set  apart  for  the  use  of  the  troops  of  the  line  of 
this  State  lately  serving  in  the  army  of  the  United  States,  which  is  bounded  easterly 
by  the  county  «>l  Chenango,  being  the  east  bounds  of  the  said  tract ;  north  and  north- 
■  ly  by  the  ( )neida  lake  and  the  Onondaga  or  Oswego  river,  issuing  therefrom  to 
M  empties  into  Lake-Ontario;  northwesterly  by  Lake-Ontario  from 
the  mouth  of  the  said  river  to  the  west  line  of  the  township  of  Hannibal,  in  the  said 
military  tract;  westerly  by  the  west  and  south  bounds  of  said  township  to  the  town- 


THROUGH  THE  WAR  OF  1812.  217 

ship  called  Lysander;  thence  on  the  west  line  of  Lysanderto  Cross-lake  in  the  Seneca 
river;  thence  in  the  straightest  direction  to  that  point  wher-e  the  west  line  of  the 
the  township  of  Camillus  touches  the  aforesaid  river ;  thence  on  the  west  line  of 
•  Camillus  to  the  south  line  thereof;  thence  easterly  along  the  said  south  line  to  the 
northwest  corner  of  the  township  of  Marcellus,  thence  along  the  westerly  and  south- 
erly lines  of  the  said  township  to  the  Skaneateles-lake ;  thence  southerly  on  the 
westerly  shore  of  the  same  to  the  township  of  Tully;  thence  between  the  town- 
ships of  Tully  and  Sempronius,  Homer  and  Locke,  Virgil  and  Dryden,  to  the  south 
bounds  of  the  said  Military  tract,  southerly  by  the  south  bounds  of  the  townships  of 
Virgil  and  Cincinnatus,  which  form  part  of  the  south  bounds  of  the  said  tract  as  the 
said  tract  and  townships  therein  have  been  laid  out  and  surveyed  by  the  surveyor- 
general  of  this  State. 

In  the  year  1801  some  of  the  streams  of  this  county  were  made  pub- 
lic highways  by  act  of  Legislature.  Thus,  on  the  8th  of  April,  Nine 
Mile  Creek,  "so-called,  from  its  entrance  into  the  salt  lake  to  the  north 
line  of  the  town  of  Marcellus  in  the  county  of  Onondaga,  and  the  out- 
let of  the  said  salt  lake  unto  the  fourth  line  of  the  Onondaga  Reserva- 
tion: the  two  branches  of  the  Chittenango  Creek,  known  by  the  names 
of  the  Limestone  and  Butternut  Creeks  until  the  first  falls  on  each  of 
the  same. "     Penalties  were  fixed  for  obstructing  either  of  these  streams. 

Meanwhile  the  legal  affairs  of  the  county  were  receiving  the  atten- 
tion of  the  supervisors  and  the  Legislature,  and  court  buildings  were 
provided.  A  section  of  the  act  of  March  22,  1803,  provided  that  after 
the  passage  of  the  act  the  courts  for  Onondaga  county  "  shall  be  holden 
in  the  building  erected  for  a  court  house  and  gaol,  in  the  town  of  On- 
ondaga; all  writs,  etc.,  returnable  at  the  house  of  Samuel  Tyler  in 
Onondaga,  on  the  4th  Tuesday  of  March  next,"  were  made  returnable 
at  the  new  court  house.  The  fact  that  the  new  building  did  not  pro- 
gress as  fast  as  anticipated  is  quaintly  shown  in  the  act  of  November 
12,  1804,  which  provides  that  the  next  courts,  "  in  case  the  inclemency 
of  the  weather  is  such  that  it  shall  be  inconvenient  to  hold  the  said 
courts  in  the  court  house  in  said  county,  to  adjourn  their  respective 
courts  to  such  other  house  in  the  town  of  Onondaga  as  they  may  deem 
proper."  The  building  was  not  wholly  finished  until  1810  as  detailed 
in  chapter  XXVI,  while  the  act  under  which  the  first  county  clerk's 
office  was  built  was  passed  March  26,  1813. 

The  original  Onondaga  county  had  been  reduced   in   area,    as  before 

stated,  in  1799,  by  the  erection  of  Cayuga  county.     On  the  8th  of  April, 

1808,  it  was  still  further  reduced  by  the  erection  of  Cortland  county, 

which  took  away  the  original  townships  of  Virgil,  Cincinnatus,  Homer, 

28 


218  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Solon,  and  the  south  half  of  Tully  and  Fabius,  an  area  of  485  square 
miles.  Five  towns  in  Onondaga  county  during  the  period  of  the  war, 
namely,  Tully,  Cicero,  Otisco,  Salina  and  Spafford,  in  all  of  which,  as 
well  as  in  the  other  towns  of  the  county,  the  progress  of  settlement, 
the  establishment  of  the  various  institutions  that  constitute  a  part  of 
every  civilized  community,  and  the  creation  of  homes  which  each  suc- 
ceeding year  saw  better  adapted  to  the  needs  and  comforts  of  their 
owners,  moved  onward  in  an  encouraging    and  commendable  way. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

FROM  1815  TO  1830. 

Events  of  Importance — Canal  Agitation — Construction  of  the  Erie  Canal — Its 
Business— Other  Canal  Schemes— Changes  in  Civil  Divisions— A  Glimpse  of  Syracuse 
and  Other  Villages  in  1821). 

With  the  dawn  of  peace  came  renewed  prosperity  to  Onondaga  county. 
It  is  not  known  how  many,  if  any,  of  the  settlers  in  this  county  left 
their  homes  permanently  or  temporarily,  on  account  of  the  proximity 
of  hostilities,  but  it  is  true  that  the  former  rapid-flowing  tide  of  im- 
migration to  this  county  and  farther  west  almost  ceased  during  the 
struggle.  All  this  was  changed  when  the  news  of  peace  spread  over 
the  land,  and  the  adventurous  and  ambitious  farmers  who  had  found 
their  prospects  somewhat  gloomy  among  the  rough  hills  of  New 
England,  and  the  merchants  and  mechanics  of  that  region  upon  whom 
tin-  consequences  of  the  war  had  fallen  with  grievous  severity,  inaugu- 
rated again  the  westward  march  that  was  not  to  cease  for  half  a  cent- 
ury. Onondaga  county  intercepted  and  held  her  full  share  of  the 
pion<  i  rs,  and  an  era  of  growth  began  which  was  to  continue  through 
many  prosperous  /ears.  Unfortunately  for  the  then  recent  settlers, 
ummer  of  L816  was  was  one  of  such  extreme  cold  as  to  cut  off  a 
large  part  of  tin-  crops.  Snow  fell  in  this  region  in  May,  and  on  the 
9th  of  June  there  was  a  heavy  frost  at  many  points,  while  the  entire 
■  a  was  most  unpropitious.  Provisions  of  all  kinds  commanded 
enormous  prices ;  flour  at  one  period   in   midsummer  reaching  $>16  per 


FROM  1815  TO  1830.  219 

barrel.      Want  was  general,  while  there  was  extreme  suffering  in  many 
individual  cases. 

It  was  on  March  1  of  1816  that  Oswego  county  was  erected,  taking 
with  it  from  Onondaga  county  the  town  of  Hannibal,  which  embraced 
that  part  of  the  Military  Tract  lying  north  of  Lysander  and  west  of  the 
Oswego  River.  In  the  winter  of  that  year  took  place  a  memorable 
event  in  the  results  of  which  this  county  was  to  largely  participate, 
although  the  scene  was  outside  of  the  county.  The  first  steamboat 
west  of  the  Hudson  River  was  built  at  Sackett's  Harbor  and  placed  on 
Lake  Ontario.  She  was  named  Ontario,  and  in  the  spring  of  181?  be- 
gan the  lake  traffic  by  steam.  Coincident  with  the  arrival  of  this  vessel 
at  OsWego  was  the  passage  on  April  15,  1817,  of  the  act  which  author- 
ized the  opening  of  "Navigable  communications  between  Lakes  Erie 
and  Champlain,  and  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  by  means  of  canals  connected 
with  the  Hudson  river. "  The  company  before  alluded  to  which  had 
opened  water  communication  between  Albany  and  Central  New  York 
was  not  successful  financially,  and  under  the  act  just  mentioned  the 
State  acquired  by  appraisal  and  condemnation  its  property  and  fran- 
chises, at  a  loss  to  the  corporation  of  about  $300,000,  the  State  being  a 
large  stockholder  it  shared  in  this  loss. 

Early  in  the  century  the  necessity  of  improved  internal  waterways 
forced  itself  upon  the  attention  of  the  people  of  the  State,  and  during 
several  years  before  the  war  of  1812  the  subject  of  connecting  the  Hud- 
son River  with  Lake  Erie  by  an  artificial  waterway  received  attention 
throughout  the  State.  The  people  of  Onondaga  felt  a  deep  interest  in 
this  project.  No  limited  section  of  the  State,  perhaps,  felt  so  pressing 
a  necessity  for  better  and  more  rapid  means  for  shipment  of  freight  as 
did  the  salt  district  of  this  county.  Judge  Joshua  Forman  was  elected 
to  the  Legislature  in  1807  with  special  reference  to  the  introduction  of 
this  subject  in  that  body.  He  was  eminently  qualified  for  the  work  and 
filled  with  enthusiasm  and  determination  in  relation  to  the  project. 
In  February,  1808,  he  procured  the  passage  of  a  joint  resolution  order- 
ing a  preliminary  survey  and  the  appointment  of  a  joint  committee. 
Three  routes  were  under  discussion  and  the  committee  was  predis- 
posed in  favor  of  the  one  by  way  of  Oswego;  as  a  consequence  all  three 
were  surveyed.  On  the  11th  of  April,  180S,  the  surveyor-general  was 
authorized  by  law  to  draw  on  the  State  treasury  for  such  sum  of  money 
as  might  be  required  to  make  the  survey  contemplated  by  the  joint 
committee,   not  to  exceed  $G<)0,  a  sum  ludicrously  insufficient   for  the 


220 


ONONDAGA'S   CENTENNIAL. 


purpose.     Judge  James  Geddes  was  appointed  to  make  the  survey  and 
began  the  work  under  the  following  instructions: 

As  the  provision  made  for  the  expenses  of  this  business  is  not  adequate  to  the  ef- 
fectual exploring  of  the  country  for  this  purpose,  you  will,  in  the  first  place,  examine 
what  may  appear  to  be  the  best  route  for  a  canal  from  Oneida  lake  to  Lake  Ontario, 
in  the  town  of  Mexico,  and  take  a  level  and  survey  of  it ;  also,  whether  a  canal  can- 
not be  made  between  the  Oneida  Lake  and  Oswego,  by  a  route  in  part  to  the  west 
of  the  Oswego  river,  so  as  to  avoid  those  parts  along  it  where  it  will  be  impracticable 
to  make  a  good  navigation.  The  next  object  will  be  the  ground  between  Lakes  Erie 
and  Ontario,  which  must  be  examined  with  a  view  to  determine  what  will  be  the 
most  eligible  track  for  a  canal  from  below  Niagara  Falls  to  Lake  Erie.  If  your 
means  will  admit  of  it,  it  would  be  desirable  to  have  a  level  taken  throughout  the 
whole  distance  between  the  lakes. 

This  preliminary  survey 
was  made  under  an  appro- 
priation of  only  $600,  but  it 
was  completed  by  Mr. 
Geddes  at  a  cost  exceeding 
the  appropriation  by  only 
$75,  and  his  report  was  made 
in  1809. 

The  canal  question  divid- 
ed parties  and  shaped  the 
politics  of  the  State.  Its 
discussion,  suspended  dur- 
ing the  war,  was  promptly 
renewed  at  its  close  and  con- 
tinued until  1816,  when  an 
act  was  passed  appointing 
commissioners  to  survey 
routes  and  make  estimates 
for  a  canal  from  the  Hud- 
son to  Lake  Erie.  On  the 
final  survey  Judge  Geddes 
and  Benjamin  Wright  were 
employed  by  the  commissioners  on  salaries  of  $1,500  a  year.  At 
tin  legislative  session  of  1816  a  memorial  was  presented,  signed  by 
more  than  100,000  persons,  calling  on  members  to  provide  for  the 
prosecution  of  the  work  without  delay.  In  Onondaga  county  Judge 
Forman    was    appointed    at    a   public    meeting   as    committee    to   pre- 


Joshua  Forman. 


FROM  1815  TO  1830. 


221 


pare  a  memorial  to  be  presented  to  the  Legislature.  At  a  large 
meeting  held  at  Onondaga  Hill  on  the  23d  of  February,  L816,  fudge 
Form  an  read  his  memorial,  which  was  approved,  and  a  committee 
was  appointed  from  the  several  towns  of  the  county  to  give  it  cir- 
culation and  procure  signatures.  More  than  3,000  persons  in  this 
county  signed  the  docu- 
ment. The  State  au- 
thorized a  loan  of  $1,- 
000,000,  and  the  section 
between  Rome  and  the 
Seneca  River  was  decid- 
ed upon  as  the  first  to  be 
commenced.  The  final 
estimate  of  the  cost  of 
the  entire  work  was  $5, - 
000,000.  Excavation  be- 
gan at  Rome,  with  ap- 
propriate ceremonies,  on 
the  4th  of  July,  1817. 
"  It  is,  perhaps,  a  singu- 
lar coincidence  that  the 
first  movement  in  the 
halls  of  legislation  rela- 
tive to  the  Erie  canal, 
was  made  by  a  member 
from  Onondaga — that 
the  first  exploration  was 

made  by  an  engineer  from  Onondaga — that  the  first  contract  was 
given  to,  and  the  first  ground  broken  by,  a  contractor  who  had  been 
several  years  a  resident  of  Onondaga,  and  all  of  whom  had  been 
Judges  of  our  County  Courts  and  Members  of  the  Legislature  from 
Onondaga."1  To  this  should  be  added  the  very  important  fact  that 
the  salt  makers  of  Onondaga  paid  more  than  one-half  of  the  entire 
of  the  canal,  by  a  tax  upon  the  household  necessity  which  they  manu- 
factured. The  first  ground  broken  in  this  county  was  by  Elias  Gumaer, 
of  Manlius,  and  several  other  Onondaga  men  had  contracts  on  the 
work. 


J  VMES    GeDD]  S. 


1  Clark's  Onon*  11,  p.  Gl. 


222  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

The  work  of  construction  went  rapidly  forward,  considering  tin- 
obstacles  encountered,  and  in  Governor  Clinton's  message  of  L820  he- 
reported  ninety-four  miles  finished  on  the  middle  section,  with  a  lateral 
branch  to  Salina.  On  the  21st  of  April,  1820,  the  first  packet  boat,  the 
Montezuma,  arrived  in  Syracuse  and  passed  on  to  Utica.  It  was  a 
memorable  event  for  Onondaga  county.  Crowds  had  gathered  at  the 
various  villages  along  the  route,  containing,  we  may  feel  sure,  a  gen- 
erous contingent  of  the  doubters  who  are  ever  present  on  such  occa- 
sions. The  boat  would  never  float  a  mile  in  that  ditch,  they  cried,  and 
the  determined  men  who  had  been  instrumental  in  its  construction  and 
thus  plunged  the  State  into  debt,  were  cheerfully  consigned  to  the  bot- 
tom of  the  canal.  But  when  the  Montezuma  came  floating  smoothly 
and  rapidly  by,  all  adverse  opinion  disappeared  like  a  wraith  and  ex- 
pressions of  ridicule  changed  to  exultant  shouts.  On  the  1st  of  June  of 
that  year  we  are  informed  by  a  current  advertisement  that,  "  boats  for 
the  accommodation  of  passengers  100  miles  on  the  canal  are  now  in 
( iperati<  >n  bv  the  '  Erie  Canal  Navigation  Company. '  They  sail  every  Mon- 
md  Thursday  morning  from  Utica  at  !>  o'clock  and  arrive  at  Canastota 
at  ~,  ]>.  m. ;  proceed  next  day  at  2  a.  m.  and  arrive  at  Montezuma  at  7  p.  m. 
Price  of  passage  including  provisions,  $1."  This  was  by  a  Utica  com- 
pany. To  the  usual  celebration  of  the  4th  of  July  was  added  a  general 
canal  celebration,  and  at  no  point  was  more  enthusiasm  displayed  than 
in  Syracuse,  where  most  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  county  gathered. 
Thaddeus  M.  Wood  was  president  of  the  day,  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pi  ndence  was  read  by  Nathan  P.  Randall,  the  Manlius  lawyer,  and  an 
oration  was  delivered  by  Samuel  Miles  Hopkins.  The  first  two  packets, 
the  Montezuma  and  the  Oneida  Chief,  with  other  early  craft,  came 
Laden  with  passengers,  among  whom  wTere  the  governor  and  many 
other  eminent  men.  Freight  boats  were  rapidly  added  to  the  canal 
fleet  and  new  companies  and  individuals  engaged  in  the  packet  busi- 
ness.     An  Albany  paper  of  the  spring  of  L823  said: 

The  whole  course  of  the  great  work    from  Utica  to   Rochester  exhibits  the  bustle 
and  stir  of  business.     The  amount  and  variety  of  productions  which  are  constantly 

Dg  and  repassing  upon  it  till  the  mind  with  astonishment.      It  is  the  flux  and  re- 
llux  oi  tide  "i   Wi  stern  wealth  and  Western  enterprise. 

Thee.,).  oil    of   the   canal    was    fully  consummated   when    water 

was  let  into  it  a'  Black  Rock  on  the  26th  of  October,  L825.  This  event 
was  duly  celebrated  by  the  passage  through  the  canal  from  Lake  Erie 
to    New    York,  of  a  lied  having'  on   board    the   governor  and  suite  and 


FROM  1815  TO  1830.  223 

many  other  prominent  men  of  the  State.  The  flotilla  stopped  at  the 
larger  villages  along  the  route,  including  Syracuse,  where  appropriate 
proceedings  were  conducted.  The  completion  of  the  great  work  was  a 
source  of  congratulation  throughout  the  State;  medals  were  struck 
commemorating  it,  canal  scenes  were  printed  on  earthenware,  handker- 
chiefs, etc.,  and  an  era  of  hopefulness  began. 

As  an  evidence  of  the  rapidity  with  which  the  canal  was  brought  into 
use,  and  of  the  great  change  in  transportation  wrought  by  it,  particu- 
larly as  regards  freight,  it  may  be  stated  that  the  number  of  canal 
boats  which  arrived  at  Albany  during  the  season  of  L823  was  L,329;  in 
1824  it  was  2,68*3  ;  in  1825  it  was  3,336;  and  in  1826  it  was  about  f.OOO. 
The  rate  for  transportation  on  the  turnpike  in  L826  was  one  and  one-half 
cents  per  mile;  on  the  canal  it  was  five  mills.  It  should  not,  however, 
be  inferred  that  all  passengers  deserted  the  stages  for  the  packet  boats. 
Canal  passage  was  still  tedious  beside  land  travel,  and  was  chosen 
chiefly  by  those  who  wished  to  lessen  the  fatigue  of  a  journey;  it  was 
avoided  where  saving  of  time  was  important.  Merchants,  bankers  and 
tradesmen  bound  to  or  from  the  metropolis,  lawyers  going  to  the  courts, 
and  all  who  must  needs  go  in  haste,  still  made  use  of  the  stages.  The 
old  coaches  held  a  large  measure  of  their  early  popularity,  even  after 
the  advent  of  the  oncoming  railroads,  when  the  rivalry  between  the 
three  modes  of  conveyance  was  intense  for  several  years.  The  Seneca 
Turnpike  Company,  which  had  feared  a  large  reduction  in  their  pas- 
senger traffic  by  canal  competition,  was,  on  the  contrary,  able  to  declare 
a  surplus  dividend  in  April,  L823.  In  explanation  of  this  act  the  com- 
pany made  the  following  public  statement : 

The  experiment  [of  operating  their  road  parallel  with  the  canal]  has  proved  the 
canal  to  be  very  beneficial  to  the  interest  of  the  road  company.  The  heavy  teams 
with  six  to  eight  horses  are  now  mostly  removed  from  the  road  in  consequence  of  the 
reduced  price  of  transportation,  and  the  light  travel  increased  by  the  natural  in- 
crease of  business  produced  by  the  facility  of  intercourse  with  New  York. 

Other  changes  wrought  by  the  canal  were  no  less  important  in  ( )non- 
daga  county  than  elsewhere  along  the  line.  The  growth  of  villages 
already  founded  and  which  were  touched  by  the  waterway,  received  a 
remarkable  impetus,  while  at  other  convenient  points  new  hamlets 
sprang  into  existence  and  drew  around  their  shipping  warehouses  the 
population  and  trade  previously  bestowed  upon  other  hitherto  busy 
places  off  the  canal  line,  the  latter  suffering  accordingly.  For  exam- 
ple,  in   the  western   part  of   the  county,  Jordan  grew    rapidly  at    the 


224  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

expense  of  Elbridge;  Memphis  (then  Canton)  drew  to  some  extent  from 
Van  Buren;  while  in  the  eastern  part  Fayetteville  (after  its  water  con- 
nection with  the  canal)  prospered  at  the  expense  of  Manlius;  and  Syra- 
cuse in  its  younger  clays  was  wonderfully  stimulated  by  the  great 
waterway.  And  the  farmers,  too,  and  the  manufacturers  throughout 
the  whole  country  found  at  the  numerous  warehouses  along  the  canal 
banks  a  far  more  convenient  as  well  as  more  active  and  remunerative 
market  than  before. 

The  marked  success  of  the  Erie  Canal  led  to  the  projection  of  nu- 
merous similar  undertakings  in  this  State,  most  of  which  never  went 
further  than  the  preliminary  legislation  under  which  they  were  pro- 
posed. The  routes  of  some  of  these  will  cause  the  reader  of  to-day  to 
smile.  One  was  from  Skaneateles  Lake  to  the  Erie  Canal ;  another 
from  Syracuse  to  Auburn;  another  from  Camillus  to  Onondaga  Lake; 
another  from  Brewerton  to  Salt  Point;  another  from  Salina  to  the  Sus- 
quehanna River;  another  from  Onondaga  Valley  to  the  Chenango 
River;  and  finally  one  from  Onondaga  Hollow  to  Syracuse.  This  last 
enterprise  was  started  by  the  inhabitants  in  the  Valley,  who  procured 
the  passage  of  the  necessary  act  of  Legislature  in  1824.  The  name  of 
the  company  was  the  Onondaga  Company,  and  George  Hall,  Joseph 
Swan,  Gordon  Needham,  Lewis  H.  Redfield,  and  their  associates  were 
the  incorporators  named  in  the  act.  Strong  efforts  were  made  to  carry 
the  project  through,  but  fortunately  without  success.  In  1823  the  first 
steps  were  taken  towards  establishing  slack  water  navigation  between 
Syracuse  and  ( )swego,  by  the  passage  of  an  act  of  Legislature  on  April 
22,  directing  the  canal  commissioners  to  cause  a  survey  to  be  made  of 
the  <  >swego  River  from  the  head  of  the  falls  to  Oswego,  and  to  report 
the  same  with  the  probable  expense  of  completing  the  canal  from  Salina 
to  Lake  Ontario.  At  first  it  was  contemplated  that  the  southern  ter- 
minus of  the  canal  should  be  at  Salina.  where  it  would  connect  with 
Onondaga  Lake.  The  act  authorizing  the  canal  passed  the  Legislature 
November  20,  L824.  On  the  20th  of  April,  1825,  an  appropriation  of 
$160,000  was  made  and  the  work  of  construction  began  in  182G.  The 
inhabitants  of  Oswego  had  strenuously  insisted  from  the  first  that 
water  communication  between  the  Hudson  and  Lake  Erie  ought  to  pass 
through  their  village  and  utilize  Lake  Ontario;  and  when  the  other 
was  adopted  they  labored  earnestly  for  the  canal  that  finally  cou- 
th the  Erie.  The  Oswego  Canal  was  finished  in  1828, 
:^  ;i  ,115.      It  constituted  a  new  element  in   the  growth  of 

Onondaga  county. 


FROM  1815  TO  1830.  225 

One  effect  of  opening-  these  canals  was  a  marked  change  in  the  in- 
dustries of  the  county.  Prior  to  this  wheat  and  other  grains  had  been 
grown  in  large  quantities  and  found  a  market  at  satisfactory  prices ; 
but  the  rapidly  increasing  shipments  eastward  of  the  products  of  the 
great  grain  fields  farther  west,  caused  the  farmers  of  this  county  to  turn 
their  attention  more  to  dairying  and  the  growing  of  other  crops  not  so  - 
much  affected  by  western  competition.  The  same  cause  also  induced 
many  who  found  grain-growing  less  profitable  with  passing  seasons,  to 
sell  out  and  "go  west."  Farms  in  this  vicinity  with  improvements 
were  sold  at  about  this  period  as  low  as  $10  an  acre.  Fruit-growing, 
too,  began  to  attract  attention  and  gradually  advanced  towards  its 
present  prominence. 

Meanwhile  territorial  and  other  changes  were  taking  place  affecting 
Onondaga  county.  Oswego  county  was  erected,  as  before  noted,  taking 
from  Onondaga  substantially  the  territory  now  embraced  within  the 
limits  of  the  former,  and  reducing  Onondaga  to  about  its  present  area. 
The  town  of  La  Fayette  was  formed  from  Pompey  and  the  Reservation 
April  15,  1825;  Clay  from  Cicero,  April  16,  1827;  Elbridge  and  Van 
Buren  from  Camillus,  March  26,  1829 ;  and  Skaneateles  from  Marcel- 
lus,  February  26,  1839.  By  this  time  (1830)  the  population  had  in- 
creased from  41,461  in  1820,  to  58,974. 

Under  an  act  of  the  Legislature  of  February  28,  1822,  a  work  was 
accomplished  of  considerable  importance,  especially  to  Salina  and  the 
salt  industry.  The  sum  of  $4,500  was  appropriated  out  of  moneys  re- 
ceived from  the  sale  of  State  lands,  to  be  expended  in  lowering  Onon- 
daga Creek  so  as  to  drain  a  large  section  of  the  marsh  lands  contiguous 
to  Salina.  Henry  Case,  Fisher  Curtis,  Ashbel  Kellogg,  Joshua  For- 
man,  Archy  Kasson,  John  Woodward,  and  the  superintendent  of  the 
salt  springs  were  appointed  commissioners  "for  draining  the  several 
swamps  and  marshes  according  to  the  act." 

We  gain  some  useful  as  well  as  quaint  information  regarding  this 
county  at  about  the  time  under  consideration,  from  an  old  history  of 
the  State,  written  by  James  Macauley  and  published  in  1829.  Of  the 
county  as  a  whole,  after  giving  its  boundaries,  area,  etc.,  he  wrote: 

It  was  erected  March  5,  1794,  and  is  subdivided  into  twelve  towns.  The  villages 
of  Manlius,  Jamesville,  Onondaga  Hollow,  Onondaga  Hill,  Marcellus,  Skaneateles, 
Onondaga  Castle,  Pompey,  Syracuse,  Salina,  Liverpool,  Geddesburg,  Camillus,  El- 
bridge, Jordan's  P6rt,  etc.,  are  in  this  county.  The  six  first  are  on  the  Seneca  turn- 
pike; the  seventh  is  south  of  the  turnpike,  and  is  an  Indian  village;  Syracuse,  Ged- 
29 


226  ONONDAGA'S    CENTENNIAL. 

desburg  and  Jordan's  Port,  are  on  the  Erie  canal;  Salina  is  on  the  Oswego  canal, 
and  Liverpool  on  the  east  shore  of  Onondaga  lake. 

The  writer  then  gives  us  the  following  glimpse  of  several  of  the  be- 
fore mentioned  villages : 

Syracuse  in  the  town  of  Salina,  in  the  county  of  Onondaga,  one  hundred  and  forty- 
three  miles  west  of  Albany.  At  present  it  contains  upwards  of  one  hundred  houses. 
It  has  been  built  since  the  middle  section  of  the  Erie  canal  was  made.  Considerable 
quantities  of. salt  are  fabricated  here  by  spontaneous  evaporation.  The  water  is 
brought  from  Salina,  distant  a  mile  and  a  half. 

Salina,  another  village  in  the  town  of  the  same  name,  is  one  mile  and  a  half 
northwardly  of  Syracuse,  and  near  the  head  of  Onondaga  lake.  It  is  built  on  a  mod- 
erate rise  of  ground,  and  contains  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  houses.  Between 
the  village  and  the  lake  a  marsh  which  contains  the  saline  springs  intervenes.  Its 
situation  is  unpleasant  at  this  day,  owing  to  the  uncultivated  state  of  the  marshes, 
swamps,  and  adjoining  parts.  Upwards  of  seven  hundred  thousand  bushels  of  salt 
have  been  manufactured  here  in  a  single  year.  The  Oswego  canal  now  construct- 
ing passes  through  it.     Salina  was  founded  in  1791. 

Liverpool,  in  the  same  town,  about  three  miles  north  northwestwardly  from  Salina 
is  on  the  east  side  of  Onondaga  lake ;  the  number  of  houses  are  about  fifty.  Salt  is 
manufactured  at  this  place. 

Geddysburg,  another  small  village  in  the  same  town,  is  at  the  head  of  the  lake  on 
the  Erie  canal,  one  mile  westwardly  of  Salina.  It  has  risen  since  the  construction  of 
the  canal,  and  has  about  fifty  houses.     Salt  is  made  at  it. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

FROM   1830  TO  1840. 

Era  of  Prosperity — Cholera — Railroads— Turnpikes — The  First  Bank — Financial 
Inflation  and  Wreck— The  "Patriot  War" — Illustrations  of  Salina  and  Syracuse  in 
1840. 

The  decade  between  1830  and  1840  was  one  of  great  importance  in 
the  history  of  Onondaga  county.  It  embraced  an  era  of  six  or  seven 
years  of  almost  unexampled  prosperity;  a  brief  succeeding  period  of 
ncial  disaster  and  ruin;  the  building  of  the  first  railroads  to  cross 
ounty;  an  increase  of  population  of  nearly  10,000,  and  the  projec- 
tion of  various  undertakings  destined  to  exert  a  clearly  visible  influ- 
ence upon  tin   community, 


FROM  1830  TO  1840.  227 

The  period  referred  to  (1830-1840)  was  one  of  general  prosperity 
throughout  the  Northern  States.  Development  was  rapid  in  all  direc- 
tions; land  sales  were  enormous,  particularly  in  cities  and  villages; 
money  was  plenty  and  a  spirit  of  speculation  and  expansion  came  into 
existence  which  could  have  but  one  final  result.  In  cities  and  villages 
where  there  were  indubitable  evidences  of  enterprise,  progress  and 
growth,  this  condition  of  affairs  was  especially  noticeable.  This  county 
felt  the  prevailing  tendency  of  the  time,  as  seen  in  the  record  of  the 
inauguration  of  many  speculative  and  other  undertakings,  both  public 
and  private. 

The  Asiatic  cholera  swept  over  the  country  in  1832,  creating  wide- 
spread dismay  and  carrying  to  sudden  and  terrible  death  many  good 
men  and  women.  It  found  its  most  plentiful  harvest  along  the  canal 
and  especially  in  the  larger  communities.  Hence  in  this  county  its 
ravages  were  almost  wholly  confined  to  Syracuse  and  its  near  vicinity, 
for  the. particulars  of  which  the  reader  is  referred  to  Chapter  XXVIII. 
Business  was  temporarily  checked  on  this  account,  but  with  the  disap- 
pearance of  the  disease  in  the  following  year  the  communities  took  up 
their  former  activities  with  vigor. 

Just  before  the  beginning  of  the  period  under  consideration  in  this 
chapter,  in  April,  1829,  A.  P.  Granger,  John  G.  Forbes,  Archy  Kasson 
(all  prominent  citizens  of  Syracuse),  and  Jedediah  Barber,  of  Homer, 
Andrew  Dickson,  of  Cortland,  and  Nathan  Dayton,  with  their  associ- 
ates, procured  an  act  of  Legislature  incorporating  the  Salina  and  Port 
Watson  Railroad  Company,  which  was  given  power  to  construct  a  rail- 
road from  Salina  to  Port  Watson,  a  little  hamlet  on  the  Tioughnioga 
River  a  mile  east  from  Cortland  village,  between  which  and  Bingham - 
ton  merchandise  had  been  shipped  in  considerable  quantities  by  water 
early  in  the  century.  It  has  already  been  noticed  that  measures  were 
taken  towards  constructing  a  canal  over  this  route  during  the  earlier 
period  of  canal  excitement.  The  commissioners  of  this  proposed  rail- 
road named  in  the  act  were  A.  P.  Granger,  Moses  D.  Burnet,  A.  Kas- 
son, Joseph  Slocum,  of  Syracuse,  and  some  others  from  along  the  line. 
It  was  a  precursor  of  what  was  soon  to  follow. 

The  first  movement  towards  the  construction  of  a  railroad  to  enter  or 
cross  the  county  from  which  actual  results  followed,  was  the  passage  of 
an  act  of  Legislature  on  May  1,  1834,  incorporating  the  Auburn  and 
Syracuse  Railroad  Company;  the  incorporators  were  Daniel  Sennett, 
Ulysses  F.  Doubleday,  Bradley  Tuttle,  John  Seymour,  Halsey  Phelps, 


228  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Stephen  Van  Anden,  David  Munro,  John  Wilkinson,  Grove  Lawrence, 
Hezekiah  Earll,  and  William  Porter,  jr.  Five  of  these  were  Onondaga 
county  men.  The  capital  stock  was  made  $400,000,  and  the  act  re- 
quired that  the  road  should  be  in  operation  within  five  years  after. 
The  company  was  formally  organized  in  January,  1835,  and  among  the 
directors  were  Henry  Raynor  and  Vivus  W.  Smith,  of  Syracuse. 
Work  was  begun  in  December,  1835,  and  on  January  8,  1838,  the  road 
was  opened  between  Auburn  and  Geddes.  The  track  was  made  with 
wooden  rails,  and  Sherwood's  stage  horses,  from  Skaneateles,  were  put 
on  to  draw  the  coaches.  This  method  of  travel  prevailed  until  June  4, 
1839,  when  the  first  steam  locomotive  was  put  on  the  road.  The  bridge 
across  the  old  mill  pond  was  finished  in  1839,  and  on  the  day  last  men- 
tioned an  excursion  train,  the  first  propelled  by  steam  in  this  county, 
was  run  over  the  line.  The  engine  which  drew  this  train  was  appro- 
priately named  Syracuse. 

This  railroad  was,  of  course,  a  rude  and  primitive  affair  in  compari- 
son with  the  great  lines  that  were  soon  to  succeed  it.  The  changes 
that  have  taken  place  in  railroading  are  eloquent  of  the  advancement 
of  fifty  years  past.  The  first  important  improvement  made  was  the 
substitution  of  flat  iron  rails  for  the  wooden  ones.  They  were  held 
down  to  the  string  pieces  by  spikes  driven  directly  through  them, 
which  often  became  loosened,  worked  upward,  and  the  ends  of  the 
rails  also  bending  upward,  would  sometimes  work  havoc  by  striking 
the  under  parts  of  cars  and  shooting  up  through  the  floor,  giving  them 
the  name  of  "snake  heads." 

Railroad  excitement  was  now  awakened  throughout  the  State.  The 
first  charter  for  a  railroad  in  the  United  States  to  do  a  general  trans- 
portation business  had  already  been  granted  in  1826  to  the  Mohawk 
and  Hudson  River  Railroad  Company,  to  construct  a  railroad  from 
Albany  to  Schenectady.  It  will  be  remembered  that  the  Erie  Canal 
had  then  just  come  into  full  use,  and  the  large  traffic  that  it  was  re- 
ceiving convinced  far-seeing  men  that  more  rapid  means  of  transpor- 
tation across  the  State  would  soon  be  required,  and  that  the  most  avail- 
able route  was  along  the  line  of  the  canal.  The  element  of  time  was 
becoming  a  large  factor  in  every  man's  business  and  influential  on  his 
profits  or  losses.  Hence  busy  brains  were  speculating  upon  ways  and 
■  is  and  possible  results  of  introducing  the  young  railway,  which 
ill  at  least  divide  the  canal  traffic  and  the  stage  passenger  business 
and  prove  a  profitable  investment.     A  charter  for  a  railroad  from  Utica 


FROM  1830  TO  1840.  229 

to  Schenectady,  where  it  would  connect  with  the  road  before  described, 
was  granted  in  1833.  The  capital  was  $2,000,000,  at  least  $100,000  was 
to  be  expended  within  two  years,  and  the  road  was  to  be  completed 
within  ten  years.  The  work  was  hurried  forward  and  the  line  was 
opened  for  business  on  the  2d  of  August,  1836.  These  pioneer  rail- 
roads paid  from  the  first  and  led  to  the  projection  of  numerous  others. 
In  1835-6  many  men  were  elected  to  the  Legislature  because  it  was 
known  that  they  would  favor  railroad  extension.  Among  them  and 
from  Onondaga  county  were  such  energetic  citizens  as  John  Wilkinson, 
who  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  early  railroads,  David  Munro  of  Camil- 
lus,  Sanford  C.  Parker,  of  Marcellus,  and  Daniel  Dennison,  of  Man- 
lius.  The  Legislature  of  1836  was  besieged  with  petitions  for  railroads 
in  all  parts  of  the  State.  Among  them  was  one  for  a  road  between 
Utica  and  Syracuse,  which  was  granted  on  May  11  of  that  year.  The 
capital  stock  was  $800,000.  Vivus  W.  Smith,  Miles  W.  Bennett, 
Thomas  J.  Gilbert,  Elihu  L.  Phillips,  Aaron  Burt  and  Horace  Wheaton 
of  this  county  were  among  the  original  appointees  of  the  act  for  con- 
structing the  road.  The  company  was  compelled  to  pay  the  Seneca 
road  company  for  any  damages  sustained  by  the  turnpike  in  construct- 
ing the  railroad,  and  to  pay  a  certain  toll  to  the  canal  commissioners 
on  all  freight  carried  by  the  railroad,  excepting  passengers'  baggage, 
during  the  canal  season.  The  original  charter  of  the  Schenectady  and 
Utica  road  prohibited  it  from  carrying  any  freight  whatever;  but  this 
prohibition  was  removed  by  the  Legislature  of  March  7,  1844.  Prior 
to  this  latter  date,  freight  was  carried  from  Schenectady  to  Utica  in 
winter  on  sleighs,  and  thence  on  westward  by  rail.  Oliver  H.  Lee,  of 
Syracuse,  was  the  engineer  m  charge  of  the  construction  of  the  Syra- 
cuse and  Utica  road  and  its  first  superintendent.  The  first  board  of 
directors  was  as  follows:  John  Wilkinson,  president;.  Charles  Stebbins, 
vice-president;  Vivus  W.  Smith,  secretary;  David  Wager  (of  Utica), 
treasurer;  Oliver  Teall,  Aaron  Burt,  Holmes  Hutchinson,  John  Town- 
send,  Horatio  Seymour,  James  Hooker,  Ira  Hawley,  John  Stryker, 
and  Samuel  French.  Many  of  these  were  prominent  citizens  of  this 
county. 

The  opening  of  these  roads,  the  parents  of  the  present  great  New 
York  Central  system,  was  of  vast  moment  to  Onondaga  county  and 
particularly  to  Syracuse.  While  for  quite  a  period  rivalry  between 
them  and  the  canal  and  the  stages  was  active,  they  received  a  large 
and  profitable  share  of  business  from  the  first,  and  were  indirectly   in- 


230  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

strumental  in  stimulating  industrial  and  commercial  activity  and  en- 
terprise in  all  directions.  The  same  influence  was,  moreover,  potent 
in  augmenting  the  financial  disaster  of  that  period. 

While  these  large  public  projects  were  progressing,  others  of  a  more 
private  character,  though  still  of  importance  in  the  development  of  the 
county,  were  either  projected  or  actually  undertaken.  Among  these 
were  many  besides  the  railroads  that  were  designed  to  provide  better' 
means  for  internal  transportation.  The  Syracuse  and  Tully  Turnpike 
Company  was  incorporated  by  an  act  of  the  Legislature  on  the  25th  of 
April,  1831,  the  commissioners  named  in  the  act  being  Joseph  Slocum, 
Nicol  Howell,  and  Benjamin  D.  Sniffin.  They  were  authorized  to  con- 
struct a  turnpike  from  the  Hamilton  and  Skaneateles  turnpike  in  Tully 
to  Syracuse,  and  to  charge  certain  tolls  thereon.  There  were  1,000 
shares  of  $20  each.  Another  similar  project  was  the  incorporation  of 
the  Syracuse  and  Pulaski  Turnpike  Company,  April  23,  1831,  with 
Moses  U.  Burnet,  of  Syracuse,  Gurdon  Williams,  of  Salina,  and  Avery 
Skinner,  Hastings  Curtiss,  Orvil  Hungerford,  and  Elisha  Camp,  com- 
missioners. Again,  on  the  24th  of  April,  1833,  the  Salina  and  Oswego 
Turnpike  Company  was  incorporated,  with  Peter  Sken  Smith,  Abra- 
ham P.  Grant,  Jonathan  Case,  John  G.  Forbes,  and  Sylvester  F.  Peck, 
commissioners.  Several  of  these  were  Onondaga  men.  The  route  of 
their  road  is  obvious  from  the  title. 

<  Mi  May  21,  L836,  the  "  Syracuse,  Cortland  and  Binghamton  Railroad 
Company  "  was  incorporated,  among  the  numerous  similar  projects  that 
were  destined  to  wait  the  passing  of  years  before  they  were  realized. 
Another  was  the  "Jordan  and  Skaneateles  Railroad  "  incorporated  May 
6,  L837,  the  object  of  which  is  apparent  in  the  title.  All  the  commis- 
sioners were  prominent  citizens  of  the  western  part  of  the  county. 
Along  the  northern  line  of  the  county  transportation  was  to  befacilitated 
by  the  improvement  of  the  Oneida  River,  under  legislative  act  of  April 
29,  L839.  The  commissioners  were  authorized  to  borrow  $75,000  with 
which  to  make  the  river  navigable  for  steamboats. 

Two  wholly  local  enterprises  were  projected  in  this  year  by  the  in- 
corporation of  the  Syracuse  and  Onondaga  Railroad,  the  commissioners 
for  which  writ'  Vivus  W.  Smith,  James  Beardslee,  Elam  Lynds,  Dan- 
Elliott,  and  Henry  Kaynor,  who  were  authorized  to  build  a  railroad 
"from  Syracuse  to  the  stone  quarries  in  the  town  of  Onondaga,"  and 
•  i '"ii  .in.  I  Syracuse  Railroad  Company,  with  Dean  Richmond, 
James  Beardsley,  John  L.  Stevens,  J.   H.  Parker,  and  James  Manning, 


FROM  1830  TO  1840.  231 

as  incorporators.  At  about  the  same  time  a  company  was  formed  and 
incorporated  to  construct  a  road  "from  Syracuse  to  Benedict's  stone 
quarries;"  these  were  on  the  south  half  of  farm  lot  88  in  Onondaga. 

All  of  these  undertakings  indicate  the  spirit  of  enterprise  that  was 
abroad  during  that  period.  To  meet  the  financial  requirements  of  the 
time  the  Onondaga  County  Bank  was  incorporated  on  April  15,  1830, 
by  F.  G.  Jewett,  Samuel  L.  Edwards,  Elisha  Litchfield,  Matthew  Van 
Vleck,  Otis  Bigelow,  Aaron  Burt,  Moses  S.  Marsh,  OliverTeall,  Oliver 
R.  Strong,  John  Wilkinson,  William  H.  Sabin,  Charles  Jackson,  and 
Herman  Jenkins — all  men  of  character  and  prominence  in  Syracuse 
and  the  several  towns.  Two  years  later,  April,  1832,  the  Bank  of 
Salina  was  incorporated  by  Nehemiah  H.  Earll,  Nathaniel  Munro, 
Ashbel  Kellogg,  David  Munro,  Moses  D.  Burnet,  Thomas  J.  Gilbert, 
Hezekiah  Strong,  Charles  A.  Baker,  and  Albert  Crane. 

Among  the  larger  manufacturing  industries  that  were  in  operation  in 
the  county  in  1836,  as  stated  in  the  old  Gazetteer,  were  two  furnaces, 
and  two  cotton  mills,  besides  the  prosperous  salt  interest. 

The  winter  of  1835-3G  was  a  very  severe  one  and  great  falls  of  snow 
and  intense  cold  prevailed.  The  poor  suffered  severely  in  Syracuse  and 
other  villages  and  cities,  in  some  of  which  appropriations  of  money 
were  made  for  the  purchase  of  firewood. 

It  is  difficult  for  the  young  or  middle  aged  conservative  business 
man  of  to-day  to  understand  the  wild  and  reckless  operations  which  led 
to  the  financial  panic  of  1836-37.  The  prime  cause  of  the  panic  rested 
in  the  very  financial  foundation  of  the  government  as  developed  by  the 
policy  of  General  Jackson  and  in  antagonism  to  that  policy  by  the 
United  States  Bank  and  its  connections.  While  the  tide  was  rising, 
banks  multiplied  in  various  parts  of  the  country  and  their  managers, 
who  had  thus  become  able  to  control  large  resources  in  the  depreciated 
currency,  engaged  heavily  in  real  estate  and  other  speculations,  in- 
dulged extravagently  in  living  beyond  their  means,  thus  aiding  in  turn- 
ing the  heads  of  their  more  conservative  neighbors.  Prices  of  lands 
and  all  kinds  of  goods  were  greatly  inflated,  money,  such  as  it  was,  was 
plenty,  easily  obtained  and  as  readily  spent,  while  securities  in  the 
form  of  notes  and  mortgages  passed  current  in  heavy  volume.  Usuri- 
ous rates  of  interest  were  common,  money  commanding  from  three  to 
five  per  cent  a  month,  with  a  large  demand  at  even  those  rates.  This 
apparent  anomaly  was  created  by  the  fact  that  many  persons  were  led 
into  borrowing  at  the  enormous  rates  in  the  hope  that  with   the  money 


232  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

thus  obtained  they  could  realize  immense  profits.  Thus  whole  com- 
munities were  drawn  into  the  whirlpool.  Upon  the  subject  of  actual 
gains  by  the  mere  transfer  of  land  titles  from  hand  to  hand,  and 
always  at  greatly  enhanced  prices,  men  otherwise  sane  seemed  to  have 
-one  mad.  Tracts  of  land  changed  hands  at  prices  which  in  some 
cases  have  never  since  been  reached.  The  general  and  inevitable 
crash  was  precipitated  by  President  Jackson's  "specie  circular,"  which 
required  all  payments  for  public  lands  that  had  been  eagerly  located  in 
the  west,  to  be  made  in  specie,  and  the  withdrawal  of  deposits  from 
the  United  States  Bank.  All  values  dropped  more  rapidly  than  they 
had  risen  and  bankruptcy  appeared  on  every  hand.  As  a  rule  the 
larger  villages  suffered  the  most,  for  obvious  reasons.  Every  day  in 
the  public  rooms  of  the  old  Syracuse  House  gathered  knots  of  anxious 
speculators,  many  of  whom  had  there  seen  their  fortunes  rapidly  aug- 
menting, as  they  believed,  in  those  same  rooms,  consulting  upon  the 
gloomy  prospect  and  bewailing  the  condition  of  affairs.  A  sale  of 
land  on  Prospect  Hill  was  made  in  those  days  at  $1,000  an  acre  to  a 
New  York  man,  referring  to  which  a  local  newspaper  said  the  land  was 
"very  uneven"  and  would  cost  another  $1,000  an  acre  to  level  it, 
adding  that  it  was  "worthy  of  observation  that,  notwithstanding  the 
great  scarcity  of  money,  real  estate  has  risen  in  this  village  during 
the  last  six  months  nearly  one  hundred  per  cent."  It  will  be  correctly 
inferred  that  this  rather  optimistic  view  was  not  borne  out  by  the 
events  of  the  next  year  or  two.  A  general  suspension  of  specie  pay- 
ments by  banks  followed. 

As  far  as  relates  to  Onondaga  county  at  large  it  may  be  stated  that 
it  was  less  affected  by  the  monetary  stringency  than  almost  any  other 
section  of  the  State.  The  reason  for  this  is  clear.  There  was  no 
large  city,  nor  any  very  large  villages  within  its  bounds;  but  what  was 
of  still  more  importance  in  sustaining  it  through  the  crisis  was  the 
source  of  steady  inflow  of  revenue  existing  in  the  salt  industry,  which 
permeated  throughout  the  county.  While  business  depression  was 
i lent  and  individual  disaster  frequent,  there  was  no  such  wholesale 
l  nin  and  real  panic  as  existed  in  man)-  less  favored  localities.  For  the 
same  reason,  too,  recuperation  was  more  prompt  than  in  many  places 
and  1  uning  of  the  next  decade  saw  renewed  evidences  of  pros- 

perity on  every  hand. 

Th<-  "  Patriot  War  "  was  the  dignified  name  applied  to  a  hopeless  and 
profitless  attempt  to  invade  Canada  and  free  it  from  English  rule  made 


FROM  1830  TO  1849.  233 

in  1838  by  a  small  army  of  filibusters.  The  actual  scenes  were 
fortunately  far  removed  from  Onondaga  county,  but  among  the  so- 
called  arm}'  were  thirty-five  residents  of  the  county.  Nine  of  these 
were  Germans.  Several  expeditions  were  made  from  various  points, 
all  based  upon  the  presumption  that  they  would  concentrate  at  or  near 
Ogdensburg,  cross  the  river  and  be  joined  by  hosts  of  dissatisfied 
Canadians.  The  details  of  these  expeditions  need  not  be  followed 
here;  let  it  suffice  to  state  that  the  last  body  of  men  to  join  the  abor- 
tive attempt  consisted  of  250  volunteers/ led  by  Gen.  S.  Von  Schultz, 
one  of  the  nine  Onondaga  county  Germans,  and  when  they  reached  the 
Canadian  shore  not  a  man  was  there  to  join  the  band.  The  battle  of 
the  Windmill  (at  Windmill  Point)  followed  and  the  invaders  were  soon 
overpowered  by  the  Canadian  soldiery  and  captured  almost  to  a  man. 
Von  Schultz,  being  the  leader,  was  tried  by  court  martial  at  Kingston 
and  was  executed  on  the  8th  of  December,  1838.  Martin  Woodruff 
and  Christopher  Buckley,  of  this  county,  subordinate  officers,  were  also 
executed  a  little  later.  Among  the  remaining  eight  who  were  executed 
was  Leman  Leech,  of  Liverpool.  Many  of  the  volunteers  were  mere 
boys,  some  of  whom  were  exiled  to  Van  Diemen's  Land  and  were 
released  under  the  '  amnesty  act  of  1849.  The  others,  mostly  the 
younger  ones,  were  pardoned  and  permitted  to  return  home.  This 
summary  punishment  greatly  incensed  the  people  of  Northern  New 
York,  and  meetings  were  held  in  various  places  where  expressions  of 
sympathy  were  made  for  the  unfortunate  victims,  with  protests  against 
their  execution.  One  of  these  meetings  was  held  at  the  court  house  in 
Syracuse  and  was  largely  attended.  A  long  list  of  resolutions  was  pre- 
pared by  Vitus  W.  Smith.  Of  the  persons  captured  at  Windmill 
Point  the  following  besides  Von  Schultz,  Buckley,  Leech  and  Wood- 
ruff were  residents  of  this  county:  Cornelius  Goodrich,  Chauncey 
Mathews,  Calvin  Mathews,  Nelson  J.  Griggs,  Joseph  Wagner  and 
Charles  Woodruff,  of  Salina;  Nathan  Whiting  and  Giles  Thomas,  of 
Liverpool ;  Edward  Holmes,  Peter  Meyer,  and  Edward  A.  Wilson,  of 
Pompey;  Hiram  Sharp  and  Hiram  Kinney,  whose  residence  is  not 
known. 

The  two  accompanying  plates  and  their  descriptive  text  are  repro- 
duced from  the  Historical  Collection  of  the  State  of  New  York,  a  some- 
what rare  volume  published  in  1841,  and  are   of  interest  in  connection 

with  the  history  of  this  period ; 
30 


234 


ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 


The  above  is  a  southeastern  view  of  the  village  of  Salina  and  salt  works,  as  viewed 
from  an  elevation  called  Prospect  Hill,  which  rises  on  the  eastern  side  of  Syracuse 
village.  The  Oswego  canal,  which  forms  a  junction  with  the  Erie  canal  at  Syracuse, 
is  seen  on  the  left.  The  lake  is  seen  in  the  distance.  The  central  part  of  Salina  is 
one  and  a  half  miles  north  of  Syracuse.  It  is  probable  that  the  two  villages  in  the 
course  of  a  few  years,  by  the  increase  of  population,  will  be  blended  into  one. 
Salina  village  lies  upon  a  plain  rising  near  the  center  of  the  marsh.  It  contains  three 
churches,  a  bank,  and  eighty-six  salt  manufactories.  The  village  of  Liverpool  is 
about  four  and  one-half  miles  north  of  Syracuse,  on  the  lake  and  Oswego  Canal,  con- 
sisting of  about  sixty  houses. 


'I  he  annexed  view  is  ;i  western  view  of  the  central   part   of  Svraeuse,  showing  the 

Syracuse  House,  and  some  other  buildings  in  the  vicinity.     This  vil- 

h  now  has  a  city-like  appearance,  was  incorporated  in  18535,  contains  about 


FROM  1840  TO  THE  CIVIL  WAR.  235 

700  houses,  the  county  buildings,  one  Episcopal,  one  Presbyterian,  one 'Methodist, 
and  one  Baptist  church,  a  bank,  and  two  newspaper  establishments.  The  Syracuse 
Academy  is  a  fine  brick  edifice  four  stories  high,  with  an  observatory,  spacious 
grounds,  etc.  The  Syracuse  House  is  of  brick,  four  stories  high,  and  is  one  of  the 
most  splendid  establishments  of  the  kind  in  the  State. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

FROM  1S40  TO  THE  CIVIL  WAR. 

Increase  in  Population — Agricultural  Development — The  First  Plank  Road — The 
Direct  Road — The  Syracuse  and  Oswego  Railroad — The  Syracuse  and  Binghamton 
Railroad — The  Telegraph — Public  Buildings — The  "Jerry  Rescue" — The  Financial 
Panic  of  1857. 

During-  the  period  to  which  this  chapter  is  devoted  Onondaga  county 
increased  in  population  from  67,915  in  1840,  to  70,175  in  1845;  to 
85,890  in  1850;  86,5T5  in  1855,  and  to  90,686  in  1860.  Of  this  last 
number  about  28,000  were  in  Syracuse,  which  had  gained  in  the  pre- 
ceding decade  about  6,000.  While  these  figures  do  not  show  a  phe- 
nomenal growth,  it  is  true  that  the  increase  was  healthy  and  permanent 
in  character. 

By  the  year  1840  the  cloud  of  business  and  financial  depression  which 
had  enveloped  the  country  had  passed  away,  and  a  period  of  nearly 
twenty  years  succeeded  which  was  marked  by  general  prosperity  in 
which  this  county  shared. 

Between  1820  and  1860  the  agricultural  industry  of  the  county  ex- 
perienced important  changes  made  necessary  to  meet  new  conditions  of 
markets,  new  and  better  knowledge  of  soil  characteristics,  etc.  In  the 
early  years  wheat  was  the  most  important  product,  because  it  found 
the  readiest  market,  though  not  always  at  very  remunerative  prices. 
The  market  price  in  Syracuse  in  1825  ranged  from  37^4  to  62^4  cents, 
but  this  was  unusually  low.  In  the  next  year  it  brought  75  cents;  in 
1827,  SI  cents;  in  1828  the  same,  and  in  1829  from  $1.13  to  $1.25. 
But,  as  already  said,  the  fact  that  it  could  always  be  sold,  and  gener- 
ally for  cash  or  its  equivalent  if  desired,  kept  its  production  large  for 
many  years.  Many  large  flouring  mills  were  built  before  the  war 
period  in  several  of  the  towns,  all  tending  to  keep  the  demand  for 


236  ONONDAGA'S   CENTENNIAL. 

wheat  active.  But  with  the  opening  of  the  canal  and  the  later  railroads 
came  the  inevitable  in  this  regard.  Wheat  was  raised  in  immense 
quantities  in  the  rich  Genesee  country  and  farther  west  in  this  State, 
and  even  beyond  its  bounds,  and  it  had  to  be  sold,  if  at  all,  to  the  east- 
ward of  where  it  was  produced.  This  opened  up  a  competition  which 
has  not  ceased  to  this  clay. 

The  farmers  of  Onondaga  and  contiguous  counties  turned  their  at- 
tention to  other  products  when  wheat  was  no  longer  profitable,  and  the 
quantity  grown  gradually  diminished  until  now  it  is  little  more  than 
sufficient  for  home  uses.  One  of  the  most  important  features  of  the 
change  was  the  introduction  in  two  or  three  of  the  towns  of  the  cultiva- 
tion of  tobacco  about  1855,  which  soon  became  a  very  important  prod- 
uct and  so  continues  to  the  present.  (See  history  of  Lysander  and 
Van  Buren).  More  attention  was  also  given  to  dairying  with  the  pass- 
ing years  until  it  became  and  still  is  an  important  feature  of  the  agri- 
cultural industry  in  the  county.  Fruit  growing,  and  the  production  of 
barley  and  other  grains  were  largely  increased  during  the  period  under 
consideration  and  aided  in  keeping  a  stable  balance  between  the  sur- 
plus products  of  the  county  and  the  markets  sought  for  them. 

During  the  first  half  of  the  century  the  farmer  in  the  rural  districts 
was  compelled  to  haul  his  surplus  products  over  considerable  distances 
to  market  at  the  country  store,  or  along  the  canal  or  railroad,  and  fre- 
quently over  almost  impassable  roads.  This  was  an  ever-present 
source  of  complaint  as  well  as  of  actual  loss,  even  as  it  is  to-day,  and 
eventually  led  to  the  inauguration  of  a  line  of  highway  improve- 
ments called  plank  roads,  which  during  ten  or  fifteen  years  ex- 
erted an  important  influence  on  public  economy.  Their  construc- 
tion was  also,  no  doubt,  fostered  to  some  extent  by  the  great  suc- 
cess of  the  early  railroads.  These  could  not  extend  in  all  directions, 
and  in  their  stead  it  was  seen  that  plank  roads  would  greatly  im- 
prove the  country  highways  for  easier  and  cheaper  transportation  of 
the  farmer's  produce,  the  country  merchant's  goods,  and  the  passage  of 
the  stages  that  still  rolled  away  from  canal  or  railroad  to  outlying 
points.  There  was,  moreover,  the  element  of  possible  profit  to  the 
builders  of  the  roads  in  the  collection  of  tolls.  The  only  feature  of  the 
fhway  th.  is  to  have  been  either  overlooked  or  misappre- 

nded,  was  the  comparatively  short  life  of  the  plank  covering. 

tv  lias  the  honor  of  building  the  first  plank  road  in  the 
ted  Slates.   ( )n  the  LSth  of  April,  1844,  the  "Salina  and  Central  Square 


FROM  1840  TO  THE  CIVIL  WAR.  237 

Plank  Road  Company  "  was  incorporated  by  the  Legislature,  and  Orsa- 
mus  Johnson,  John  L.  Stevens,  Richard  Adams,  Miles  W.  Bennett, 
and  Moses  D.  Burnet,  were  named  commissioners  to  open  the  stock 
subscription  books.  It  is  not  surprising"  that  this  first  project  of  the 
kind  in  the  country  needed  considerable  forcing  to  carry  it  to  a  success- 
ful conclusion,  but  it  was  accomplished,  and  the  road  was  built  and 
ready  for  business  on  the  18th  of  July,  1846.  So  important  was  this 
improvement  then  considered  that  a  public  excursion  was  made  on  the 
11th  of  August,  for  which  a  procession  was  formed  in  Syracuse  to 
march  to  the  starting  point,  the  drive  was  made  to  Brewerton  where 
dinner  was  served  and  speeches  were  made  by  Harvey  Baldwin,  M.  D. 
Burnet,  A.  P.  Granger,  James  Geddes  and  others  of  the  foremost  citi- 
zens of  Syracuse.  This  road  cost  $23,000  to  build  sixteen  and  one-half 
miles,  and  paid  a  good  profit  on  the  investment  from  the  first.  If  it 
had  failed  to  pay  it  might  have  been  not  alone  the  first,  but  the  last, 
plank  road  in  the  country.  As  it  was  they  sprang  into  existence  by  the 
hundred,  and  there  were  so  many  that  came  into  or  crossed  this  county 
that  it  is  almost  impossible  to  name  them.  Among  the  more  important 
was  the  one  extending  southward  to  Tully  and  later  to  Cortland;  one 
northward  to  Oswego,  one  westward  to  Camillus  and  Elbridge  substan- 
tially on  the  line  of  the  Seneca  turnpike;  one  eastward  to  Favetteville 
and  Manlius;  one  between  Jordan  and  Skaneateles.  All  of  these 
were  in  operation  in  1850  or  very  soon  thereafter,  and  most  or  all  of 
them  were  profitable  to  the  stockholders,  at  least  until  the  first  planks 
were  destroyed.  This  and  the  opening  of  other  railroads  reduced  the 
amount  of  tolls  and  the  plank  and  the  toll  houses  were  gradually  aban- 
doned. The  last  one  in  active  existence  in  this  county  was  the  one  ex- 
tending to  Liverpool  and  Central  Square.  It  is  interesting  to  know 
that  there  was  a  "  double  plank  road"  in  Warren  street,  Syracuse,  laid 
in  1850. 

The  year  1848  saw  the  incorporation  of  the  city  of  Syracuse,  in  which 
year  the  following  statistics  of  population  were  given:  First  ward  (es- 
timated) 2,500;  second  ward,  4,4<J4;  third  and  fourth  wards,  li,;;;; 
total  13,741.  The  place  had  now  fairly  entered  upon  its  long  career  of 
rapid  and  solid  growth  that  still  continues,  which  is  giving  it  the  repu- 
tation of  being  one  of  the  most  enterprising  and  flourishing  of  the 
second  class  cities  of  the  North. 

At  about  the  same  time  John  Wilkinson,  then  the  railroad  king  of 
Onondaga  county,  and  others  who  were  interested  in  the  existing  roads, 


238  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

were  discussing  the  desirability  of  a  more  direct  line  of  railroad  between 
Syracuse  and  Rochester,  which  would  avoid  the  long  and  devious  route 
of  104  miles  by  way  of  Auburn  and  pass  through  a  more  level  and  pop- 
ulous country.  This  led  to  the  organization  of  The  Rochester  and 
Syracuse  Direct  Railroad  Company.  Surveys  were  made  by  O.  C. 
Childs,  which  showed  that  a  road  could  be  built  twenty-two  miles 
shorter  than  the  old  line,  and  with  more  favorable  grades.  ■  In  1850  this 
company  and  the  two  already  in  existence  and  before  described,  were 
consolidated  under  the  name  of  The  Rochester  and  Syracuse  Railroad 
Company,  and  what  became  known  as  the  direct  road  was  commenced 
under  direction  of  James  Hall,  engineer,  and  opened  in  1853,  at  the 
time  of  the  general  consolidation  of  the  lines  between  New  York  and 
Buffalo  into  the  New  York  Central  and  Hudson  River  Railroad. 

Still  another  railroad  was  opened  in  the  period  under  consideration 
which  was  to  aid  in  the  general  advancement  of  Onondaga  count}'. 
During  the  summer  of  1839  a  sttrvey  was  made  for  a  road  between 
Syracuse  and  Oswego,  on  the  west  side  of  the  waterway,  by  a  company 
organized  in  April  of  that  year.  It  was  nearly  ten  years  later  before 
anything  was  actually  accomplished  under  the  charter,  when  in  March, 
L847,  a  company  was  organized  with  the  following  board  of  directors: 
John  Wilkinson,  Thomas  T.  Davis,  Allen  Munroe,  Horace  White,  all 
of  this  county;  F.  T.  Carrington,  Luther  Wright,  Sylvester  Doolittle, 
Alvin  Bronson,  of  Oswego;  Holmes  Hutchinson,  Alfred  Munson, 
Thomas  F.  Faxton,  of  Utica,  and  Samuel  Willets  and  Rufus  H.  King, 
of  Albany.  The  first  officers  of  the  company  were:  Holmes  Hutchin- 
son, president;  F,  T.  Carrington,  secretary,  Luther  Wright,  treasurer. 
Work  on  the  road  was  at  once  begun  and  it  was  opened  for  traffic  in 
October,  L848.  It  did  a  profitable  business  from  the  beginning  and 
helped  materially  to  swell  the  trade  of  Syracuse. 

<  )nondaga  county  still  lacked  a  railroad  outlet  to  the  southward.  In 
earl\-  years  it  had  generally  been  supposed  that  it  would  be  in  this  di- 
rection that  much  of  the  transportation  of  Central  New  York  would  go. 
The  Erie  Canal  and  the  east  and  west  railroads  changed  all  this.  On 
the  L3th  <>(  August,  L851,  the  Syracuse  and  Hinghamton  Railroad  was 
organized,  with  Hamilton  Murray,  I).  C.  Littlejohn,  of  Oswego;  Horace 
White,  James  K.  Lawrence,  Thomas  B.  Fitch,  of  Syracuse;  Daniel  S. 
Dickinson,  Hazard  Lewis,  of  Binghamton;  Jedediah  Barber,  Israel 
Homer;  Alanson  Carle}-,  Marathon;  Henry  Stevens,  Cort- 
land; John  I;.   Rogers,  Chenango    Forks,    and    Robert  Dunlop,  James- 


FROM  1840  TO  THE  CIVIL  WAR.  239 

ville,  directors.  Henry  Stevens  was  chosen  president;  Clinton  F. 
Paige,  secretary;  Horace  White,  treasurer,  and  W.  B.  Gilbert,  super- 
intendent and  engineer.  The  road  was  opened  through  on  October  23, 
1854.     On  the  13th  of  October,  1856,  the  road  was  sold  under  mortgage 

foreclosure,  and  was  reorganized  under  the  name  of  the  Syracuse, 
Binghamton  and  New  York  Railroad  April  30,  1857.  In  1870  the  road 
passed  under  control  of  the  Delaware  and  Lackawanna  Company,  and 
two  years  later  the  road  to  Oswego  also  passed  to  that  company.  Ex- 
tending almost  centrally  through  this  county,  these  lines  have  had  a 
marked  influence  in  its  development,  and  especially  on  the  growth  of 
Syracuse.  No  other  railroad  projects  affecting  this  county  were  under- 
taken until  after  the  war. 

Meanwhile  that  mysterious  agent,  electrictity,  had  aided  in  develop- 
ing the  telegraph,  the  first  line  of  which  passed  through  this  county. 
The  company  had  its  origin  in  Utica,  from  which  place  a  line  was  ex- 
tended east  and  west,  and  the  first  office  in  Syracuse  was  opened  May 
1,  1846.  The  only  other  offices  then  on  the  line  were  at  Utica  and  Al- 
bany. The  line  reached  Buffalo  July  3,  and  New  York  September  9  of 
that  year.  In  1850  there  were  only  two  wires  in  Syracuse,  of  the  hun- 
dreds that  now  pass  through  the  city. 

Some  public  improvements  of  importance  during  this  period  were 
the  building  of  the  new  and  present  court  house  in  1856-1  ;  the  build- 
ing of  the  Onondaga  County  Penitentiary  in  1850-51  ;  the  erection  of 
the  State  Asylum  for  Idiots  in  Syracuse  in  1855;  the  reorganization  of 
the  Onondaga  County  Agricultural  Society  in  1856,  all  of  which  are 
described  in  detail  in  Chapter  XXIV. 

In  the  mean  time  the  political  field  in  this  county  as  well  as  through- 
out the  State  and  country,  had  been  active,  and  the  transactions  of  the 
great  parties  were  rapidly  becoming  an  important  factor  in  the  current 
of  events  that  were  leading  up  to  a  bloody  civil  war.  The  conflict 
between  the  abolitionists  and  the  pro-slavery  element  had  long  been 
waged  and  in  few  localities  with  greater  ardor  than  in  this  county. 
The  fugitive  slave  law  found  man}'  bitter  opponents  here,  and  the 
famous  rescue  of  the  slave  "Jerry"  in  Syracuse  in  L851  (see  history  of 
Syracuse  herein)  had  drawn  national  attention  to  this  locality  and  stim- 
ulated and  intensified  political  opinions  and  acts.  In  those  days  the 
Whig  party  was  not  nearly  so  sure  of  a  county  majority  in  Onondaga 
as  are  the  Republicans  of  to-day.  The  majority  in  1846  was  only  L33, 
and  in  the  very  active  Taylor-Van  Buren  campaign  of  L848  it  was  only 


240  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

500.  The  "irrepressible  conflict,"  long  foretold  by  some  of  the  great- 
est statesmen,  was  becoming  tragic  in  its  possible  terrible  results,  and 
from  that  time  until  1860,  its  frenzy  and  madness  constantly  augmented. 
After  the  formation  of  the  Republican  party  in  1856,  the  patriotic  Ed- 
win D.  Morgan  was  elected  governor  of  the  State  in  1858  and  was  re- 
elected by  a  largely  increased  majority  in  1860.  A.  P.  Granger,  who 
had  long  been  an  active  Whig,  was  in  Congress  from  this  district,  and 
was  succeeded  in  1860  by  Charles  B.  Sedgwick;  while  our  assembly- 
men, among  whom  the  still  living  veteran  Thomas  G.  Alvord  was  just 
beginning  his  wonderful  legislative  career,  were  generally  from  the 
Whig  or  Republican  ranks.  Republican  majorities  in  the  fall  of  1858 
were  generally  increased,  and  solicitude,  apprehension  and  disquiet 
pervaded  the  political  field. 

The  county  passed  through  the  financial  revulsion  of  1857  with  less 
of  suffering  and  disaster  than  many  other  sections  of  the  State,  and  for 
the  same  reasons,  among  others,  which  were  effectual  in  1837-8.  With 
the  nomination  of  Abraham  Lincoln  for  president  of  the  United  States 
in  1860  public  affairs  assumed  a  still  more  ominous  appearance. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE  WAR  PERIOD. 

The  Beginning  of  the  War — Military  Enthusiasm — Captain  Butler's  Company — 
Captain  J enney's  Artillery  Company — The  12th  Regiment — The  122d  Regiment — 
Bounties  and  Bounty  Legislation — The  101st  Regiment — The  149th  Regiment — The 
Draft   -The  185th  Regiment — Statistics  of  Bounty  Indebtedness. 

The  long  reign  of  peace  in  this  country  was  ended.  The  time  had 
arrived  when  the  question  of  the  stability  of  the  Union  was  to  be  tested. 
It  is  not  within  the  purpose  or  scope  of  this  work  to  discuss  the  causes 
that  led  to  the  great  civil  war,  nor  to  follow  in  detail  the  record  of  the 
important  events  that  characterized  that  conflict.  The  story  has  been 
written  more  exhaustively  than  that  of  any  war  in  the  world's  history. 
Every  State  and  county  has  in  its  archives  complete  records  and  muster 
rolls  of  each  regiment,  company,  and  soldier  from  the  respective  local- 
ities, whi  library  contains  ample  facilities  devoted  to  the  sub- 


THE  WAR  PERIOD.  241 

ject,  for  student  and  reader.  It  may,  therefore,  be  presumed  that 
every  intelligent  person  is  familiar  with  the  general  history  of  the  civil 
strife  of  1861-65.  It  remains  for  us  to  briefly  note  in  these  pages  the 
prominent  military  events  that  took  place  in  this  county  during  that 
memorable  period,  with  such  details  and  statistics  as  the  allotted  space 
will  admit. 

When,  on  the  12th  of  April,  1861,  the  enemies  of  the  Union  fired  the 
first  gun  against  the  flag  of  the  country,  a  tide  of  patriotic  enthusiasm 
and  indignation  swept  over  the  entire  North  It  was  the  culmination 
of  the  stirring  political  events  which  for  nearly  a  year  had  left  the 
public  mind  in  a  fever  of  excitement  and  anxiety.  Companies  of  Wide 
Awakes  and  Lincoln  clubs  had  been  in  active  existence  in  the  county 
since  early  in  1860,  and  aided  in  the  very  exciting  political  campaign, 
which  resulted  in  the  election  to  the  presidency  of  the  great  western 
commoner,  Abraham  Lincoln.  Onondaga  county  gave  him  3,981  major- 
it}",  and  the  people  of  the  new  Republican  faith  joined  in  ratification 
meetings  and  other  joyful  gatherings.  As  already  intimated,  this 
county  during  many  preceding  years  had  been  a  conspicuous  center  of 
Abolitionism,  its  headquarters  in  Syracuse.  This  fact  was  due,  per- 
haps, to  two  causes,  the  central  situation  of  the  city  and  county  in  the 
State,  and  the  dwelling  in  Syracuse  of  several  of  the  ablest  and  most 
active  Abolitionists  of  the  North.  The  spirit  of  Abolitionism  found  here 
a  warm  and  fertile  soil.  The  long-past  rescue  of  Jerry,  the  slave,  was 
still  an  inspiration.  The  war  was  expected;  the  abolition  of  slavery 
as  one  of  its  consequences,  was  hoped  for. 

In  the  last  week  of  1860  a  meeting  was  held  in  Syracuse,  at  which  a 
committee  of  thirty-three  was  appointed.  Its  first  meeting  was  held 
January  2,  1861,  and  expression  given  to  its  fundamental  principles, 
that  "  the  Union  must  and  shall  be  preserved."  On  the  13th  of  Janu- 
ary a  general  Union  meeting  was  held  at  which  a  report  of  the  commit- 
tee was  read,  favoring  hearty  support  of  the  government  in  the  expected 
crisis.  A  minority  report  was  also  presented  through  Harvey  Baldwin, 
advising  concession  to  the  Southerners.  The  51st  Regiment  of  militia 
was  placed  on  a  "war  footing"  in  the  month  of  January,  and  on  the 
29th  of  that  month  preparations  had  been  made  to  hold  an  Abolition 
meeting.  The  proceedings  were  interrupted  by  the  offering  of  reso- 
lutionsby  John  C.  Hunt  and  James  McGurk,  condemning  the  Abolitionists 
and  their  sentiments  in  uumeasured  terms.  The  Democrats  and  their 
allies  succeeded  in  breaking  up  the  meeting.  The  Abolitionists  reas- 
31 


242  ONONDAGA'S    CENTENNIAL. 

sembled  the  next  morning-,  but  before  their  chairman  and  speakers 
could  make  any  progress  their  opponents  rushed  into  the  hall,  and  by 
hooting,  stamping,  throwing  eggs  and  other  similar  demonstrations 
again  broke  up  the  meeting.  The  mob  appeared  in  a  street  procession 
that  evening.  This  incident  bears  a  weird  aprearance  to  the  observer 
of  to-day,  but  it  should  not  be  taken  as  indicating  in  any  sense  prevail- 
ing public  sentiment.  It  was  a  practical  expression  of  the  sentiments 
of  such  extreme  Southern  sympathizers  as  were  then  to  be  found  in 
every  large  community.  Arrests  were  made  and  several  of  the  leading 
disturbers  were  indicted. 

On  Lincoln's  journey  from  his  home  to  the  national  capital  he  passed 
through  Syracuse  on  the  18th  of  February,  1861.  A  large  crowd  had 
gathered  from  city  and  country,  and  preparations  were  made  to  give 
him  an  enthusiastic  welcome  during  his  expected  stay.  But  when  the 
train  stopped  it  was  learned  that  a  halt  of  only  a  few  minutes  would  be 
made.  The  president  appeared  on  the  rear  platform  of  the  train  at 
Salina  street,  from  which  he  made  a  brief  response  to  an  equally  brief 
address  of  welcome  by  Mayor  Amos  Westcott. 

Meanwhile  the  Southern  States  were  successively  seceding  and  mak- 
ing palpable  preparations  for  war.  The  town  elections  held  in  this 
county  in  February,  1861,  showed  Republican  majorities  larger  than 
usual. 

The  call  to  arms  which  followed  the  firing  upon  Fort  Sumter  found 
an  echo  in  every  loyal  heart  and  thousands  sprang  forward  to  offer 
their  services  and  mayhap  their  lives  in  defense  of  the  perpetuity  of 
of  the  Union.  On  the  15th  of  April,  1861,  President  Lincoln  called  for 
75, 000  militia  volunteers  for  three  months' service  in  suppressing  the 
uprising,  which  was  looked  upon  as  little  more  than  a  short-lived  riot. 
Within  fifteen  days  after  the  call  was  issued  350,000  men  had  offered 
their  services  to  the  government.  Had  the  prescience  of  the  govern- 
ment been  equal  to  the  enthusiasm  of  the  people,  all  that  vast  body  of 
volunteers  would  have  been  placed  in  the  field  and  much  bloodshed 
might  have  been  saved.  It  soon  became  apparent  that  this  body  of 
men  could  scarcely  be  armed  and  equipped  before  their  short  term  of 
service  would  expire.  In  the  brotherhood  of  loyal  States  New  York 
was  foremost  in  determination  that  the  Union  should  endure,  and 
under  tin-  first  call  nearly  14,000  men  went  forward.  Of  these  Onon- 
ni\  senl  her  share  in  prompt  response  to  the  call.  The  quota 
<>t  tin-  State  was  13,280.      Public  meetings  were  held  at  which  eloquent 


THE  WAR  PERIOD.  243 

speakers  portrayed  the  situation;  martial  music  filled  the  air;  the  Stars 
and  Stripes  floated  from  hundreds  of  conspicuous  points;  the  usual 
peaceful  occupations  of  the  people  were  almost  abandoned;  in  the 
newspaper  offices  everywhere  bulletins  were  eagerly  scanned  by  anxious 
eyes;  the  air  Was  filled  with  military  spirit  and  preparations.  On  the 
22d  of  April,  1861,  a  great  war  mass  meeting  was  held  in  Syracuse,  and 
on  the  day  following  the  Common  Council  appropriated  $10,000  for  aid 
to  families  of  volunteers.  At  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  there  was  in 
Syracuse  a  company  of  zouaves  composed  of  about  forty  representa- 
tive young  men.  Its  captain  was  John  G.  Butler;  Samuel  Thompson, 
first  lieutenant ;  Edwin  S.  Jenney,  second  lieutenant.  Immediately 
after  the  fall  of  Fort  Sumter  this  company  tendered  its  services  to 
the  government,  was  immediately  recruited  to  the  maximum  of  seventy- 
seven  men  and  was  made  Co.  D,  of  the  3d  New  York  Regiment.  Be- 
fore it  was  mustered  into  service  Lieutenant  Jenney  raised  another 
company  in  Oneida  county,  which  was  assigned  to  the  same  regiment 
as  Co.  I  and  he  was  commissioned  its  captain.  Captain  Butler's  com- 
pany was  the  first  to  organize  in  Central  New  York.  These  two  com- 
panies joined  the  regiment  in  Albany  in  April,  1861,  which  soon  pro- 
ceeded to  Fortress  Monroe  and  became  a  part  of  Butler's  army.  It 
took  part  in  the  first  actual  battle  of  the  war  at  Big  Bethel,  on  June  9, 
1861.  After  Bull  Run  the  regiment  was  assigned  to  garrison  duty  in 
Fort  McHenry,  Baltimore.  Captain  Jenney  left  the  regiment  in  Octo- 
ber to  raise  a  battery  of  artillery,  and  February  4,  1863,  Captain  Butler 
was  promoted  lieutenant-colonel,  and  February  24,  to  colonel  of  the 
147th  Regiment,  which  he  commanded  with  distinction  until  his  dis- 
charge, November  5,  1863,  from  disability.  The  regiment  was  mus- 
tered out  August  18,  1865. 

On  May  3,  1861,  the  president  issued  another  call  for  troops,  which 
was  confirmed  by  Congress  on  August  6,  1861.  Under  this  call  and 
under  acts  approved  July  22  and  25,  500,000  men  were  required. 
There  were  actually  furnished  2,715  six  months  men;  9,142  one  year 
men;  30,950  two  years  men;  and  657,868  three  years  men,  a  total  of 
700,680.  Of  these  New  York  State  supplied  30,950  two  years  men  (all 
that  were  furnished),  and  89,281  three  years  men,  a  total  of  120,221. 
Her  quota  was  only  109,056.     Of  these  this  county  exceeded  her  quota. 

The  10th  New  York  Independent  Battery,  popularly  called  Jenney 's 
Battery,  was  recruited  in  the  fall  of  1861,  and  subsequently  was  at- 
tached to  the  3d  New  York  Artillery  as  Co.  F.     The  lieutenants  were 


244  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Alexander  H.  Davis,  Gustavus  F.  Merriam,  Paul  Birchmeyer,  and 
Tames  D.  Outwater.  The  command  left  New  York  for  Washington 
February  21,  1862,  between  which  date  and  May,  1865,  it  performed 
valiant  service  for  the  Union  cause,  particularly  at  Goldsboro  (Decem- 
ber 17,  1862),  Morris  Island  (July  10,  to  September  6,  1863),  Beaufort 
(1864).  After  the  battle  at  Goldsboro  Captain  Jenney  was  recom- 
mended for  promotion  and  January  1,  1863,  was  made  major.  In  July 
he  proceeded  to  regimental  headquarters  at  Newbern,  where  he  was 
soon  made  judge-advocate,  and  soon  afterwards  provost-judge  of  the 
department.  These  positions  he  filled  until  September,  1864,  when 
he  was  commissioned  colonel  of  the  185th  Regiment,  as  noted  further 

on. 

The  first  full  regiment  of  infantry  from  Onondaga  county  was  the 
12th  New  York,  the  ranks  of  which  were  filled  on  the  Monday  follow  - 
ino-  the  Sunday  on  which  the  first  gun  was  fired  on  Sumter.  The  field 
officers  of  the  regiment  were  as  follows:  Ezra  L.  Walrath,  colonel; 
lames  L.  Graham,  lieutenant-colonel;  John  Lewis,  major;  Silas  Titus, 
adjutant;  Edward  B.  Griswold,  quartermaster;  R.  W.  Pease,  surgeon; 
George  B.  Todd,  assistant  surgeon;  George  H.  Root,  sergeant-major; 
Charles  Sedgewick,  quartermaster-sergeant;  Robert  C.  Daly,  drum- 
major;  Spencer  Eaton,  fife-major.1  This  regiment  was  of  course  re- 
cruited under  the  call  for  three  months  men,  but  remained  in  the 
service  until  May  17,  1863,  when  it  was  mustered  out  at  Elmira.  The 
regiment  participated  in  the  first  Bull  Run  battle  and  met  with  a  small 
loss  George  X.  Cheney  of  Co.  A,  being  the  first  man  killed.  When 
the  three  months  expired  for  which  the  regiment  had  volunteered,  and 
the  men  learned  they  would  not  be  permitted  to  return  home  there  was 
much  demoralization  and  complaint,  but  the  difficulties  were  finally 
settled,  and  in  the  fall  of  1861  a  body  of  550  recruits  was  raised  by 
Henry  A.  Weeks,  with  which  the  12th  was  consolidated,  Weeks  taking 
the  colonelcy  of  the  regiment.  Officers  rendered  supernumerary  were 
mustered  out,  but  many  of  them  re-enlisted.  During  the  difficulties  in 
the  field  just  alluded  to  a  meeting  was  held  in  Syracuse,  November  22, 
at  which  the  following  preamble  and  resolutions  were  adopted : 

Whereas,  The  Twelfth  regiment,  which  represents  Onondaga  county  in  the  war 

■  m  our  country  for  the  maintenance  of  the  Union,  had  passed  through 

ities,  thereby  greatly  reducing  its  numbers  and  impairing  its 

t  his  and  other  regiments  noticed  in  these  pages,  the  reader  is  referred 
er  Rolls  published  by  the  State  and  filed  in  the  county  clerk's  office. 


THE  WAR  PERIOD.  245 

efficiency;  and  being  satisfied  that  the  residue  of  the  regiment  now  in  service  is  in  a 
healthy  and  prosperous  condition  ;  and 

Whereas,  Efforts  are  now  being  made-to  recruit  it  to  a  thousand  strong,  and  be- 
lieving it  to  be  the  duty  of  all  loyal  citizens  of  this  county  to  promote  such  ei 
by  every  means  in  their  power,  therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  By  the  Board  of  Supervisors  of  Onondaga  county,  that  the  honor  of  the 
county  in  this  war  rests  mainly  with  the  Twelfth  Regiment,  and  we  therefore  appeal 
to  our  constituency  to  aid  the  efforts  now  being  made  to  recruit  the  regiment,  and 
we  personally  extend  to  the  officers  engaged  in  the  work  our  cheerful  and  heart  v  co- 
operation. 

During  its  service  in  1862  and  four  months  of  I860,  the  12th  Regi- 
ment exhibited  heroic  valor  on  many  fields — Hanover  Court  House, 
Mechanicsville,  Gaines  Mill,  Malvern  Hill,  Second  Bull  Run,  Antietam, 
and  Fredericksburg. 

The  next  call  of  the  president  for  300,000  three  years  volunteers  was 
issued  July  2,  1862.  There  were  furnished  a  total  of  421,465  men. 
The  quota  of  this  State  was  58,705  and  she  furnished  78,904.  In  this 
county  the  response  was  prompt.  On  the  24th  the  citizens  of  the 
county  were  invited  to  meet  at  Wieting  Opera  House  to  inaugurate 
measures  for  the  promotion  of  enlistments.  It  was  now  foreseen  that 
the  struggle  for  maintenance  of  the  Union  was  to  be  long  and  bloody 
and  would  demand  all  the  resources  of  the  country.  The  State  had 
already  been  divided  into  regimental  districts  corresponding  to  the 
senatorial  districts  and  a  committee  called  the  Senatorial  War  Com- 
mittee was  appointed,  to  whom  was  intrusted  the  general  control  of 
military  affairs.  In  Onondaga  county  the  following  persons  composed 
this  committee:  Charles  Andrews,  Grove  Lawrence,  Dennis  McCarthy, 
E.  W.  Leavenworth,  Hamilton  White,  Austin  Myers,  Thomas  G. 
Alvord,  L.  W.  Hall,  Thomas  T.  Davis,  and  J.  Dean  Hawley.  On  July 
15,  1862,  this  committee  met  and  elected  Charles  Andrews  president, 
and  L.  W.  Hall  secretary.  A  resolution  was  adopted,  asking  the  sev- 
eral towns  to  appoint  a  committee  of  three  from  each  town  to  co- 
operate with  the  main  committee.  Meanwhile  military  operations  in 
the  field  were  generally  unfavorable  to  the  Union  cause. 

Under  these  conditions,  recruiting-  for  the  122d  Regiment  began, 
and  so  rapid  were  enlistments  that  the  regiment  was  mustered  into  ser- 
vice on  the  28th  of  August,  with  the  following  field  and  staff  officers : 
vSilias  Titus,  colonel;  Augustus  W.  Dwight,  lieutenant-colonel;  Joshua 
B.  Davis,  major;  Andrew  J.  Smith,  adjutant;  Frank  Lester,  quarter- 
master; Nathan  R.  Tefft,  surgeon;  John  O.  Slocum,  assistant  surgeon; 


246  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

L.  M.  Nickerson,  chaplain;  O.  V.  Tracy,  sergeant-major;  T.  L.  Poole, 
quartermaster-sergeant;  Guy  J.  Goetches,  commissary  sergeant ;  A.  W. 
Hancock,  hospital  steward.  Proceeding  to  Washington  this  regiment, 
with  the  65th  and  67th  New  York,  and  23d,  82d,  and  (list  Pennsylvania 
Regiments  was  constituted  a  brigade  of  Couch's  Division.  During  its 
term  of  three  years  few  regiments  were  called  on  for  more  valorous 
conduct  or  greater  sacrifices  than  the  122d.  From  Antietam  it  passed 
through  the  more  important  battles  of  Fredericksburg,  Chancellorsville, 
Gettysburg,  the  Wilderness,  Cold  Harbor,  Winchester,  Cedar  Creek, 
and  the  engagements  that  closed  the  war  in  the  spring  of  1865.  In 
one  of  the  last  of  these,  at  Squirrel  Level  Road,  on  March  25,  1865,  the 
brave  Colonel  Dwight  was  killed.  In  many  of  these  memorable  battles 
the  122d  was  in  the  hottest  of  the  fight,  and  its  losses  were  terrible,  its 
heroism  invincible.1 

It  was  only  a  month  after  the  president's  call  for  troops  before  men- 
tioned, when  another  was  issued  (August  4),  for  a  like  number  of  nine 
months  militia,  and  prompt  action  was  taken  to  fill  the  quota  for  the 
county,  which  was  as  follows  for  both  calls:  Camillus,  90;  Clay,  110; 
Cicero,  102;  Dewitt,  94;  Elbridge,  140;  Fabius,  72;  Gecldes,  78;  La 
Fayette,  78;  Lysander,  146;  Manlius,  186;  Marcellus,  90;  Onondaga, 
L58;  Otisco,  58;  Pompey,  122;  Salina,  74;  Skaneateles,  134;  Spafford, 
56;  Tullv,  52;  Van  Buren,  94;  Syracuse,  870;  total-,  2,804.  At  a 
meeting  held  in  Syracuse  in  Jidy  (1862),  the  Board  of  Supervisors  was 
called  on  to  offer  a  bounty  to  volunteers,  a  vice-president  was  appointed 
from  each  town.  At  a  meeting  held  in  Syracuse  July  24,  private  sub- 
scriptions were  made  to  a  fund  for  trustees  of  about  $13,000,  a  sum 
which  was  soon  raised  to  $20,000.  Meetings  for  the  same  purpose  fol- 
lowed promptly  in  all  the  towns.  The  Board  of  Supervisors  in  July 
adopted  a  resolution  empowering  the  county  treasurer  to  borrow  not 
more  than  $75, 0(H),  payable  in  annual  installments  of  $10,000  after 
March  1,  1863,  from  which  to  pay  a  bounty  of  $50  to  each  recruit.  On 
.".'d  of  August  the  board  held  a  special  meeting  and  in  response  to 
quest  of  the  Senatorial  Committee,  empowered  the  county  treasurer 
to  borrow  $68,000,  payable  in  seven  installments  from  March  1,  1862, 
the  first  six  installments  to  be  $10,000  each.  Only  $40,000  of  this 
amount  was  issued.  This  fund  was  devoted  to  the  payment  of  "$50  to 
each  volunteer  from  this  county  who  shall  enlist  for  three  years  or  the 

i   6t  this  organization  is  given  in  Bruce's  History  of  Syracuse, 


THEODORE   L.   POOLE. 


THE  WAR  PERIOD.  247 

war,  in  the  Fourth  Onondaga  regiment;  then  to  pay  the  same  to  eaeh 
volunteer  whose  enlistment  shall  be  credited  to  the  county  upon  its 
quota  of  the  000,000  men."  It  was  also  resolved  that  $3,000  of  the 
sum  to  be  used  to  defray  the  expenses  of  raising  "the  Fourth  Onon- 
daga regiment. "  (This  "Fourth  Onondaga  regiment"  refers  to  the 
149th,  the  Twelfth  being  counted  as  the  First,  the  101st,  winch  con- 
tained many  Onondaga  county  men,  as  the  Second,  and  the  I22d  as  the 
Third).  Before  the  close  of  the  year  $75,000  more  was  authorized  to 
be  raised  for  payment  of  bounties.  A  draft  had  been  ordered  for  Sep 
tember  3,  1802,  wherever  the  quota  was  not  filled.  Military  enthusiasm 
was  now  at  its  height,  and  war  meetings  were  held  in  every  town,  at 
which  eloquent  speakers  inspired  their  listeners  to  rail}-  to  the  support 
of  the  government.  On  October  1  the  quota  of  the  county  was  nearly 
rilled  and  it  was  announced  in  the  public  press  that  "  not  to  exceed 
three  counties  in  the  State  have  done  so  well."  The  draft  date  was 
postponed  here,  as  it  was  seen  that  there  would  be  no  final  occasion  for 
it,  and  on  November  13  there  was  a  deficiency  of  only  110  men.  These 
were  finally  secured,  and  the  draft  averted. 

November  18,  1862,  the  Board  of  Supervisors  adopted  the  following: 

Resolved,  That  the  treasurer  of  the  county  be  authorized  to  pay  a  sum  not  exceed- 
ing $300,  out  of  the  moneys  now  in  his  hands,  heretofore  appropriated  by  this  Board, 
as  bounty  money,  for  the  purpose  of  paying  volunteers,  to  any  person  or  persoDS 
who  may  perform  necessary  services  in  procuring  enlistments  to  fill  up  the  quota  of 
which  this  county  is  still  deficient,  after  said  bill  shall  have  been  audited  by  this 
Board. 

It  was  under  the  foregoing  proceedings  ami  conditions  that  recruit- 
ing for  the  101st  and  the  149th  regiments  began,  almost  simultaneously 
with  the  organization  of  the  first  companies  of  the  122d.  The  101st 
regiment  was  mustered  in  at  Syracuse  in  L861,  with  J.  B.  Brown,  colo- 
nel, (iiistavus  Sniper,  major,  and  was  composed  of  ten  skeleton  com- 
panies, which  were  subsequently  consolidated  with  a  Delaware  county 
regiment.  It  departed  for  Washington  March  9,  1862,  and  participated 
in  its  first  battle  at  Fair  Oaks  in  June.  The  regiment  was  subsequently 
engaged  at  White  Oak  Swamp,  Malvern  Hill,  Second  Bull  Run  (in 
which  it  lost  seventy- three  per  cent,  in  killed,  wounded  and  missing), 
and  at  Fredericksburg,  after  which  it  was  consolidated  with  another 
organization.  It  participated  in  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  after 
which  it  was  again  consolidated,  and  then  shared  in  the  battles  at 
Gettysburg,  the  Wilderness,  Cold  Harbor,  and  around  Petersburg  in 
the  closing  scenes  of  the  Rebellion. 


248  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

The  149th  regiment  was  mustered  into  service  on  the  18th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1862.  Following  are  the  names  of  the  field  officers  at  the  time 
of  the  muster:  Henry  A.  Barntim  (formerly  major  of  the  Twelfth), 
colonel;  John  M.  Strong,  lieutenant-colonel;  Abel  G.  Cook,  major; 
Walter  M.  Dallman,  adjutant;  Moses  Summers,  quartermaster;  James 
V.  Kendall,  surgeon;  Horace  Nims  and  Albert  W.  Phillips,  assistant 
surgeons;  Arvine  C.  Bowdish,  chaplain.  Colonel  Barnum  had  received 
a  severe  wound  at  Malvern  Hill,  and  did  not  join  the  regiment  until 
January,  1803.  From  that  date  until  early  in  1864  he  was  forced  to 
relinquish  active  command  to  other  officers  the  greater  part  of  the  time. 
An  exhaustive  and  entertaining  history  of  this  regiment  has  been  pub- 
lished by  George  W.  Collins,  of  Syracuse,  to  which  the  reader  is  re- 
ferred. For  present  purposes  it  may  be  briefly  stated  that  it  left  for 
Washington  on  the  23d  of  September,  1802,  and  was  mustered  out  June 
12,  1805,  during  which  period  it  shared  honorably  in  such  important 
battles  as  Chancellorsville,  Gettysburg,  Lookout  Mountain,  Missionary 
Ridge,  Ringgold,  and  the  various  engagements  on  Sherman's  march 
through  Georgia.  The  losses  of  the  149th  during  its  term  of  service 
were  about  535  killed,  wounded  and  missing  in  action,  and  about  sixty- 
live  deaths  from  other  causes. 

The  vear  1803  was  an  active  one  in  local  military  affairs.  On  the 
I  nth  of  January  the  Common  Council  of  Syracuse  reported  favorably 
on  a  petition  from  citizens  for  an  appropriation  of  $20,000  for  the  re- 
lief of  families  of  soldiers,  and  the  measure  was  sanctioned  by  act  of 
Legislature  passed  March  31.  The  town  elections  in  February  went 
strongly  Republican,  but  a  Democratic  mayor  was  elected  in  Syracuse 
by  a  majority  of  about  200. 

To  provide  for  payment  of  bounties,  as  directed  by  the  Board  of  Su- 
pervisors, resolutions  were  adopted  in  the  board,  authorizing  levies  on 
taxable  property  in  the  towns  to  raise  the  necessary  sums  not  other- 
wise provided  for.  After  the  quota  under  the  first  call  for  the  year 
L862  had  been  filled  and  the  149th  regiment  was  mustered  into  ser_ 
recruiting  continued  in  the  county  for  some  months  in  a  less 
active  way,  the  volunteers  beingassigned  to  various  organizations,  either 
in  the  field,  or  with  headquarters  elsewhere.  Under  the  second  call 
for  troops  above  mentioned,  a  draft  was  ordered  for  August  1,  and  it 
Ireaded  conscription  could  not  be  averted.  The  quota 
I'M-  this  county  was  as  follows:  Camillus  44,  Cicero  51,  Clay  59,  Dewitt 
.M.  Kl bridge   79,    Fabius  40,    Geddes  07,    Lysander  89,    La  Fayette  38, 


THE  WAR  PERIOD.  249 

Manlius  97,  Marcellus  44,  Onondaga  94,  Otisco  28,  Pompey  65,  Salina 
60,  Skaneateles  76,  Spafford  31,  Tully  23,  Van  Buren  68,  Syracuse  548. 
Total  1,102.  To  this  number,  in  case  of  draft,  50  per  cent,  was  to  be 
added,  making  1,653. 

The  draft  began  in  New  York  city  early  in  July  and  led  to  the  bloody 
riots  of  that  month  in  which  many  were  killed  and  wounded.  In  other 
inland  districts  the  draft  proceeded  without  interference.  As  the  ex- 
pected event  in  this  county  approached  there  were  heard  ominous  hints 
of  probable  opposition ;  but  the  county  was  saved  from  all  such  dis- 
grace. On  the  17th  of  July  companies  D,  E,  F,  C,  H,  I,  and  L  (ar- 
tillery), of  the  51st  Regiment  of  Syracuse  proceeded  to  New  York  to 
aid  in  the  protection  of  the  city  from  further  outbreak.  On  the  20th 
of  July  the  provost  marshal  was  in  possession  of  orders  to  proceed  with 
the  draft  in  this  district  as  soon  as  practicable;  but  various  delays  in- 
tervened and  the  final  order  was  not  given  until  August  15,  and  it  did 
not  in  fact  begin  until  the  19th.  Meanwhile  it  became  apparent  that 
the  quota  of  the  city  would  be  filled,  or  nearly  filled,  in  a  very  short 
time.  The  draft  began  at  the  court  house  in  Syracuse  on  the  morning 
of  the  19th  with  the  town  of  Camillus.  Greenfield  Gaylord  was  the 
first  name  drawn  from  the  wheel.  There  was  no  sign  of  opposition  or 
disturbance,  and  the  drawing  continued  four  days  until  the  district  was 
finished. 

With  the  next  call  for  troops,  on  October  17,  1863,  which  was  followed 
by  another  on  February  1,  1864,  for  an  aggregate  of  500,000  three 
years  men,  former  scenes  of  military  activity  and  enthusiasm  were  re- 
peated, and  recruiting  was  again  prosecuted  with  energy.  Under  these 
two  calls  the  quota  of  New  York  was  81,993  and  she  furnished  59,839, 
while  15,912  paid  the  commutation  under  the  draft.  It  was  now  rap- 
idly becoming  more  and  more  difficult  to  secure  volunteers.  It  was  a 
dark  period  for  the  Union  cause.  The  northern  element  that  sympa- 
thized with  the  South  was  numerous  and  clamorous  for  ending  the  war 
in  other  ways  than  on  the  battlefield.  The  armies  had  suffered  losses, 
and  volunteers  were  less  ready  to,  fill  up  the  depleted  ranks.  As  one 
means  of  inspiring  enthusiasm  and  strengthening  the  Republican 
party,  the  Loyal  League  was  organized  throughout  the  North;  it  was 
a  semi-secret,  semi-military  body,  and  became  an  important  factor  in 
politics  and  military  affairs. 

Prospects  were  not  encouraging.  The  general  conservative  element 
throughout  the  county,  as  well  as  the  minority  who  were  opposed  to 
32 


250  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

the  war,  were  now  appalled  at  the  enormous  debt  that  was  being  created 
for  bounty  purposes,  while  the  departure  to  Southern  battlefields  of  so 
man)-  of  the  best  men  of  the  county  had  become  most  dispiriting.  •  A 
series  of  Union  meetings  was  begun  in  Syracuse  on  October  28,  and 
continued  in  the  various  towns  with  salutary  effect.  On  the  27th  of 
November  a  petition,  signed  by  about  fifty  leading  citizens,  was  pre 
sented  to  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  urging  the  payment  of  $300  bounty 
to  each  volunteer,  as  was  already  being  done  in  some  other  counties. 
Thereupon  a  conference  was  held  by  committees  from  the  Onondaga 
and  the  Cortland  county  boards,  at  which  four  plans  for  filling  the  quota 
were  discussed: 

1.  To  pay  $300  bounty  to  each  volunteer. 

2.  To  procure  substitutes,  or  commutation  for  drafted  men. 

3.  To  make  application  to  the  Legislature,  requesting  the  payment 
by  the  State  of  $300  to  each  volunteer. 

4.  No  appropriation  by  the  supervisors,  leaving  the  whole  matter 
with  the  Legislature. 

A  special  election  was  held  in  November,  which  resulted  in  an  over- 
whelming majority  in  favor  of  payment  of  the  bounty  by  the  county. 
On  the  12th  of  December  the  supervisors  met,  and  resolved  that,  as  the 
various  towns  had  authorized  the  board  to  raise  not  more  than  $360,000, 
the  county  treasurer  be  authorized  to  borrow  that  amount,  to  be  paid 
in  three  installments,  subject  to  confirmation  by  the  Legislature.  The 
enrollment  was  completed  on  December  16.  Recruiting  was  now 
pushed  with  desperate  energy,  continuing  into  the  early  months  of 
L864,  and  the  quota  was  filled. 

To  meet  the  enormous  cost  of  the  county  bounties,  a  special  session 
of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  was  held  early  in  February,  1864,  at  which 
it  was  resolved  to  borrow  $270,000  on  bonds  of  the  county,  with  which 
to  continue  the  payment  of  $300  to  each  volunteer,  the  entire  sum  to 
be  paid  in  three  equal  annual  installments.  At  the  same  time  a  reso- 
lution was  adopted  in  effect  that  if  the  Legislature  should  pass  a  law  to 
raise  money  for  an  additional  $300  bounty,  Onondaga  county  requested 
to  be  exempted  from  the  consequences  of  the  act.  On  the  10th  of 
March  the  Common  Council  of  Syracuse  resolved  to  borrow  $20,000  for 
further  support  of  the  families  of  volunteers. 

On   the    Nth   of  March  the  president  called  for  300,000  three  years 

ateers,  under  which   the  quota  of  this  State  was  32,794,  while  the 

number  furnished   was  41,940;   about  2,000  more  paid   commutation. 


THE  WAR  PERIOD.  251 

This  was  followed  by  another  call  on  July  18,  but  before  it  became 
operative  the  number  was  reduced  by  excess  of  credits  under  previous 
calls  to  only  114,539.  Of  these  the  quota  of  this  county  was  823.  To 
meet  these  cumulative  demands  for  men  required  the  most  persistent 
and  energetic  work,  and  a  lavish  expenditure  of  money.  Thirty-day 
furloughs  were  given  to  all  soldiers  in  the  field  as  their  time  expired, 
provided  they  would  re-enlist.  These  were  credited  to  the  counties 
and  States  from  which  they  had  previously  enlisted,  and  added  greatly 
in  filling  quotas.  Recruiting  in  this  county  progressed  slowly  through 
the  early  summer  of  1864,  and  there  was  little  difficulty  in  filling  the 
quota  under  the  March  call,  as  our  credits  were  large  (about  520);  but 
when  the  call  of  July  18  came,  many  were  discouraged,  and  it  seemed 
hopeless  to  attempt  to  secure  men.  Under  these  circumstances  recruit- 
ing for  the  185th  Regiment  began,  and  was  pushed  forward  with 
energy.  Bounties  were  again  increased  until,  from  all  sources,  they 
amounted  to  about  $1,000;  meetings  were  held  in  all  the  towns,  Cort- 
land county  took  up  the  work  of  furnishing  three  companies,  and  the 
ranks  of  the  regiment  rapidly  filled. 

At  a  special  session  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  held  on  the  26th 
of  July,  Mr.  Hiscock,  from  the  committee  to  devise  means  for  filling 
the  quota  of  the  county  for  volunteers,  submitted  resolutions  to  the 
effect  that  Sampson  Jaqueth  and  Warren  S.  White,  of  the  board,  be 
added  to  the  present  Military  Committee;  and  that  E.  B.  Judson,  L. 
W.  Hall,  D.  Bookstaver,  A.  C.  Powell,  F.  M.  King,  T.  B.  Fitch, 
George  N.  Kennedy,  Joshua  K.  Rogers,  James  Johnson,  J.  Dean  Haw- 
ley,  Allen  Monroe,  and  H.  L.  Duguid,  be  requested  to  act  with  the 
said  committee,  that  the  committee  be  authorized  to  employ  agents 
under  stringent  restrictions  to  enlist  or  procure  the  volunteering 
of  men,  under  the  call  of  the  president  of  the  United  States,  of  Julv 
18,  1864;  that  the  committee  may  offer  and  pay  a  bounty  to  each  vol- 
unteer, the  amount  of  the  bounty  to  be  in  the  discretion  of  said  com- 
mittee, and  that  the  treasurer  of  the  county  be  authorized  to  make  a 
loan  not  exceeding  in  the  aggregate  $400,000,  to  be  used  by  the  com- 
mittee to  carry  into  effect  the  resolutions. 

Other  resolutions  provided  for  the  issue  of  the  bonds,  and  their  pay- 
ment at  the  rate  of  $50,000  a  year  after  the  1st  of  April,  1868. 

Early  in  September  another  special  session  of  the  Board  of  Super- 
visors was  held,  and  on  the  7th  of  that  month  the  treasurer  of  the 
county  was  authorized  to  borrow  $500,000,  payable  March  1,  1865,  and 


252  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

$600,000,  payable  one-half  on  March  1,  1866,  and  one-half  on  March  1, 
for  the  further  payment  of  bounties  under  the  July  call  referred 
to.  Of  the  first  of  these  loans  only  $444,000  was  borrowed,  and  on  the 
22d  of  November  at  a  regular  meeting  of  the  board  the  sum  of  $100,- 
000  was  added  to  the  $600,000  already  authorized  to  be  raised  as  above 
stated;  but  this  action  as  far  as  it  applied  to  $56,000  of  the  $100,000 
was  subsequently  revoked. 

The  185th  Regiment  was  mustered  into  service  September  22  and 
23,  1864.  The  field  and  staff  officers  were  as  follows:  Edwin  S.  Jenney, 
colonel;  Gustavus  Sniper,  lieutenant-colonel;  John  Leo,  major;  Byron 
Mudge,  adjutant;  William  Gilbert,  quartermaster;  Charles  W.  Crary, 
surgeon;  Gilbert  L.  Newcomb  and  William  Bradford,  assistant  sur- 
geons ;  Chester  W.  Hawley,  chaplain.  Although  this  regiment  was  in 
the  field  less  than  a  year,  its  record  was  an  honorable  one,  and  its  ranks 
were  decimated  in  several  bloody  engagements.  Within  a  week  from 
the  time  of  its  muster  it  was  in  the  front  line  of  breastworks  before 
Petersburg.  On  the  4th  of  October  it  was  assigned  to  the  First  Brigade, 
First  Division,  Fifth  Corps  The  principal  events  in  which  the  185th 
participated  was  a  movement  against  the  South  Side  Railroad,  in  Octo- 
ber; the  demonstration  against  the  Weldon  Railroad,  December  7-11; 
Hatcher's  Run,  February  5-7,  1865;  Quaker  Road,  March  29;  Five 
Forks,  and  the  pursuit  of  Lee  to  Appomattox.  At  Quaker  Road  the 
regiment  lost  thirty  killed  and  180  wounded,  several  of  them  mortally; 
the  color  sergeant  was  shot  down,  as  were  also  two  others  in  succes- 
sion, who  grasped  the  fallen  flag,  when  Capt.  D.  N.  Lathrop  seized 
the  colors,  but  was  immediately  severely  wounded  in  the  foot.  At  this 
juncture  Colonel  Sniper  raised  the  flag  and  shouted  to  his  men  to  fol- 
low him  in  a  final  charge.  The  185th  left  Arlington  Heights  for  home, 
and  arrived  in  Syracuse  on  the  3d  day  of  June,  where  it  was  paid  off 
and  disbanded.  This  was  the  last  regiment  in  which  full  companies 
were  organized  from  this  county. 

Meanwhile  it  was  well  understood  that  the  government  would  need 
more  men  for  the  conduct  of  the  war.  On  the  19th  of  December,  1864, 
the  last  call  was  made,  which  was  for  300,000  men.  Under  this  call 
there  were  furnished  212,212  men.  The  quota  of  New  York  was  61,076. 
Shr  furnished  34,196,  the  necessity  for  more  volunteers  having  ceased 
ist  before  the  quota  was  filled.  On  November  28,  1864,  in  a  raeet- 
Board  of  Supervisors,  it  was 


THE  WAR  PERIOD.  253 

Resolved,  That  a  committee  of  three,  one  from  each  assembly  district,  be  ap- 
pointed from  the  Volunteer  Committee  created  at  a  previous  meeting  of  the  board, 
said  committee  to  proceed  immediately  to  procure  the  enlistment  of  volunteers  into 
the  military  service  of  the  ^United  States,  to  the  number  of  1,000,  to  apply  to  the 
credit  of  Onondaga  county,  upon  any  call  hereafter  to  be  made  by  the  president  for 
men  to  be  employed  in  said  military  service. 

Accompanying  this  were  resolutions  to  pay  $300  to  each  volunteer 
and  to  raise  $300,000  on  the  bonds  of  the  county  for  that  purpose. 

On  December  12,  1864,  the  board  adopted  a  resolution  which  author- 
ized the  raising  of  $300,000  in  anticipation  of  another  call  for  volun- 
teers; and  on  December  21,  $50,000  more  were  authorized.  On  this 
last  mentioned  date  a  resolution  was  adopted  that  a  special  election 
should  be  held  on  the  31st  of  the  same  month  to  vote  "  for  bounty,"  or 
"against  bounty,"  and  it  was  further  resolved  that  if  the  vote  was  in 
favor  of  bounty,  then  the  board  would  proceed  to  collect  by  taxation 
sufficient  money  to  pay  a  bounty  not  exceeding  $500  to  each  volunteer, 
enlisting  for  two  years,  and  applying  on  the  quota  of  the  county  under 
the  last  call.  The  vote  cast  at  the  special  election  was  5,725,  of  which 
4,905  were  in  favor  of  the  bounty. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  board  held  January  16,  a  resolution  was  adopted 
to  the  effect  that  bonds  of  the  county  should  be  executed  to  the  amount 
of  $150,000,  the  principal  of  which  should  be  due  March  1,  1866, 'to  be 
used  for  bounty  payment. 

This  was  the  final  action  relating  to  raising  money  with  which  to  pay 
bounties. 

On  February  2,  1864,  the  county  equalization  committee  submitted 
the  following  schedule  of  amounts  to  be  raised  by  towns  and  city  for 
bounties,  pursuant  to  resolutions  of  the  board: 

Camillus . .  .$20,914.89  Manlius 14.793. 15 

Cicero 13,994.59  Onondaga 35,617.0-1 

Clay 18,115.38  Otisco 7,621.35 

Dewitt 18,880.77  Pompey 22,914.44 

Elbridge ..  24,741.57  Salina 13,519.18 

Fabius 13,827.59  Skaneateles 27,417.76 

Geddes 16,746.07  Spafford 9,375.22 

La  Fayette 13,903.71  Tully.... 8,301.93 

Lysander 31,026.46  Van  Buren 20,075.84 

Manlius 29,072.99  Syracuse 231,346.62 

In  1865  the  State  refunded  to  Onondaga  county  the  sum  of  $715,000 
for  bounties  advanced  by  the  county. 


254  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

On  January  1,  1864,  the  following-  statement  of  the  bonded  debt  of  the 
county  with  dates  of  maturity,  was  published: 

1865 $674,966.66  Amount  forwarded. $2,001,499.96 

1866 571,666.66  1871 55,000,00 

1867 568,866.66  1872 60,000.00 

1868 62,566.66  1873 60,000.00 

1869 61,666.66  1874 60,000.00 

1870.... 61,766.66  1875 60,000.00 


$2,001,499.96  $2,296,499.96 

Through  additional  issues  and  the  lapse  of  time,  this  schedule  was 
changed  to  the  following  in  December  1,  1865: 

1866 $513, 666. 66  1871 103,000. 00 

With  interest  due  on  March  1_.  130,571.58  1872 108,000.00 

1867 568,766.66  1873 109,000.00 

1868 --..  112,506.66  1874 110,000.00 

1869 111,166.66  1875 119,000.00 

1870 111,766.66  1876 8,700.00 

Onondaga  county  furnished  a  total  of  more  than  10,000  volunteers, 
the  record  of  whose  deeds  as  a  whole  is  one  of  honor.  In  this  neces- 
sarily brief  sketch  it  is  impossible  to  notice  in  historical  detail  the  very 
many  infantry,  artillery  and  cavalry  organizations  in  which  companies, 
or  parts  of  companies  were  composed  of  Onondaga  county  men.  Con- 
spicuous among  these  was  Battery  B,  1st  N.  Y.  Light  Artillery,  known 
as  Pettit's  Battery,  raised  almost  wholly  in  Baldwinsville  and  mustered 
into  the  U.  S.  service  August  31,  1861,  and  after  a  long  and  honorable 
term  of  service,  mustered  out  June  18,  1865.  Co.  A  (Capt.  Michael 
Auer);  Co.  H  (Capt.  John  F.  Moschell);  Co.  C  (Capt.  Jefferson  C. 
Bigelow);  and  Co.  E  (Capt.  George  M.  Ellicott),  of  the  15th  Cavalry, 
were  largely  from  of  Onondaga  county,  as  were  all  of  the  officers 
named,  with  R.  M.  Richardson,  colonel  of  the  regiment,  and  Augustus 
J.  Root,  lieutenant-colonel.  The  101st  Regiment  of  Infantry,  mustered 
in  the  fall  of  1861,  contained  a  large  number  of  Onondaga  county  men 
and  left  an  honorable  record.  Other  organizations  in  which  men  from 
this  county  were  more  or  less  numerous  were  the  44th,  75th,  193d  and 
r.'lth  Regiments  of  Infantry;  the  3d,  10th,  12th,  20th,  22d,  24th  and 
•1m-  Harris  Light  Cavalry ;  and  the  9th  and  the  16th  Heavy  Artillery. 
To  the  future  military  historian  of  the  county  must  be  left  the  duty  of 
properl)  recording  the  deeds  of  Onondaga's  soldiers. 


FROM  1865  TO  THE  PRESENT.  255 

This  chapter  may  be  appropriately  closed  with  the  following-  quota- 
tion from  the  remarks  of  an  eloquent  speaker1  during  the  Centennial 
Celebration  in  Syracuse  in  1894: 

The  county  of  Onondaga  sent  out  to  the  war  more  than  10,000  volunteers,  consti- 
tuting five  infantry  regiments,  nearly  a  regiment  of  cavalry,  a  cavalry  battalion,  two 
artillery  batteries,  and  many  companies  and  contingents,  each  renewed  as  numbers 
were  reduced  by  casualties  and  vicissitudes.  There  was  no  campaign  in  all  the  range 
of  contested  territory  which  was  not  participated  in  by  Onondaga  troops.  It  is  a 
record  of  honor  throughont.  No  reproach  rests  upon  it.  The  roll  of  Onondaga's 
illustrious  soldiers  and  sailors  bears  the  names  of  Slocum  and  Sumner,  Peck  and 
Barnum,  Porter  and  Townsend,  Sniper  and  Dwight,  Root  and  McLennan,  Randall 
and  Lindsay  and  many  others.  The  chronicles  of  the  campaigns  are  illustrated  not 
only  with  brilliant  and  successful  leadership,  but  with  innumerable  examples  of  per- 
sonal courage,  daring  and  achievement.  No  flag  that  was  carried  by  Onondaga 
volunteers  was  lost ;  these  volunteers  brought  back  with  them  as  trophies,  several 
flags  taken  by  them  from  the  enemy. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


FROM  1865  TO  THE  PRESENT. 


Gain  in  Population — Inflation  and  Contraction — Railroads — The  Cardiff  Giant — 
Syracuse  University — The  West  Shore  Railroad — Bridges — The  Centennial  Celebra- 
tion— Statistics. 

The  history  of  Onondaga  county  since  the  close  of  the  great  civil 
war  may  be  briefly  written.  It  is  a  story  of  almost  continuous  pros- 
perity and  rapid  growth,  particularly  in  the  city  of  Syracuse  and  the 
towns  of  Dewitt,  Lysander  and  Salina.  Some  of  the  other  towns  have 
slightly  fallen  off  in  population  and  a  number  have  remained  about 
stationary  in  this  respect.  The  gain  in  population  in  the  county  has 
been  large— about  30,000.  From  92,972  in  1865,  it  increased  to  L12,- 
886  in  1875;  to  146,247  in  1890,  and  to  158,808  in  1892. 

The  close  of  the  strife  which  had  cost  the  country  so  many  lives  and 
such  vast  treasure  left  the  country,  strangely  enough,  in  what  appeared 
to  be  a  flourishing  and  active  business  and  financial  condition.  This 
was,  of  course,  to  a  great  extent  fictitious,  or  at  least  a  misleading  ap- 

'  Hon.  Carroll  E.  Smith. 


256  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

pearance.  Money  was  plentiful,  industrial  projects  of  all  kinds  had 
been  inaugurated,  or  were  established  immediately  after  peace  was 
declared,  and  all  were  thriving-,  and  there  was  a  prevailing  fever  and 
stir  in  all  circles  and  relations  where  finance  was  involved.  Prices  of  all 
products  were  abnormally  high,  as  were  also  workingmen's  wages,  and 
everybody  felt  the  influence  of  the  general  inflation  born  of  the  hurly- 
burly  of  the  war.  The  majority  of  the  people  felt  a  thrill  of  joy  and 
hopefulness  with  the  coming  of  peace,  and  it  was  natural  that  with  the 
general  felicity  over  the  final  victory  should  be  mingled  confidence  in 
the  continuation  of  the  plenitude  of  money,  such  as  it  was,  and  the 
prosperity  of  all  material  interests.  This  condition  of  affairs  was,  of 
course,  most  noticeable  in  large  villages  and  cities,  where  trade  and 
manufactures  first  and  most  strongly  felt  the  influence  of  the  great 
changes  produced  by  the  war.  Five  years  of  expansion  and  over-pro- 
duction  brought  the  inevitable  revulsion.  The  pressure  began  to  be 
felt  in  1871,  and  the  following  two  years  witnessed  a  stringency  in 
money  matters  and  a  depreciation  in  manufacturing  and  trade  interests 
that  caused  wide-spread  distress.  But  in  spite  of  the  gloomy  prospects 
the  public  press  of  Syracuse  at  the  beginning  of  1872  expressed  hope- 
fulness and  confidence.  An  investigation  was  made,  as  stated  in  the 
newspapers,  and  showed  that  there  was  "not  a  single  business  house 
liable  to  distress,"  while  there  was  reported  "  more  business  stir  than  in 
any  city  west  of  Syracuse."  This  state  of  affairs  was  necessarily  re- 
ilected  to  the  towns  of  the  county.  It  was  simply  another  evidence  of 
the  ability  of  this  county  to  in  a  measure  pass  unscathed  through  finan- 
cial disaster,  to  which  allusion  has  before  been  made. 

In  the  mean  time  the  people  of  Onondaga  county  were  given  more 
extensive  facilities  for  travel  and  transportation.  The  enlargement  of 
the  Erie  Canal,  ordered  in  1835,  had  been  completed  early  in  the  war 
period,  rendering  it  more  useful  to  every  county  through  which  it 
passed.  To  give  the  people  of  the  region  to  the  north  and  northwest- 
ward of  this  county  railroad  connection  with  Syracuse,  the  project  of 
building  a  road  from  that  city  direct  to  Watertown  was  discussed  as 
early  as  L851  and  was  to  some  extent  kept  before  the  public  during  the 
succeeding  ten  years,  when  in  1862,  the  last  effort  that  was  to  fail  was 
made  The  breaking  out  of  the  war  caused  a  suspension  of  such  un- 
ikings;  but  during  the  flush  period  after  the  war  was  ended,  this 
as  again  taken  in  hand  and  a  company  was  chartered  in  1870, 
with   capital   stock    of   $1,250,000.     The  directors  named   were  Allen 


FEOM  1865  TO  THE  PRESENT.  257 

Munroe,  E.  W.  Leavenworth,  E.  B.  Judson,  Patrick  Lynch,  Frank  His- 
cock,  John  A.  Green,  Jacob  S.  Smith,  Horace  K.  White,  Elizur  Clark, 
James  A.  Clark  of  Pulaski;  Orin  R.  Earl  of  Sandy  Creek.  The  offi- 
cers chosen  were  Allen  Munroe,  president;  Patrick  H.  Agan,  secre- 
tary; E.  B.  Judson,  treasurer;  A.  C.  Powell,  engineer.  A  survey  was 
made  and  on  the  18th  of  May,  1870,  work  was  begun  on  the  road  bed. 
So  rapidly  was  it  prosecuted  that  the  road  was  opened  on  the  9th  of 
November,  1871.  In  1875  it  was  purchased  by  the  Rome,  Watertown 
and  Ogdensburg  Company,  and  oh  the  14th  of  March,  1891,  passed  to 
the  control  of  the  New  York  Central  Company.  Syracuse  took  $500,- 
000  of  the  bonds  of  the  Syracuse  Northern  Railroad  (as  it  was  named) 
at  par,  and  some  of  the  towns  were  heavily  bonded  in  its  interest. 

Another  railroad  inaugurated  at  about  the  time  under  consideration 
and  which  has  had  an  important  bearing  on  the  development  of  this 
county  was  the  Syracuse,  Chenango  and  New  York  road,  which  was 
chartered  April  16,  1868.  The  incorporators  were  James  P.  Haskin, 
Elisha  C.  Litchfield,  Henry  Ten  Eyck,  John  W.  Barker,  Dennis  Mc- 
Carthy, George  F.  Comstock,  Hiram  Eaton,  John  Greenway,  James  J. 
Belden,  S.  D.  Luce,  J.  I.  Bradley,  John  M.  Wieting,  and  Alfred  A. 
Howlett.  John  M.  Wieting  was  elected  president  of  the  company  and 
the  capital  was  fixed  at  $1,000,000.  Work  was  began  on  the  line  in  1870 
and  in  1872  a  portion  of  the  road  was  opened  for  traffic,  the  remainder 
being  finished  and  opened  in  1874.  Harlow  W.  Chittenden  succeeded 
Mr.  Wieting  as  president  in  1871  and  in  1872  Mr.  Howlett  was  elected 
to  the  office.  In  1883,  the  road  having  passed  into  the  hands  of  the 
North  River  Construction  Company,  which  failed  in  building  the  West 
Shore  Railroad,  .it  was  turned  over  as  one  of  the  assets  of  the  Construc- 
tion Company  to  the  control  of  the  West  Shore  Company  and  with  that 
line  in  December,  1885,  passed  to  the  control  of  the  New  York  Central 
Company,  by  whom  it  is  still  operated,  but  under  a  separate  organiza- 
tion. The  city  of  Syracuse  and  some  of  the  towns  of  this  county  were 
bonded  in  aid  of  this  road. 

At  this  point  it  becomes  the  duty  of  the  historian  to  record  the  story 
of  the  perpetration  in  this  county  of  the  most  gigantic  hoax  of  the  cent- 
ury. It  is  a  pleasure  to  state,  however,  that  it  did  not  originate  here. 
On  October  16,  1869,  what  became  known  throughout  the  civilized 
world  as  the  Cardiff  Giant  was  dug  from  the  earth  in  the  town  of  La 
Fayette,  near  the  hamlet  of  Cardiff,  by  some  men  who  had  been  em- 
ployed by  the  owner  of  a  farm  to  dig  a  well.  This  so-called  petrified 
33 


258  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

giant  was  a  monster  figure  of  a  man  carved  from  a  block  of  gypsum. 
Its  discovery  immediately  caused  intense  and  wide  spread  excitement. 
People  from  Syracuse  and  surrounding  towns  began  to  visit  the  farm 
in  great  numbers  and  returning  told  the  tale  of  what  they  had  seen  to 
their  neighbors,  and  so  the  news  and  the  excitement  spread.  The  en- 
closing of  the  pit  in  which  the  statue  lay  and  a  charge  of  half  a  dollar 
for  each  person  who  saw  it  seemed  only  to  heighten  the  excitement, 
and  multitudes  proceeded  in  all  kinds  of  conveyances  and  on  foot  to  the 
scene.  The  scientific  world  was  amazed  and  many  eminent  men  made 
a  journey  to  the  country  farm  to  see  the  marvelous  petrifaction. 
Their  verdict  was  as  a  rule  in  favor  of  the  genuine  character  of  the  dis- 
covery;  if  it  was  not  a  petrifaction,  they  attributed  to  it  great  age. 
David  ].  Mitchell,  a  well  known  lawyer  of  Syracuse,  stood  almost  alone 
from  the  first  in  pronouncing  the  work  a  fraud;  but  his  voice  was  lost 
in  the  large  opposing  chorus.  Dr.  John  F.  Boynton,  a  scientist  of  re- 
pute in  Syracuse,  offered  $10,000  for  the  statue,  and  this  was  soon  ex- 
ceeded by  other  proposals  to  buy  it.  All  these  offers  were  refused, 
until  finally  when  $30,000  was  offered  a  sale  was  made,  and  the  mass- 
statue  was  taken  out  of  its  bed,  removed  to  Syracuse  and  placed  on 
exhibition.  Crowds  of  people  continued  to  pay  their  money  and  gaze 
at  the  spectacle  and  it  soon  attained  so  great  a  money  value  that  $25,- 
000  was  paid  for  a  one-eighth  interest  in  it.  But  at  last  the  truth  re- 
garding it  began  to  dawn.  Prof.  O.  C.  Marsh,  of  Yale  College,  proved 
conclusively  that  if  it  had  lain  long  where  it  was  found,  the  gypsum  of 
which  it  was  made  would  have  been  entirely  dissolved  by  water.  At 
the  same  time  rumors  began  to  circulate  of  a  mysterious  four-horse 
team  and  a  heavily  loaded  wagon  passing  in  the  night  a  year  previous 
from  Bingham  ton  northward,  and  at  last  from  Fort  Dodge,  Iowa,  came 
information  of  the  cutting  of  the  statue  at  that  place  under  direction  of 
one  George  Hull,  of  Binghamton,  and  its  shipment  east.  The  humbug 
was  exploded.  Several  copies  of  the  statue  were  made  at  Syracuse  and 
exhibited  at  various  places,  but  after  the  real  character  of  the  fraud 
tne  known,  the  value  of  the  work  as  a  speculation  quickly  disap- 
further  interest  in  the  matter  soon  subsided. 
era!  public  projects  of  importance  to  the  county  were  inaugurated 
and  carried  out  during  the  period  in  question,  principal  among  which 
was  nent  of  the  Syracuse  University  in  Syracuse  in  1871, 

and  the  bonding  of  the  city  for  $100,000  in  its  aid;  the  building  of  the 
s  office  in  1880-81;  the  building  of  the  structure 


FROM  1865  TO  THE  PRESENT.  2:.!) 

standing  between  the  clerk's  office  and  the  court  house  for  the  Court 
of  Appeals  Library  in  1883-4,  all  of  which  are  properly  described  in 
their  appropriate  places  in  these  volumes.  In  1879  the  telephone  made 
its  first  appearance  in  the  county  through  the  establishment  of  an  ex- 
change in  Syracuse. 

On  the  14th  of  June,  1881,  the  New  York,  Buffalo  and  West  Shore 
Railway  Company  received  its  charter,  and  a  company  was  organized 
subsequently  which  included  the  North  River  Construction  Company, 
organized  chiefly  for  the  construction  of  the  road.  The  original  capital 
stock  was  $40,000,000,  and  the  first  officers  were  Horace  Porter,  pres- 
ident; Charles  Hurd,  first  vice-president;  Theodore  Houston,  second 
vice-president;  Alexander  Taylor,  secretary  and  treasurer;  Charles 
Paine,  general  manager.  The  road  was  opened  from  Weehawken  to 
Syracuse  on  the  first  of  October,  1883,  and  through  to  Buffalo  January 
1,  1884.  On  the  2d  of  October,  1885,  judgment  of  foreclosure  and  sale 
of  the  road  was  entered  in  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  State,  the  prop- 
erty was  sold  at  auction  and  on  December  5,  was  transferred  to  the 
purchasers,  J.  Pierpont  Morgan,  Chauncey  M.  Depew  and  Ashbel 
Green,  as  joint  tenants.  The  road  was  then  at  once  leased  to  the  New 
York  Central. 

Another  railroad  was  built  branching  from  the  Syracuse  Northern 
road  at  a  small  station  north  of  Liverpool  called  Woodard's  and  run- 
ning thence  on  the  east  side  of  the  Oswego  River  to  ( )swego.  It  passed 
with  other  lines  to  the  Rome,  Watertown  and  Ogdensburg  Company 
and  with  all  the  lines  of  that  company  was  leased  by  the  New  York  Cen- 
tral in  March,  1891. 

In  June,  1872,  Onondaga  and  Cortland  counties,  which  had  been  con- 
stituted the  22d,  and  later  the  23d,  were  made  the  24th  Congressional 
district,  and  in  1873  were  made  the  25th  district. 

In  1870  the  State  appropriated  $6,000  for  improvements  on  the  dam 
across  the  Oswego  River  at  Baldwinsville;  and  in  L895  the  entire  dam 
was  rebuilt  of  stone  in  the  most  substantial  manner  at  a  cost  of  about 
$60,000.  In  1870  new  bridges  were  built  between  the  towns  of  Lysan- 
der  and  Schroeppel,  and  Lysander  and  Salina,  by  united  aid  of  those 
towns  and  the  county;  and  in  1872  $10,000  were  devoted  to  rebuilding 
the  bridge  of  Caughdenoy,  of  which  sum  the  town  of  Clay  paid  one- 
sixth,  Onondaga  county  one-third,  and  the  remainder  was  paid  by  ( >s- 
wego  county.  In  1882  the  State  appropriated  $5,000  for  the  bridge  at 
Brewerton. 


260  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Since  the  war  considerable  change  has  taken  place  in  agricultural 
methods  and  the  character  of  the  crops  of  the  county.  During  the 
decade  1860-1870  wool  growing  was  an  important  factor;  but  it  has 
fallen  off  largely  since  that  time.  Dairying  has  increased,  and  a  large 
area  surrounding  Syracuse  has  become  tributary  to  that  growing  city 
in  milk  producing,  fruit  growing  and  gardening.  The  cultivation  of 
tobacco  has  retained  its  prominence  and  the  quality  has  been  improved. 
The  farmers  of  the  county  at  large  are  probably  as  prosperous  as  those 
of  any  similar  region  in  the  State. 

In  1894  Onondaga  county  reached  the  centennial  of  its  existence  as  a 
civil  and  territorial  organization.  As  the  year  approached  prominent 
citizens  of  Syracuse  and  the  several  towns  who  felt  an  interest  in  the 
preservation  of  the  records  of  the  past,  and  many  others  who  were  im- 
bued with  a  love  of  home  and  country,  inaugurated  a  movement  look- 
ing to  the  proper  celebration  of  the  county's  centennial.  The  women  of 
the  county,  and  particularly  those  of  Syracuse,  joined  heartily  in  the 
project  and  throughout  the  entire  proceedings  rendered  most  efficient 
aid.  The  Onondaga  County  Historical  Society,  which  has  recently 
showed  indications  of  renewed  and  active  life,  united  as  an  organiza- 
tion in  carrying  out  the  plans  proposed,  and  after  much  discussion 
practical  work  was  commenced. 

The  day  itself,  June  6,  proved  favorable  after  two  weeks  of  almost 
continuous  wet  weather.  The  public  demonstrations  began  with  the 
firing  of  100  guns  in  Armory  Park  at  4:30  a.  m.,  by  a  detachment  of  the 
Fifth  Battery.  In  the  early  morning  the  streets  of  the  city  began  to 
present  a  busy  scene.  Never  before  was  the  city  so  profusely  deco- 
rated. Many  buildings  were  almost  hidden  in  flags,  streamers  and 
bunting.  Col.  H.  N.  Burhans  was  marshal  of  the  day;  Col.  John  G. 
Butler,  adjutant-general;  Capt.  J.  E.  Wells,  chief  of  staff,  and  the  fol- 
lowing marshals  and  aides: 

Marshals — Col.  David  Cooper,  Col.  William  R.  Chamberlin,  Capt.  William  G. 
Oillette,  Lieut.  George  Schattle,  Dr.  A.  S.  Edwards. 

Aides— James  L.  Colwell,  Lewis  F.  Powell,  Charles  R.  Hubbell,  T.  T.  Clough, 
Bart  Smith,  Wellington  Taber,  O.  D.  Burhans,  C.  Sedgwick  Tracy,  J.  W.  Black, 
Allen  Fobes,  L.  J.  Wells,  Peter  B.  Cole,  Frank  B.  Merriam,  Myles  O'Sullivan, 
tas  K.  Jordan,  W.  P.  Baker,  S.  Gurney  Strong,  B.  W.  Moyer,  William  B.  Nye, 
Louis  Mason,  Frank  Dennison,  Thomas  Saile,  Charles  Umbrecht,  C.  Fred  Acker- 
man,  K.  J.  Eddy,  John  P.  Schlosser,  Julius  Gilcher,  B.  F.  Bauer,  J.  Frank  Durston, 
rick  M.  Tallman,  M.  J.  Apps,  B.  Revoir,  H.  L.  Barnum,  Daniel  O'Brien,  Gus 
Van  Schoick,  Jacob  Schilly,  Nicholas  Pollman,  Edward  W.  Hunt,  George  L.  White, 
'  kuies  A.  Schoeneck. 


FROM  1865  TO  THE  PRESENT.  261 

A  monster  procession  was  organized,  composed  of  eight  divisions,  the 
first  including  war  veterans,  military  companies  and  Grand  Army 
posts;  the  second,  city  officers,  Historical  Association  officers,  and 
several  societies;  the  third,  the  city  Catholic  organizations;  the  fourth, 
the  Odd  Fellows,  St.  John's  Cadets,  etc.  ;  the  fifth,  Knights  of  Pythias; 
the  sixth,  the  Fire  Department;  the  seventh,  cycling  and  athletic 
associations;  the  eighth,  historical  and  industrial  floats. 

These  divisions  were  formed  for  march  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  follow- 
ing manner: 

First  Division — On  the  south  side  of  Armory  Park.  The  cavalry  on  Franklin 
street  with  the  right  resting  on  Jefferson  and  the  left  on  Walton  street. 

Second  Division — On  Jefferson  street  with  right  resting  on  Clinton. 

Third  Division — On  the  west  side  of  South  Salina  street,  north  of  Jefferson  street, 
with  right  resting  on  Jefferson  street. 

Fourth  Division — On  South  Salina  street  north  of  Jefferson  street,  with  the  right 
resting  on  Jefferson  street. 

Fifth  Division — On  South  Salina  street  north  of  Jefferson  street,  with  the  right 
resting  on  Jefferson  street. 

Sixth  Division— On  Salina  street,  north  of  Jefferson,  with  the  right  resting  on 
Jefferson. 

Seventh  Division — On  Fayette  street  with  right  resting  on  Clinton. 

Eighth  Division — On  Clinton  street,  with  the  right  resting  on  Jefferson  street. 

At  10:10  o'clock  Colonel  Burhans  gave  the  order  to  march  and  the 
greatest  parade  that  Central  New  York  ever  witnessed  commenced  to 
move  toward  West  street. 

The  long  procession  then  marched  through  the  principal  streets 
before  the  gaze  of  an  immense  crowd  of  people.  There  were  many 
interesting  floats,  among  the  more  prominent  being  one  representing 
the  industrial  progress  of  a  century ;  one  on  which  sat  seven  veteran 
supervisors,  Col.  John  M.  Strong  of  Onondaga,  Uriah  Roundy  of 
Spafford,  Richard  L.  Smith  of  Lysander,  Robert  E.  Dorchester  of 
Marcellus,  Marshall  R.  Dyer  of  Pompey,  John  Munro  of  Elbridge,  and 
A.  Cady  Palmer  of  Manlius ;  one  representing  Ephraim  Webster's  flat 
boat;  one  showing  early  methods  of  making  salt,  and  another  showing 
the  methods  of  the  present  time,  and  others. 

After  the  parade  the  crowd  proceeded  to  the  Armory  and  there  at 
three  o'clock  William  Kirkpatrick  called  the  vast  assemblage  to  order. 
Invited  guests,  members  of  the  Historical  Society,  and  officers  of  the 
day  occupied  the  platform.  Prayer  was  offered  by  Rev.  George  B. 
Spalding,  and  the  list  of  vice-presidents  was  read  by  John  S.  Kenyon, 
among  whom  were  all  of  the  county  supervisors.     The  following  lion- 


262  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

orary  secretaries  were  named:  Howard  G.  White,  C.  C.  Smith.  Arthur 
Jenkins,  S.  Gurney  Lapham,  W.  Chapin,  Joseph  Hoffman,  Alexander 
Von  Landberg  and  M.  B.  Robbins. 

Mr.  Kirkpatrick  then  delivered  a  historical  address,  which  was  fol- 
lowed by  the  reading  of  a  poem  entitled  "Onondaga,"  by  W.  R. 
Jillson.  An  address  on  "  Pioneer  Life  "  was  then  read  by  Rev.  Irene 
Earll,  which  was  followed  by  the  singing  of  "America  "  by  the  Cen- 
tennial Quartette.  Theodore  M.  Pomeroy  delivered  a  short  address, 
after  which  the  following  stanzas,  written  by  Annie  C.  Maltbie,  were 
sung  by  the  quartette: 

Onondaga  sing  for  ever !  And  her  wealth  historic  measure, 

Happy  home  of  high  endeavor !  Onondaga's  own  ! 


Honest  hearts  and  voices  ever. 
Shall  her  praises  own — 


How  her  proud  hills  greet  the  morning' 

Lakes  like  gems  her  vales  adorning, 

Onondaga  1  honored,  hoary  Syracuse  her  city  crowning, 

With  her  wealth  of  song  and  story,  Reigning  queen  alone  ! 

Aureoles  of  fame's  bright  glory,  .      . 

„  ,       ,        ,    ,  ,  Listen !  throueh  the  ether  ringing, 

Crown  her  loved,  her  own  !  ....... 

Voices  soft  and  tender  singing, 

Hither  come  her  sons  and  daughters,  Mothers,  sires,  their  greetings  bringing, 

With  their  gifts  for  all  her  altars,  Each  sweet  influence  own. 

Not  one  spirit  faints  and  falters, 
„,,  "     ,  ,        ,  What  a  century  has  brought  us, 

I  bus  are  thev  alone !  J  & 

We  will  reckon   guerdons  wrought  us, 

They  would  gather  all  the  treasure,  Learn  the  lessons  God  has  taught  us, 

Hoard  and  mark  with  rev'rent  pleas-  All  his  goodness  own. 

ure, 

Hon.  George  Barrow  of  Skaneateles  then  delivered  a  historical  ad- 
dress in  which  he  spoke  eloquently  of  the  past — the  struggle  between 
the  French  and  the  English  for  mastery  on  this  continent ;  of  Indian  his- 
tory; of  the  experiences  of  the  pioneers;  of  the  contrasts  between 
past  and  present,  the  first  settlement  of  the  county,  and  other  kindred 
matters. 

Rev.  W.  M.  Beauchamp  spoke  briefly  upon  Indian  history  and  tradi- 
tion, and  Miss  Virginia  Lawrence  Jones  read  an  original  poem  entitled 
"Onondaga's  Braves. "     Harriet  May  Mills  read  an  interesting  paper  on 
■  ork  of  women. 

On  the  evening  of  the  6th  an  old  settlers'  camp-fire  was  held  in  the 
Armory,  over  which  Thomas  G.  Alvord  presided.  After  prayer  and 
introductory  remarks  by  the  president,  Charles  E.  Fitch  delivered  a 
scholarly  address.  Mrs.  Louise  M.  Benson  followed  with  an  address, 
at  th<  i  which  "  America  "  was  sung.      Col.  De  Witt  C.  Sprague 


FROM  1805  TO  THE  PRESENT. 


263 


then  read  his  original  poem  entitled  "Onondaga  in  the  Rebellion," 
which  was  followed  by  addresses  by  Rev.  R.  E.  Burton,  Col.  E.  S. 
Jenney,  W.  A.  Beach,  John  S.  Kenyon,  and  volunteer  remarks  by  old 
settlers.  The  singing  of  "  Auld  Lang  Syne"  closed  the  evening  ex- 
ercises. 

On  the  evenings  of  the  Tth,  8th,  9th  and  10th  a  series  of  beautiful 
tableaux  was  given  in  the  Wieting  Opera  House  under  direction  of 
Mrs.  Charles  E.  Fitch,  with  Henry  J.  Ormsbee  stage  manager.  The 
principal  ones  represented  Hiawatha,  the  Jesuit  Mission,  Webster's 
Camp,  Salt  Boiling,  a  Quilting  Party,  La  Fayette's  reception,  a  Fay- 
etteville  School,  the  Jerry  Rescue,  the  Wieting  Block  Fire,  and  a  war 
scene. 

During  the  celebration  a  Loan  Exhibition  was  inaugurated  in  two  of 
the  Wieting  block  stores,  where  were  exhibited  a  vast  quantity  of  his- 
torical mementoes,  many  of  which  were  exceedingly  rare  and  valuable. 
The  city  was  profusely  decorated  with  flags  and  bunting  and  the  entire 
event  was  successful.  Several  of  the  towns  in  the  count}'  held  separate 
celebrations,  which  are  noticed  in  the  proper  place. 

comparative    statement   of   the   valuation   and   taxation   in    onondaga   county 

from  1825  to  1895. 


Supervisors' 
Valuation. 

Assessed   Val- 
uation. 

Agg.  Corrected 
Val. 

Co.  Tax. 

Town    Tax. 

Agg.  Tax. 

1825 

$4,704,634 

X5, 003, 337 

$10,364  76 

•SiU)43  90 

1880... 

5,428,193 

15,764  11 

6,977  4:! 

$22,740  .VI 

1847 !.. 

$12,019,800 

13,772,746 

15,537,933 

25,560  30 

34,413  63 

67,74:i  '.hi 

1850... 

12,806,416 

15,889,938 

17,992,006 

57,640  92 

42, 877  58 

108,892  15 

1860... 

15,242,606 

22,652,917 

23,463,042 

44,715  83 

54.754  56 

208,145  83 

1870.  _. 

18,088,760 

27,265,154 

31,540,429s 

272,420  66 

141,5!Ki  ill 

650,4:;;  96 

1880... 

62,631,477 

62,631,477 

70,075,612 

153,466  16 

164,380  20 

185,906  53 

1890 

73,847,497 

73,847,497 

166,237  02 

H2,ir»  1  60 

134,774   Hi 

1894... 

79,282,065s 
96,158,330 

86,257,768 
102,694,665 

180,699  63 
152,919  01 

84,2-j:;  it; 
78,176  97 

434,254  33 

1895. 

482,819  07 

1  Records  for  1840  not  obtainable. 

2  Including  present  property. 

*  Including  real  estate  of  corporations  and  village  property. 


264  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

THE    FOLLOWING    STATEMENT    GIVES    THE    POPULATION    OF    ONONDAGA    COUNTY    FROM    1800 
TO    1892    ACCORDING   TO    THE    SUCCESSIVE    CENSUSES. 

L800  7,406  1855 86,575 

1810. 26,078  1860 90,686 

1820 41,461  1865 92,972 

1825 --  48,435  1870 ....104,183 

1830 ----  58,974  1875 112,886 

1835 60,903  1880 117,893 

1840 ---. 67,915  1890 146,247 

L845 79,175  1892 150,808 

1850 85,890 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 

Elections  from  the  Formation  of  the  County — Republicans  and  Federalists — 
Extinction  of  the  Federalists — The  Clintonians  and  Bucktails — The  Democrats — 
"  Vigilance  Committees" — The  Anti-Masons — Oppositions  to  Sunday  Mails — The 
Whigs — The  Abolitionists — The  Campaign  of  1840 — The  Hunkers  and  Barnburners 
—The  Temperance  Movement — The  Free  Soilers — The  Carson  League — The  "  Free 
Democracy" — The  Know  Nothings — Birth  of  the  Republican  Party — Syracuse  as  the 
"  City  of  Conventions" — Civil  List. 

Central  New  York  has  always  occupied  a  conspicuous  position  in  the 
political  held  of  this  State,  and  has  frequently  drawn  the  earnest  atten- 
tion of  statesmen  of  national  reputation  in  national  political  councils. 
'  Mmndaga  county  is  in  the  geographical  center  of  Central  New  York. 

In  1794,  the  year  in  which  this  county  was  formed  from  Herkimer, 
Jedediah  Sanger  represented  the  last  named  county  in  the  Assembly, 
and  the  senators  from  the  western  district,  of  which  Herkimer  county 
was  a  part,  were  John  Frey,  Michael  Myers,  Philip  Schuyler,  Stephen 
Van  Rensselaer,  and  Jacobus  Van  Sehoovenhoven.  Under  the  act 
creating  Onondaga  county,  it  and  Herkimer  were  made  one  assembly 
district,  Mr.  Sanger  continuing  its  representative.  He  was  succeeded 
in  L796  by  Jonas  Piatt,  after  which  Onondaga  county  became  entitled 
to  two  members.  In  this  year  a  new  apportionment  gave  the  western 
senatorial  district  (including  Onondaga  county)  a  representation  larger 
than   any   other  in    the  State,   numbering    thirteen,   of  whom   Messrs. 


POLITICAL  CHRONOLOGY.  265 

Schuyler,  Myers,  and  Frey  continued  in  the  office.  The  distinguished 
career  of  Philip  Schuyler  is  well  known;  he  had  previously  served  in 
the  Colonial  Assembly,  and  also  fourteen  years  in  the  State  Senate,  and 
like  all  of  his  associates  in  the  western  district,  was  a  rank  Federalist. 
In  1798  the  representation  of  the  district  was  reduced  to  ten,  but  was 
raised  to  twelve  in  the  next  year.  In  1800  the  vote  in  this  county  for 
senators  was  as  follows:  Marcellus,  Mathews  8-i,  White  60,  Kent  38. 
Camillus,  Kent  44,  Mathews  38.  Manlius,  Kent  20,  Mathews  16.  Pom- 
pey,  White  59,  Kent  103,  Mathews  72.  Homer,  Kent  47,  White  19. 
Solon,  Mathews  58,  White  58.  Onondaga,  Kent  58,  White  25, 
Mathews  39.     . 

In  May,  1796,  Silas  Halsey  and  Comfort  Tyler  were  elected  to  the 
Assembly  from  this  county.  Mr.  Halsey  subsequently  represented 
Cayuga  county,  which  was  erected  in  1799.  At  the  organization  of 
Onondaga  county  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  judges  of  Common 
Pleas.  Mr.  Tyler's  checkered  career  is  well  known  and  is  sufficiently 
described  in  Chapter  XXXVI  of  this  work.  In  his  second  election  he 
was  the  colleague  of  his  old  associate,  Asa  Danforth.  The  total  vote  in 
the  county  at  his  election  in  that  year  (1800)  was  730,  of  which  Dan- 
forth received  474,  Tyler  202,  and  John  Lamb  31,  with  23  scattering. 

George  Clinton  was  governor  when  Onondaga  county  was  formed, 
but  the  four  members  of  the  Council  of  Appointment  were  all  Federal- 
ists; party  spirit  dictated  all  the  appointments  and  the  power  of  the 
Council  was  immense.  In  selecting  officers  for  the  new  county,  the 
board  looked  closely  into  the  political  affiliations  of  every  aspirant  for 
office.  John  Harris  was  appointed  sheriff;  Benjamin  Ledyard,  clerk; 
Moses  De  Witt,1  surrogate;  Gilbert  Tracy  and  Comfort  Tyler,  coroners. 
Silas  Halsey,  John  Richardson  and  Moses  De  Witt  were  commissioned 

1  Moses  De  Witt  was  born  October  16,  1T(>6,  in  Orange  county,  N.  Y.,  of  Holland  ancestry.  He 
received  a  part  of  his  early  education  with  his  cousin,  De  Witt  Clinton,  under  Thomas  White,  a 
competent  English  teacher.  Mr.  De  Witt  was  selected  to  aid  in  surveying  the  boundary  line  be- 
tween New  York  and  Pennsylvania,  from  which  service  he  retired  a  skillful  engineer  and  with 
the  encomiums  of  his  superiors.  He  was  next  appointed  to  assist  his  uncle,  Simeon  De  Witt,  in 
surveying  the  Military  Tract.  For  his  services  to  the  State  he  received  several  thousand  acres  of 
land  in  different  localities  in  the  Military  Tract  and  along  the  southern  tier  of  counties  of  this 
State.  In  1793  he  was  appointed  major  in  the  militia  with  Asa  Danforth.  Upon  the  organization 
of  this  county  he  was  appointed  judge,  surrogate  and  justice  of  the  peace,  and  was  the  first 
supervisor  of  Pompey.  He  resided  on  lot  3,  Pompey  (now  La  Fayette),  which  lot  was  drawn  by 
his  uncle,  Gen.  James  Clinton,  and  he  purchased  fifty  acres  adjoining  in  the  present  town  of  De- 
witt,  in  order  to  secure  valuable  water  power,  but  before  he  could  complete  his  contemplated  im- 
provements, his  hand  was  stayed.  He  died  in  the  bright  promise  of  young  manhood  August  15, 
17'J4,  when  only  twenty-eight  years  old.  His  remains  are  buried  in  a  private  lot  about  a  mile  south 
of  Jamesville. 
34 


266  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

judges  and  justices,  and  John  Miller,  Asa  Danforth,  John  L.  Harden- 
burgh,  Edward  Paine,  Benajah  Boardman,  Alexander  Coventry,  and 
Andrew  English  were  appointed  assistant  justices  and  justices  of  the 
peace;  besides  these  the  following  also  were  made  justices  of  the  peace: 
Hezekiah  Olcott  (one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Pompey,  and  a  member  of 
the  Federal  Company  formed  in  1708  to  manufacture  salt),  David  Hol- 
brook,  Ebenezer  Butler,  jr.  (a  Pompey  pioneer,  supervisor  of  the  town 
in  1790-0),  Elijah  Price,  John  Walworth,  Perez  Brownell,  Elisha  Fitch, 
John  Stowell,  Rial  Bingham  (one  of  the  first  settlers  at  Three  River 
Point),  William  Goodwin,  John  A.  Schaffer,  Daniel  Keeler,  Andrew 
Dunlap,  Moses  Carpenter,  Cyrus  Kinne,  and  Walter  Wood.  Moses 
Carpenter  was  the  first  treasurer  of  this  county  and  held  the  office  five 
years,  during  which  time  the  county  was  often  in  his  debt  for  funds 
advanced  by  him;  he  later  held  other  offices.  He  was  a  man  of  excel- 
lent qualifications  and  spotless  character.  Rial  Bingham  removed  to 
•'Salt  Point"  in  L796  or  I  ?97,  where  he  was  the  first  justice.  A  culprit 
was  once  brought  before  him  charged  with  theft;  he  was  convicted  and 
sentenced  to  be  whipped.  None  of  the  bystanders  being  willing  to 
execute  the  sentence,  the  justice  took  the  prisoner  in  hand  and  polished 
him  off  in  good  stvle. 

By  the  act  of  March  23,  L797,  Onondaga  county  was  placed  in  the 
10th  congressional  district,  and  in  March,  1802,  was  associated  with 
Tioga  and  Chenango  to  form  the  10th  district.  The  next  change  was 
made  in  L806,  when  with  Broome,  Chenango,  Madison  and  Tioga  was 
constituted  the  Kith  district. 

The  two  assemblymen  elected  in  this  county  in  1788,  superseding 
Comfort  Tyler  and  Silas  Halsey,  were  both  from  what  is  now  Cayuga 
county.  I lotli  naturally  favored  the  division  of  the  county,  which  was 
effected  in  the  next  year,  reducing  the  representation  of  this  county 
from  two  members  to  one.  The  vote  prior  to  1799  it  has  been  im- 
possible to  obtain,  as  the  returns  were  deposited  in  the  Herkimer 
county  clerk's  office,  which  was  subsequently  burned.  The  principal 
assembly  candidates  in  L799  were  Dan  Bradley,  Ebenezer  Butler,  jr., 
and  M — -  Carpenter.  Butler  received  303  votes;  Bradley  275,  and 
Carpenter  229.  There  were  14  scattering.  In  each  of  these  cases  the 
candidate,  as  shown  by  the  returns,  received  a  large  support  from  his 
own  neighborhood,  indicating  that  they  were  men  of  reputewhere  they 
nown.  Neither  of  the  senators  from  the  western  district 
("•  which  tins  county  w.is  a  part)  was  from  Onondaga. 


POLITICAL   CHRONOLOGY.  267 

In  L800  the  Republicans  carried  the  county,  electing  Asa  Danforth 
to  the  Assembly  over  Comfort  Tyler  by  a  majority  of  272.  The  sen- 
ators chosen  this  year  were  Jedediah  Sanger  and  Robert  Roseboom, 
who  were  opposed  by  Isaac  Foot,  James  Dean,  Charles  Williamson, 
and  Nathaniel  King.  This  count}'  gave  Sanger  -1st;  votes  and  Rose- 
boom  263.  At  that  time  Onondaga  count}"  was  in  the  10th  con- 
gressional district,  but  the  returns  of  the  election  are  incomplete. 

In  1801  party  spirit  ran  high.  George  Clinton  succeeded  John  [ay 
as  governor.  Among  the  appointments  made  in  this  county  were 
Ebenezer  Rice  Hawley  for  sheriff,  and  the  judges  and  justices  of  the 
peace  included  such  names  as  Asa  Danforth,  Elihu  Lewis,  Ebenezer 
Butler,  jr.,  Dan  Bradley,  John  Ballard,  with  man}- more  for  the  various 
towns,  Cortland  and  Oswego  counties  being  then,  of  course,  included. 
The  Federals  carried  the  western  senatorial  district,  but  none  of  the 
candidates  was  from  this  county;  the  total  vote  in  the  count}-  was 
about  860. 

For  1802  the  number  of  assemblymen  in  Onondaga  count}'  was  in- 
creased from  one  to  two  and  the  aggregate  vote  exceeded  1,300,  the 
Republicans  still  retaining  the  lead.  Their  candidates  were  John  Mc- 
Whorter,  of  what  is  now  Cortland  county,  and  Capt.  [ohn  Lamb,  of 
Pompey.  The  Federalists  as  a  rule  voted  for  McWhorter,  but  worked 
and  voted  against  Lamb,  who  escaped  with  a  small  majority.  ( )non- 
daga,  as  part  of  the  western  district,  was  entitled  to  five  senators. 
Among  the  Republican  nominees  was  Asa  Danforth,  who  with  the 
other  four  was  elected.  Congressional  representatives  were  chosen  that 
year,  the  Republicans  supporting  John  Patterson  and  the  Federalists 
Comfort  Tyler;  the  former  was  elected  by  a  small  majority.  Onon- 
daga was  then  in  the  16th  congressional  district  with  Chenango  and 
Tioga. 

In  1803  John  McWhorter  was  again  nominated  and  elected  to  the 
Assembly,  the  other  candidates  being  Judge  Geddes,  Thaddeus  M .  Wood, 
Caleb  Keep  and  Medad  Curtis.  McWhorter  received  ',  7.">  votes;  decides 
687;  Wood  41(1;  Curtis  271;  Tyler  85.  The  Republicans  were  now 
rapidly  gaining  strength,  and  in  the  April  election,  L803,  the}'  carried 
every  senatorial  district,  but  in  this  county  the  two  parties  were  nearly 
equally  divided. 

In  1804  a  much  larger  vote  was  cast  for  .ocal  candidates  than  in  the 
previous  year.  William  J.  Vredenburgh  and  John  Ballard  were  the 
Republican  candidates  for  the  Assembly,  with  Samuel  Tyler  and  Caleb 


268  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Keep  opposed.  Vredenburgh  received  1,145  votes;  Ballard  1,073; 
Tyler  707,  and  Keep  689.  The  average  Republican  majority  in  the 
vote  for  senator  in  the  county  was  about  400.  Uri  Tracy  was  the  Re- 
publican candidate  for  Congress,  against  Edward  Edwards,  Federal; 
Tracv's  majority  was  173.  Manlius  and  Camillus  cast  four-fifths  of 
their  vote  for  the  Republican  candidate. 

In  1805  Cornelius  Humphrey  was  appointed  first  judge  of  this  county 
and  held  the  office  to  1807,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Dan  Bradley. 
A  complete  list  of  later  judicial  appointments  and  elections  may  be 
found  in  Chapter  XXVI. 

With  the  change  in  the  territory  of  the  congressional  district  made 
in  1806,  Reuben  Humphrey  and  Thaddeus  M.  Wood  were  the  opposing 
candidates.  This  county  vote  was  1,283,  of  which  Humphrey  received 
1,092;  three  towns  gave  their  whole  vote  to  Humphrey.  The  Repub- 
licans still  retained  a  majority  although  the  leaders  were  at  variance. 
None  of  the  Senate  candidates  was  from  this  county. 

With  the  year  1807  the  Republicans  found  themselves  weakened  by 
fractional  differences.  Morgan  Lewis,  elected  governor  over  Aaron 
Burr  in  1804,  desired  a  re-election,  and  his  Republican  friends  in  New 
York  city  met  on  the  1st  day  of  January  and  formally  nominated  him. 
De  Witt  Clinton,  then  among  the  political  leaders,  came  out  in  opposi- 
tion to  Lewis,  and  between  the  two  Republican  factions,  intense  bitter- 
ness developed.  But  the  Clintonian  branch  was  the  stronger,  as  shown 
in  the  results  of  the  elections  of  this  year.  In  the  Assembly  the  sup- 
porters of  Lewis  united  with  the  Federalists  for  the  election  of  a  speaker, 
and  a  good  part  of  the  session  was  occupied  in  strife  for  the  mastery. 
In  the  distribution  of  patronage  the  "Coalitionists  "  held  the  ascendency, 
as  they  had  on  their  side  both  the  governor  and  the  Council  of  Appoint- 
ment. Mr.  Clinton  was  removed  from  the  office  of  mayor  in  New 
York  and  Col.  Marinus  Willett  put  in  his  place,  and  many  other  prom- 
inent  officials  were  displaced.  In  the  midst  of  the  strife  the  Republi- 
cans in  the  Legislature  nominated  Daniel  D.  Tompkins  for  governor, 
a  choice  which  the  sequel  proved  to  be  a  wise  one.  At  the  election 
held  on  the  1st  of  April,  this  county  gave  Tompkins  1,320  votes  and 
is  L,091.  All  the  senators  elected  in  1807  were  "Republican 
Clintonians,"  but  neither  of  the  candidates  was  from  this  county.  Of 
the  assemblymen  voted  for,  Joshua  Forman,  John  McWhorter,  Jonathan 
Stanley,  jr.,  and  Robert  Wilson,  only  Judge  Forman  was  a  Federalist, 
and  he  waselected  byacoalition  on  account  of  his  known  support  of  the 


POLITICAL  CHRONOLOGY.  269 

projected  canal.      He,   however,    escaped  with  a  majority  of  only  41. 

Clark  erroneously  states  that  he  had  a  large  majority. 

In  1808  this  county  was  reduced  in  area  by  the  erection  of  Cortland 
county,  which  was  accomplished  only  after  a  spirited  contest,  giving 
this  county  two  assemblymen,  with  twelve  senators  in  the  western  dis- 
trict, none  of  whom  for  that  year  was  from  this  county.  Appointments 
were  not  specially  important.  The  county  vote  was,  Republican  L,336j 
Federal  758.  Prominent  among  the  judges  and  justices  of  the  peace 
were  Andrew  Pharis,  long  prominent  in  Geddes,  Benjamin  De  Pnv, 
Henry  Case,  an  early  settler  at  Liverpool,  and  Asa  Danforth. 

In  1809  the  Federal  candidates  for  the  Assembly  were  elected  in  the 
persons  of  Benjamin  De  Puy  and  Barnet  Mooneyj  against  James  Geddes 
and  Medad  Curtis  of  Onondaga.  There  was  great  rejoicing  over  this 
Federal  victory,  which  gave  them  control  of  the  Assembly,  but  the  Re- 
publicans still  had  the  Senate.  The  Council  of  Appointment  was  sup- 
posed to  be  constituted  of  an  equal  number  from  each  party,  but  it 
afterwards  became  apparent  that  three  to  one  of  the  members  were 
pledged  to  the  Federals.  They  made  a  clean  sweep  of  office-holders, 
especially  in  this  county.  The  lists  in  Chapter  XXYI  and  the  close  of 
this  chapter  indicate  the  numerous  changes,  which  were  made  March 
10,  1810. 

In  the  vote  for  governor  in  1810,  Tompkins  received  in  this  county 
1.199,  and  Jonas  Piatt  890,  showing  a  Republican  gain.  Pompev  was 
the  stronghold, flanked  by  Manlius  and  Fabius,  and  it  remained  faithful 
down  to  the  Anti-Mason  frenzy,  when  Pompey  deserted  to  the  new  and 
short-lived  party.  In  the  vote  for  assemblymen  J'asper  Hopper  re- 
ceived 1,712  votes;  Robert  Earll  1,651;  James  Geddes  1,237;  Oren 
Stone  1,192,  a  very  close  vote,  and  giving  the  Republicans  a  majority 
in  the  Assembly. 

With  the  Republican  triumph  in  1810  preparations  were  at  once 
made  to  divide  the  spoil  and  turn  the  tables  on  the  Federals.  On  the 
5th  of  February,  1811,  the  Council  of  Appointment  held  its  first  meet- 
ing, and  they  promptly  reinstated  Jasper  Hopper  as  county  clerk, 
Robert  Earll  as  sheriff,  George  Hall  as  surrogate,  and  many  other 
lesser  lights  whom  the  Federals  had  ousted.  The  number  of  justices 
of  the  peace  was  greatly  increased,  and  places  were  made  for  every- 
body possible. 

The  annual  election  of  1811  developed  little  of  local  importance. 
Lieutenant-Governor  John  Broome  died  and  De  Witt  Clinton,  Nicholas 


270  ONONDAGA'S    CENTENNIAL. 

Fish  and  Marinus  Willett,  the  first  and  the  last  ones  Republicans,  were 
voted  for  in  a  special  election.  Clinton  was  elected,  this  county  giving 
him  972,  Fish  516,  and  Willett  38— a  very  light  vote.  Only  one  sena- 
tor was  elected  this  year  in  the  western  district,  this  county  polling 
1,458  votes,  1,010  of  which  were  for  Casper  M.  Rouse,  Rep.,  and  lis 
for  fared  Sand  ford.  For  assemblymen  the  vote  exceeded  1,800,  the 
Republicans  having  a  large  majority,  electing  James  Geddes  and  Jon- 
athan Stanley,  jr.  In  the  general  overturn  Jacob  B.  De  Witt  and 
Squire  Munro  were  appointed  loan  commissioners  for  this  county;  De 
Witt  declined  and  Roswell  Tousley  was  appointed  instead. 

Congressmen,  senators  and  assemblymen  were  elected  in  1812.  Pres- 
ident Madison's  war  policy  had  made  him  many  enemies,  and  De  Witt 
Clinton  put  himself  forward  as  a  candidate  for  the  presidency.  The 
Republicans  stirred  up  exasperating  differences  among  themselves, 
with  the  usual  result  of  benefiting  the  enemy,  and  the  Federals  ob- 
tained control  of  the  Assembly.  Under  the  apportionment  of  1812  the 
number  of  congressional  districts  in  the  State  was  increased  from  fif- 
teen to  twenty-one,  and  Onondaga  formed  a  part  of  the  19th,  asso- 
ciated with  Cortland.  The  Republican  candidate  for  Congress  received 
in  this  county  1,321  votes  and  the  Federal  1,()08.  Four  senators  were 
elected  that  year,  for  whom  the  average  vote  in  this  county  was  9H0 
Republican  and  890  Federal.  For  Assembly  Jonathan  Stanley,  jr., 
came  up  for  re-election,  with  Joshua  Forman  as  his  associate,  while  on 
the  other  side  Isaac  Smith  of  Camillus  and  Moses  Nash  of  Tully  were 
nominated;  the  latter  two  were  elected.  A  vacancy  occurring  in  the 
1 '.itii  congressional  district,  a  special  election  was  held  in  Decem- 
ber, the  candidates  being  James  Geddes,  Federal,  and  Dr.  John  Miller 
rrtland,  Republican.  The  vote  in  this  county  was  1 ,2»»s  for  Geddes 
and  602  for  Miller.  Judge  Geddes  was  renominated  in  1814,  against 
Victory  Birdseye,  who  was  supported  by  the  Republicans,  and  elected 
with  L,685  votes  to  his  opponent's  1,223.  Two  years  later  Judge  Ged- 
igain  came  forward  in  opposition  to  James  Porter,  the  Skaneateles 
lawyer,  and  was  again  defeated.  This  victory  of  the  Federals  was 
d  very  largely  by  disagreements  among  the  Republicans  on  war 
ires. 

The  popularity  of  Governor  Tompkins  and  other  political  conditions 

gubernatorial   campaign  of    1813    a    very    spirited  one.      The 

rals   nominated    Stephen  Van  Rensselaer   for   the  high  office.      In 

•     the  Republicans  kept  theirranks  unbroken  and  gave  Tomp- 


POLITICAL  CHRONOLOGY.  271 

kins  1,255  votes,  while  his  opponent  polled  1,084.  The  western  dis- 
trict was  now  entitled  to  three  senators,  but  none  of  the  candidates  was 
from  this  county.  The  Republicans  were  successful  on  the  three  For 
the  Assembly  the  vote  greatly  exceeded  that  of  the  previous  year, 
showing  1,669  and  L,706  for  Mooney  and  Nash  respectively,  and  1,462 
and  1,432  for  their  opponents,  indicating  that  the  ascendency  gained  by 
the  Republicans  in  this  county  in  1S11  wasstill  retained.  The  Federals 
controlled  the  appointing  power  this  year  and  various  changes  were 
made,  as  seen  in  the  lists  herein.  They  still  held  it  in  1814,  when  fur- 
ther and  more  wholesale  changes  were  made. 

In  1814  the  policy  of  the  government  had  become  more  fully  devel- 
oped, a  fact  which  was  to  the  advantage  of  the  Republicans,  and  they 
were  gaining  everywhere.  Victory  Birdseye,  the  young  and  rising  law- 
yer, was  elected  to  Congress  after  an  animated  canvass,  with  [udge 
Geddes  as  his  opponent.,  Birdseye  received  1,685  votes  and  Geddes 
1,223  in  this  county.  Of  the  four  senators  elected  none  was  from  this 
county.  Dr.  Hezekiah  Granger,  brother  of  Amos  P.  Granger,  and 
James  Porter  were  put  up  by  the  Republicans  for  Assembly,  and  Col. 
Warren  Plecox  of  Skaneateles,  and  Dr.  Gordon  Needham,  one  of  the 
pioneer  physicians  of  Onondaga,  by  the  Federals — a  strong  ticket  on 
both  sides.  Granger  received  1,787  and  Porter  1,812  votes,  to  1,202 
for  Hecox  and  1,215  for  Xeedham. 

In  1815  Henry  Seymour,  a  prominent  Federalist,  was  elected  to  the 
Senate  from  the  western  district,  and  in  1818  was  chosen  a  member  of 
the  Council  of  Appointment,  although  a  large  majority  of  the  Repub- 
licans of  the  district  were  friendly  to  Clinton  and  desired  a  Clintonian 
for  the  office.  Seymour's  election  was  effected  through  a  political  quar- 
rel, which  led  a  faction  of  the  opposing  party  to  unite  on  him.  Then' 
was  great  rejoicing  among  the  Federalists,  for  Mr.  Seymour  was  a  skill- 
ful and  powerful  politician.  The  other  senator  elected  was  Stephen 
Bates.  Mr.  Seymour  was  a  successful  merchant  at  Pompey  Hill,  and 
this  was  his  first  office  outside  of  his  own  town.  lie  served  four  years, 
and  was  then  thirteen  years  canal  commissioner,  until  his  death  in 
1832.  Four  assemblymen  were  nominated  by  each  party  in  1815,  and 
all  were  new  candidates  excepting  Alexander  M.  Beebe  of  Marcellus 
and  Jonathan  Dickinson  of  Camillus.  The  Republicans  were  again  suc- 
cessful, and  with  the  Legislature  in  their  control,  selected  a  Council  of 
Appointment  after  their  own  hearts.  The  declaration  of  peace  greatly 
exhilarated  and   strengthened  them,  and   they  distributed  patronage  to 


272  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

§ 
only  their  trusted  henchmen.  Many  Clintonians  were  ostracized  and 
their  places  given  to  the  most  regular  of  the  "regulars."  Jonas  Earll, 
the  rising  young  man  of  Onondaga  and  a  member  of  the  then  most  in- 
fluential family  in  that  vicinity,  was  made  sheriff,  and  the  political  guil- 
lotine worked  in  all  minor  offices  throughout  the  county  with  the  same 
activity  and  comprehensiveness  of'modern  times.  About  fifty  new  jus- 
tices of  the  peace  were  appointed,  of  which  Onondaga  and  Marcellus 
got  eleven  each. 

The  year  1816  found  the  Republicans  somewhat  weakened  by  factional 
quarrels,  but  they  went  into  the  campaign  with  confidence.  Governor 
Tompkins  was  then  at  the  height  of  his  popularity,  and  was  renomi- 
nated and  elected  over  Rufus  King  by  a  majority  of  7,000;  in  this 
county  the  vote  was  1,545  for  Tompkins  and  1,178  for  King.  James 
Porter,  the  Skaneateles  lawyer,  was  elected  to  Congress  over  Judge 
Geddes,  who  had  again  been  put  forward  by  the  Federals,  and  he  made 
a  good  run,  for  Porter's  majority  was  only  273,  while  for  assemblymen 
it  was  over  500.  The  senatorial  convention  was  held  at  Onondaga  Hill 
by  the  Republicans  and  at  Canandaigua  by  the  P'ederals,  and  the  three 
nominees  of  the  Republicans  were  of  course  elected;  none  of  them  from 
this  county.  The  nominations  for  Assembly  were  made  by  both  parties 
at  the  Hill,  and  the  vote  shows  the  waning  popularity  of  the  Federals. 
For  the  Republican  candidates  it  was  2,031,  2,043,  2,031  and  2,036; 
while  for  the  Federals  it  was  1,500,  1,507,  1,504  and  1,503.  It  was  in 
this  year  that  Onondaga  county  received  its  last  important  reduction  of 
area  by  the  erection  of  Oswego  county.  There  were  few  official  changes 
made  that  demand  notice  here,  and  the  same  is  true  of  1817,  for  the 
\<i  publicans  had  exhausted  their  efforts  in  this  direction  in  1815.  Our 
victories  in  the  war  had  robbed  the  Federals  of  their  last  issue  and  they 
had  little  hope  for  future  success,  except  such  as  might  grow  out  of  dis- 
affection in  their  opponents'  ranks,  of  which  there  were  some  ominous 
signs;  the  fact  is,  there  were  not  a  sufficient  number  of  public  offices 
for  all  the  greed)-  Republicans,  and  they  were  grumbling.  But  the 
■  anal  question  was  now  to  almost  wholly  absorb  all  other  political  issues, 
and  the  Federals  made  a  desperate  attempt  to  retrieve  their  failing  for- 
by  its  advocacy.  This  question  was  of  the  greatest  possible  im- 
portance in  this  count)-,  one  reason  for  which  was  the  residence  hereof 
two  of  itsstrongest  supporters,  Judge  Geddes  and  Joshua  Forman.  The 
Republicans  saw  and  appreciated  the  plans  of  their  opponents  and  with 
considerable  success  attempted  to  take  wind  from  their  sails  by  publicly 


POLITICAL  CHRONOLOGY.  27.3 

professing  liberal  support  for  the  canal  project.  Governor  Tompkins 
was  elected  vice-president,  resigning  his  former  office,  and  the  Federals 
put  forward  De  Witt  Clinton  for  governor.  Clinton  had  many  friends 
among  the  Republicans,  and  to  be  consistent  the  party  must  support 
him  for  his  canal  policy.  A  mixed  convention  was  accordingly  held  at 
Albany,  and  he  was  nominated  on  the  25th  of  March.  He  was  sup- 
ported in  this  county  by  both  parties  and  received  1,691  votes.  The 
Federals  did  not  nominate  senators  in  the  district.  The  acceptance  and 
support  of  Clinton  by  the  Federals  was  simple  suicide;  it  destroyed  all 
cohesion  in  the  party.  In  the  Republican  ranks  there  was  a  division 
at  Albany  between  the  Clintonians  and  anti-Clintonians,  which  showed 
itself  in  nominations  for  Assembly  in  this  county.  Two  tickets  were 
placed  in  the  field,  the  regulars,  or  anti-Clintonians,  meeting  at  the  Hill 
in  April  and  nominating  Col.  Asa  Wells,  James  Webb,  David  Munro 
and  Abijah  Earll.1  Wells  and  Webb  had  been  elected  the  previous 
year.  These  nominations  were  so  obnoxious  to  the  friends  of  Clinton 
that  in  less  than  twenty-four  hours  steps  were  taken  for  an  opposition 
ticket.  The  dissatisfied  met  at  Pompey  Hill  April  16,  and  there  nomi- 
nated a  Clintonian-Republican  ticket — Judge  Reuben  Humphrey,  Jona- 
than Stanley,  jr.,  James  Pettit  and  Gideon  Wilcoxon.  In  the  election 
most  of  the  Federals  did  not  vote  at  all,  and  they  had  no  ticket  up.  As 
may  be  inferred,  the  better  organization  of  the  self-styled  "regulars" 
led  them  to  victory. 

In  1818  George  Hall2  was  nominated  for  Congress  by  the  Republicans 
and  was  not  opposed  by  the  weakening  Federalists.  He  received  the 
whole  vote  of  the  county  excepting  forty-nine  thrown  for  H.  O.  Wat- 
tles, a  respected  attorney  of  Manlius  and  a  genuine  Federalist.  In  the 
senatorial  convention  Gamaliel  H.  Barstow,  of  Tioga,  David  E.  Evans, 
of  Batavia,  and  Perry  E.  Childs,  of  Cazenovia,  were  nominated,  all  un- 
derstood to  be  friends  of  Clinton,  but  Childs  and  Perry  were  found  later 
to  be  working  against  him.  Dissatisfaction  in  Madison  county  with 
Childs  led  to  the  putting  up  of  Samuel  Paine  of  that  county  in  opposition, 

1  Abijah  Earll  was  one  of  the  numerous  family  of  that  name  who  were  prominent  in  the  early 
history  of  the  county.  He  was  early  a  political  power  in  this  county  and  not  without  influence 
in  other  sections  of  the  State.  He  was  elected  to  the  Assembly  in  1818  and  was  captain  of  a  com- 
pany of  grenadiers  as  early  as  1 H07'. 

2  George  Hall  was  one  of  the  foremost  lawyers  of  the  county  in  early  years.  He  was  for  a  time 
a  partner  of  Thaddeus  M.Wood,  and  sometimes  had  on  his  books  a  hundred  suits,  many  of  them,  of 
course,  of  small  importance.  He  was  offered  a  militia  office,  but  refused  it.  He  held  many  local 
offices. 

35 


274  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

but  the  defection  was  not  sufficient  and  Childs  was  elected.  The  vote 
in  this  county  was  Barstow,  1,55-4;  Evans,  1,610;  Childs,  984;  Paine,  289. 

By  this  time  (1818)  the  Federal  party  was  practically  dead,  its  mem- 
bers generally  merging  themselves  in  the  two  Republican  factions,  Clin- 
tonian  and  Bucktail.  The  nominations  for  Assembly  were  David 
Munro,  Elisha  Litchfied,  Henry  Case  of  Liverpool,  and  Elias  Gumaer, 
of  Manlius.  The  Bucktails  were  not  wholly  satisfied  with  this  ticket, 
and  an  attempt  was  made  to  defeat  Mr.  Gumaer  by  putting  up  a  fifth 
candidate  in  the  person  of  that  fertile-brained  Onondaga  lawyer,  Thad- 
deus  M.  Wood.  TheClintonians  nominated  a  mongi'el  ticket  composed 
of  John  Stockham,  Samuel  Tyler,  Elijah  Hunt  and  Jonas  C.  Baldwin. 
The  Vote  was  Case,  1,836;  Munro,  1,632;  Litchfield,  1,451;  Gumaer, 
756;  Wood,  612;  Rust,  319;  Baldwin,  268;  Stockham,  228 ;  Tyler,  222. 
In  the  town  of  Salina  Wood  led  the  ticket. 

An  act  of  1818  abolished  the  office  of  assistant  justice  and  fixed  the 
number  of  justices  of  the  peace  in  each  town  at  four.  This  office  was 
then  of  vastly  more  importance  than  it  is  now,  and  there  was  much  more 
litigation  in  those  minor  courts ;  consequently  there  was  considerable 
scrambling  for  the  appointments,  the  result  of  which  is  perhaps  worth 
recording  here : 

Onondaga — George  Hall,  Daniel  Moseley,  Thaddeus  Patchin  and  William  Ray. 

Manlius — Isaac  H.  Osborne,  Prentice  Kinne,  Thomas  Rose  and  Zachariah  Kinne. 

Marcellus — Freeborn  G.  Jewett,  Daniel  Ball,  Jacob  Van  Houton  and  Lewis  Smith. 

Fabius — Elijah  Miles,  George  Pettit,  Job  Gorton  and  Peter  W.  Yates. 

Pompey — Victory  Birdseye,  Ashael  Smith,  Elisha   Litchfield  and  Daniel  Denison. 

Camillus — Charles  J.  Merriman,  Phineas  Barnes,  jr.,  Isaac  Earll  and  David  Munro. 

Lysander — Otis  Bigelow,  John  Buck,  Asa  Baker  and  John  Buller. 

(  itisco — John  B.  Nichols,  Berry  Carter  and  Solomon  Judd. 

Spafford— Asahel  Roundy,  Levi  Appleby  and  Job  L.  Lewis. 

Tully — Sylvester  Wheaton,  Nicol  Howell,  Gerrit  Van  Hoesen,  jr.,  and  John  Ackles. 

Salina — Henry  Case,  Andrew  Pilaris,  Daniel  Gilbert  and  Freeman  Hughes. 

Cicero — Eli  Gage,  Moses  Kinne  and  Ebenezer  Campbell. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  this  list  contains  the  names  of  many  of  the 
hading  Republicans  of  that  time.  At  the  same  time  Squire  Munro, 
Jonathan  Stanley,  James  Webb  and  Levi  Mason  were  appointed  judges 
and  justices,  and  James  Porter  district  attorney ;  he  declined  and  was 
succeeded  in  June  by  Victory  Birdseye.  Jonas  Earll  was  reappointed 
sheriff  and  Truman  Adams,  county  clerk,  in  place  of  Jasper  Hopper, 
resigned.  Complete  lists  of  all  these  latter  officers  being  given  on  a 
page,  they  need  not  be  followed  in  detail  here  for  later  years,  ex- 
cept as  they  may  have  had  some  especial  political  bearing. 


POLITICAL   CHRONOLOGY.  275 

In  1819  senators  and  assemblymen  only  were  elected,  and  of  the  former 
this  county  had  none.  All  the  Bucktail  assemblymen  were  elected  by 
narrow  margins.  Among-  them  was  Lewis  Smith,  who,  in  1825,  was 
elected  sheriff  over  A.  P.  Granger  by  more  than  1,000  majority.  Jonas 
Earll  was  another  elected  assemblyman  and  was  returned  in  1820.  In 
the  Legislature  chosen  in  L818  the  Republicans,  as  has  been  seen,  were 
largely  in  the  majority.  The  Council  of  Appointment  of  L819  was 
largely  Clintonian  and  retained  its  power  in  1820,  but  official  changes 
made  were  few,  as  most  of  the  offices  were  already  in  the  hands  of  Clin- 
ton's friends^ 

The  State  campaign  of  1820  was  memorable  for  its  activity.  The 
Federal  leaders  had  publicly  declared  that  their  party  had  "ceased  to 
exist,"  and  most  of  its  members  went  into  the  Clintonian  ranks.  At  a 
public  meeting  held  in  Albany,  William  James,  of  Syracuse,  a  great 
admirer  of  Clinton,  brought  forward  the  name  of  the  latter  for  governor. 
Daniel  D.  Tompkins  was  the  opponent,  and  the  field  soon  became  a 
stormy  one.  The  newspapers  overflowed  with  defamation  of  the 
characters  of  the  two  candidates  and  their  followers.  The  vote  in  the 
State  was:  Clinton,  -47,44?;  Tompkins,  45,990.  In  this  county  Clin- 
ton received  1,557,  and  Tompkins  1,494  votes.  Salina  gave  Tompkins 
47  votes  and  Clinton  only  26.  The  Clintonian  candidates  for  State  sen- 
ator in  the  western  district  were  elected.  Among  them  was  Elijah  \Y. 
Miles,  of  Fabius,  son  of  Elijah,  who  had  been  elected  to  the  Assembly 
in  1815-Ki.      The  Bucktails  elected  their  Assembly  candidates. 

The  election  of  1821  was  the  last  held  under  the  old  Constitution,  and 
congressmen,  State  senators  and  assemblymen  were  chosen.  George 
Hall  and  Elisha  Litchfield  (Clintonian  and  Bucktail  respectively)  were 
opposing  candidates  for  Congress,  and  the  vote  was  remarkably  close, 
Hall  receiving  2,307,  and  Litchfied  2,256.  Salina  gave  Litchfield  L27, 
and  Hall  113.  In  the  senatorial  contest,  western  district,  there  were 
nil  Onondaga  county  men.  The  Bucktails  nominated  for  the  assembly 
Matthew  Van  Vleck,  of  Salt  Point;  David  YVillard,  of  Otisco;  Harold 
White,  of  Camillus,  and  George  Pettit,  of  Fabius;  while  the  Clinton- 
ians  put  up  Sylvester  Gardner,  of  Manlius;  David  Munro,  of  Camillus; 
Josephus  Barker  and  Judge  Geddes.  The  canvass  tor  assemblymen 
was  unusually  spirited  and  the  vote  close.  The  average  majority  for 
the  Clintonians  was  only  thirty-seven,  which  clearly  indicates  the  fidelity 
with  which  electors  of  the  two  parties  adhered  to  regular  nominees  in 
those  early  times.      The  new  Constitution  of  1821  gave  increased  power 


276  ONONDAGA'S   CENTENNIAL. 

to  the  State  executive,  which  made  the  gubernatorial  campaign  more 
than  ordinarily  interesting.  The  contest  finally  narrowed  to  Joseph  C. 
Yates  and  Samuel  Young;  the  former  received  the  nomination.  The 
Clintonians  put  up  no  candidate,  but  at  the  last  moment  Solomon  South- 
wick  offered  himself  for  the  office.  His  total  vote  was  only  2,910.  In 
this  county  he  received  76  against  3,393  for  Yates.  The  new  Constitu- 
tion made  eight  instead  of  four  senatorial  districts,  and  Onondaga,  with 
Cayuga,  Senaca  and  Ontario  were  constituted  the  seventh.  (Wayne 
was  added  in  1823,  Cortland  in  1836  and  Yates  in  1873.)  Each  district 
was  entitled  to  elect  four  senators.  The  nominations  of  the  Democrats 
in  1821  included  Jonas  Earll,  and  those  of  the  Clintonians  included 
William  Chatfield,  of  Marcellus.  The  candidates  of  the  Democrats 
were  all  elected.  The  22d  congressional  district  embraced  Onondaga, 
Cortland  and  a  part  of  Oswego  counties.  Elisha  Litchfield  was  elected 
over  Col.  Asa  Wells,  of  Pompey,  but  the  popularity  of  the  latter  ma- 
terially reduced  the  majority  of  his  opponent. 

In  1823  senators  and  assemblymen  only  were  elected.  The  sena- 
torial vote  in  this  county  was  2,084  Democratic,  and  1,613  Clintonian, 
or,  as  they  then  styled  themselves,  "  People's  Party."  The  Democrats 
were  successful  also  in  the  election  of  their  assemblymen. 

The  Democrats  were  now  largely  in  the  majority  in  the  State,  and 
governor,  lieutenant-governor,  congressman,  senators  and  assembly- 
men were  to  be  elected  in  1825 .  Clinton  was  then  canal  commissioner, 
but  just  previous  to  the  adjournment  of  the  Legislature  in  the  spring, 
he  was  removed  by  resolution.  This  act  caused  intense  excitement  and 
led  to  his  nomination  for  governor  by  the  Democrats  on  the  3d  of 
April,  and  his  election  by  16,000  majority.  The  vote  was  close  in  this 
county — Clinton  3,280  against  3,176  for  Young.  The  Democratic  nom- 
inees for  senator  received  in  this  county  3,133  votes  to  3,275  for  their 
opponents,  but  they  elected  their  assemblymen,  the  successful  candi- 
dates' names  appearing  in  the  subsequent  lists  herein. 

Of  the  senators  elected  in  1825  none  was  from  this  county.  The 
majority  here  for  the  Democratic  candidate  was  263,  and  the  same 
party  elected  assemblymen,  their  candidates  being  Chauncey  Betts,  F. 
G.  Jewett,  John  G.  Forbes,  and  David  Willard.  The  opposition  nom- 
inated George  Hall,  Dr.  William  Taylor,  John  Sprague  and  John 
Hamill. 

In  1826  the  project  came  up  of  building  a  great  highway  from  the 
Hudson  River  to  the  lakes,  passing  through  the  southern  tier  of  the 


POLITICAL   CHRONOLOGY.  277 

counties  of  this  State.  It  was  born  chiefly  of  Clinton's  fertile  brain 
and  soon  became  the  leading  question  with  the  people  at  large.  A  bill 
was  introduced  in  the  Legislature  appropriating  $800,000  in  aid  of  the 
road ;  this  was  not  a  party  measure,  but  it  involved  deep  sectional  feel- 
ings. The  canals  were  just  completed  and  were  proving  thoroughly 
successful,  which  fact  operated  in  favor  of  this  scheme  of  improve- 
ment. In  Onondaga  county  the  interest  in  the  undertaking  was  para- 
mount, and  it  was  supposed  that  Messrs.  Jewett  and  Forbes  would 
both  support  it  with  their  strong  influence  and  signal  ability.  Forbes 
finally  deserted  the  project,  and  after  a  long  struggle  the  measure  was 
defeated  in  the  Assembly,  the  vote  being  48  to  50.  Partly  on  account 
of  his  action  in  this^  matter  Mr.  Forbes  was  not  returned.  The  Con- 
stitution of  1821  provided  for  the  appointment  of  justices  of  the  peace 
by  the  supervisors.  This  plan  proving  unsatisfactory,  an  attempt  was 
made  in  1825  to  amend  the  Constitution  so  that  they  would  be  voted 
for  by  the  people.  This  attempt  did  not  succeed,  but  in  the  next  year 
a  resolution  was  adopted  in  the  Legislature  to  submit  the  question  to 
the  people  at  the  election,  and  it  received  an  overwhelming  majority. 
In  this  county  the  entire  vote  was  in  the  affirmative,  and  the  measure 
went  into  effect  in  1827.  At  the  regular  election  of  L82-6  a  governor, 
lieutenant-governor,  senators,  assemblymen  and  congressmen  were 
chosen.  Clinton  was  re-elected,  but  in  this  county  the  vote  was  against 
him — 3,506  for  Rochester  and  3,210  for  Clinton.  The  average  Demo- 
cratic majority  here  for  senators  and  assemblymen  was  about  354. 
Charles  Jackson,  of  Pompey,  was  one  of  the  assemblymen  elected;  he 
had  been  in  the  Board  of  Supervisors  in  1824-5,  and  was  the  first 
supervisor  of  La  Fayette  in  1826.  The  congressional  canvass  was  a 
very  active  one,  Jonas  Earll,  jr.,  being  the  Democratic  nominee,  with 
Luther  Badger  opposed.      Earll  was  elected — 3,420  to  3,178. 

The  Democratic  leaders  felt  compelled  to  come  out  squarely  for 
Jackson  for  the  next  president  in  1827,  which  action  forced  their  op- 
ponents to  do  likewise  in  favor  of  Adams,  and  the  results  of  the  en- 
suing election  turned  somewhat  on  the  relative  strength  of  those  two 
statesmen.  The  local  court  house  question  also  had  considerable  in- 
fluence at  the  polls.  But  the  Democrats  elected  their  senators  and 
assemblymen,  generally  by  large  majorities.  Lewis  H.  Redfield,  the 
pioneer  journalist,  was  one  of  the  defeated  candidates  for  Assembly. 

The  campaign  of  1828  was  a  lively  one.  Governor  Clinton  died  in 
February,   leaving  Van   Buren  leader  in  the  State  on  the  Democratic 


278  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

side,  and  he  was  elected  governor  in  November.  The  Democrats  came 
out  early  in  their  work  for  Jackson,  and  Onondaga  county  was  the 
theater  of  great  activity.  Mass  meetings  were  held  in  every  town,  and 
for  the  first  time  a  thorough  canvass  was  made  of  the  electors.  This 
was  done,  at  least  in  some  of  the  towns,  by  "  vigilance  committees,"  in 
some  cases  one  hundred  strong.  This  county  then  composed  the  whole 
of  the  23d  congressional  district  and  the  Democrats  had  the  potent  aid 
of  such  strong  local  men  as  Dr.  William  Taylor,  F.  G.  Jewett,  and 
Jerome  Briggs,  and  in  the  heated  strife  for  the  sheriffalty  they  nom- 
inated John  Grinnell;  but  when  John  H.  Johnson  came  out  as  an  inde- 
pendent candidate  and  was  taken  up  by  the  Adams  faction,  as  well  as 
the  Anti-Masons,  he  was  triumphantly  elected.  Reuben  L.  Hess,  also 
an  Adams  man,  was  elected  county  clerk.  The  vote  for  governor  in 
this  county  was  4,211  for  Van  Buren,  and  3,322  for  Thompson. 

In  1829  the  vigilance  committees  were  again  appointed  in  the  towns 
and  their  work  proved  to  be  effective,  not  alone  in  making  a  canvass 
but  in  advancing  the  interests  of  the  party  in  other  directions.  The 
Democratic  Assembly  convention  was  held  on  the  Hill  and  every  town 
represented.  A  week  later  the  Anti-Masons  held  theirs  there  and  were 
now  showing  considerable  strength.  In  the  ensuing  spring  election  the 
Democratic  nominees  for  Assembly  received  the  following  vote:  4,197, 
t,222,  4,231,  and  4,022;  the  Anti-Masons  1,222,  1,220,  1,197,  and  1,194. 
It  was  in  1828-9  that  the  agitation  of  suppressing  Sunday  mails  was 
developed,  and  in  this  county  it  was  especially  active.  Several  meet- 
ings were  held,  generally  in  opposition  to  the  measure.  One  of  these 
was  at  Salina  and  one  in  Syracuse.  Dr.  Kirkpatrick  presided  at  the 
former,  with  Coddington  B.  Williams,  secretary,  and  J.  J.  Briggs, 
Warren  Green,  Israel  Smith,  John  J.  Mang,  and  Matthew  Van  Vleck, 
were  made  a  committee  on  resolutions.  In  their  report  they  declared 
that  "the  present  crisis  calls  upon  the  friends  of  religious  liberty  to 
array  themselves  around  the  Constitution,  and  firmly  resist  this  first 
attempt  of  ecclesiastical  domination  to  intrude  itself  among  our  civil  in- 
stitutions and  contaminate  our  pure  republican  government," — which, 
it  must  be  confessed,  was  quite  heroic.  On  the  6th  of  February  a 
county  meeting  was  held  on  the  Hill  for  the  same  purpose,  at  which 
Judg  presided.      With  Jackson  in  power  the  Democrats  began 

mbling   tor   post-office  patronage   in    the  same    delightful  manner 
that  cither  successful   side  does  to-day.      Judge   Earll  was  in  Congress 
i  ict,  and  he  was  inundated  with  petitions  to  aid  in  "  turn- 


POLITICAL   CHRONOLOGY  279 

ing  the  rascals  out."  Salina  was  then  the  most  important  post-office 
in  the  count}-,  and  a  change  was  made  there  a  few  months  later,  when 
Erasmus  Stone  succeeded  William  Clark.  In  the  Valley  Lewis  H. 
Redfield  superseded  Royal  Stewart,  and  Nehemiah  H.  Earll  was  ap- 
pointed on  the  Hill.  John  Wilkinson,  in  Syracuse,  was  not  removed. 
In  the  spring  of  1820  the  Democrats  elected  twelve  of  the  sixteen  super- 
visors, but  in  Salina,  strange  to  say,  the  whole  ticket  was  defeated, 
through  a  coalition  of  farmers,  mechanics,  workingmen  and  Anti- 
Masons.  This  is  about  the  first  we  learn  of  unrest  among  the  work- 
ingmen of  this  county,  and  attempts  were  made  to  form  a  party  in  their 
interest  throughout  the  State. 

Anti-Masonry  was  now  at  its  height.  Many  men  deserted  the  order 
after  the  abduction  of  Morgan,  meetings  were  held  throughout  the 
State,  and  feeling  rose  to  a  high  pitch.  But  the  action  of  the  Masons 
as  an  order  was  so  conservative  and  dignified  that  it  soon  became  evi- 
dent that  a  party  could  not  survive  upon  such  an  issue.  All  through 
the  summer  the  Anti-Masons  were  busy,  and  their  nominations  were 
generally  made  in  advance  of  the  others.  The  result  of  the  election 
was  a  clean  sweep  for  the  Democrats  in  this  county  and  the  7th  senato- 
rial district.  In  this  county  the  majority  for  the  Democratic  nominee 
for  senator  was  just  3,000,  568  of  which  were  cast  in  Salina  and  528  in 
Manlius. 

In  1829-30  a  modification  of  the  salt  tax  was  agitated.  Congressman 
Earll  and  most  of  the  Jackson  men  favored  its  repeal ;  the  question  did 
not  then  reach  a  vote.  In  1830  the  Adams  party  disappeared  and  was 
replaced  by  the  Anti-Masons,  who  nominated  candidates  for  governor, 
lieutenant-governor,  and  senators,  the  latter  being  William  H.  Seward, 
then  just  appearing  in  State  politics.  Judge  Jewett  (surrogate  since 
1821)  was  nominated  for  Congress  by  the  Democrats,  against  Samuel 
Jerome.  In  the  practical  work  of  the  campaign  Anti-Masonry  was  not 
so  conspicuous  as  opposition  to  the  Federal  administration.  The  As- 
sembly nominations  were  Azariah  Smith,  Schuyler  Strong,  James  L. 
Yoorhees,  and  Lewis  Beebe  It  was  supposed  that  these  would  be  en- 
dorsed by  the  Anti-Masons.  The  canvass  was  spirited  and  the  Demo- 
crats elected  Jewett  and  carried  all  the  towns  for  Throop  against 
Granger  for  governor  except  Pompey,  Fabius,  Marcel  Ins,  Cicero  and 
Clay     Neither  of  the  assemblymen  named  was  elected. 

The  election  of  Seward  in  the  7th  district  in  L830,  as  just  noted,  and 
the  majority  of   13,000  given  the  Anti-Masons   in  the  8th   district,  in- 


280  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

spired  the  leaders  in  that  misguided  party  to  hope  that  they  could  build 
up  a  great  and  permanent  organization  in  this  State.  The  strangest 
feature  of  that  short-lived  delusion,  from  the  standpoint  of  the  present 
day,  is  the  fact  that  men  of  wisdom,  power  and  sagacity  could  have 
been  led  to  such  a  conclusion.  In  the  fall  compaign  of  1831  the  Anti- 
Masons  were  alert.  Their  State  convention  was  held  in  Albany  and 
continued  twTo  days,  and  there  the  attempt  was  made  to  firmly  plant 
the  doctrine  in  this  State;  but  the  results  were  not  especially  auspicious 
nor  was  the  harmony  perfect.  Forty-two  delegates  were  appointed  to 
the  national  convention  at  Baltimore  in  September;  six  of  these  were 
from  the  7th  district,  among  them  being  Judge  Geddes.  In  the  spring 
town  elections  of  1832  the  Democrats  were  successful  in  Tully,  Cicero, 
Otisco,  Salina,  Manlius,  Camillus.  Skaneateles,  Spafford,  La  Fayette, 
Elbridge,  Van  Buren,  and  Lysander.  In  four  towns  the  Anti-Masons 
were  successful,  while  in  Clay  the  contest  was  not  political.  The  Dem- 
ocrats nominated  Jehiel  H.  Halsey,  of  Tompkins,  for  senator,  and  the 
Anti-Masons  Henry  W.  Taylor,  of  Ontario.  The  Democrats  put  up 
Col.  Johnson  Hall  for  sheriff,  against  Parley  Howlett ;  Assembly  and 
other  nominations  were  made  and  the  results  of  the  election  seemed  to 
demonstrate  that  Anti-Masonry  did  not  thrive  in  Onondaga  county. 
The  Democrats  elected  their  ticket  by  larger  majorities  than  those  of 
the  previous  year. 

In  1832  Jackson  was  up  for  president  on  issues  raised  by  the  so-called 
"National  Republicans"  in  Congress.  These  latter  held  a  convention 
in  I'tiea  and  nominated  Francis  Granger  for  governor,  and  Samuel 
Stevens  for  lieutenant-governor.  Granger  was  a  leader  in  the  Anti- 
Masonic  ranks.  The  Democrats  nominated  Samuel  L.  Edwards  for 
senator,  against  Amos  P.  Granger.  In  June  Onondaga  and  Madison 
counties  were  made  the  23d  congressional  district  and  the  Democrats 
nominated  Dr.  William  Taylor  and  William  K.  Fuller  (of  Madison), 
against  Elijah  Rhoades  and  James  B.  Eldridge  (of  Madison).  On 
these,  with  the  four  Assembly  nominees  on  each  side,  the  Democrats 
had  as  usual  a  decisive  majority,  though  not  so  large  as  in  the  previous 
The  majority  here  for  Marcy  was  571  and  for  Edwards  618.  In 
L832  33  tin:  canal  received  its  final  legislative  aid  from  salt.  Mr.  Kirk- 
patriek  died  in  L832  and  Nehemiah  H.  Earll  was  appointed  superin- 
tendent of  the  salt  springs,  for  which  position  he  left  the  county  judge- 
ship. Others  who  held  this  office  are  mentioned  in  the  city  history 
in. 


POLITICAL  CHRONOLOGY.  281 

The  campaign  of  1833  was  quiet  to  an  unusual  degree,  only  senators 
and  assemblymen  being  chosen.  The  only  comment  called  for  here  is 
that  the  Democrats  continued  victorious,  as  seen  in  later  printed  lists. 
Two  important  questions,  however,  were  submitted  to  the  people  this 
year — the  proposed  reduction  of  the  salt  duty  to  six  cents  a  bushel, 
and  the  authorization  of  the  people  of  New  York  city  to  elect  their 
mayors  by  popular  vote.  On  the  first,  Onondaga  county  gave  an 
affirmative  vote  of  3,093  against  120.  Of  these  negative  votes  Spafford 
for  some  inscrutable  reason  cast  90.  The  entire  vote  on  the  other 
question  was  affirmative,  Salina  casting  more  than  half  of  the  1,024 
votes. 

With  the  inauguration  of  the  campaign  of  1834  came  a  change.  The 
party  in  opposition  to  the  Democrats  had  during  the  preceding  winter 
taken  the  new  name  of  Whigs,  which  they  were  to  bear  many  years, 
and  both  parties  were  early  in  the  field.  Times  were  hard,  for  which 
the  Washington  administration  was  condemned,  and  the  new  named 
party  thought  they  saw  reasonable  grounds  for  success.  The  Demo- 
crats nominated  Chester  Loomis  of  Ontario  for  senator,  and  the  Whigs 
put  up  John  H.  Beach  of  Auburn,  a  prominent  politician.  The  Demo- 
crats held  their  congressional  convention  in  Manlius,  and  Dr.  Taylor 
and  William  K.  Fuller  were  renominated.  The  Whigs  met  in  Cazeno- 
via  and  nominated  Victory-  Birdseye  and  Jonathan  D.  Ledyard;  the 
former  was  now  a  "  renegade"  from  the  Democrats,  as  was  also  Dr. 
Taylor,  and  the  campaign  became  an  amusing  one  as  far  as  it  related 
to  this  office.  In  the  Democratic  county  convention  held  October  2,  in 
the  court  house,  there  were  numerous  candidates  for  sheriff  and  assem- 
blymen. Luther  Buell  presided  and  Col.  Dorastus  Lawrence1  finally 
secured  the  sheriffalty  nomination,  and  Alanson  Edwards  was  nomi- 
nated for  county  clerk.  Both  parties  had  good  candidates  for  assem- 
bly. The  Democrats  adopted  resolutions  condemnatory  of  Jackson's 
policy  of  "  war  on  the  United  States  Bank,"  while  the  Whigs,  who  held 
their  convention  on  the  18th  of  that  month,  condemned  the  president's 
policy  in  resolutions.  In  the  election  the  Democrats  had  overwhelm- 
ing majorities  ranging  from  600  to  1,000. 

The  disastrous  campaign  of  1834  made  the  Whigs  so  despondent  that 

'Col.  Dorastus  Lawrence  was  a  native  of  Vermont  and  removed  to  Skaneateles  in  1801.    He 
was  an  active  and  prominent  man  and  marched  with  his  company  of  militia,  raised  in  Skaneat- 
eles and  Marcellus,  to  Oswego  when  that  post  was  attacked  by  the  British.     He  died  February  11, 
1802,  aged  seventy-six  years, 
v  30 


282  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

they  had  not  the  energy  to  even  nominate  a  legislative  ticket  in  1835, 
leaving  the  field  in  undisputed  possession  of  the  Democrats.  Neither 
of  the  senatorial  nominees  was  from  this  county.  For  the  assembly 
the  Democrats  renominated  Wilkinson  and  Parker,  with  David  Munro 
and  Dr.  Daniel  Denison  of  Pompey,  who  were  former  Clintonians. 
The  campaign  was  of  course  without  special  interest.  Munro  received 
1,922  votes,  Denison  1,924,  Wilkinson  1,887,  and  Parker  1,856.  Such 
indifference  had  never  before  been  seen  here. 

But  the  recurrence  of  the  presidential  campaign  of  1836  brought  a 
change,  and  the  Whigs  again  became  active.  The  Democrats  held 
their  county  convention  September  8  and  named  their  delegates  to  the 
senatorial  convention.  Radical  resolutions  were  adopted,  of  such  a 
character  that  had  it  not  been  a  very  important  campaign,  the  con- 
servative element  would  have  revolted.  On  the  1st  of  October  the 
"young"  or  "junior"  Democrats  held  a  convention  at  the  court  house 
t<>  appoint  delegates  to  Utica,  among  whom  were  such  well  known 
characters  as  David  D.  Hillis,  Samuel  B.  Rowe,  D.  C.  Worden,  John 
Eastwood,  Henry  Church,  W.  B.  Burroughs,  Le  Roy  Morgan,  Elisha 
Tuttle,  Horace  Wheaton,  Peter  Outwater,  jr.,  and  others.  In  the 
count}-  convention  of  the  Democrats  resolutions  of  the  same  radical 
character  as  those  just  alluded  to  were  adopted— endorsing  Jackson's 
policy,  opposing  further  increase  of  banking  corporations,  favoring  a 
modification  of  the  restraining  law  and  the  suppression  of  all  paper 
money  circulation  below  five  dollars,  etc.  In  the  senatorial  convention 
the  Democrats  nominated  Judge  Edwards,  while  the  Whigs  put  up  Gen. 
James  R.  Lawrence.  For  Congress  the  Democrats  renominated  Dr. 
Taylor,  with  Bennett  Bicknell  for  Madison  county,  and  the  Whigs  put 
up  B.  Davis  Noxon  and  Eliphalet  S.  Jackson.  The  Democrats  came 
out  with  a  decisive  victory,  the  average  majority  being  1,800  on  State, 
senatorial,  congressional  and  assembly  candidates.  Although  the  rad- 
ical and  the  conservative  factions  of  the  Democrats  thus  pulled  together 
the  ticket,  they  were  far  from  harmonious,  aud  while  wrangling 
tli'-  matters  embraced  in  the  resolutions  just  noticed,  the  Whigs 
remained  quiet  and  neutral,  hoping  to  reap  advantage  from  the  quarrel 
of  tli  In  the  winter  of  1836-7  several  conventions   were  held 

by  the  conservative  Democrats  to  give  further  expression  to  their  policy. 
I      i     Geneva,    which  was  attended  by  delegates  from 
mm       m    the   seventh   district.      The  delegates  from  Onondaga 
Flam     I.viids.     Lewis    11.     Sandford,    Samuel    Francis,  William 


POLITICAL   CHRONOLOGY.  283 

Fuller,  Joel  Thayer,  Vivus  W.  Smith,  and  Henry  Davis,  jr.  The 
speeches  and  the  resolutions  were  in  line  with  what  has  already  been 
said  of  them.  In  the  campaign  of  1836  the  Whigs  put  forth  their  best 
efforts,  but  they  were  buried  in  this  county  under  a  Democratic  ma- 
jority of  about  1,800. 

A  change  was  coming',  however.  Anti-slavery  agitation  was  becom- 
ing intense  and  aggressive.  Efforts  were  made  in  Congress  in  1835  t<> 
abolish  slavery  in  the  District  of  Columbia;  but  the  determination  was 
in  effect  that  Congress  had  no  right  to  interfere  with  the  existing  or- 
der. This  did  not  silence  the  Abolitionists,  and  at  the  next  session 
floods  of  petitions  were  sent  into  Congress  for  the  abolishment  of  slav- 
ery in  the  District.  Excitement  ran  high  in  many  places.  The  Abolition- 
ists were  generally  looked  upon  as  misguided  mischief-makers.  A 
meeting  was  held  in  the  court  house  on  October  2,  1835,  over  which 
Daniel  Mosely  presided,  and  the  vice-presidents  were  Daniel  Kellogg, 
John  Watson,  Hiram  Putnam,  and  James  Geddes;  E.  W.  Leavenworth 
and  Reuben  L.  Hess  were  secretaries.  The  proceedings  were  in  har- 
mony with  those  of  many  other  similar  gatherings  of  the  kind  which 
continued  for  years. 

With  the  year  1837  political  conditions  were  changed.  The  times 
were  still  hard,  for  which  the  Democrats  were  blamed;  the  sub-treasury 
question  and  other  issues  were  dividing  the  Democratic  party,  anti- 
slavery  agitation  was  increasing;  and  a  combination  of  Whigs  and 
conservative  Democrats  in  the  House  of  Representatives  triumphed 
over  the  government  administration.  The  local  quarrel  was  gaining 
strength.  The  Whigs  met  and  nominated  a  most  excellent  ticket,  of 
which  one  enthusiast  wrote:  "  Such  zeal  was  never  before  manifested 
by  the  Whigs.  Great  unanimity  prevailed  and  a  ticket  of  the  highest 
order  was  nominated."  The  result  astonished  even  the  Whigs  them- 
selves, for  they  elected  their  entire  ticket  by  an  average  majority  of 
200.  In  a  large  part  of  the  counties  of  the  State  the  Democrats  were 
defeated.  The  Legislature  of  1S36-?  was  full  of  business.  Seven 
railroad  companies  were  chartered  in  which  the  people  of  Onondaga 
county  were  directly  interested — the  Brewerton  and  Syracuse,  Syracuse 
and  Jamesville,  Skaneateles,  Syracuse,  Cortland  and  Bingham  ton, 
Syracuse  Stone,  Syracuse  and  Onondaga,  and  the  Syracuse  and  Utica. 
Bank  legislation,  too,  was  extensive,  Jordan,  Manlius,  and  Skaneateles 
applying  for  bank  charters,  while  the  Salina  and  the  Bank  of  Onondaga 
applied  for  an  increase  of  capital.  None  of  these  banking  applications 
was  allowed. 


284  ONONDAGA'S   CENTENNIAL. 

The  difference  between  the  radical  Democrats  and  the  conservatives 
continued,  the  Syracuse  Standard  leaning  towards  the  former  and  soon 
becoming-  their  recognized  organ.  The  radicals  therefore  started  a 
mouth-piece  of  their  own  by  inducing  the  publishers  of  the  Onondaga 
Flag  at  Manlius  to  come  to  Syracuse  and  buy  the  Constitutionalist,  a 
Whig  paper  which  was  then  in  the  throes  of  dissolution,  and  begin  the 
publication  of  the  Onondaga  Chief.  This  proved  a  faithful  servant  while 
it  lived,  but  it  was  weak  financially  and  continued  only  two  years.  The 
suspension  of  the  Constitutionalist  left  the  Whigs  without  an  organ,  in 
which  emergency  T-  M.  Patterson  began  the  publication  of  the  Syra- 
cuse Whig  in  1836,  with  John  K.  Barlow,  editor. 

The  Whigs  held  their  State  convention  in  1838  in  Utica  on  Septem- 
ber 3,  the  delegates  to  which  were  Victory  Birdseye,  John  G.  Forbes, 
James  R.  Lawrence  and  Chauncey  Betts.  Their  Assembly  nominations 
were  General  Lawrence,  Pharis  Gould,  Azariah  Smith  (renominations), 
and  Col.  James  L.  Voorhees  in  place  of  Victory  Birdseye.  The  Stand- 
ard changed  hands  at  the  close  of  the  campaign  of  1837,  and  fell  into 
line  with  the  national  administration.  The  Democrats  nominated  Ne- 
hemiah  Earll  for  Congress,  in  place  of  Dr.  Taylor,  and  a  good  Assem- 
bly ticket.  The  results  were  so  close  that  the  official  returns  were 
necessary  to  settle  the  contest,  the  average  Whig  majority  on  assembly- 
men being  only  about  100.  Seward  led  Marcy  here  by  only  nineteen 
votes.  Although  the  Whigs  swept  the  State,  the  Democrats  still  had 
control  in  the  Senate  and  thus  retained  the  canal  patronage.  The 
towns  carried  by  the  Democrats  were  Camillus,  De  Witt,  Elbridge,  La 
Fayette,  Lysander,  Manlius,  Spafford,  Skaneateles,  Tully,  Pompey  and 
Van  Buren.  The  local  Democracy  were  disheartened.  In  the  Legis- 
lature of  1839  internal  improvements  was  the  important  topic.  Seward 
recommended  in  his  message  a  loan  of  $40,000,000  to  apply  on  con- 
struction of  railroads  and  canals,  and  the  Whig  majority  in  the  Legis- 
lature favored  the  measure.  But  there  was  only  one  appropriation 
made  that  winter  for  improvement  of  waterways;  this  was  $75,000  for 
opening  Oneida  River  for  navigation  by  steamboats.  In  early  years 
a  large  amount  of  traffic  went  through  that  stream. 

Before  this  time  the  Whigs  felt  the  necessity  of  a  more  efficient  organ 

than  the   Whig,  which  fact  led  to  the  founding  of  The  Western  State 

Journal  on  March  20,  1837,  with  Vivus  W.  Smith  editor.      S.    F.  Smith 

.  were  publishers.      Mr.  Smith  had  already  distinguished  himself 

as  a  powerful   writer  while  editing  the  Standard,  and  was  recognized 


POLITICAL   CHRONOLOGY.  285 

as  an  astute  politician.  E.  W.  Leavenworth,  Victory  Birdseye  and 
Henry  Taylor,  all  men  of  means,  were  instrumental  in  the  establish- 
ment of  the  new  journal.  The  Whig  success  of  1838  gave  them  control 
of  the  canal  patronage,  and  a  general  beheading  of  Democrats  of  course 
followed.  By  January,  1840,  they  had  also  secured  control  of  all  the 
State  patronage,  the  consequences  of  which  will  be  inferred. 

The  Whig  nominations  for  Assembly  in  1839  were  the  same  as  had 
been  elected  two  years  previously,  and  they  were  opposed  by  strong 
men  from  the  Democratic  ranks.  The  slavery  question  had  now  pushed 
itself  into  the  local  canvass,  and  the  Whig  majority  in  the  county  aver- 
aged 228,  each  party  carrying  nine  towns.  This  election  gave  Onon- 
daga county  great  prominence  in  the  Legislature  of  1840. 

The  town  elections  of  1840  were  hotly  contested,  and  ten  of  the  eight- 
een supervisors  were  Democrats.  The  exciting  campaign  of  that  year, 
when  the  cry  of  "Tippecanoe  and  Tyler  too"  rang  over  the  land,  is  still 
remembered  by  old  citizens. 

The  Whigs  held  their  State  convention  in  Utica  on  August  12.  The 
delegates  from  Onondaga  were  E.  W.  Leavenworth,  David  F.  Dodge, 
Pharis  Gould  and  Chauncey  Betts.  Twelve  delegates  were  also  named 
by  the  Whigs  to  the  senatorial  convention  in  Auburn,  where  Elijah 
Rhoades  of  this  county  was  nominated ;  he  was  then  county  clerk,  and 
was  elected  to  the  Senate  and  served  four  years.  The  action  of  the 
House  of  Representatives  in  1839,  refusing  to  receive  petitions  in  favor 
of  anti-slavery,  produced  effects  directly  opposite  from  what  was  an- 
ticipated. The  Abolitionists  arose  in  their  growing  strength  and  were 
the  first  in  the  field  with  their  State  ticket,  the  convention  being  held 
in  Syracuse  on  August  5  and  6.  About  150  delegates  were  present, 
principally  from  a  few  central  counties  of  the  State.  Radical  resolu- 
tions were  adopted  and  the  convention  was  addressed  by  Gerrit  Smith, 
among  others.  The  Democrats  held  their  State  convention  in  Syracuse 
for  the  second  time,  with  their  headquarters  at  the  Syracuse  House. 
William  C.  Bouck  was  nominated  on  the  first  ballot,  a  measure  which, 
with  other  proceedings,  stirred  up  still  more  feeling  in  the  party.  The 
Whig  nominee  was  William  H.  Seward  and  the  Abolitionists  put  up 
Gerrit  Smith.  The  enlargement  of  the  canal  was  then  in  progress  under 
Seward's  "new  impulse"  policy.  There  were  about  1,000  employees 
at  work  on  the  Jordan  level,  the  discharge  of  whom  and  suspension  of 
the  work  constituted  one  of  the  exciting  features  of  the  campaign.  This 
was  characterized  as   "an  imperial  edict"  by  the  opposing  party.     An- 


286  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

other  notable  event  of  the  campaign  was  an  immense  mass  meeting- 
held  in  Syracuse  by  the  Whigs  on  the  16th  and  17th  of  September.  The 
attendance  was  estimated  at  60,000,  and  they  came  from  all  over  the 
State,  bv  rail,  by  canal  and  by  private  conveyance  of  every  description. 
Long  lines  of  wagons  came  in  on  every  main  road,  and  some  of  the 
vehicles  were  worthy  of  attention.  One  wagon  from  Cicero  contained 
sixteen  young  ladies  dressed  in  white  and  carrying  banners.  From 
Onondaga  came  100  men  on  horseback,  and  Pompey  sent  in  a  log  cabin 
on  wheels.  From  the  northwestern  towns  several  log  cabins,  canoes 
and  many  banners  were  sent  in.  It  was  a  memorable  procession  and 
was  three  hours  passing  a  point.  "O,"  cried  The  Journal,  "for  the  pen 
of  the  Wizard  of  the  North  to  describe  the  indescribable  glories  of  the 
ever- to-be-remembered  sixteenth  day  of  October,  1840!"  The  Demo- 
crats saw  that  something  was  expected  of  them,  and  that  to  do  them 
any  good  it  must  follow  quickly  on  the  monster  meeting  of  the  Whigs. 
They,  therefore,  held  a  mass  meeting  on  the  30th  of  the  same  month. 
While,  generally  speaking,  it  was  successful,  it  unfortunately  encoun- 
tered a  cold,  rainy  day,  which  greatly  diminished  the  local  attendance. 
As  far  as  concerned  this  county,  the  campaign  of  1840  was  a  drawm  bat- 
tle, and  the  vote  greatly  exceeded  that  of  any  previous  year,  the  total 
on  the  electoral  ticket  being  13,218.  Of  all  these  Van  Buren  had  a 
majority  of  only  4.  It  is  suggestive  that  Mr.  Wilkinson,  the  electoral 
candidate  of  the  Abolitionists,  received  105  votes.  Bouck's  majority 
over  Seward  was  154,  and  the  Whigs  were  deeply  chagrined. 

A  period  of  comparative  political  quiet  succeeded.      In  the  town  elec- 
tions of  1X41  the  Democrats   carried  twelve  of   the  towns.      One  of  the 
six  Whig  supervisors   elected  was  the  late   Levi  Wells  of  Pompey,  who 
was  never  beaten;  neither  has  Mr.  Dyer  been,  although  he  is  a  Demo- 
<  rat  in  a  Republican  town,  and  has  been  elected  to  the  office  regularly 
tor  near   forty    years.      Pompey  teaches  a  lesson  to  other  towns  in  her 
faithful  support  of  good  officers,  whatever  their  politics.     An  incident 
of  this  campaign   is  probably  without  a  parallel:     The  Democrats  had 
beaten    two  years  in  Salina  and   resolved  to  elect  their  supervisor 
that  year  if  it  was  possible.      They  selected  Rial  Wright  as  their  candi- 
date-     Tli<    town  meeting  was  held  in  the  Salina  school  house,  where  the 
I  >emocrats  fell  at  home  among  the  numerous  salt  workers.      The  town 
i  voting  population  of  about  2,000,  and  it  was  only  byactive  effort 
that  all  could  vote.     The  Salt  Point  boys  were  found  at  the  head  of  the 
ession  to   tin-  polls,  and  it    will    be   correctly  inferred  that  it  was  a 


POLITICAL   CHRONOLOGY  287 

great  deal  easier  for  a  Democrat  to  vote  than  for  a  Whig.  Suddenly 
the  Whig  board  of  election  declared  an  adjournment  to  the  courthouse. 
The  Democrats  howled  in  opposition,  but  it  was  a  legal  proceeding  and 
they  had  to  submit.  A  race  now  began  for  the  new  polls,  and  within 
half  an  hour  the  young  Salt  Pointers  occupied  about  the  same  relative 
position  there  that  they  had  in  Salina.  Towards  night  the  Whigs 
claimed  that  many  of  their  voters  had  been  practically  driven  from  the 
polls,  and  they  declared  an  adjournment  to  the  next  day.  Again  the 
Democrats  protested,  but  without  avail.  On  the  following  morning  the 
battle  was  renewed  and  raged  all  day.  As  the  work  progressed  the 
Whigs  foresaw  defeat,  and  in  their  weariness  wished  they  had  finished 
on  the  previous  day.  The  total  vote  was  over  1,000  and  the  Demo- 
cratic majority  was  about  150;  they  moreover  elected  ever}-  other  man 
on  their  ticket. 

Harrison's  death  was  a  calamity  to  the  Whig  party,  for  they  found 
that  their  vice-president  was  practically  a  Democrat.  There  was  dis- 
integration throughout  the  country,  and  it  was  felt  in  this  county  The 
senatorial  campaign  was  important  that  year,  as  it  was  believed  that 
the  political  complexion  of  the  Senate  would  turn  upon  the  result  in 
this  district.  The  Democrats  were  successful,  their  majority  in  this 
county  being  about  800.  Their  nominations  for  assembly  were  Dr. 
Taylor,  Judge  Munro,  William  Fuller  and  Moses  Burnet;  the  latter  de- 
clined and  John  Spencer  was  substituted.  The  Whig  candidates  were 
Amos  P.  Granger,  Azariah  Smith,  Dorastus  Kellogg  and  James  L. 
Voorhees.  The  Abolitionists  also  had  up  a  full  ticket.  The  Democrats 
were  successful  in  the  county,  eleven  towns  being  carried  by  them. 
Salina,  which  had  in  the  previous  year  given  Harrison  over  100  major- 
ity, was  now  carried  by  the  Democrats  by  130.  It  was  significant  of 
the  oncoming  conflict  that  the  Abolition  vote  was  threefold  greater 
than  it  was  in  the  presidential  year.  Seven  of  the  eight  senatorial  dis- 
tricts of  the  State  were  carried  by  the  Democrats,  giving  them  control 
of  the  patronage,  and  the  usual  scramble  for  it  began. 

In  the  spring  elections  of  1842,  fourteen  of  the  towns  of  the  county 
went  Democratic,  among  them  the  old  Whig  towns  of  Pompey,  Cicero 
and  Otisco.  In  Salina  the  Whigs  made  a  good  right  to  defeat  Dennis 
McCarthy,  who  was  obnoxious  to  the  Hunkers  of  his  own  party,  but 
with  James  Lynch  as  his  opponent  and  the  Barnburner  element  he  was 
elected  by  a  good  majority.  Three  conventions  were  held  in  Syracuse 
this  year — the  Democratic,  the  Whig  and  that  of  the  "  Liberty  "  party 


288  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

While  the  division  between  the  Hunkers  and  the  Barnburners  was 
rapidly  developing,  there  was  no  contest  on  nominations  for  governor 
and  lieutenant-governor,  Bouck  and  Dickinson  being  put  up,  who  had 
been  strongly  opposed  by  the  Barnburners  two  years  earlier.  Horace 
Wheat  on  received  the  nomination  for  Congress,  and  F.  J.  Jewett, 
Charles  R.  Vary,  Benjamin  French  and  Thomas  Sherwood  for  Assem- 
bly, all  Hunkers  but  Sherwood.  Amos  P.  Granger  was  nominated  for 
Congress  by  the  Whigs,  with  B.  Davis  Noxon,  Azariah  Smith,  Stephen 
Rice,  and  P.  P.  Cleveland  for  Assembly.  Noxon  would  not  accept  and 
E.  W.  Leavenworth  was  substituted.  Granger  traveled  over  the  dis- 
trict and  labored  among  the  farmers,  and  spoke  in  public.  Wheaton 
was  practically  dumb  before  an  audience,  but  he  was  a  very  popular 
man.  The  Abolitionists  had  some  strong  men  on  their  ticket.  Of  the 
vote  in  this  county  for  governor  of  10,609,  Bouck  received  6,585.  The 
Democratic  Congressman  was  elected  by  about  500,  with  slight  Demo- 
crotic  majorities  on  assemblymen. 

In  this  year  (1842)  agitation  of  the  project  of  removing  the  State 
capital  to  Syracuse  began,  and  for  a  time  it  looked  as  though  the  proj- 
ect would  be  carried  through.  The  principal  argument  in  its  favor  was 
the  central^  of  the  location,  to  which  free  access  was  now  possible 
over  the  several  railroads  that  had  been  built.  In  Western  New  York 
everybody  favored  the  scheme,  and  in  the  winter  the  subject  was  re- 
ferred to  a  convmittee  in  the  Assembly  who  were  supposed  to  be  friendly, 
but  nothing  was  accomplished.  Tariff  agitation  was  also  rife  in  Con- 
gress this  year,  and  this  county  was  directly  interested  as  a  reduction 
of  the  duty  on  salt  to  eight  cents  a  bushel  was  hoped  for.  This  stirred 
up  a  good  deal  of  Onondaga  county  animosity;  a  public  meeting  was 
held  at  which  General  Granger  and  others  spoke  on  the  subject,  and  it 
was  finally  determined  to  send  a  cargo  of  our  salt  to  Henry  Clay  to 
convince  him  that  it  was  as  good  as  foreign  salt.  Accordingly  twenty 
or  thirty  barrels  were  shipped,  and  in  due  time  a  letter  came  back  from 
the  great  statesman,  complimenting  the  salt,  and  stating  that  Congress 
should  give  it  proper  protection.  During  the  preceding  decade  Onon- 
daga and  Madison  counties  had  been  in  one  congressional  district,  but 
a  change  was  made  in  an  extra  session  in  1812,  by  which  this  county 
was  made  t>>  form  the  24th  district.  It  remained  thus  until  1862,  since 
which  year  it  was  joined  with  Cortland  in  the  25th  district.  During 
the  winter  of  L842  :'•  tern perance  agitation  reached  a  high  pitch  and  the 
Washingtonian    movement   was   inaugurated.      Hard   times   prevailed, 


POLITICAL  CHRONOLOGY.  289 

which  condition  was  charged  partly  to  the  extravagance  of  intemper- 
ance, and  a  party  was  organized  which  was  pledged  to  retrenchment  in 
public  expenditures  and  general  reform.  Among  local  men  who  were 
prominent  in  the  movement  were  Oliver  Teall,  Rufus  Cossit,  Thomas 
Gilmour,  Hezekiah  Joslin,  Jefferson  Freeman  and  others.  At  one  of 
their  meetings  held  in  Clay  a  resolution  was  adopted  in  favor  of  re- 
ducing the  salary  of  salt  superintendent  to  $750  a  year,  and  asserting 
the  old  rural  district  cry,  that  10,000  farmers  could  be  found  who  would 
rather  take  the  office  at  that  than  cultivate  their  farms.  Many  of  the 
public  offices  and  officers  were  investigated,  among  them  Elihu  L. 
Phillips,  then  sheriff.  It  may  be  added  here  that  this  temperance 
movement  continued  active  several  years  and  exercised  considerable 
influence  in  State  politics.  In  1843  the  Washingtonians  held  a  State 
convention  in  Utica;  but  differences  in  their  own  ranks  growing  out  of 
their  advocacy  for  moral  suasion  as  a  cure  for  intemperance,  while  an- 
other faction  wanted  radical  legislation,  finally  dissolved  the  organiza- 
tion. 

In  the  spring  elections  of  1843  the  Democrats  carried  eleven  of  the 
eighteen  towns  of  the  county.  Their  Assembly  nominees  were  all  of 
the  Hunker  stripe  and  were  elected  by  average  majorities  of  about  200, 
as  seen  in  the  later  printed  lists.  The  Abolitionists  had  a  vote  of  more 
than  700.  In  their  county  convention  the  Whigs  adopted  a  significant 
resolution  that  "slavery  is  a  relic  of  savage  and  unenlightened  con- 
ditions ;  that  Locofocoism  in  the  North  is  the  strongest  bulwark  of 
slavery  in  the  South." 

In  1844  the  Democratic  State  nominating  convention  was  held  in  the 
old  First  Presbyterian  church,  and  Silas  Wright  received  95  votes  with 
30  for  Bouck.  The  Whigs  met  a  week  later  and  nominated  Millard 
Fillmore,  while  the  Abolitionists  put  up  Alvan  Stewart.  An  active 
campaign  followed,  the  Whigs  adopting  some  of  the  log  cabin  methods 
of  1840,  and  erecting  one  on  the  site  of  the  Remington  block  in  Syra- 
cuse; but  it  was  of  no  avail.  The  county  gave  Polk  6,878;  Clay  6,496; 
Birney732;  Wright  for  governor  6,988;  Fillmore  6,496;  Stewart  691; 
Wheaton  for  Congress  6,961;  Noxon  6,495.  On  assemblymen  the  vote 
was  close.     The  Democrats  were  overjoyed. 

The  appointment  of  David  D.  Hillis  to  the  office  of  surrogate  in 
1844,  gave  great  offense  to  the  Barnburners,  who  resolved  to  punish 
his  friends  by  giving  Henry  J.  Sedgwick  the  nomination  for  senator. 
The  "  Young  Democrats  "  schemed  all  summer  to  this  end  and  accom- 

37 


290  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

plished  it  in  convention  at  East  Cayuga  on  September  18.  At  the 
close  of  the  active  campaign  Silas  F.  Smith  was  appointed  postmaster 
of  Syracuse,  and  Enoch  Marks  of  Camillus,  and  Jesse  McKinley,  salt 
superintendent  and  inspector  respectively. 

The  town  of  Salina  had  a  spirited  struggle  in  their  town  election  of 
L845  over  supervisor,  the  Democrats  nominating  Thomas  Bennit  and 
the  Whigs  C.  T.  Longstreet.  The  largest  vote  ever  polled  in  the  town 
was  thrown — 2,332,  of  which  Mr.  Bennit  received  215  majority,  and 
the  whole  Democratic  ticket  was  elected  with  an  average  majority  of 
163.  The  Abolitionists  were  given  a  vote  of  45  in  the  town,  63  in 
Otisco,  and  69  in  Spafford.  This  was  the  first  time  they  had  acted  in- 
dependently in  town  elections  in  the  county.  Of  the  Board  of  Super- 
visors the  Whigs  elected  ten  to  the  Democrats  eight.  The  local  option 
scheme  was  devised  in  that  year  as  one  phase  of  the  temperance  ques- 
tion, and  it  was  voted  on  in  a  State  election  in  April,  1846.  The  people 
at  large  were  willing  it  should  have  a  fair  trial.  All  the  towns  in  this 
county,  excepting  Pompey,  voted  in  its  favor  by  majorities  ranging 
from  12  in  Spafford  to  1,364  in  Salina.  One  year  of  it  proved  suffi- 
cient, however,  and  the  next  Legislature  was  numerously  petitioned 
for  its  repeal.  A  new  election  was  ordered  and  many  towns  here  and 
elsewhere  reversed  their  vote. 

The  partiality  shown  the  Hunkers  in  the  distribution  of  Federal  pat- 
ronage did  not  serve  to  lessen  the  factional  strife  in  the  Democratic 
ranks.  In  the  senatorial  convention  of  1845,  resolutions  were  adopted 
complimentary  to  Polk,  to  Governor  Wright,  and  to  the  Barnburner 
assemblymen.  This  faction  came  out  ahead  in  the  county  nominating 
convention.  For  senator  the  Democrats  nominated  John  M.  Holley  of 
Wayne,  Yivus  W.  Smith  receiving  ten  votes.  After  the  other  usual 
nominations  had  been  made  a  short  and  stirring  campaign  followed  in 
which  the  Democrats  were  successful.  A  feature  of  the  strife  was  the 
defeat  of  Mr.  McCarthy  for  Assembly  through  treachery  of  the  Hunker 
element.  His  friends  were  very  indignant,  and  he  asserted  that  he 
would  retire  from  politics  and  devote  himself  to  his  business.  He  kept 
his  word  for  years,  but  was  chosen  mayor  of  Syracuse  in  1853.  In 
this  election  the  proposed  Constitutional  Convention  was  approved  and 
was  held  in    1  8  L6. 

A  further  feature  of  the  Democratic  quarrel  developed  in  the  early 
months  of  L846  over  the  salt  office  appointments,  during  which  the  sal- 
ary  of  superintendent   was  reduced  to  $800.     A  public  meeting  was  held 


POLITICAL  CHRONOLOG-Y.  291 

in  Syracuse  that  year,  composed  of  a  majority  of  Democrats,  which  gave 
expression  in  favor  of  supporting  the  Federal  administration  in  its  Mex- 
ican war  policy;  this  was  soon  followed  by  another  by  the  Abolition- 
ists, which  took  a  directly  opposite  course.  It  was  called  to  consider 
the  "grave  situation  of  public  affairs"  and  demanded  a  cessation  of 
"  butchery."  A  majority  of  those  in  attendance  were  not  in  sympathy 
with  this  doctrine,  and  soon  took  the  reins  in  their  own  hands,  which 
prompted  the  minority  to  adjourn,  on  motion  of  Samuel  J.  May,  to  the 
Presbyterian  church. 

Governor  Wright's  excellent  administration  made  it  clear  to  the 
Hunker  leaders  in  1846  that  he  would  be  renominated.  They  tried  to 
frighten  his  friends  by  threats  of  defection  and  other  well-known  arti- 
fices. In  the  State  nominating  convention  in  October  a  resolution  de- 
clared Wright  to  be  "the  choice  of  the  Democracy  of  Onondaga  county 
and  the  State  for  governor;"  but  the  Hunkers  were  not  without  strength 
in  the  convention.  On  the  first  ballot  Wright  received  112  votes,  while 
only  14  went  to  three  others.  The  Whigs  nominated  John  Young, 
while  the  Anti-renters,  who  had  worked  up  considerable  strength,  put 
forward  a  ticket  drawn  in  part  from  each  of  the  other  parties.  The 
Whig  candidate  for  Congress  was  Daniel  Gott,  Vivus  W.  Smith  for 
county  clerk,  Joseph  J.  Glass  for  sheriff,  setting  aside  Joel  Cody,  who 
wanted  and  was  entitled  to  the  office.  These,  with  good  candidates  for 
Assembly,  made  a  very  strong  ticket.  The  Abolitionists  also  made 
strong  nominations,  headed  by  Charles  A.  Wheaton  for  Congress.  When 
the  Democrats  met  on  October  15,  the  Hunker  element  was  not  yet 
ready  to  surrender  to  their  opponents.  They  had  recently  established 
an  organ  in  the  Onondaga  Democrat,  which  was  being  ably  edited  by 
William  L.  Crandall.  There  was  a  square  fight  for  delegates  in  all  the 
towns  of  the  county.  William  Fuller,  a  Hunker,  was  put  up  for  Con- 
gress; Joshua  C.  Cuddeback  on  the  fifth  ballot  for  sheriff;  Luther  Hop- 
kins for  clerk;  after  which  there  was  a  warm  contest  for  assemblymen. 
In  the  ensuing  election  the  new  Constitution  was  to  be  accepted  or  re- 
jected. The  result  is  remembered;  the  Whigs  elected  their  Governor, 
John  Young,  for  whom  Onondaga  gave  133  majority;  Vivus  W.  Smith 
was  elected  clerk  by  200,  and  Cuddeback  sheriff  by  296.  One  Whig 
assemblyman  was  elected.  The  two  factions  of  Democrats  now  berated 
each  other  for  the  condition  of  affairs  in  the  usual  entertaining  manner 
under  such  circumstances.  Meanwhile  preparations  were  making  for 
incorporating  the  city  of  Syracuse. 


292  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Under  the  new  Constitution  the  single-district  system  for  assembly- 
men went  into  effect,  compelling  the  Board  of  Supervisors  to  divide 
Onondaga  county  into  four  districts.  The  board  of  1846  took  up  the 
matter,  but  failed  of  its  accomplishment,  one  reason  for  which  was  the 
fact  that  the  board  was  tied  politically.  The  next  board  had  a  Demo- 
cratic majority  and  made  the  division.  The  first  district  was  composed 
of  Elbridge,  Camillus,  Van  Buren,  Lysander  and  Clay;  population, 
17,730.  Second  district,  Tully,  Otisco,  Onondaga,  Spafford,  Skaneat- 
eles  and  Marcellus;  population,  16,500.  Third  district,  Salina  and 
Cicero;  population,  17,000.  Fourth  district,  De  Witt,  Manlius,  Pom- 
pey,  Fabius  and  La  Fayette;  population,  17,295.  By  the  Constitution 
also  four  judges  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  were  to  be  elected  on  June  7, 
1847.  The  Democrats  chose  their  delegates  to  the  State  convention 
and  nominated  George  A.  Stansbury  for  county  judge,  against  whom 
the  Whigs  put  up  James  R.  Lawrence.  The  latter  was  elected  by  800 
majority,  with  Isaac  T.  Minard  for  surrogate. 

Governor  Wright  died  in  the  fall  of  1847,  leaving  the  Barnburners 
without  a  leader  and  in  great  confusion.  This  faction  was  beaten  in 
Assembly  nominations  in  three  of  the  four  districts.  The  Democratic 
State  convention  was  held  in  Empire  Hall,  Syracuse,  and  continued 
four  days.  It  was  a  memorable  struggle,  and  Orville  Hungerford  was 
finally  nominated  for  governor.  While  this  did  not  cause  actual  dis- 
ruption in  this  county,  it  tended  to  further  embitter  the  factional  feel- 
ing. Under  the  new  Constitution  Onondaga  county  was  constituted  a 
senatorial  district,  and  David  Munro  received  the  Democratic  nomina- 
tion, against  whom  the  Whigs  put  up  George  Geddes.  George  S.  Loomis 
was  the  Abolition  candidate  for  this  office  in  the  new  district.  Mean- 
while the  Democracy  were  having  a  hard  time.  A  mass  meeting  was 
held  in  Herkimer,  from  which  was  issued  a  masterly  review  of  the  pro- 
ceedings of  the  late  convention  and  the  causes  that  had  been  leading 
up  to  the  existing  conditions.  It  was  claimed  that  the  proceedings  of 
that  convention  were  not  binding  upon  the  State  Democracy.  With 
this  unreconcilable  quarrel  in  their  ranks,  it  is  not  strange  that  the 
Whigs  profited  by  it  and  practically  swept  the  State,  their  majority  in 
this  county  being  more  than  1,100. 

The  first  State  convention  of  1848  was  held  in  Syracuse  by  the  tem- 
perance  party  and  continued  two  days.  A  memorial  to  the  Legislature 
was  ordered  prepared,  and  one  resolution  adopted  provided  for  the 
organization  of  a  State  party.      No  attempt  was  in  progress  by  either 


POLITICAL   CHRONOLOGY.  293 

faction  of  the  Democrats  to  repair  the  deadly  breach  made  in  the  Em- 
pire Hall  convention,  the  results  of  which  were  far-reaching  and  impor- 
tant. Both  factions  called  conventions  to  name  delegates  to  the  Balti- 
more convention.  In  this  count}'  on  local  matters  some  pretense  of 
harmony  was  kept  up,  especially  in  the  new  city  election  in  Syracuse, 
in  which  the  Democrats  pulled  together  for  the  election  of  Harvey 
Baldwin,  mayor,  and  succeeded  by  fifty-nine  majority  only.  In  the 
town  elections  also  of  1848  the  Democrats,  with  the  number  secured  in 
the  city,  had  a  majority  of  IT  to  7  in  the  Board  of  Supervisors.  The 
contest  in  the  Baltimore  convention  is  a  well-remembered  event. 
Hunkers  and  Barnburners  were  both  admitted,  but  this  action  did  not 
please  the  former,  and  they  retired.  The  slave  oligarchy  substantially 
controlled  the  proceedings,  and  even  the  Hunkers  took  no  part.  When 
the  county  convention  met,  a  letter  from  William  Fuller,  our  congress- 
man, was  read,  in  which  he  strongly  condemned  the  action  of  that  conven- 
tion; this  was  followed  by  a  brilliant  speech  from  John  Van  Buren,  who 
was  imported  for  the  purpose.  The  nomination  of  General  Taylor  by 
the  Whigs  was  distasteful  to  many  in  this  county.  It  was  commonly 
asserted  that  he  was  not  a  good  Whig;  but  the  party  went  into  the  cam- 
paign with  considerable  vigor.  The  Free  Soil  movement,  involving 
opposition  to  the  extension  of  slavery,  was  coming  rapidly  forward, 
drawing  its  strength  to  a  certain  extent  from  both  the  dominant  par- 
ties. The  Free  Soilers  held  a  convention  this  year  in  Buffalo,  to  which 
delegates  from  Syracuse  attended.  After  that  convention  it  was  nat- 
ural that  the  Barnburners,  the  political  Abolitionists  and  the  unrecon-' 
ciled  Whigs  should  coalesce,  as  they  did  in  the  ensuing  campaign. 
William  Fuller,  Charles  B.  Sedgwick  and  John  North,  the  Onondaga 
delegates  respectively  of  the  three  elements  just  named,  issued  a  call 
for  a  county  convention  of  six  delegates  from  each  town  and  ward,  "for 
the  purpose  of  organizing  the  Free  Soil  party  of  the  county  and  to  elect 
delegates  to  the  State  convention  (September  13)  to  nominate  candi- 
dates for  governor  and  other  State  offices."  The  convention  was  held 
and  all  towns  and  wards  were  represented  by  prominent  men.  Perma- 
nent officers  were  chosen  and  twelve  delegates  appointed  to  the  State 
convention.  The  first  resolution  adopted  was  to  the  effect  that  "the 
Federal  government  was  not  instituted  for,  and  could  not  rightfully 
assist  in  any  way  whatever  in,  the  extension  of  slaver}'. "  This  party 
opened  a  formidable  campaign,  and  was  joined  to  a  large  extent  bv 
the  so-called  Liberty  party.     John  A.  Dix  was  nominated  for  governor. 


294  ONONDAGA'S    CENTENNIAL. 

It  seems  strange  to  read  that  the  resolutions  were  reported  by  Samuel 
J.  Tilden!  A  few  days  later  the  Whigs  called  a  mass  meeting  at  the 
city  hall  in  Syracuse  of  all  who  would  support  Cass  for  president.  It 
was  a  failure.  As  the  canvass  progressed  the  Whigs  became  uneasy 
and  distrustful;  they  could  not  support  Taylor  with  the  enthusiasm  of 
old.  They  secured  a  strong  candidate  for  Congress  in  the  person  of 
Daniel  Gott;  the  Free  Soilers  put  up  Charles  B.  Sedgwick  (partly 
against  his  inclination),  while  the  supporters  of  Cass  nominated  Chan- 
cellor Walworth  for  Governor.  Other  prominent  nominations  were 
o-enerallv  strong  men.  The  Hunkers  put  forward  Harvey  Baldwin  for 
Congress.  In  the  election  this  county  gave  Fish  5,633;  Dix,  4,899; 
Walworth,  2,269.  Mr.  Gott  received  5,403;  Sedgwick,  4,906;  Bald- 
win, 2,448.  No  town  in  this  county  gave  Cass  more  votes  than  Van 
Buren.  The  aggregate  vote  for  electors  in  the  county  was  12,646,  of 
which  Taylor  received  5,542;  Van  Buren,  4,942;  Cass,  2,229;  Aboli- 
tionists about  33.  Fabius  did  not  give  a  vote  to  Cass.  Otisco  gave  him 
4  and  Van  Buren  206.  Pompey  gave  him  38  and  Van  Buren  308.  The 
Whigs  celebrated  their  victory  by  a  banquet  at  the  Syracuse  House,  as 
was  the  custom  in  those  days. 

In  the  town  elections  in  the  spring  of  1849  the  Whigs  showed  gains 
and  elected  10  supervisors:  Hunkers 2,  and  Barnburners  4.  The  Whig 
candidate  for  mayor  in  Syracuse  was  elected — Leavenworth  against 
Alfred  H.  Hovey,  1,104  to  927.  At  the  close  of  the  legislative  session 
ct  L849  the  Free  Soil  Democrats  called  a  State  convention  in  Utica  and 
the  Hunkers  one  at  Syracuse.  Efforts  were  all  the  time  in  progress 
for  a  union  of  the  two  factions  of  Democrats,  but  the  Hunkers  looked 
askance,  fearing  a  restoration  of  the  former  leadership  of  their  enemies. 
Sonic  progress  was  made,  however,  in  this  direction,  in  which  this 
county  shared.  Finally  it  was  agreed  to  hold  two  conventions  in  Rome 
to  try  and  nominate  a  ticket  which  all  could  support.  The  Democracy 
<»t  Onondaga  county  took  the  lead  in  this  movement,  and  to  further  it 
a  mass  meeting  was  held  at  the  Syracuse  House  June  21,  which  was 
well  attended,  where  a  report  was  made  that  there  were  really  no  sub- 
stantial reasons  for  disagreement,  as  all  concurred  against  extension  of 
slavery.  To  the  county  convention  on  June  12  all  the  towns  sent 
prominent  men  of  both  factions  as  delegates,  and  the  situation  was  ably 
discussed.  1 1  arvey  Baldwin  reported  an  address  of  his  own,  in  which 
viewed  the  conditions  and  favored  sending  delegates  to  Rome  in- 
structed to  "  bring  about  a  reunion  of  the  party  throughout  the  State." 


POLITICAL  CHRONOLOGY.  295 

Prospects  were  brightening.  The  conventions  were  held  on  August 
in  separate  churches;  the  Barnburners  refused  to  meet  the  other  fac- 
tion in  a  joint  assemblage;  all  hopes  of  unity  were  killed,  with  the 
prospect  that  if  two  tickets  were  nominated  the  Barnburners  would 
have  the  best  of  the  battle.  A  proposition  soon  followed  for  a  mass 
meeting  to  be  held  in  Syracuse  wSeptember  14,  which  originated  in  the 
western  part  of  the  State,  and  the  proposition  commanded  attention  in 
every  county.  Now  came  notice  of  a  meeting  for  September  8,  for  the 
nomination  of  a  county  ticket  that  would  be  accepted  by  both  factions. 
While  these  preparations  were  being  made  the  regular  State  convention 
of  each  faction  was  held,  the  Hunkers  in  Syracuse  and  their  opponents 
in  lTtica.  The  former  had  less  than  two-thirds  of  the  delegates  ex- 
pected. On  the  following  day  they  nominated  a  ticket  with  a  proviso 
that  a  part  of  the  nominees  should  be  allowed  to  withdraw,  if  advisable, 
the  places  to  be  filled  by  the  other  faction.  The  Barnburners  met  a 
week  later  and  the  programme  was  carried  out,  they  taking  the  can- 
didates for  judge  of  the  Court  of  Appeals,  secretary  of  state,  and  state 
engineer  and  then  filling  out  the  ticket.  On  the  14th  of  September,  as 
before  noted,  the  mass  convention  was  held  in  Syracuse.  John  Wilkin- 
son was  in  the  chair,  and  a  series  of  resolutions  was  adopted  counseling 
unity  of  action.  While  the  Utica  convention  just  mentioned  was  in 
session  the  "Free  Democracy"  issued  their  call  for  a  county  conven- 
tion for  September  25.  The  Hunkers  held  their  county  convention  on 
the  loth,  which  was  attended  by  only  twenty  delegates,  and  named 
their  ticket.  The  two  factions  at  last  united  on  the  county  ticket,  and 
on  the  28th  the  "  Reunited  Democracy  "  met  at  the  city  hall  to  ratifv 
the  State  and  county  nominations;  a  plan  of  organization  was  reported 
by  a  committee,  of  which  the  veteran  Thomas  G.  Alvord  was  a  mem- 
ber. A  call  for  the  Assembly  nominating  convention  was  issued  by  the 
united  party.  The  Whig  State  convention  was  held  in  Syracuse  as 
usual,  the  date  being  October  4.  This  union  of  the  long  opposed  fac- 
tions of  the  Democrats  had  a  tendency  to  stimulate  the  Liberty  partv 
to  independent  action,  and  the}'  held  a  convention  at  Cortland  and 
placed  a  ticket  in  the  field.  Then  came  the  election.  The  Democrats 
elected  their  judge  of  the  Court  of  Appeals.  Mr.  Geddes  was  elected 
senator  by  the  Whigs  with  a  majority  of  110,  and  their  candidate  for 
sheriff,  William  C.  Gardner,  also  won.  Ruf  us  Cossit  was  elected  clerk, 
with  a  majority  of  165,  while  each  party  secured  two  of  the  assembly- 
men. 


296  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Six  State  Conventions  were  held  in  Syracuse  in  1850,  giving  it  the 
title  of  "the  convention  city."  The  Abolitionists  met  first  on  January 
15,  at  the  instigation  of  the  Garrisonians;  Frederick  Douglass  was 
present,  and  radical  proceedings  were  enacted.  This  was  the  first 
gathering  of  the  American  Anti-Slavery  Society  in  this  county.  In 
the  third  week  of  February  the  Liberty  party  met,  and  the  "Anti- 
Sectarians,"  and  the  Mechanics  and  such  as  "opposed  the  extension  of 
the  Woodworth  planer  patent."  The  31st  Congress  was  in  one  long 
turmoil  over  the  slavery  question,  the  passage  of  the  obnoxious  fugitive 
slave  law  being  one  of  its  products.  The  Southern  representatives  were 
becoming  tnore  and  more  aggressive.  The  "Irrepressible  Conflict" 
had  begun.  Public  meetings,  of  which  one  was  held  in  Syracuse,  con- 
sidered Clay's  "compromise  measures."  The  long  list  of  resolutions 
was  preceded  by  a  preamble  which  recited  that  "  We,  the  citizens  of 
Syracuse,  without  distinction  of  party  and  moved  by  a  comman  sense 
of  impending  danger  to  the  institutions  of  the  country  growing  out  of 
the  continued  aggression  and  encroachment  of  the  slave  power  and  in- 
terest,"  etc.  Zachary  Taylor  died  July  9,  1850,  which  was  a  severe 
blow  to  the  followers  of  Seward  in  this  State.  The  Democratic  State 
convention  met  in  Syracuse  September  11-13.  Their  late  reunion  was 
threatened.  Horatio  Seymour  received  their  nomination,  and  two  weeks 
later  the  Whigs  put  up  Washington  Hunt,  Hamilton  Fish  having  de- 
clined a  renomination.  In  county  convention  October  10,  the  Demo- 
crats nominated  Dr.  Daniel  T.  Jones  for  Congress;  Rowland  H.  Gard- 
ner for  district  attorney;  Israel  S.  Spencer  for  county  judge,  vice  James 
R.  Lawrence,  who  resigned  to  take  the  U.  S. attorneyship;  Assembly,  1st 
district,  D.  C.  Le  Roy;  2d  John  F.  Clark;  3d,  Elijah  W.  Curtis;  4th 
Dr.  Daniel  Denison.  The  Whig  convention  met  October  12,  andVivus 
W.  Smith  received  the  nomination  for  Congress;  Richard  Woolworth, 
county  judge;  Assembly,  1st  district,  Joseph  J.  Glass;  2d,  Horace 
Prisselle;  3d,  George  Stevens;  4th,  George  F.  Hurd.  The  canvass 
was  enjoyable.  Mr.  Smith  was  then  chief  editor  of  the  Journal,  and 
the  editor  of  the  Star  kept  him  well  employed  in  answering  its  attacks, 
which  he  was  fully  capable  of  doing.  The  Abolitionists  were  not  idle 
either  and  placed  their  ticket  up  with  the  others.  Late  in  the  cam- 
paign  a  taction  who  were  unfriendly  to  Mr.  Smith,  met  and  nominated 
B.  Davis  Noxon  for  Congress.  Mr.  Smith  was  elected,  Noxon  receiv- 
ing only  IT  votes.  Seymour  received  a  majority  over  Hunt  in  this 
counjty  of    t26.     Spencer  over    Woolworth   954.     And  the  Democrats 


POLITICAL  CHRONOLOGY.  297 

elected  three  assemblymen.  The  Board  of  Supervisors  was  now  also 
Democratic.      So  much  for  the  union  of  factions. 

The  year  1851  saw  the  founding  of  the  Carson  League,  which  had 
its  headquarters  in  Syracuse.  It  was  a  novel  temperance  scheme, 
on  the  basis  of  a  stock  company,  the  capital  to  be  used  in  prosecuting 
guilty  liquor  sellers  and  otherwise  for  the  good  of  the  cause.  Thomas 
L.  Carson,  of  Elbridge,  was  made  the  active  agent.  A  newspaper 
was  started  to  aid  the  work,  which  was  edited  for  some  time  by  Dr. 
Hezekiah  Joslyn,  father  of  Mrs.  Matilda  Joslyn  Gage.  Although  the 
Carson  League  continued  its  work  nearly  twenty  years,  the  last  num- 
ber of  the  paper  bearing  date  February  26,  1800,  it  cannot  be  said  that 
it  reduced  the  sale  of  liquor  in  any  considerable  degree.  The  Lib- 
eral party  held  its  convention  in  Syracuse  on  the  1st  of  October,  is.*)], 
and  it  was  on  that  clay  that  the  famous  rescue  of  the  slave  "Jerry," 
from  his  southern  captor  was  effected  in  Syracuse,  in  opposition  to  the 
fugitive  slave  law,  an  act  the  fame  of  which  spread  throughout  the 
country.  The  American  Anti-Slavery  Society,  having  found  it  impos- 
sible to  obtain  a  place  for  their  meeting  in  New  York  city,  came  to  Syra- 
cuse on  May  7,  and  held  their  annual  meeting,  with  "William  Lloyd 
Garrison  in  the  chair.  Grave  differences  between  the  radical  and  con- 
servative elements  of  that  party  developed  in  the  meeting,  as  they  had 
elsewhere  on  previous  occasions,  and  the  gathering  broke  up  in  tumult. 
The  Democratic  State  convention  met  in  Syracuse  on  September  10, 
with  "union  and  harmony"  as  their  slogan.  The  Barnburners,  as 
usual,  secured  a  majority  of  places  on  the  ticket.  The  Democratic  judi- 
cial convention  also  met  in  Syracuse  September  25  and  renominated 
Daniel  Pratt  for  justice  of  the  Supreme  Court.  Their  county  convention 
was  held  October  1(5.  The  convention  of  the  Whigs  was  held  September 
11  and  the  proceedings  were  noted  for  their  quiet  calm,  as  compared 
with  those  of  the  previous  year.  The  ensuing  canvass  demonstrated 
the  Hunker  dislike  for  the  candidates  on  the  count}-  ticket,  while  the 
Abolitionists  constituted  an  element  of  importance.  James  Munroe 
was  elected  senator;  L.  Harris  Hiscock,  surrogate;  Columbus  C.  Brad- 
ley, treasurer,  and  Mr.  Longstreet  superintendent  of  the  poor,  while 
each  of  the  dominant  parties  secured  two  assemblymen. 

In  1852  the  Democrats  elected  fifteen  supervisors,  to  five  for  their 
opponents,  and  the  city  went  almost  wholly  to  the  Democrats.  This 
was  one  of  the  years  in  which  a  good  deal  of  stir  was  made  over  the 
elimination  of  politics  from  the  city  government,  of  which  most  desira- 

38 


298  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

ble  consummation  much  has  been  heard  in  more  recent  years.  The 
results  of  such  agitation  have  been  about  uniform.  Gen.  Amos  P. 
Granger  received  the  Whig  nomination  for  Congress,  and  he  and  James 
J.  Briggs  were  sent  by  their  respective  parties  as  delegates  to  the  Na- 
tional conventions,  both  of  which  were  held  in  Baltimore.  There  the 
Whigs  put  up  General  Scott  for  the  presidency,  against  Franklin 
Pierce.  Scott  did  not  develop  into  a  strong  candidate  and,  as  is  well 
known,  was  defeated.  But  the  Whigs  of  this  county  felt  sure  enough 
of  him  to  ratif3r  his  nomination  in  a  great  meeting  in  Syracuse.  Mean- 
while the  death  of  Henry  Clay  took  place  and  his  remains  were  brought 
through  Svracuse  on  July  7,  when  fitting  ceremonies  were  observed. 
The  Democratic  State  convention  met  on  September  1  and  Horatio 
Seymour  was  selected  to  head  the  ticket.  On  the  29th  of  the  same 
month  the  "Free  Democracy"  held  a  State  convention,  at  which  the 
attendance  of  delegates  was  light;  they,  however,  met  in  county  con- 
vention in  Syracuse  and  nominated  congressional  and  county  office 
candidates.  Mr.  Granger  was  elected  by  the  Whigs.  With  Clay  and 
Webster  dead,  and  Seward  the  only  great  leader  left,  the  defeat  of 
Scott  practically  dissolved  the  Whig  party  as  a  national  organization. 
The  Free  Democracy  had  cast  a  vote  of  30,000  in  this  State,  and  100,- 
000  in  the  Northern  States.  What  more  natural  then  than  that  Seward 
should  join  with  that  100,000  electors  to  form  a  party  whose  great  creed 
was  the  limitation  of  slavery? 

In  1853  the  so-called  American  party,  or  Know  Nothings,  made  their 
first  conspicuous  appearance  in  county  and  State  politics.  Following  the 
agitation  of  the  compromise  measures  of  1850,  supported  by  the  threat- 
ening aspect  of  the  slavery  question,  culminating  in  the  anti-Nebraska 
legislation  of  1854  and  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise,  meet- 
ings were  held  in  this  county  which  were  participated  in  by  men  who 
had  before  been  members  of  the  Whig  or  the  Democrat  parties.  In  this 
State  further  work  on  the  canal  enlargement  was  made  a  minor  issue 
in  the  campaign  of  1854,  and  a  large  meeting  in  its  favor,  of  course, 
was  held  in  Syracuse  on  the  7th  of  February,  and  a  special  election  on 
canal  amendments  to  the  Constitution  was  held  on  the  15th  of  that 
th.  Syracuse  cast  a  vote  of  2, 803  in  favor,  and  62  against  amend- 
's,  while  the  county  gave  7,967  in  favor,  to  787  against.  The 
Whigs,  as  they  were  still  called,  elected  Myron  H.  Clark  governor,  and 
were  sful   in   Syracuse,  electing  six  out  of  eight  supervisors  and 

Mermen.      Sevinour  was   renominated   by  the   Democrats,  and 


POLITICAL   CHRONOLOGY.  299 

so  popular  was  he  that  Clark's  majority  in  this  county  was  onlv  182 
The  Whigs,  as  will  be  inferred,  were  hilarious. 

The  reports  on  the  town  elections  in  1855  as  regards  supervisors 
were:  Camillus,  Know  Nothing;  Cicero,  Locofoco;  Geddes,  Whig; 
La  Fayette,  Whig;  Manlius,  Locofoco;  Salina,  Whig;  Dewitt,  Loco- 
foco; Onondaga,  Hunker;  Lysander,  Locofoco;  Van  Buren,  Free  Soil 
Democrat;  Skaneateles,  Locofoco;  Otisco,  Locofoco;  Tully,  Locofoco; 
Fabius,  Whig;  Pompey,  Whig;  Elbridge,  Know  Nothing;  Marcellus, 
Whig;  Clay,  Locofoco;  Spafford,  Whig.  This  gave  that  peculiar 
political  organization,  the  Know  Nothings,  who  for  a  short  time 
wielded  a  large  influence,  two  of  the  Onondaga  towns.  Now  followed 
what  proved  to  be,  perhaps,  the  most  important  political  occurrence 
in  the  history  of  the  country — the  organization  of  the  Republican 
party.  Preliminary  steps  had  been  taken  in  this  direction  in  the  pre- 
vious year,  by  a  portion  of  the  Barnburner  element,  or  Free  Soil 
Democrats,  and  the  Seward,  or  Free  Soil  Whigs.  Another  faction  of 
the  Whig  party,  the  so-called  Silver  Grey  Whigs  (their  peculiar  title 
coming  from  the  gray  and  flowing  locks  of  Francis  Granger,  one  of 
their  leaders),  entered  the  American  party  and  gave  it  considerable 
strength. 

The  great  issue  was  now  the  slavery  question,  and  such  it  remained 
until  it  was  drowned  in  a  sea  of  blood.  Never  since  that  time  has 
Onondaga  county  faltered  in  its  allegiance  to  that  party.  The  Repub- 
licans held  their  county  convention  in  1855  on  October  Ls.  James 
Noxon  was  nominated  for  senator;  Edwin  P.  Hopkins,  clerk;  Amasa 
H.  Jerome,  surrogate;  Henry  K.  Warren,  superintendent  of  the  poor; 
John-Durnford,  justice  of  sessions.  The  Assembly  nominations  were 
Irvin  H.  Williams,  1st  district;  James  Longstreet,  2d  district;  Burr 
Burton,  3d  district.  Onondaga  count)-  gave  Joel  T.  Headley  a  vote  of 
3,479  for  secretary  of  state;  but  the  State  at  large  went  Know  Nothing. 
Mr.  Noxon  was  elected  senator  by  about  1,500,  and  Hopkins  clerk  by 
about  700;  the  Whigs  also  elected  all  the  assemblymen. 

A  mass  convention  was  held  in  Pittsburg  on  February  23,  1 856,  to  per- 
fect the  Republican  national  organization.  The  proceedings  were  effect- 
ive and  harmonious.  The  Democratic-Republican  (as  it  was  called  that 
year)  State  convention  assembled  in  Syracuse  September  17,  in  which  the 
State  was  well  represented.  The  Liberty  and  Radical  Abolitionists 
met  on  the  same  day.  The  Democrats  nominated  John  A.  King  for 
governor,  his  opponents  being  Amasa  J.    Parker  and  Erastus  Brooks. 


300  ONONDAGA'S   CENTENNIAL. 

The  ensuing  Fremont  and  Dayton  presidential  campaign  is  well  re- 
membered. The  Know  Nothing  party  split,  a  faction  joining  each  of 
the  other  dominant  parties.  Border  ruffianism  in  the  West,  with  veiled 
hints  of  disunion  or  submission  to  the  South  were  the  weapons  used 
against  the  Democrats,  but  did  not  stem  the  tide,  and  James  Buchanan 
was  elected  president.  Old  party  lines  disappeared  and  a  heated  can- 
vass continued  from  midsummer  to  election.  In  this  county  the  Re- 
publicans sent  Amos  P.  Granger  back  to  Congress  and  elected  all  the 
assembleymen.  The  city  and  county  gave  Fremont  about  6,000  ma- 
jority, his  total  vote  reaching  10,161;  Buchanan,  4,259;  Fillmore, 
1,698. 

In  the  town  elections  of  1857  the  Republicans  elected  seventeen  su- 
pervisors, the  Know-Nothings  one  in  Lysander,  and  the  Democrats  one. 
In  the  city  only  one  Republican  supervisor  was  chosen,  and  Charles  F. 
Williston,  Democratic  candidate  for  mayor,  was  elected.  The  vote  was 
extraordinarily  light  in  this  county,  about  6,000  less  than  in  the  previous 
year.  The  Republican  majority  on  the  State  ticket  was  only  1,100. 
Two  of  the  three  assemblymen  elected  were  Republican. 

But  a  change  came  in  1858,  when  a  governor  was  to  be  chosen,  and 
the  Republicans  wisely  nominated  Edwin  D.  Morgan  for  the  place.  In 
the  spring  this  party  elected  twelve  supervisors  in  the  towns  and  three 
in  the  city.  Charles  B.  Sedgwick  was  put  up  for  Congress  and  the 
whole  Republican  ticket  was  strong.  Mr.  Sedgwick  was  elected  by 
about  1,500  majority  and  almost  the  entire  ticket  was  successful.  In 
the  State  Morgan  had  a  majority  of  nearly  20,000.  It  was  a  great  vic- 
tory for  the  young  party.  It  was  in  this  year  that  "  the  grocery  firm  " 
became  a  factor  in  city  politics,  the  firm  meaning  Jaycox&  Green,  com- 
posed of  John  A.  Green  and  John  M.  Jaycox,  who,  for  several  years, 
were  a  power  in  local  Democratic  politics.  Locally  there  was  a  Repub- 
lican gain  in  every  town  and  ward  in  this  county. 

In  the  spring  of  1859  the  Republicans  elected  thirteen  supervisors  to 
six  by  the  Democrats.  A  peculiarity  of  this  election  was  the  fact  that 
the  Republicans  gained  four  towns  and  lost  three  from  the  previous 
year.  In  the  city  the  Republicans  swept  everything,  E.  W.  Leaven- 
worth being  chosen  mayor  against  Dennis  McCarthy  by  about  600  ma- 
jority, and  the  Democrats  elected  only  two  of  the  city  supervisors.  The 
Republican  State  convention  was  held  in  Syracuse,  September  7,  and 
Mr.  Leavenworth  was  given  the  nomination  for  secretary  of  state. 
The  Assembly  nominees  were  Jeremiah   Emerick,  Austin  Myers  and 


POLITICAL   CHRONOLOGY.  301 

Philetus  Clark.  The  county  went  Republican  by  nearly  8,000,  and 
almost  every  candidate  nominated  by  the  Republicans  was  elected. 
The  Democratic  State  convention  met  in  Syracuse  this  year  and  came 
very  near  breaking  up  in  a  riot  at  an  early  stage  in  the  proceedings. 
Thomas  G.  Alvord  had  been  named  temporary  chairman.  A  division 
of  the  party  had  taken  place  in  New  York  city,  and  a  resolution  was 
offered  expressing  regret  therefor  and  stating  that  the  convention 
would  not  interfere  "  in  regulating  the  difference  of  the  two  existing 
organizations,"  and  offering  equal  rights  on  the  floor  to  both.  John 
Cochrane  then  arose  and  amid  great  excitement  denounced  the  ''un- 
generous action  that  had  placed  the  chairman  in  his  seat."  His  voice 
was  drowned  in  hisses  and  outcries,  but  he  persisted  in  claiming  that 
the  convention  was  not  properly  organized.  He  was  interrupted  and 
told  that  he  must  address  the  chair;  but  he  proceeded  and  was  again 
interrupted  by  the  chairman  and  told  that  he  must  speak  to  the  resolu- 
tion. He  concluded  with  a  motion  to  lay  the  resolution  on  the  table. 
The  chairman  then  proceeded  to  name  committees,  when  Peter  Cagger 
moved  that  Mr.  Stryker  of  Rome  take  the  chair.  Intense  excitement 
ensued  as  Mr.  Stryker  went  upon  the  stage  and  took  a  seat  beside  Mr. 
Alvord,  and  the  adherents  of  each  gathered  around  them.  Thereupon 
both  chairmen,  with  their  partisans,  attempted  to  proceed  with  business 
at  the  same  time,  when  suddenly  amid  the  confusion  Mr.  Stryker  was 
grasped  from  behind  and  thrown  clear  from  the  stage  to  the  floor  below. 
In  a  twinkling  the  air  glittered  with  revolvers,  and  a  single  shot  at  the 
moment  would  undoubtedly  have  caused  a  scene  of  bloodshed.  Mr. 
Stryker  was  again  led  to  his  seat,  and  committees  on  organization  were 
named  by  both  factions;  but  as  nothing  could  be  accomplished,  Cagger 
and  his  party  withdrew,  leaving  the  Fernando  Wood  followers,  who 
proceeded  with  their  business.  The  intention  was,  of  course,  to  have 
thrown  Mr.  Alvord  from  the  stage,  but  the  bruisers  delegated  for  the 
business  made  a  mistake  and  seized  the  wrong  man.  For  participation 
in  this  affair  John  C.  Heenan,  John  Wood,  Andy  Sheehan,  and  others 
from  New  York,  were  arrested  by  the  late  Thomas  Mulholland  and 
taken  to  the  police  station;  but  bail  was  promptly  furnished,  and  there 
it  ended. 

Beginning  with  1800,  with  civil  war  then  in  prospect,  the  Republiean 
party,  which  had  first  massed  its  forces  in  the  Fremont  campaign  of 
1856,  entered  upon  a  mission  to  which  it  seems  almost  to  have  been 
foreordained.      Abraham  Lincoln    was   chosen   for  its   standard-bearer. 


302  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

but  little  did  the  public  dream  of  the  terrors  of  the  future  through 
which  he  was  destined  to  pass  in  the  defense  of  the  Union  of  States. 
The  Democratic  party  was  hopelessly  split  into  several  factions,  pur- 
posely so  by  Southern  party  leaders,  to  force  the  issue  which  all  states- 
men knew  was  to  come  sooner  or  later,  and  as  a  consequence  the  Re- 
publican victory  at  the  polls  was  sweeping  and  decisive.  While  the 
Republican  party  was  charged  with  the  earlier  duty  of  contending  with 
the  South,  while  it  was  finishing  the  work  it  had  begun  years  before  in 
making  preparations  for  war,  later,  as  will  hereafter  be  seen,  the  party 
temporarily  forgot  its  name  while  joined  with  the  masses  of  loyal  Dem- 
ocrats, who  also  forgot  their  name  and  feuds  in  support  of  efforts  for 
the  preservation  of  the  Union.  For  a  time  the  salvation  of  the  Union 
was  paramount  to  party  supremacy  in  all  loyal  hearts,  and  partisan 
bickerings  and  political  discontent  were  indulged  in  only  by  malcon- 
tents who  wielded  no  influence  and  did  but  little  harm  to  others  than 
themselves. 

Since  the  war  period  Onondaga  has  uniformly  given  a  Republican 
majority,  but  this  condition  has  not  in  all  years  extended  to  a  majority 
of  the  towns  of  the  county,  though  it  has  generally  done  so.  As  a  con- 
sequence there  have  been  a  few  years  in  which  the  political  complexion 
of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  has  been  Democratic.  For  example,  while 
a  majority  of  the  board  of  1862  was  Republican,  in  1863  the  Democrats 
had  one  majority,  and  what  is  far  more  remarkable,  that  one  was 
elected  by  only  one  vote;  and  he  was  a  bolting  Republican  at  that.  This 
occurred  in  the  town  of  Geddes.  During  the  succeeding  years  to  the 
present  time  the  board  has  been  Republican,  with  the  exception  of  two 
different  years,  when,  through  Republican  apathy  or  disagreement, 
the  Democrats  gained  the  ascendency. 

The  apportionment  of  Assembly  districts  made  in  1866,  giving  to  the 
county  three  assemblymen,  continued  in  force  until  1895,  when  a  new 
apportionment  added  one  district,  as  noted  later  on.  The  senatorial 
district  was  changed  in  1892,  under  which  change  Cortland  county  was 
displaced  by  Madison  county.  This  condition  existed  until  1895,  when 
(  mondaga  county  was  constituted  a  district  by  itself. 

In  the  continuation  of  the  running  sketch  of  political  events  in  On- 
ondaga county  the  year  1860  was  prolific  of  important  history;  but  in 
lsci  three  State  conventions  were  held  in  the  city  by  the  Republicans 
and  Democrats  and  by  the  People's  party,  the  latter  an  outgrowth  of 
the  war.     The    Hon.  Thomas  G,  Alvord  was  president  of  the  People's 


POLITICAL   CHRONOLOGY  303 

convention,  and  the  ticket  which  was  nominated  was  endorsed  by  the 
Republicans,  except  the  candidate  for  canal  commissioner,  Gen.  B. 
F.  Bruce  being  substituted  for  Frederick  P.  Tallmage.  The  fusion 
ticket  was  elected  by  more  than  100,000  majority,  except  that  the  Dem- 
ocratic candidate  for  canal  commissioner,  William  W.  Wright,  was 
elected. 

Previous  to  1861  the  Democratic  State  conventions  had  been  held  in 
Syracuse  many  years;  but  in  that  year  there  was  a  break  in  the  series. 
Dean  Richmond  was  then  chairman' of  the  Democratic  State  commit- 
tee. The  landlords  of  Syracuse  had  pledged  themselves  to  pay  the  rent 
of  the  convention  hall,  but  did  not  fulfill  their  promise,  and  the  bill  was 
sent  to  Richmond.  He  paid  it,  but  swore  (as  he  well  know  how  to) 
that  in  future,  while  he  lived,  no  Democratic  State  convention  would 
be  held  in  Syracuse.  He  kept  his  oath.  After  his  death  the  Demo- 
cratic conventions  again  came  to  the  Central  City,  and  Wieting  Hall 
thereafter  was  the  scene  of  many  exciting  events.  There  the  Repub- 
licans in  1862  nominated  Gen.  James  S.  Wadsworth  for  governor  in 
opposition  to  Horatio  Seymour.  Henry  J.  Raymond  presided.  There 
was  a  large  conservative  influence  which  wanted  John  A.  Dix  for  can- 
didate, but  Horace  Greeley,  who  was  present,  threw  his  influence  for 
Wadsworth,  and  carried  the  day  over  Raymond.  General  Wadsworth 
was  at  the  time  at  the  front.  The  returning  tide  left  the  Republican 
ticket  stranded  at  the  polls,  with  Horatio  Seymour,  after  an  interval  of 
a  decade,  a  second  time  governor.  A  few  weeks  later  General  Wads- 
worth fell  on  the  field  of  battle,  while  gallantly  leading  his  troops. 

Here  again  it  was  that  the  Republicans  in  1863  nominated  the  win- 
ning ticket  headed  by  Chauncey  M.  Depew  for  secretary  of  state. 
Depew  was  then  but  seven  years  out  of  Yale,  but  he  had  made  a  bril- 
liant record  already  as  chairman  of  ways  and  means  in  the  Assemblv. 
As  a  matter  of  fact  Depew  was  not  nominated  by  the  convention,  but 
by  the  State  Committee,  subsequently,  to  fill  a  vacancy.  Col.  John  A. 
Porter  of  Niagara  Falls,  the  convention's  choice,  was  then  at  the  front 
with  his  regiment.  He  refused  to  leave  the  field  of  battle  for  the  field 
of  politics,  and  that's  how  Depew  came  to  be  secretary  of  state.  Still 
another  nominee  of  the  convention,  the  venerable  Thomas  \V.  Olcott 
of  Albany,  for  comptroller,  declined,  and  Lucius  Robinson,  who  had 
been  elected  on  the  hybrid  "People's"  ticket  two  years  before,  was 
named  by  the  State  convention.  In  that  same  hall  the  next  year,  1864, 
Reuben    E.    Fenton    was    nominated    for   governor,    with   Thomas  G. 


304  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Alvord  for  lieutenant-governor — Horace  Greeley's  influence  in  party 
councils  still  prevailing.  The  ticket  swept  the  State,  buoyed  up  by  the 
great  name  of  Lincoln,  Avho  was  running  for  re-election  to  the  presi- 
dency. Horatio  Seymour,  for  the  fifth  time  his  party's  candidate  for 
governor,  was  for  the  third  time  defeated. 

One  of  the  most  turbulent  bodies  that  ever  assembled  in  old  Wieting 
Hall  was  the  Republican  convention  of  1871,  in  which  a  battle-royal 
for  the  mastery  was  fought  between  United  States  Senator  Roscoe 
Conkling  and  Reuben  E.  Fenton,  resulting  in  the  latter  being  driven 
from  the  field.  Andrew  D.  White  presided.  At  times  a  free  fight  on 
the  floor  was  only  prevented  by  the  presence  of  a  body  of  Syracuse 
policemen.  Fenton's  vanquished  forces  withdrew  to  Barton  (now  the 
Grand)  Opera  House,  and  there  relieved  their  feelings  Notwithstand- 
ing the  breach  in  Republican  ranks,  the  machine  ticket  swept  the  State, 
owing  to  the  larger  defection  in  Democratic  ranks  by  reason  of  the 
Tweed  ring  exposures,  and  Tammany's  exclusion,  under  Samuel  J. 
Tilden's  orders,  from  the  Democratic  State  convention,  which  assem- 
bled shortly  after  at  Rochester.  Conkling  here  established  his  absolute 
mastery  of  his  party,  which  ten  years  later  in  a  fit  of  passion  and  under 
the  malign  influence  of  Thomas  C.  Piatt,  he  recklessly  threw  away. 
The  parallel  to  this  convention  was  held  in  Rochester  six  years  later, 
in  1877,  when  Conkling  crushed  George  William  Curtis  and  his  band  of 
reformers. 

Another  notable  convention  was  that  of  1872,  when  the  Democrats 
in  Wieting  Hall  named  Francis  Kernan  for  governor,  while  their  Lib 
oral  Republican  allies  were  sitting  in  Shakespeare  Hall  and  naming 
Chauncey  M.  Depew  for  lieutenant-governor.  Then  came  the  marriage 
ceremony — the  Liberals,  or  anti-Grant  Republicans  marching  over  to 
the  Wieting,  and  the  two  parties  to  the  coalition  being  duly  united  and 
the  union  receiving,  in  spread-eagle  speeches,  the  blessing  of  the  lead- 
ers. The  "Greeley  craze"  was  on  and  the  ticket  went  down  in  defeat 
before  the  hosts  of  Grant  and  Dix. 

In  ls?4  the  Democrats  again  met  in  Syracuse.  Samuel  J.  Tilden, 
hairman  of  the  State  Committee,  insisted,  in  spite  of  the  contrary 
opinion  of  the  Churches,  the  Wests,  the  De  Wolfs,  the  Warrens  and 
the  Comings  and  Parkers  of  the  party,  that  he  was  the  man  for  the 
hour.  A  vigorous  opposition  was  made,  and  when  Tilden  was  nom- 
nera]  opinion  was  that  the  end  had  come — that  Tilden's 
Warfare  on  the  Tweed  ring  would   insure  such  a  depletion  of  the  Demo- 


ANDREW   D.   WHITE. 


POLITICAL  CHRONOLOGY.  305 

cratic  majority  in  New  York  as  would  cause  his  defeat.  But  Tilden's 
prediction  that  he  would  be  elected  without  the  help  of  New  York  was 
fully  verified. 

A  year  from  that  date,  in  1875,  another  Democratic  convention  met 
here.  Tilden  was  governor  and  completely  dominated  the  party.  He 
had  attacked  the  canal  ring  all  along  the  line,  and  the  very  men  who 
had  been  his  agents  in  obtaining  evidence  of  the  canal  ring's  doings 
were  the  men  whom  Tilden  insisted  on  placing  on  the  State  ticket — 
thus  challenging  directly  the  judgment  of  the  people  on  his  course. 
The  ticket  headed  by  John  Bigelow,  and  including  Charles  S.  Fairchild 
and  John  D.  Van  Buren,  jr.,  swept  the  State. 

When  the  Democratic  State  convention  met  here  in  1878,  the  Green- 
hack  craze  was  at  fever  heat,  and  the  Democratic  ticket,  which  con- 
sisted only  of  a  nominee  for  associate  judge  of  the  Court  of  Appeals, 
was  easily  beaten  by  the  defection  to  the  Greenback  candidate,  which 
cost  nearly  80,000  votes. 

Another  historical  Democratic  convention,  recalling  the  Republican 
rumpus  of  1871,  was  that  of  1879,  when  Lucius  Robinson  was  renom- 
inated for  governor.  The  opposition  centered  on  Gen.  Henry  W, 
Slocum,  and,  curiously,  this  opposition  was  led  by  Robinson's  lieuten- 
ant-governor, William  Dorsheimer,  who  had  lately  removed  from 
Buffalo  to  New  York  and  become  affiliated  with  Tammany  Hall. 
The  oratorical  features  of  the  convention  were  the  bitter  invective 
and  biting  sarcasm  of  Thomas  F.  Grady,  and  sublimely  eloquent  ap- 
peal, thrilling  and  masterful,  of  Lieutenant-Governor  Dorsheimer.  No 
one  who  saw  the  heroic  figure  of  Dorsheimer  and  listened  to  the  burn- 
ing words  which  flowed  like  molten  lava  from  his  lips  on  that  memora- 
ble occasion,  imploring  the  friends  of  the  governor  to  refrain  from 
taking  a  step  fraught  with  party  ruin,  will  ever  forget  that  as  one  of 
the  grandest  flights  of  genuine  oratory.  The  appeal  was  unheeded. 
Tammany  walked  out  of  the  Wieting  over  to  Shakespeare  Hall  and 
nominated  John  Kelly,  and  the  party  marched  to  certain  defeat  at  the 
polls.  Alonzo  B.  Cornell,  Republican,  succeeded  Lucius  Robinson. 
The  late  General  Slocum  once  said  that  President  Hayes  (then  in  the 
White  House)  remarked  to  him:  "General,  if  you  had  been  nominated 
for  governor  at  Syracuse,  you  would  have  been  my  successor  as  presi- 
dent of  the  United  States."  And  so,  in  all  human  probability,  he 
would.  For  Slocum's  nomination  in  1879  would  have  saved  the  party 
from  breach ;  with  an  united  party  Slocum  would  have  been  elected, 
39 


306  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

and  the  logic  of  the  situation  required  that  the  man  who  should  carry 
New  York  in  1879  should  receive  the  Democratic  nomination  for  presi- 
dent in  1880.  New  York's  electoral  vote  would  have  been  given  to  the 
soldier-governor,  and  Slocum,  instead  of  Garfield,  might  have  suc- 
ceeded Hayes. 

It  was  in  Syracuse  that  Grover  Cleveland  was  launched  on  his  won- 
derful career  in  State  and  National  politics.  Here,  in  1882,  he  was 
nominated  for  governor,  with  David  B.  Hill  for  lieutenant-governor. 
The  old  Wieting  Opera  House  had  burned  in  the  previous  year,  and 
the  new  one  was  just  being  completed — in  fact  it  was  opened  the  fol- 
lowing week.  The  convention  was  held,  therefore,  in  the  Grand  Opera 
House,  since  burned.  Cleveland  was  nominated  in  the  afternoon  session 
of  the  second  day.  As  the  opera  house  had  been  engaged  for  an 
entertainment  in  the  evening,  the  convention  reassembled  in  the  even- 
ing in  Shakespeare  Hall  to  complete  the  ticket.  George  Raines  of 
Rochester,  meanwhile,  a  Western  New  York  man  having  been  named 
for  governor,  had  withdrawn  from  the  race  for  lieutenant-governor, 
and  in  a  very  graceful  speech  he  proposed  David  B.  Hill  for  that  place 

a  motion  which  carried  unanimously.    With  William  C.  Ruger  for  chief 

judge  of  the  Court  of  Appeals,  and  Henry  W.  Slocum  for  congressman- 
at-large,  the  Democrats  adjourned  in  the  consciousness  of  a  splendid 
ticket,  but  with  the  expectation  that  a  hard  fight  was  before  them.  The 
Republicans  were  holding  their  convention  on  the  same  days  at  Sara- 
toga.  Then  all  at  once  came  the  explosion — the  powder  magazine  in 
the  Republican  party  having  been  touched  off  by  the  discovery  that 
er-'s  nomination  had  been  due  to  forged  telegrams,  and  various 
other  forbidden  and  abhorrent  forces.  Every  county  in  the  State  but 
six  gave  Cleveland  majorities — Onondaga  going  against  Cleveland  by 
only  60  odd  and  against  Hill  by  30  odd. 

Seven  years  elapsed  before  another  Democratic  convention  was  held 

That  was  in   1889,  and  it  met  in  the  Alhambra.     Frank   Rice 

was  named  for  secretary  of  state,  and  the  ticket  swept  the  State.     The 

iublicans  have  been   here  once  since,  in  1894,  and  to  their  surprise 

they  carried   the  State. 

The  details  of  local  polities  cannot  be  further  followed  in  these  pages. 
ate  well  known,  and  will  be  for  many  years  to  come  by  most  per- 
sons, and  must  be  left  for  some  future  political  histories.1 

'Pel  -'     man  >ublic  men  whose  names  appear  in  this  chapter  may 

own  h 'ii  I '.irt  III. 


POLITICAL   CHRONOLOGY.  307 

A  new  apportionment  of  Assembly  districts  in  this  county  was  made 
June,  1895,  constituting  four  districts  as  follows: 

First  District — Lysander,  Clay.  Van  Buren,  Elbridge,  Camillus,  Marcellus,  Geddes, 
Skaneateles,  Spafford,  Otisco,  Onondaga,  Lafayette  and  Tally.  Population,  35,295 
Republican  majority,  1893,  1,472. 

Second  District — Cicero,  Salina,  Dewitt,  Manlius,  Pompey  and  Fabius  and  the 
First,  Second  and  Sixteenth  wards.  Population,  36,309.  Republican  majority,  1893, 
912. 

Third  District — Third,  Fourth,  Seventh,  Eighth,  Twelfth,  Fourteenth  and  Fif- 
teenth wards.     Population,  34,627.     Republican  majority,  1893,  804. 

Fourth  District — Fifth,  Sixth,  Ninth,  Tenth,  Eleventh,  Thirteenth,  Seventeenth, 
Eighteenth  and  Nineteenth  wards.  Population,  35,291.  Republican  majority,  1893, 
1,067. 

CIVIL    LIST. 

The  changes  made  in  the  several  Congressional  Districts  of  which  Onondaga 
county  constituted  a  part  have  been  noted  in  this  chapter.  The  following  is  a  list  of 
those  men  who  have  been  elected  to  Congress  from  this  county: 

The  first  representative  who  was  a  resident  of  this  county  was  Reuben  Hum- 
phreys, who  was  elected  to  the  10th  Congress,  who  represented  the  13th  district;  and 
William  Kirkpatrick  represented  the  11th  district.  Eri  Tracy  represented  the  16th 
district  in  the  11th  and  12th  Congresses  (1809-13).  James  Geddes,  1812-14;  Victory 
Birdseye,  1815-16;  James  Porter,  1817-18;  George  Hall,  1819-20;  Elisha  Litchfield', 
1821-24;  Luther  Badger,  1825-26;  Jonas  Earll,  jr.,  1827-30;  Freeborn  G.  Jewett, 
1831-32;  William  Taylor,  1833-38;  Nehemiah  H.  Earll,  1839-40;  Victory  Birdseye. 
1841-52;  Horace  Wheaton,  1843-46;  Daniel  Gott,  1847-50;  Daniel  T.  Jones,  1851-54; 
Amos  P.  Granger,  1855-58;  Charles  B.  Sedgwick,  1859-62;  Thomas  T.  Davis,  1863- 
66;  Dennis  McCarthy,  1867-70;  R.  Holland  Duell,  1871-74;  Frank  Hiscock,  1875-86; 
James  J.  Belden,  1887-94;  Theodore  L.  Poole,  present  incumbent.  By  the  appor- 
tionment of  1892  Onondaga  and  Madison  counties  were  constituted  the  27th  district. 

State  Senators. — At  the  time  of  the  adoption  of  the  first  Constitution  of  this  State 
in  1777,  Tryon  county  (including  the  territory  now  in  Onondaga)  was  entitled  to  six 
members  of  assembly  and  the  State  was  divided  into  four  senatorial  districts.  The 
western  district  was  composed  of  Albany  and  Tryon  counties  and  six  senators  were 
chosen  from  it  annually.  Previous  to  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution  of  1821  the 
following  men  held  this  office  from  Onondaga  county:  Moses  Kent,  1799;  Jedediah 
Sanger,  1800;  William  Stewart,  1801;  Joseph  Annan  (Cayuga),  1802;  Asa  Danforth, 
1803;  none  from  Onondaga  county  from  1806  to  1S15;  Henry  Seymour,  1816  to  1819, 
inclusive;  none  in  1821  and  1822.  After  the  change  in  the  Constitution  in  1822  the 
State  was  divided  into  eight  senatorial  districts.  The  7th  was  composed  of  Onon- 
daga, Cayuga,  Seneca,  and  Ontario  counties,  after  which  were  elected  the  following 
senators  from  Onondaga:  Jonas  Earll,  jr.,  1823;  Victory  Birdseye,  1827;  Hiram  F. 
Mather,  1829;  Samuel  L.  Edwards,  1833;  Elijah  Rhoades,  1841;  James  Sedgwick, 
1845.  The  following  were  senators  under  the  Constitution  of  1846;  George  Geddes, 
1848  to  1851,  inclusive;  James  Monroe.  1852,  1853,  1854,  1855;  James  Noxon,  1856 
and  1857;  John  J.  Foote,  1858  and  1859;  Allen  Monroe,  1860,  1861,  1862,  1863;  An- 
drew D.  White,  1864,  1865,  1866,   and  1867;  George  N.   Kennedy.    1868,    1869,    1870, 


308  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

1871;  Daniel  P.  Wood,  1872,  1873,  1874,  and  1875;  Dennis  McCarthy,  1876,  1877, 
1878,  1879,  1880,  1881,  1882,  1883,  1884,  1885;  Francis  Hendricks,  1886,  1887,  1888, 
1889,  1890,  1891;  John  A.  Nichols,  1892-93;  Charles  W.  Stapleton,  1894. 

Members  of  Assembly. — Upon  the  organization  of  Onondaga  county  it  was  made 
a  joint  district  with  Herkimer  county  and  Jedediah  Sanger  represented  the  district 
in  1794-95.  For  1796-97  there  was  no  return  for  this  county.  Comfort  Tyler  and 
Silas  Halsey  were  members  for  Onondaga  in  1798  and  1799.  In  the  latter  year  Ca- 
yuga was  taken  off,  and  Ebenezer  Butler  elected  for  Onondaga  county;  also  member 
in  1800;  Asa  Danforth,  1801  and  1802;  John  McWhorterand  John  Lamb,  1803;  James 
Geddes  and  John  McWhorter,  1804;  William  J.  Vredenburgh  and  John  Ballard,  1805; 
Jasper  Hopper  and  William  J.  Vredenburgh,  1806;  Ozias  Burr  and  Squire  Munro, 
1807 ;  Joshua  Forman  and  John  McWhorter,  1808 ;  Jacobus  De  Puy  and  Barnet  Mooney, 
1809;  Jacobus  De  Puy  and  Barnet  Mooney,  1810;  Jasper  Hopper  and  Robert  Earll, 
1811;  Jonathan  Stanley  and  Barnet  Mooney,  1812;  Isaac  Smith  and  Moses  Nash, 
1813;  Moses  Nash  and  Barnet  Mooney,  1814;  Hezekiah  L.  Granger  and  James 
Porter,  1815;  Truman  Adams,  Elijah  Miles,  George  Hall  and  Nathan  Williams,  1816; 
Gideon  Wilcoxon,  James  Webb,  Asa  Wells  and  Elijah  Miles,  1817;  David  Munro, 
Abijah  Earll,  Asa  Wells  and  James  Webb,  1818;  David  Munro,  Henry  Case,  Nathan 
Williams  aud  Elisha  Litchfield,  1819;  Lewis  Smith,  Jonas  Earll,  jr.,  Henry  Seymour 
and  Henry  Field,  1820;  Jonas  Earll,  jr.,  Lewis  Smith,  George  Pettit  and  Jonathan 
Deming,  1821 ;  James  Geddes,  David  Munro,  Josephus  Baker  and  Sylvester  Gard- 
ner, 1822;  Victory  Birdseye,  Timothy  Baker,  Samuel  L.  Edwards  and  Harold  White, 
1823;  Samuel  L.  Edwards,  Timothy  Baker,  George  Pettit  and  Matthew  Van  Vleck, 
1824;  Tames  R.  Lawrence,  Moses  Kinne,  James  Pettit  and  Erastus  Baker,  1825; 
John  G.  Forbes,  David  Willard,  Freeborn  G.  Jewett  and  Chauncey  Betts,  1826; 
Daniel  Mosely,  Chauncey  Betts,  Charles  Jackson  and  Aaron  Burt,  1827;  Timothy 
Barber,  Aaron  Burr,  Daniel  Baxter  and  Gideon  Frothingham,  1828;  Lewis  Smith, 
Samuel  R.  Matthews,  Johnson  Hall  and  Herman  Jenkins,  1829 ;  Johnson  Hall,  Do- 
rastus  Lawrence,  Thomas  J.  Gilbert  and  Timothy  Brown,  1830;  Thomas  J.  Gilbert 
Otis  Bigelow,  Elisha  Litchfield  and  J.  H.  Parker,  1831;  Miles  W.  Bennett,  Elisha 
Litchfield,  Elijah  W.  Curtis  and  Ichabod  Moss,  1832;  Asa  Eastwood,  Elisha  Litch- 
field, Myron  L.  Mills  and  Gabriel  Tappan,  1833;  Oliver  R.  Strong,  Horace  Wheaton, 
Jared  II.  Parker  and  Squire  M.  Brown,  1834;  George  Pettit,  John  Wilkinson,  San- 
ford  C.  Parker  and  David  C.  Lytle,  1835;  Sanford  C.  Parker,  John  Wilkinson,  David 
Munro  and  Daniel  Denison,  1836;  Nathan  Soule,  Wm.  Porter,  jr.,  George  Pettit 
and  Daniel  Denison,  1837;  Pharis  Gould,  Victory  Birdseye,  James  R.  Lawrence 
and  Azariah  Smith,  1838;  James  R.  Lawrence,  Azariah  Smith,  Pharis  Gould  and 
James  L.  Voorhees,  1839,  Victory  Birdseye,  Azariah  Smith,  James  R.  Lawrence  and 
Pharis  Gould,  1840;  Moses  D.  Burnet,  David  Munro,  William  Taylor  and  William 
Fuller,  1841  ;  William  Taylor,  William  Fuller,  David  Munro  and  John  Spencer,  1842; 
Thomas  McCarthy,  Charles  R.  Vary,  Benjamin  French  and  Thomas  Sherwood,  1843; 
Elisha  Litchfield,  Seth  Hutchinson,  Thomas  G.  Alvord  and  Warner  Abbott,  1844; 
David  Preston,  Dennis  McCarthy,  Julius  C.  Kinne  and  Lake  I.  Teft,  1845;  Lake  I. 
hit,  Julius  C.  Kinne,  Alonzo  Wood  and  Elihu  L.  Phillips,  1846;  Manoah  Pratt, 
William  Henderson,  John  Lakin  and  Joseph  Prindle,  1847;  Curtis  J.  Hurd,  Thomas 
Spencer,  Horace  Hazen  and  James  Little,  1848;  Joseph  J.  Glass,  Myron  Wheaton, 
i  Slocum  and  Samuel  Hart,  1849;  James  Little,  Benjamin  J.  Cowles,  Elias  W. 


POLITICAL  CHRONOLOGY.  309 

Leavenworth  and  Harvey  G.  Anderson,  1850;  Demosthenes  C.  Le  Roy,  John  F. 
Clark,  George  Stevens  and  Daniel  Denison,  1851;  Lyman  Norton,  William  E.  Tall- 
man,  George  Stevens  and  John  Merritt,  1852;  Alonzo  Cose,  Samuel  S.  Kneeland. 
Daniel  P.  Wood  and  Isaac  V.  V.  Hubbard,  1853;  James  M.  Munro,  Milton  A.  Kinney. 
Daniel  P.  Wood  and  William  Richardson,  1854;  James  M.  Munro,  William  J.  Ma- 
chan,  Dudley  P.  Phelps  and  Joshua  V.  H.  Clark,  1855;  Irvin  Williams,  James  Long- 
street,  Burr  Burton  and  Jabez  Lewis,  1856;  John  D.  Rhoades,  Sidney  Smith,  Elias 
W.  Leavenworth  and  Charles  M.  Meade,  1857;  James  Frazee,  Thomas  G.  Alvord  and 
Levi  S.  Holbrook,  1858;  Luke  Ranney,  Henry  W.  Slocum  and  Orrin  Aylsworth, 
1859;  Jeremiah  Emerick,  Austin  Myers  and  Philetus  Clark,  1860;  Jeremiah  Erne- 
rick,  Austin  Myers  and  Abner  Chapman,  1861;  Frederick  A.  Lyman,  Thomas  G. 
Alvord  and  R.  Nelson  Gere,  1862;  James  M.  Munro,  Elizur  Clark  and  Joseph  Breed, 
1863;  Albert  L.  Green,  Thomas  G.  Alvord  and  Conrad  Shoemaker,  1864;  Albert  L. 
Green,  Daniel  P.  Wood  and  Harvey  .P.  Tolman,  1865;  Luke  Ranney,  Daniel  P. 
Wood  and  L.  Harris  Hiscock,  1866;  Daniel  P.  Wood,  L.  Harris  Hiscock  and  Samuel 
Candee,  1867;  Augustus  G.  S.  Allis,  Luke  Ranney  and  Hiram  Eaton,  1868;  James 
V.  Kendalll,  Moses  Summers  and  Miles  B.  Hackett,  1869;  Thomas  G.  Alvord,  Nathan 
K.  Tefft  and  Gustavus  Sniper,  1870;  Thomas  G.  Alvord,  Peter  Burns  and  Gustavus 
Sniper,  1871;  Thomas  G.  Alvord,  Peter  Burns  and  Gustavus  Sniper,  1872;  Win. 
H.  H.  Gerre,  George  Raynor  and  John  I.  Furbeck,  1873;  Thomas  G.  Alvord,  George 
Barrow  and  Charles  Simon,  1874;  Allen  Munroe,  Carroll  E.  Smith  and  C.  Fred 
Herbst,  1875;  Thomas  G.  Alvord,  Carroll  E.  Smith  and  C.  Fred  Herbst,  1876;  Thomas 
G.  Alvord,  Samuel  Willis  and  Josiah  G.  Holbrook,  1877;  Thomas  G.  Alvord,  Samuel 
Willis,  Henry  L.  Duguid,  1878;  Thomas  G.  Alvord,  Albert  Howland,  Henry  L. 
Duguid,  1879-80;  Thomas  G.  Alvord,  Elbert  O.  Farrar,  John  Lighton,  1881;  James 
Geddes,  Elbert  O.  Farrar,  John  Lighton,  1882;  James  Geddes,  Francis  Hendricks. 
Conrad  Shoemaker,  1883;  Wallace  Tappan,  Francis  Hendricks,  Conrad  Shoemaker, 
1884;  Wallace  Tappan,  Alfred  E.  Stacey,  Thomas  McCarthy,  1885;  Hector  B.  John- 
son, Alfred  E.  Stacey,  Thomas  McCarthy,  1886;  Hector  B.  Johnson,  William  H.  Gal- 
lup, Walter  W.  Cheney,  1887;  James  W.  Upson,  William  H.  Gallup,  Walter  W. 
Cheney,  1888;  James  W.  Upson,  Wm.  H.  Gallup,  Walter  W.  Cheney,  1889;  Howard 
G.  White,  W.  B.  Burns,  Ignatius  Sawmiller,  1890;  Howard  G.  White,  Wm.  Ken- 
nedy, Ignatius  Sawmiller,  1891;  P.  J.  Ryan,  Wm.  Kennedy,  Adam  C.  Listman,  L892; 
Duncan  W.  Peck,  Jonathan  Wyckoff,  William  Hotaling,  1893;  J.  Emmet  Wells, 
Jonathan  Wyckoff,  William  Hotaling,  1894;  Charles  R.  Rogers,  Charles  C.  Cole, 
Levi  S.  Chapman,  1895. 

Treasurers. — Appointed  by  the  Board  of  Supervisors:  Moses  Carpenter,  May  27, 
1794;  Jacob  R.  Dewitt,  1799;  Jacobus  Du  Puy,  October  1,  1805;  Oliver  R.  Strong, 
October  5,  1809,  resigned  November  11,  1830;  Moses  S.  Marsh,  appointed  November 
12,  declined  November  13,  1830;  Hezekiah  Strong,  appointed  November  13,  1830, 
died  1842;  Benjamin  F.  Colvin,  appointed  November,  1842;  George  B.  Walters,  ap- 
pointed December,  1844;  Pharis  Gould,  November,  1845.  The  office  of  county  treas- 
urer was  made  elective  by  the  people  in  1846,  since  when  the  following  persons  have 
been  elected:  Cornelius  M.  Brosnan,  November,  1846,  took  the  office  January  1,  L847, 
resigned  December  9,  1848;  Wheeler  Truesdell,  appointed  to  fill  vacancy  December  9, 
1848,  elected  January  1,  1849;  Columbus  C.  Bradley,  elected  November,  L851,  entered 
upon  his  office  January  1,  1852;  Barton  M.  Hopkins,  elected  November,  1854;  Patrick 


310  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

H.  Agan,  November,  1857;  Henry  W.  Slocum,  November,  1860;  Dudley  P.  Phelps, 
November,  1863;  Park  Wheeler,  November,  1866;  George  H.  Gilbert,  November, 
1869;  Charles  W.  Ostrander,  November,  1872;  Robert  Hewitt,  November,  1875;  Caius 

A.  Weaver,  November,  1878;  Thomas  Merriam,  November,  1881;  Edward  V.  Baker, 
November,  1884;  Edward  Drake,  November,  1887;  George  B.  Harwood,  November, 
L890;  Hubbard  Manzer,  1894. 

Sheriffs.— John  Harris,  1794;  Abiather  Hull,  1796;  Comfort  Tyler,  1798;  Elnathan 
Beach,  1799;  Ebenezer  R.  Hawley,  1801;  Elijah  Phillips,  1804;  Robert  Earll,  1808; 
Elijah  Rust,  1810;  Robert  Earll,  1811;  Elijah  Rust,  1813;  Hezekiah  L.  Granger,  1819; 
(Hies  Cornish,  1819;  Jonas  Earll,  1819;  Luther  Marsh,  1823;  Lewis  Smith,  1825;  John 
H.  Johnson,  1828;  Johnson  Hall,  1831;  Dorastus  Lawrence,  1834;  Elihu  L.  Phillips, 
1837;  Frederick  Benson,  1840;  Heber  Wetherby,  1843;  Joshua  C.  Cuddeback,  1846; 
William  C.  Gardner,  1849;  Holland  W.  Chadwick,  1852;  James  M.  Munroe,  1855; 
George  L.  Maynard,  1858;  Byron  D.  Benson,  1861;  Jared  C.  Williams,  1864;  Dewitt 
C.  Toll,  1867;  William  Evans,  1870;  Davis  Cossitt,  1873;  John  J.  Meldram,  1876; 
Hiram  K.  Edwards,  1879;  Minor  C.  Bennett,  1882;  Thomas  R.  O'Neil,  1885;  Hector 

B.  Johnson,  1888;  John  A.  Hoxie,  1891;  Oscar  F.  Austin,  1894. 

County  Clerks. — Benjamin  Ledyard,  appointed  1794;  Comfort  Tyler,  1799;  Jasper 
Hopper,  1802;  George  W.  Olmstead,  1810;  Jasper  Hopper,  1811;  Truman  Adams, 
1818;  Daniel  Mosely,  1823;  Reuben  L.  Hess,  1825;  Alanson  Edwards,  1834;  Elijah 
Rhoades,  elected  1837;  Charles  T.  Hicks,  1840;  Vivus  W.  Smith,  1846;  Rufus  Cossitt, 
1849;  Bernard,  1852;  Edwin  P.  Hopkins,  1855;  Victory  J.  Birdseye,  1858;  Elijah  S. 
Payne,  1861  ;  Carroll  E.  Smith,  1864;  Theodore  L.  Poole,  1867;  Edgar  E.  Ewers,  1870; 
Charles  A.  Hurd,  elected  November,  1873,  died  before  entering  the  office ;  Charles 
E.  Hubbell,  elected  at  special  election  December  27,  1873;  Thomas  H.  Scott,  1876; 
William  Cowie,  1879;  Gustavus  Sniper,  1882;  J.  Emmett  Wells,  1885;  George  B. 
Cotton,  1888;  De  Forest  Settle,  1891;  James  Butler,  1894. 

('anal  Commissioners. — Henry  Seymour,  appointed  March  24,  1819;  Jonas  Earll, 
jr.,  in  place  of  Seymour,  resigned  January  9,  1832;  Jonas  Earll,  jr.,  February  8,  1842; 
[onas  Earll,  jr.,  November  4,  1844;  John  M.  Jaycox,  elected  November  4,  1857;  Reu- 
ben W.  Stroud,  elected  November,  1872. 

Besides  the  foregoing  lists  the  following  residents  of  this  county  have  held  the 
following  named  offices:  Thomas  G.  Alvord,  elected  lieutenant-governor  November, 
1864  .  speaker  of  the  Assembly,  June,  1858,  and  January,  1864.  E.  W.  Leavenworth, 
secretary  of  state,  November,  1853.  Daniel  Pratt,  attorney-general,  November,  1873. 
Henry  A.  Barnnm,  State  prison  inspector,  November,  1865.  Elisha  Litchfield, 
speaker  of  the  Assembly,  January,  1844.  Canal  appraisers,  Elihu  J.  Phillips,  April 
and  Vivus  W.  Smith,  January,  1872.  Frank  Hiscock,  U.  S.  senator,  1887. 
Theodore  E.  Hancock,  attorney- general,  1893.  John  G.  Forbes,  bank  commissioner, 
1840. 

Delegates  /<>  Constitutional  Conventions. — Victory  Birdseye,  Parley  E.  Howe, 
Amasa  Case,  Asa  Eastwood,  IS22.  William  Taylor  Elijah  Rhoades,  Cyrus  H. 
Kingsley,  David  Munro,  1846.  Frank  Hiscock,  Charles  Andrews,  L.  H.  Hiscock, 
Thomas  G  Alvord,  Patrick  Corbett,  1867.  Members  of  the  Constitutional  Commis- 
1011.  E.  W.  Leavenworth,  Daniel  Pratt.  Delegates  to  the  Constitutional  Convention 
ot  1894;  W  P.  Goodelle  (delegate  at  large),  Ceylon  H.  Lewis,  Louis  Marshall, 
■■  Bai  row  and  Thomas  '',.  Alvord 


THEODORE   E.   HANCOCK. 


PUBLIC  INSTITUTIONS.  311 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

PUBLIC  INSTITLTTIONS. 

The  County  Poorhouse — Onondaga  County  Penitentiary — Onondaga  County 
Agricultural  Society — Onondaga  County  Clerk's  Office — Onondaga  County  Orphan 
Asylum — Onondaga  Historical  Society. 

Prior  to  1826  there  was  no  public  building-  devoted  to  the  care  of  the 
poor  of  this  county.  A  certain  sum  of  money  was  appropriated  each 
year  for  the  maintenance  of  those  who  needed  public  charity,  and  they 
were  cared  for  by  individuals  at  a  stipulated  price  each  per  week  or 
month,  the  privilege  of  boarding  them  being  sold  at  auction. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  supervisors  held  November  24,  1826,  the  follow- 
ing was  enacted : 

The  Board  of  Supervisors  of  the  county  of  Onondaga  having  taken  into  considera- 
tion the  propriety  of  erecting  a  County  Poor  House,  appointed  a  select  committee 
consisting  of  the  following  gentlemen:  George  Pettit,  Hezekiah  Strong,  and  Charles 
H.  Toll. 

This  committee  made  a  report  in  which  they  gave  the  following 
statement  of  charges  for  support  of  the  county  poor  from  1823  to  L826 
inclusive:  Aggregate  charges  for  1823,  $2,459.88;  for  1824,  $2,560.98; 
for  1825,  $3,973.66 ;  for  1 826,  $5,767. 47.  This  rapid  increase  of  expense 
indicated  a  necessity  for  different  and  more  economical  provision  for 
the  purpose,  and  the  committee  therefore  recommended  that  "the 
Board  do  avail  themselves  of  the  provisions  of  the  act  entitled  '  An  act 
to  provide  for  the  establishment  of  County  Poor  Houses,  passed  No- 
vember 27,  1824.'" 

The  following  resolutions  were  then  adopted: 

Resolued,  That  the  sum  of  two  thousand  dollars  be  forthwith  raised  in  the  count v 
of  Onondaga  towards  purchasing  a  site  and  erecting  a  County  Pom   1  louse. 

Resolved,  That  the  members  of  this  Board  be  a  committee  to  examine,  investigate 
and  enquire  as  to  the  best  location  in  said  county  for  the  said  Poor  House,  ami  re- 
port their  opinion  and  views  on  the  subject  to  a  future  extra  meeting  of  the  Board. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  board  held  at  the  house  of  Zebulon 
Rust,  on  the  28th  day  of  November,  1826,  it  was 


312  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Resolved,  That  it  be  and  is  hereby  determined  that  it  will  be  beneficial  to  the  said 
county  to  erect  a  County  Poor  House. 

Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  the  above  resolution  be  signed  by  the  President  and 
Clerk  of  this  Board,  and  be  forthwith  filed  with  the  Clerk  of  the  said  county. 

The  following-  extracts  from  the  report  of  the  committee  will  serve 
to  explain  the  necessity  for  a  change  in  methods  of  caring  for  the  poor: 

The  select  committee  to  whom  was  referred  the  resolution  on  the  subject  of  a 
County  Poor  House,  beg  leave  to  report  that  they  have  had  the  same  under  consider- 
ation, and  from  the  best  information  which  the  members  of  the  committee  have  sev- 
erallv  derived  from  counties  where  the  poor  house  system  is  in  operation,  have  be- 
come satisfied  of  its'  utility  both  as  it  relates  to  the  comfort  and  happiness  of  the 
pauper,  and  as  it  affects  the  funds  of  the  county  charged  with  his  support.  The 
practice  of  annally  exhibiting  the  pauper  with  his  miseries  in  the  market,  where 
the  wretched  being,  fallen  by  his  fault  or  his  misfortune,  from  better  circumstan- 
ces, and  become  amere  article  of  traffic  and  speculation,  is  publicly  off ered  for  sale  to 
the  lowest  bidder — where  frequently  may  be  seen  a  public  officer,  acting  in  the  char- 
acter of  an  auctioneer,  with  his  bottle  in  his  hand,  crying  a  drink  to  the  next  bidder 
to  stimulate  a  groveling  spirit  of  avaricious  parsimony,  in  the  clamours  of  which  are 
stifled  the  best  feelings  of  philanthropy — where  the  shameful  scene  results  in  proving 
too  late  to  the  successful  bidder  that  he  has  been  duped  by  his  own  cupidity,  over- 
reached by  the  chicanery  of  others,  and  that  the  pitiful  reward  of  his  unhallowed 
competition  will  warrant  no  better  support  to  the  pauper,  the  miserable  subject  of 
the.  inhuman  trade,  than  the  thin  potations  and  meagre  diet  usually  prescribed  for 
patients  of  a  pesthouse. 

This  custom,  odious  and  pernicious  in  all  its  features  and  consequences,  your  com- 
mittee are  of  the  opinion  should  speedily  be  abrogated.  Against  its  continuance  all 
the  sensibilities  of  humanity  protest,  and  even  economy,  in  whose  name  the  revolting 
farce  is  played  off,  would  dictate  the  adoption  of  a  policy  more  accordant  with  the 
principles  of  benevolence;  it  is  the  settled  conviction  of  your  committee  that  the  poor- 
house  system,  with  a  well  organized  police  and  its  administration  placed  in  the  hands 
of  integrity,  holds  out  a  remedy  for  these  and  others  evils  which  are  open  to  the  views 
of  observation,  but  which  to  enumerate  and  explain  would  too  much  enlarge  this 
report. 

.  .  Ignoring  the  Golden  Rule,  which  binds  men  in  authority  no  less  than  the 
humblest  citizen  to  do  as  they  would  be  done  by,  they  have  employed  worthless  and 
irresponsible  men  to  smuggle  off  their  paupers  into  a  neighboring  and  unoffending 
county,  and  to  crown  the  connivance  there  is  no  difficulty  in  finding  ways  and  means 
to  reward  the  despicable  instrument  of  the  pitiful  stratagem. 

Effects  like  these  our  county  is  beginning  very  seriously  to  experience  in  conse- 
quence of  the  erection  of  a  poorhouse  in  the  adjoining  county  of  Cayuga,  as  will 
appear  from  a  comparison  of  the  annual  poor  charges  for  the  last  four  years,  which 
•lie  committee  with  considerable  labor  have  deemed  it  their  duty  to  make.  From 
this  comparison  the  board  will  at  once  perceive  not  only  that  the  yearly  aggregate 
nty  poor  charges  is  becoming  enormous,  but  that  there  has  been  an  annual  and 
alarming  increase  of  pauperism,  which  calls  aloud  for  the  adoption  of  a  wiserpolicy. 


PUBLIC  INSTITUTIONS.  313 

Elisha  Litchfield  was  then  president  of  the  board  and  James  Webb, 
clerk.  At  the  next  meeting-  of  the  board  on  the  second  Tuesday  of 
January,  1827,  propositions  were  received  by  the  board  of  several  farms 
that  were  for  sale  for  the  purpose  under  consideration,  in  Pompev, 
Manlius,  and  other  towns.  At  this  juncture  the  board  adopted  the 
following-: 

Resolved,  That  the  location  of  the  County  Poor  House  shall  be  within  ten  miles 
of  the  Court  House. 

A  committee  was  then  appointed  consisting"  of  Russell  Chase,  Heze- 
kiah  Strong,  Charles  H.  Toll,  Fisher  Curtis,  and  George  Pettit,  to  ex- 
amine a  farm  offered  by  Josiah  Bronson,  on  lot  87  in  the  town  of  On- 
ondaga, 100  acres  or  more  at  $20  per  acre,  and  report  on  the  same  at 
the  next  meeting.  On  the  9th  of  February,  1827,  the  board  again  met 
and  the  committee  made  a  favorable  report  on  that  farm,  and  the  board 
resolved  to  accept  it,  "containing  about  145  acres,  at  the  price  of  $18 
per  acre."     The  following  resolution  was  also  adopted: 

Resolved,  That  the  Board  of  Supervisors  will  pay  Josiah  Bronson  the  sum  of  $500 
on  taking  a  deed,  and  the  residue  in  two  equal  annual  installments  with  interest, 
amounting  to  about  §735  each  to  be  secured  to  said  Bronson  by  mortgage,  and  the 
said  Supervisors  take  upon  themselves  to  pay  the  State  mortgage,  amounting  to 
about  $640.00,  and  the  said  Bronson  reserves  the  wheat  now  on  the  ground. 

A  building  committee  was  appointed  consisting  of  Hezekiah  Strong, 
Fisher  Curtis,  and  George  Pettit,  who  were  instructed  to  "build  a 
house  not  exceeding  60  feet  in  length  and  36  feet  in  width,  two  stories 
above  the  cellar  or  basement,  all  of  stone,  and  the  expense  of  which 
shall  not  exceed  $2,500."  By  a  resolution  adopted  at  this  meeting, 
Oliver  R.  Strong,  David  Moseley,  Truman  Adams,  Azariah  Smith,  and 
James  Webb,  were  appointed  "  Superintendents  of  the  Poor  House." 
The  building  committee,  above  named,  were  instructed  to  erect  also  a 
barn  32  by  42  feet,  with  other  outbuildings,  to  cost  not  more  than  $300. 
The  plans  were  slightly  changed  and  the  poorhouse  itself  when  com- 
pleted was  30  by  59  feet  in  size,  and  the  gross  cost  of  the  whole  was 
$2,750. 

The  first  structure  sufficed  for  its  purposes,  with  minor  changes,  and 
various  refurnishings,  many  years. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  held  December  6,  1859,  a 
select  committee  previously  appointed  reported  that  "  the  best  interests 
of  the  county  would  be  subserved  by  the  erection  of  a  suitable  building 

40 


314  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

in  connection  with  the  building  now  occupied  by  the  county  poor,  for 
the  accommodation  of  the  insane  poor  of  the  county."  This  committee 
was  composed  of  S.  S.  Kneeland,  Calvin  Cole,  and  Cornell  Crysler. 
On  December  14  a  resolution  was  adopted,  "  that  the  sum  of  $3,950  be 
appropriated  for  the  purpose  of  constructing  said  asylum  adjoining  the 
poorhouse  buildings."  The  committee  was  directed  to  also  inquire  into 
the  expediency  of  buying  the  poorhouse  and  land  in  Geddes  belonging 
to  the  city  of  Syracuse.  This  institution  had  then  been  in  use  about 
five  years.  This  plan  was  deemed  not  expedient.  '  On  the  21st  of 
December  the  board  recommended  an  appropriation  of  not  more  than 
$5,000  with  which  to  erect  a  building  75  by  33  feet,  two  stories  and  base- 
ment, of  stone  or  brick,  to  be  warmed  by  hot  air  or  steam.  The  ap- 
pointment of  a  committee  was  recommended  to  carry  out  these  plans. 
The  result  of  this  action  was  the  erection  of  the  first  building  used  for 
the  insane. 

These  several  buildings  soon  became  inadequate  for  their  purposes 
and  out  of  repair.  On  the  20th  of  December,  I860,  the  supervisors' 
committee  on  poorhouse  recommended  the  appointment  of  a  committee 
of  three  to  enter  into  a  contract  for  a  water  supply  for  the  poorhouse, 
and  to  take  into  consideration  the  rebuilding  of  the  county  buildings 
and  report  plans  and  specifications.  The  water  supply  was  put  in  dur- 
ing 1867  and  was  extended  in  1872  at  a  gross  cost  of  about  $4,000.  On 
December  12,  1867,  a  resolution  was  adopted  by  the  board  that  the  old 
portion  of  the  poorhouse  be  thoroughly  repaired  at  a  cost  not  exceeding 
$4,000,  and  additional  building  for  insane  be  erected  at  a  cost  of  not 
more  than  $8,000.  These  improvements  were  carried  out,  resulting  in 
the  building  of  a  stone  structure  32  by  76  feet  which  cost  in  gross  about 

SIC,  1 100. 

In  1872  the  asylum  was  enlarged  at  a  cost  of  $1,200  and  a  new  barn 
was  built.  Most  of  these  extensive  improvements  were  made  during 
the  very  successful  administration  of  C.  C.  Warner  as  superintendent. 

Extensive  improvements  were  made  in  the  poorhouse  in  1879,  fol- 
lowing an  investigation  made  by  a  committee  of  the  State  Board  of 
Charities  into  the  methods  of  caring  for  the  insane.  This  committee 
tied  the  existing  conditions,  recommended  more  commodious 
accommodations,  plenty  of  paid  attendants,  better  ventilation  and 
drainage,  more  land,  and  the  abolishment  of  dungeons.  The  improve- 
'  -  made  at  this  time  were  in  the  line  with  these  recommendations 
and  (os!  slo, ()(i(),      The  number  of  inmates  in  the  poorhouse  in 


PUBLIC  INSTITUTIONS.  315 

October,  1894,  was  170.     The  expenses  of  1895  were  estimated  at  about 
$16,000.      The  farm  products  are  now  worth  about  $2,500  annually. 

ONONDAGA    COUNTY    PENITENTIARY. 

Previous  to  the  year  1849  jail  prisoners  of  this  county  were  confined 
in  the  cells  connected  with  the  court  house.  When  these  became  in- 
adequate steps  were  taken  which  led  to  the  erection  of  the  original 
building  of  the  present  penitentiary.  On  December  4,  1849,  a  com- 
mittee of  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  previously  appointed,  consisting 
of  Robert  Dunlop,  Cyrus  Upham,  and  Timothy  C.  Cheney,  reported  a 
plan  for  a  penitentiary,  which  it  was  proposed  to  build  in  the  center  of 
the  lot  then  occupied  by  the  court  house.  The  proposed  building  was 
to  be  75  by  50  feet  in  size,  four  stories  high  inclusive  of  basement,  with 
a  wing  50  by  100  feet  having  one  row  of  windows  and  four  tiers  of  cells. 
The  number  of  cells  was  to  be  ninety-six.  The  estimated  cost  of  the 
structure  was  about  $20,000. 

On  the  7th  of  December  in  that  year  the  Board  of  Supervisors 
adopted  the  report  of  the  committee  and  passed  the  following  resolu- 
tions: 

Resolved  by  the  board,  That  a  work-house  or  Penitentiary  be  erected  in  the 
county  in  pursuance  of  the  plan  submitted  to  this  board  at  its  present  session  by  the 
committee  of  which  Mr.  Dunlop  is  chairman. 

Resolved,  That  Mr.  Church,  of  Lysander,  Mr.  Dunlop,  of  Dewitt,  and  T.  C 
Cheeney,  of  Syracuse,  be  appointed  commissioners  to  superintend  the  erection  of 
said  building.     ... 

Resolved,  That  said  commissioners  and  the  county  treasurer  be  empowered  to 
loan  a  sum  of  money  necessary  for  the  erection  of  said  building,  not  exceeding  $20,- 
000,  to  be  deposited  in  the  county  treasurer's  office.     .     .     . 

It  was  subsequently  decided  that  it  would  not  be  wise  to  build  a  peni- 
tentiary on  the  court  house  lot,  and  the  site  was  accordingly  changed 
to  block  116,  formerly  in  the  village  of  Salina,  the  present  site  of  the 
penitentiary.  This  block  was  purchased  of  the  State,  the  deed  of 
which  bears  date  February  4,  1850.  On  January  8,  1851,  L.  Harris 
Hiscock  offered  the  following  resolution  in  the  Board  of  Supervisors, 
which  was  adopted : 

Resolved,  That  the  Onondaga  County  Penitentiary  is  completed  within  the  neces- 
sary meaning  of  the  act  of  April  10,  1850,  and  that  the  Board  of  Supervisors  have  full 
power  to  officer  and  organize  said  penitentiary,  under  the  10th  section  of  that  act, 
and  that  so  much  of  the  resolutions  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  of  last  year  as  con- 
fers any  power  to  officer  and  organize  said  penitentiary  on  the  commissioners  of  the 
same,  be  and  the  same  is  hereby  rescinded. 


316  ONONDAGA'S   CENTENNIAL. 

In  the  same  month  a  special  act  of  the  Legislature  was  passed,  from 
which  the  following  is  quoted: 

The  jail  of  the  county  of  Onondaga  shall  be,  and  the  same  is  hereby  removed  to 
the  penitentiary  of  said  county,  and  said  penitentiary  shall  be  used  for  all  the  pur- 
poses of  a  jail  of  said  county;  and  the  superintendent  of  said  penitentiary,  appointed 
by  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  shall  be  the  jailor  thereof,  and  have  the  custody  and 
control  of  all  persons  while  confined  therein,  as  the  sheriff  of  said  county  might  have 
were  this  law  not  enacted. 

This  law  went  into  immediate  effect.  Rides  for  the  government  of 
the  penitentiary  were  adopted  on  the  8th  of  January,  1851,  which  pro 
vided  for  the  appointment  of  three  penitentiary  inspectors  by  the 
Board  of  Supervisors,  who  should  have  entire  control  of  the  financial 
affairs  of  the  institution,  purchase  and  furnish  all  necessary  supplies, 
etc.  ;  one  of  these  inspectors  was  to  hold  office  one  year,  one  for  two 
years,  and  one  for  three  years.  And  further,  "  The  said  penitentiary 
shall  be  under  the  control  of  one  principal  keeper  or  superintendent 
and  a  Board  of  Inspectors,  subject  to  the  authority  established  by  law 
and  the  rules  and  regulations  adopted  by  the  Board  of  Supervisors  for 
its  government."  The  rules  provided  also  for  the  appointment  of  a 
physician  to  the  institution,  and  other  matters.  The  board  elected  the 
following  officers  of  the  penitentiary : 

Joseph  A.  Yard,  superintendent ;  Lyman  Norton,  James  V.  Kendall, 
Aaron  Brinkerhoff,  inspectors;  James  Foran,  physician. 

In  1859  the  committee  on  penitentiary  and  jail  in  the  Board  of  Super- 
visors recommended  that  the  county  borrow  $12,000,  to  be  paid  in  ten 
annual  installments,  with  which  to  add  to  the  then  existing  wing  of  the 
building  and  to  build  an  additional  wing  on  the  opposite  side,  with  a 
workshop  in  the  rear  of  the  main  building.  The  members  of  the  build- 
ing committee  under  which  these  improvements  were  made  were  W. 
H.  H.  Gere,  Miles  B.  Hackett,  John  Yorkey,  E.  R.  Harmon,  and 
Henry  E.  Warne. 

On  the  11th  of  February,  18G4,  a  fire  took  place  in  the  peniten- 
tiary, destroying  a  considerable  portion  of  the  building  and  damaging 
the  remainder.  It  was  immediately  rebuilt,  and  during  the  next  three 
years,  over  $30,000  were  expended  on  the  building.  A  few  years  later 
policy  of  taking  convicts  from  other  counties  to  board  and  confine 
was  introduced  on  a  large  scale;  this  with  the  system  of  contracting 
the  labor  of  convicts  to  various  manufacturers,  brought  in  a  large  in- 
cline, and  the  institution  for  a  number  of  years  realized  a  large  profit 


PUBLIC  INSTITUTIONS.  *  317 

to  the  county.  The  system  reached  its  largest  results  under  the  super- 
intendence of  J.  C.  Williams,  who  held  the  position  about  ten  years. 
In  1868  a  committee  reported  to  the  Board  of  Supervisors  that  as  the 
penitentiary  had  earned  in  the  past  year  about  $8,000,  they  deemed  it 
advisable  to  erect  shops  from  the  plans  of  H.  N.  White,  at  a  cost  of 
$8,500.  This  was  one  of  several  measures  for  adapting  the  building  to 
the  wants  of  contractors.  In  1869  the  sum  of  $9,000  was  appropriated 
for  an  addition  providing  sixty-four  new  cells,  for  the  accommodation 
of  convicts  from  other  counties.  In  1871  a  brick  barn  was  built  for  the 
institution.  In  1875  the  penitentiary  was  enlarged  at  a  cost  of  about 
$7,000,  and  in  1876  what  was  known  as  the  bolt  shop  was  erected 
at  an  expense  of  nearly  $4,000.  These  were  burned  and  rebuilt  in 
1879.  The  institution  was  now  paying  a  large  profit,  and  the  subject 
of  still  further  additions  was  discussed  and  was  favored,  especially 
by  supervisors  and  others  in  the  rural  districts,  who  desired  still 
greater  profits  from  it.  In  1877  an  addition  was  provided  for  of 
40  by  60  feet,  high  enough  for  120  cells,  with  a  woi'k  room  for  women 
above.  This  was  partially  in  response  to  agitation  of  the  subject 
of  separation  of  the  sexes  in  the  institution.  The  press,  the  clergy 
and  humanitarians  generally  became  interested  in  the  matter,  and 
the  pressure  became  so  great  that  the  supervisors  in  1878  recom- 
mended separate  wards  for  women,  which  should  cost  about  $8,000. 
The  inspectors  of  the  penitentiary  were  finally  authorized  to  expend 
$5,000  for  the  purpose,  and  the  change  was  made  to  the  great  good  of 
the  institution.  At  about  the  same  time  began  the  agitation  which  re- 
sulted in  the  cessation  of  contract  work  in  the  penitentiary.  The  prin- 
cipal and  most  effective  argument  in  favor  of  the  change  was  the  injury 
done  by  that  system  to  the  honest  laboring  classes  through  the  cheaper 
production  of  manufactured  articles  by  convicts.  From  that  time  on 
the  practice  was  largely  abandoned,  as  fast  as  contracts  expired.  Bolts 
and  brooms  are,  however,  still  manufactured,  and  the  institution  is 
practically  self-sustaining. 

ONONDAGA    COUNTY    AGRICULTURAL    SOCIETY. 

The  first  agricultural  society  in  this  county  was  formed  at  Onondaga 
Hill  in  the  spring  of  1819.  An  act  had  been  passed  in  the  preceding 
session  of  the  Legislature  which  made  certain  appropriations  of  money 
to  agricultural  societies  throughout  the  State,  under  which  this  county 
became  entitled  to  $300,  on  condition  that  the  inhabitants  raise  an  equal 


318  *  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

sum  and  organize  a  society.  The  first  meeting  was  held  on  the  4th  of 
May,  1819,  at  which  a  constitution  was  adopted  and  the  following  offi- 
cers chosen : 

Dan  Bradley,  president;  Squire  Muuro,  Martin  Cossitt,  Augustus  Wheaton,  vice- 
presidents;  Job  Tyler,  recording  secretary;  George  Hall  and  A.  Yelverton,  corres- 
ponding secretaries;  Leonard  Bacon,  treasurer;  H.  L.  Granger,  auditor;  L.  H. 
Redfield,  C.  W.  Forraan,  O.  W.  Brewster,  committee  on  publication. 

The  first  fair  of  the  society  was  held  on  November  2,  1819,  at  which 
premiums  were  awarded  of  about  $200.  These  annual  fairs  continued 
five  or  six  years  when  interest  in  the  society  diminished  and  they  were 
abandoned. 

On  April  9,  1838,  the  Legislature  passed  an  act  for  the  reorganization 
of  the  Onondaga  County  Agricultural  Society,  naming  the  following 
trustees: 

James  L.  Voorhees,  David  Munro,  Harvey  Baldwin,  Sanford  C.  Parker,  George 
Geddes,  Willis  Gaylord,  Henry  F.  King,  Grove  Lawrence,  Aaron  Burt,  Oliver  Teall, 
George  Pettit  and  Rufus  Cossitt. 

Among  these  men  were  some  of  the  foremost  farmers  of  the  county. 

The  new  society  started  all  right,  but  it  very  soon  ceased  to  meet  the 
expectations  of  its  officers  and  members.  In  1841  it  received  from  the 
vState  an  appropriation  of  $180.  In  1853  the  Legislature  passed  a  law 
permitting  county  agricultural  societies  to  purchase  and  own  real  estate 
to  the  value  of  $25,000,  and  personal  property  of  the  value  of  $1,000,  for 
purposes  stated  in  their  articles  of  incorporation  only.  Town  and  other 
societies  were  allowed  to  hold  $10,000  in  real  and  $3,000  in  personal 
property.  County  and  union  societies  were  compelled  to  have  one 
member  from  each  town,  and  each  town,  village  or  city  society  should 
have  not  less  than  ten  directors.  Each  society  formed  under  the  act 
was  obliged  to  report  annually  to  the  State  Agricultural  Society.  Some 
minor  amendments  were  made  to  the  act  in  1855,  and  on  the  25th  of 
January,  1856,  the  Onondaga  County  Agricultural  Society  was  reorgan- 
ized. Its  first  meeting  was  held  January  27,  and  the  committee  on  re- 
organization reported  that  they  had  prepared  the  necessary  papers,  and 
the  society  then  elected  the  following  officers: 

Squire  M.  Brown,  Elbridge,  president;  Perry  H.  Hinsdell,  Clay,  1st  vice-president ; 
B.  J.  Cowles,  Otisco,  2d  vice-president;  H.  D.  Didama,  Salina,  secretary;  W.  R. 
Strong,  Syracuse,  treasurer.  Directors:  One  year,  Darwin  L.  Pickard,  Thomas  W. 
Hill;  two  years,  J.  G.  Kendall,  Alfred  Cobb;  three  years,  Morris  Beard,  John  R. 
Strong. 


PUBLIC  INSTITUTIONS.  319 

This  society  was  a  success  for  a  number  of  years  in  every  way  but 
financially.  A  considerable  sum  was  invested  in  grounds  adjoining 
what  is  now  Coriland  avenue,  buildings  were  erected  and  other  im- 
provements made,  but  interest  weakened  and  on  the  19th  of  January, 
1866,  the  fair  grounds  were  sold  by  James  Munro,  agent  for  the 
trustees. 

The  next  and  last  Onondaga  County  Agricultural  Society  was  organ 
ized  on  February  9,  1878,  as  a  joint  stock  company  with  a  capital  of 
$100,000,  divided  into  $10  shares.  The  first  board  of  trustees  were 
Joseph  J.  Glass,  W.  H.  H.  Gere,  William  H.  Gifford.  John  Wells.  Earl 
B.  Alvord,  and  Sidney  Lewis.  At  a  meeting  held  in  the  Milk  Associa- 
tion rooms  on  February  !),  the  following  officers  were  chosen: 

Edward  A.  Powell,  of  Syracuse,  president;  Edward  B.  Judson,  of  Syracuse,  vice- 
president;  Patrick  H.  Agan,  of  Syracuse,  secretary;  Warren  C.  Brayton,  of  Dewitt, 
treasurer;  vice-presidents  from  towns  and  wards:  Camillus,  Theodore  F.  Rhodes; 
Cicero,  Addison  J.  Loomis;  Clay,  Thomas  H.  Scott;  Dewitt,  Hiram  K.  Edwards; 
Elbridge,  James  Brown  ;  Geddes,  Thomas  Andrews ;  Fabius,  Orel  Pope ;  La  Fayette, 
Russell  King ;  Lysander,  De  Witt  C.  Toll ;  Manlius,  Charles  Peck ;  Marcellus,  Robert 
E.  Dorchester;  Onondaga,  Aaron  Henderson;  Otisco,  Hicks  Redway;  Pompey, 
Major  Berry;  Salina,  Frank  W.  Terry ;  Skaneateles,  E.  H.  Adams;  Spafford,  Justus 
N.  Knapp;  Tully,  Samuel  Willis;  Van  Buren,  Augustus  W.  Bingham;  First  ward, 
John  Eastwood;  Second  ward,  C.  Fred  Herbst;  Third  ward,  Hiram  Kingsley ;  Fifth 
ward,  William  A.  Sweet;  Sixth  ward,  John  R.  Whitlock;  Seventh  ward,  James  M. 
Ellis ;  Eighth  ward,  Alva  W.  Palmer. 

This  society  began  holding  annual  fairs  in  Syracuse,  and  so  ably  was 
it  managed  that  its  success  was  phenomenal  in  the  history  of  similar 
organizations.  Year  after  year  immense  crowds  were  in  attendance, 
liberal  premiums  were  awarded,  and  persistent  efforts  were  made  to 
provide  the  strongest  attractions  possible.  The  fairs  continued  until 
the  jState  Fair  was  located  in  Syracuse  in  1891,  when  the  society  closed 
up  its  affairs,  divided  its  profits  and  sold  out  its  property. 

The  State  Fair  was  first  held  in  Syracuse  in  1841,  and  again  in  1849, 
and  in  1858.  About  1889  the  project  of  giving  the  society  a  permanent 
home  began  to  be  agitated  and  after  receiving  propositions  from  various 
cities  in  the  State,  the  commission  in  charge  of  the  matter  decided  on 
Syracuse.  Here  ample  grounds  were  purchased  west  of  the  city,  which 
now  contain  numerous  buildings,  public  and  private,  adapted  to  their 
several  purposes.  It  cannot  be  said  that  the  annual  fairs  of  the  society 
have  thus  far  met  with  expected  success;  but  that  of  1895  far  exceeded 
its  predecessors  in  this  respect. 


320  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

I   '  X'NTY    CLERK'S    OFFK    I  . 

Previous  to  the  year  1813  the  records  of  Onondaga  county  were  kept 
at  Onondaga  Valley  either  in  the  dwelling  of  the  clerk  or  in  a  small 
office  which  was  provided  there.  The  clerks  during  that  period  were 
Benjamin  Ledyard,  Comfort  Tyler,  Jasper  Hopper  (two  terms),  and 
Truman  Adams,  who  took  the  office  in  1811  and  held  it  until  1818. 
Nothing  remains  of  the  old  office  at  the  Valley  excepting  the  lock,  a 
large  wrought  iron  affair,  which  is  now  preserved  in  the  clerk's  office. 
In  1813  the  Legislature  passed  an  act  authorizing  the  supervisors  to  raise 
the  then  large  sum  of  $1,000  on  the  credit  of  the  county  for  the  pur- 
pose of  erecting  a  fire-proof  office.  The  court  house  having  long  be- 
fore been  built  at  Onondaga  Hill,  a  site  near  it  was  selected  for  the 
clerk's  office.  The  building  was  small  but  substantial,  was  of  stone 
and  stood  just  south  of  the  site  of  the  present  stone  school  house,  and 
was  1  s  by  25  feet  in  size.  This  building  served  its  purpose  until  1828-9, 
when  the  county  buildings  were  removed  to  Syracuse.  A  small  clerk's 
office  was  then  built  on  the  corner  of  North  Salina  and  Willow  streets. 
This  building  was  used  until  1853.  In  December,  1852,  a  petition 
reached  the  Board  of  Supervisors  for  a  new  clerk's  office.  The  com- 
mittee to  whom  the  matter  was  referred  reported  adversely  "unless 
sufficient  lands  belonging  to  the  county  are  sold  to  pay  the  expense  of 
the  same."  In  the  same  month  measures  were  adopted  by  the  board 
to  sell  a  part  of  the  large  court  house  lot  on  North  Salina  and  Division 
streets,  the  proceeds  of  which  were  to  be  turned  over  to  the  county 
treasurer,  who  was  at  the  same  time  authorized  to  borrow  on  the  bonds 
of  the  county  $8,000.  A  committee  was  appointed  to  purchase  addi- 
tional land  in  rear  of  the  clerk's  office  lot  as  it  then  existed  on  the  Wil- 
low street  side,  and  to  have  charge  of  the  erection  of  the  new  clerk's 
office.  The  building  was  erected  substantially  as  it  stands  at  the  pres- 
ent time.  It  was  considered  to  be  fire- proof,  and  was  in  use  until  1880, 
previotts  to  which  year  the  large  lot  on  the  corner  of  West  Willow  and 
North  Clinton  streets  was  purchased  for  $10,000.  The  corner  stone  of 
the  present  handsome  fire-proof  building  was  laid  on  the  11th  of 
August,  lxso,  with  imposing  ceremonies  conducted  by  the  Masonic 
fraternity.     Judge  William  J.  Wallace  delivered  a  historical  address. 

ONONDAGA   COUNTY    ORPHAN     ASYLUM.         * 

This  beneficent  institution  has  enjoyed  a  long  and  honorable  life,  its 
fiftieth  anniversary  having  been  celebrated  in  1895.     The  asylum  had 


PUBLIC  INSTITUTIONS.  321 

its  inception  in  a  school  which  was  opened  on  West  Water  street,  under 
the  auspices  of  a  number  of  benevolent  women,  some  time  between 
1830  and  1840,  and  supported  by  contributions.  The  school  was  for 
the  benefit  of  poor  children  and  was  under  direct  charge  of  Miss  Ann 
Mead.  Sufficient  subscriptions  were  finally  received  to  enable  the 
school  authorities  to  erect  a  building  for  it  on  East  Onondaga  street, 
near  the  site  of  the  present  library.  When  the  village  in  1839  made 
provision  for  teaching  all  children  of  whatever  condition  in  life,  the 
work  of  this  benevolent  body  seemed  to  be  at  an  end.  The  school 
building  was  sold  for  $427.38,  and  this  fund  remained  idle  about 
three  years.  In  1841  the  women  of  the  school  association,  and  others, 
turned  their  attention  to  the  care  of  orphan  children.  In  October 
of  that  year  a  new  association  was  formed,  the  funds  of  the  old  one 
were  turned  over  to  it  and  the  good  work  began.  The  house  in 
South  Salina  street  now  occupied  by  the  Women's  Christian  Association 
was  opened  in  May.  1845,  and  sheltered  ten  boys  and  five  girls,  but 
was  supported  by  voluntary  contributions,  the  fund  being  kept  in  re- 
serve for  the  purchase  of  a  new  building.  In  1S46  the  Syracuse  Acad- 
emy building,  which  was  so  long  a  landmark  in  the  city,  was  purchased 
for  $3,000  and  here  the  asylum  found  a  permanent  location.  In  1861 
the  late  Horace  White  erected  a  building  suitable  for  a  day  school  and 
also  for  Sunday  services  and  at  this  time,  though  the  family  had  grown 
in  proportion  to  the  rapid  growth  of  Syracuse,  it  was  felt  that  every 
necessity  had  been  provided  and  until  1882  the  work  was  carried  on 
without  further  change.  At  this  time  the  academy  building  was  pro- 
nounced by  the  city  authorities  to  be  no  longer  safe  or  suitable  for  the 
growing  needs  of  the  inmates  and  in  18S5  the  present  handsome  struc- 
ture was  ready  for  occupancy. 

Presidents  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  and  of  the  Board  of  Managers 
from  the  beginning  of  the  work  to  the  present  date  were  John  Durn- 
ford,  Timothy  Porter,  Ira  H.  Cobb,  J.  J.  Glass,  H.  L.  Duguid,  Peter 
Burns,  C.  P.  Clark,  Mrs.  Harvey  Loomis,  Miss  Mary  Bliss,  Mrs.  E.  W. 
Leavenworth,  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Durnford,  Mrs.  George  F.  Comstock, 
Mrs.  H.  A.  Dunlap,  Mrs  William  A.  Judson,  Mrs.  Ira  H.  Cobb,  Mrs. 
E.  D.  Dickinson.  • 

The  management  of  the  asylum  is  largely  entrusted  to  the  Board  of 
Managers,  consisting  entirely  of  women  from  various  churches  in  the 
city  and  a  Board  of  Trustees  composed  of  representative  Syracuse  men, 
who  act   as  an   advisory  board.      A  meeting  of  the  two  boards  is  held 

41 


322  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

once  a  year,  and  one  meeting  each  month  is  held  by  the  Board  of  Man- 
agers. Mrs.  E.  D.  Dickinson,  who  for  fifteen  years  performed  the 
duties  of  secretary  of  the  Board  of  Managers,  is  now  president  of  that 
organization.  Her  long  experience  in  the  work,  her  sympathy  and  good 
judgment  made  her  the  choice  of  her  co-workers,  and  their  wisdom  in 
placing  her  at  the  head  of  so  important  a  work  is  already  proven. 

Mrs.  Hills,  the  matron,  has  occupied  her  present  position  for  fifteen 
years,  and  to  her  wisdom  and  kind  heart  are  largely  due  the  excellent 
condition  of  the  children  and  the  orderly  service  of  those  who  are  under 
her  direction,  in  whatever  capacity  they  may  serve.  Children  are  ad- 
mitted to  the  asylum  at  from  twenty  months  to  twelve  years  of  age  and 
retained  until  they  are  not  more  than  fourteen.  They  are  never  sent 
from  the  institution  without  due  precaution  as  to  their  future  welfare. 
Good  homes  are  constantly  being  offered  in  which  they  may  be  placed 
when  they  arrive  at  a  suitable  age,  and  it  is  never  necessary  to  look 
beyond  the  boundaries  of  our  own  county  for  charitably-disposed  peo- 
ple, who  will  adopt  and  care  for  such  children  as  it  is  thought  best  to 
send  out.  Such  persons  are  required  to  bring  children  back  to  the  in- 
stitution at  the  end  of  three  months,  when,  if  the  child  seems  to  be 
properly  cared  for  and  contented,  papers  of  adoption  are  made  out 
which  demand  that  the  guardian  shall  keep  the  child  in  school  until 
fifteen  years  of  age  and  must  provide  for  him  comfortably.  The  chil- 
dren's secretary  and  the  frequent  letters  to  the  matron  are  here  great 
safeguards. 

ONONDAGA    HISTORICAL    SOCIETY. 

In  January,  L862,  appeared  in  the  Syracuse  papers  a  notice  of  a  meet- 
ing called  to  form  a  historical  association.  Those  who  responded  to  the 
call  were  H.  I).  L.  Sweet,  W.  Baumgras,  S.  N.  Holmes,  Charles  R. 
Wright,  James  Nixon  and  L.  W.  Conkey.  The  meeting  adjourned 
until  later  in  the  month,  when  the  attendance  was  larger,  and  eighteen 
directors  were  chosen.  On  February  1  the  directors  met  and  the  fol- 
lowing officers  were  elected:  President,  J.  V.  H.  Clark;  vice-presi- 
dent, X.  B.  Smith;  treasurer,  James  S.  Leach;  corresponding  secre- 
tary, James  Norton;  recording  secretary,  Charles  R.  Wright.  In  1863 
the  association  obtained  a  charter  from  the  Legislature  and  was  incor- 
porated under  the  name  of  "Onondaga  Historical  Association." 

For  a  few  years  the  association  flourished,  the  members  were  inter- 
in  its  welfare,  and  its  membership  numbered  150.     Meetings  were 


PUBLIC  INSTITUTIONS.  323 

held  first  in  Corinthian  Hall  on  North Salina  street;  then  in  the  Wieting 
block,  where  the  society  made  its  home  until  1881,  when  the  fire  oc- 
curred. After  this  catastrophe  the  interest  seemed  to  die  out,  and,  with 
the  exception  of  the  directors'  annual  meeting,  held  for  the  purpose  of 
keeping-  the  charter,  the  Historical  Association  apparently  went  to  sleep 
for  several  years.  The  association  was  suddenly  aroused  to  action  and 
usefulness  by  a  few  of  its  old  members,  who  met  together  socially  on 
the  invitation  of  Mrs.  Eliza  Lawrence  Jones  on  the  evening  of  May  31, 
1892. 

The  ladies  and  gentlemen  present  had  been  asked  primarily  to  gather 
in  celebration  of  Mrs.  Jones's  eightieth  birthday,  and  incidentally  to 
discuss  plans  for  organizing  a  club  for  historical  study  and  the  pres- 
ervation of  historical  manuscripts  and  relics.  The  club  was  organized, 
its  charter  members  being  those  present,  comprising  Mrs.  Eliza  Xoxon 
Ives,  Mrs.  and  Miss  Jackson,  Mrs.  T.  F.  Comstock,  Mrs.  J.  L.  Bagg, 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Didama,  Mrs.  F.  W.  Marlette,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  W.  Teall, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  P.  H.  Agan,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  McCarthy,  Judge  and 
Mrs.  Northrup,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  T.  D.  Green,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  E.  Fitch, 
Mrs.  Louise  Benson,  Mrs.  G.  H.  Merrell,  Mrs.  Stanton  Keene,  Mrs. 
Tracy,  Mrs  Mary  Hutchinson,  Miss  Virginia  Jones  and  L.  T.  Jones. 
The  new  society  was  called  The  Onondaga  Historical  Club,  Dr.  Didama 
being  elected  president. 

It  was  now  decided  desirable  that  a  union  be  formed  of  the  association 
and  the  club,  and  with  this  end  in  view  a  meeting  of  the  club  was  called 
and  an  invitation  extended  to  the  directors  of  the  association  to  meet 
with  the  club.  After  discussion,  Judge  Northrup  moved  "that  the 
Onondaga  Historical  Club  unite  with  the  Onondaga  Historical  Associa- 
tion and  that  the  union  be  accomplished  by  the  individual  members  of 
the  club  presenting  their  names  for  membership  to  the  Board  of  Direc- 
tors of  the  association  to  be  acted  upon  by  that  body  at  its  next  meet- 
ing." As  a  result  of  this  motion  the  club  merged  in  the  association. 
Its  life  was  short,  but  it  gave  an  impetus  to  the  old  body  which  bids 
fair  to  keep  it  active  for  years  to  come. 

The  first  work  achieved  by  the  association  was  the  carrying  out  of 
a  centennial  celebration  in  June,  1804,  which  was  a  success  artis- 
tically, financially  and  in  everv  way.  Rooms  have  since  been  taken 
and  fitted  up  in  the  Syracuse  Savings  Bank  building,  and  there  are 
deposited  the  association's  books,  papers  and  relics.  There  are  held  the 
regular  monthly   meetings  at  which  subjects  of  local  importance — lit- 


324  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

erary,  historical,  etc. — are  discussed.  When  the  rooms  were  first  made 
ready  for  occupancy  a  most  delightful,  old-fashioned  housewarming 
was  planned  and  carried  out  under  the  direction  of  Mrs.  J.  L.  Bagg. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  association,  held  on  January  18,  1895, 
officers  for  the  ensuing  year  were  elected  as  follows :  President,  Dr. 
H.  D.  Didama;  vice-presidents,  Carroll  E.  Smith,  Mary  E.  Bagg;  cor- 
responding secretary,  William  Kirkpatrick;  recording  secretary,  L.  D. 
Scisco;  treasurer,  E.  A.  Powell.  Secretary  Scisco  leaving  the  city,  he 
was  obliged  to  resign,  and  Frank  H.  Chase  was  chosen  to  fill  the 
vacancy. 

ONONDAGA    COUNTY    MILK    ASSOCIATION. 

This  association  was  organized  under  special  charter  of  the  Legis- 
ture  on  the  9th  of  March,  1872,  as  a  stock  company,  with  a  capital  of 
$25,000.  Its  principal  objects  are  the  purchase  of  milk  from  producers 
and  the  sale  of  it  to  consumers  in  Syracuse.  It  has  been  successful  in 
every  respect  from  the  first,  and  was  able  in  1875  to  erect  its  own 
building  in  Syracuse  at  a  cost  of  $17,000,  which  it  has  since  occupied. 
A  popular  and  well-conducted  restaurant  is  conducted  by  the  associa- 
tion in  the  building. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

THE  BENCH  AND  BAR  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY. 

Comparison  of  the  State  Law  with  the  Common  Law — Evolution  of  the  Courts — 
The  Court  of  Appeals — The  Supreme  Court — The  Court  of  Chancery — The  County 
Court — The  Surrogate's  Court — Justice's  Court — District  Attorneys — Sheriffs — Court 
Buildings — Judicial  Officers — Personal  Sketches— Miscellaneous. 

While  the  judicial  system  of  the  State  of  New  York  is  to  a  large  ex- 
tent founded  upon  the  common  law,  there  are  important  differences 
which  are  revealed  by  a  close  study  of  the  laws  of  our  country,  showing 
that  our  system  is  in  many  respects  an  original  growth.  In  the  simple 
yet  initiative  matter  of  entitling  a  criminal  process,  for  example,  there 
is  a  radical  difference  between  our  method  and  that  which  must  be 
followed  in  England.      Here  it  is,    "The  People  versus  the  criminal," 


THE  BENCH  AND  BAR.  325 

there  "Rex  versus  the  criminal."  In  the  one  it  is  an  independent 
judiciary,  responsible  directly  to  the  people;  in  the  other  to  the  king-. 
This  principle  of  the  sovereignty  of  the  people  over  our  laws,  as  well  as 
their  dominance  in  other  governmental  respects,  has  had  a  slow,  con- 
servative, yet  steadily  progressive  and  systematic  growth.  In  the  colonial 
history  of  this  State,  the  governor  was  in  effect  the  maker,  interpreter 
and  enforcer  of  the  laws.  He  was  the  chief  judge  of  the  court  of  final 
resort,  while  his  councilors  were  generally  his  obedient  followers.  The 
execution  of  the  English  and  colonial  statutes  rested  with  him,  as  did 
also  the  exercise  of  royal  authority  in  the  province;  and  it  was  not  until 
the  adoption  of  the  first  Constitution  in  1777,  that  he  ceased  to  contend 
for  these  prerogatives  and  to  act  as  though  the  only  functions  of  the 
court  and  councilors  were  to  do  his  bidding  as  servants  and  helpers, 
while  the  Legislature  should  adopt  only  such  laws  as  the  executive 
should  suggest  and  approve.  By  the  first  Constitution  the  governor 
was  wholly  stripped  of  the  judicial  power  which  he  possessed  under 
colonial  rule,  and  such  power  was  vested  in  the  lieutenant-governor 
and  the  Senate,  the  chancellor  and  the  justices  of  the  Supreme  Court, 
the  former  to  be  elected  by  the  people,  and  the  latter  to  be  appointed 
by  the  Council.  Under  this  Constitution  there  was  the  first  radical 
separation  of  the  judicial  and  the  legislative  powers,  and  the  advance- 
ment of  the  judiciary  to  the  position  of  a  co-ordinate  department  of  the 
government,  and  subject  to  the  limitations  consequent  upon  the  ap- 
pointment of  its  members  by  the  Council.  But  even  this  restriction 
was  soon  found  to  be  incompatible,  though  it  was  not  until  the  adop- 
tion of  the  Constitution  of  1846  that  the  last  connection  between  the 
purely  political  and  the  judicial  parts  of  the  State  government  was 
abolished,  and  with  it  disappeared  the  last  remaining  relic  of  the 
colonial  period,  as  regards  our  laws.  From  this  time  the  judiciary  be- 
came more  directly  representative  of  the  people  in  the  election  by  them 
of  its  members.  The  development  of  the  idea  of  the  responsibilitv  of 
the  courts  to  the  people  from  the  time  when  all  of  the  members  were 
at  the  beck  and  nod  of  one  well  nigh  irresponsible  master,  to  the  time 
when  all  judges,  even  of  the  court  of  last  resort,  are  voted  for  bv  the 
people,  has  been  remarkable.  Yet,  through,  all  this  change  there  has 
prevailed  the  idea  of  having  one  ultimate  tribunal  from  whose  de- 
cisions there  could  be  no  appeal.  Noting  briefly  the  present  arrange- 
ments and  powers  of  the  courts  of  this  State  and  the  elements  from 
which   they  have  grown,    we  see  that  the  whole  scheme  is  involved  in 


326  ONONDAGA'S    CENTENNIAL. 

the  plan  of,  first,  a  trial  before  a  magistrate  and  a  jury — arbiters  re- 
spectively of  law  and  fact;  and  then  a  review  by  a  higher  tribunal  of 
the  facts  and  the  law ;  and  ultimately  of  the  law  by  a  court  of  final 
resort.  To  accomplish  the  purposes  of  this  scheme  there  has  been  de- 
vised and  established,  first  and  highest,  our  Court  of  Appeals,  the 
ultimate  tribunal  of  the  State,  perfected  in  its  present  form  by  the  con- 
ventions of  1867  and  1868,  and  ratified  by  vote  of  the  people  in  1869, 
and  taking  place  of  the  old  "Court  for  the  trial  of  Impeachment  and 
Correction  of  Errors"  to  the  extent  of  correcting  errors  of  law. 

As  first  organized  under  the  Constitution  of  1846,  the  Court  of  Appeals 
was  composed  of  eight  judges,  four  of  whom  were  elected  by  the  people 
and  the  remainder  chosen  from  the  justices  of  the  Supreme  Court  hav- 
ing the  shortest  time  to  serve.  As  organized  in  1869,  and  now  exist- 
ing, the  court  consists  of  the  chief  judge  and  six  associate  judges,  who 
hold  office  for  a  term  of  fourteen  years  from  and  including  the  1st  day 
of  January  after  their  election.  This  court  is  continually  in  session  at 
the  Capitol  in  Albany,  except  as  it  takes  recesses  from  time  to  time  on 
its  own  motion.  It  has  full  power  to  correct  or  reverse  the  decisions  of 
all  inferior  courts  when  properly  before  it  for  review.  Five  judges 
constitute  a  quorum,  and  four  must  concur  to  render  judgment.  If 
tour  do  not  agree  the  case  must  be  reargued;  but  no  more  than  two  re- 
hearings  can  be  had,  and  if  then  four  judges  do  not  concur,  the  judg- 
ment of  the  court  below  stands  affirmed.  The  Legislature  has  provided 
by  statute  how  and  when  proceedings  and  decisions  of  inferior  tribunals 
may  be  reviewed  in  the  Court  of  Appeals,  and  may  in  its  discretion 
alter  and  amend  the  same.  Upon  the  reorganization  of  this  court  in 
L869,  its  work  was  far  in  arrears  and  the  law  commonly  known  as  the 
Judiciary  Act  provided  for  a  Commission  of  Appeals,  and  still  more 
recently  in  1888  the  Legislature  adopted  a  concurrent  resolution  that 
section  H  of  article  (i  of  the  Constitution  be  amended  so  that  upon  the 
certificate  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  to  the  governor  of  such  an  accumu- 
lation of  eases  on  the  calender  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  that  the  public 
interests  required  a  more  speedy  disposition  thereof,  the  governor  may 
ilesignate  seven  justices  of  the  Supreme  Court  to  act  as  associate  judges 
for  tin  time  being  of  the  Court  of  Appeals,  constituting  a  second  divi- 
sion of  thai  court,  to  be  dissolved  by  the  governor  when  the  necessity 
for  their  services  ceases  to  exist.  This  amendment  was  submitted  to 
the  people  ot  the  State  at  the  general  election  of  that  year  and  was 
ratified.  In  accordance  therewith  the  governor  selected  the  seven  Su- 
ourt  Justices  and  the  new  division  was  instituted. 


THE  BENCH  AND  BAR.  327 

Freeborn  G.  Jewett  was  elected  judge  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  June 
7,  1847,  and  served  two  years.  George  F.  Comstock,  elected  Novem- 
ber T,  1853.  Charles  Andrews,  elected  associate  judge  May  17,  1870, 
and  appointed  successor  to  Chief  Judge  Folger  in  L881 ;  defeated  for 
the  same  office  in  1882;  elected  associate  judge  in  1884  for  fourteen 
years  and  still  in  the  office.  William  Crawford  Ruger,  elected  chief 
judge  in  1882,  and  died  while  holding  the  office  January  1  1.  1  892.  Irving 
Goodwin  Vann,  appointed  January  1,  1881',  on  the  second  division  of 
the  Court  of  Appeals. 

Supreme  Court. — Second  to  the  Court  of  Appeals  in  rank  and  juris- 
diction stands  the  Supreme  Court,  which,  as  it  now  exists,  is  constituted 
of  many  and  widely  different  elements.  It  was  originally  created  by 
the  act  of  the  colonial  Legislature,  May  6,  1691,  and  finally  fully  estab- 
lished by  ordinance  of  the  Governor  and  Council,  May  Lo,  L699,  empow- 
ered to  try  all  issues  to  the  same  extent  as  the  English  courts  of  King's 
Bench,  Common  Pleas,  and  Exchequer,  except  in  the  exercise  of  equity 
powers.  It  had  jurisdiction  in  actions  involving  $100  or  over,  and  to 
revise  and  correct  decisions  of  inferior  courts.  An  appeal  lay  from  it 
to  the  Governor  and  Council.  There  were  originally  five  judges,  who 
annually  made  a  circuit  of  the  country,  under  a  commission  naming  them 
issued  by  the  governor,  and  giving  them  nisi  prius,  oyer  and  terminer, 
and  jail  delivery  powers.  Under  the  first  Constitution  this  court  was 
reorganized,  the  judges  being  then  named  by  the  Council  of  Appoint- 
ment. All  proceedings  were  directed  to  be  entitled  in  the  name  of  the 
people,  instead  of  that  of  the  King. 

By  the  Constitution  of  1821  many  and  important  changes  were  made 
in  the  character  and  methods  of  this  court.  The  judges  were  reduced 
in  number  to  three,  were  to  be  appointed  by  the  governor  with  the 
consent  of  the  Senate,  to  hold  office  during  good  behavior,  or  until 
sixty  years  of  age.  They  were  removable  by  the  Legislature  when 
two-thirds  of  the  Assembly  and  a  majority  of  the  Senate  so  voted. 
Four  times  each  year  the  full  court  sat  in  review  of  their  decisions  upon 
questions  of  law.  By  the  Constitution  of  1S4''.  the  Supreme  Court,  as 
it  then  existed,  was  abolished  and  a  new  court  of  the  same  name  and 
having  general  jurisdiction  in  law  and  equity  was  established  in  its 
place.  This  court  was  divided  into  General  Terms,  Circuits,  Special 
Terms  and  Oyer  and  Terminer.  Its  members  were  composed  of  thirty- 
three  justices  to  be  elected  by  the  people  and  to  reside  five  in  the  first 
and  four   in    each  of   the   other   seven    judicial  districts   into   which   the 


328  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

State  was  divided.  By  the  Judiciary  Act  of  1847  General  Terms  were 
to  be  held  at  least  once  in  each  year  in  counties  having-  more  than 
40,000  inhabitants,  and  in  other  counties  at  least  once  in  each  two 
years ;  and  at  least  two  Special  Terms  and  two  Circuit  Courts  were  to 
be  held  yearly  in  each  county,  excepting  Hamilton.  By  this  act  the 
court  was  authorized  to  name  the  times  and  places  of  holding  its  terms 
and  those  of  the  Oyer  and  Terminer;  the  latter  being  a  part  of  the 
Circuit  Court  and  held  by  the  justice,  the  county  judge  and  two  jus- 
tices of  sessions.  Since  1882  the  Oyer  and  Terminer  has  consisted  of  a 
single  justice  of  the  Supreme  Court. 

It  is  here  proper  to  describe  one  of  the  old  courts,  the  powers  of  which 
have  been  vested  in  the  Supreme  Court.  This  is  the  Chancery  Court, 
an  heirloom  of  the  colonial  period,  which  had  its  origin  in  the  Court  of 
Assizes,  the  latter  being  invested  with  equity  powers  under  the  duke's 
laws.  The  court  was  established  in  1683,  and  the  governor,  or  such 
person  as  he  should  appoint,  assisted  by  the  Council,  was  designated  as 
its  chancellor.  In  1698  this  court  went  out  of  existence  by  limitation; 
was  revived  by  ordinance  in  1701 ;  suspended  in  1703,  and  re-estab- 
lished in  the  next  year.  At  first  this  court  was  unpopular  in  the  prov- 
ince, the  Assembly  and  the  colonists  opposing  it  with  the  argument 
that  the  Crown  had  no  authority  to  establish  an  equity  court  in  the 
colonv,  and  they  were  doubtful  of  the  propriety  of  constituting  the 
Governor  and  Council  such  a  court.  Under  the  Constitution  of  1777 
the  court  was  recognized,  but  its  chancellor  was  thereby  prohibited 
from  holding  any  other  office  except  delegate  to  Congress  on  special 
occasions.  Upon  the  reorganization  of  this  court  in  1778,  by  conven- 
tion of  representatives,  masters  and  examiners  in  chancery  were  pro- 
vided, to  be  appointed  by  the  Council  of  Appointment ;  registers  and 
clerks  by  the  chancellor.  The  latter  licensed  all  solicitors  and  coun- 
selors of  the  court.  Under  the  Constitution  of  1821  the  chancellor  was 
appointed  by  the  governor  and  held  office  during  good  behavior,  or 
until  sixty  years  of  age..  Appeals  lay  from  the  Chancery  Court  to  the 
Court  for  the  Correction  of  Errors.  Under  the  second  Constitution 
equity  powers  were  vested  in  the  circuit  judges,  and  their  decisions 
reviewable  on  appeal  to  the  chancellor;  but  this  equity  principle 
was  scon  taken  from  the  circuit  judges  and  thereafter  devolved  upon 
the  chancellor,  while  the  judges  alluded  to  acted  as  vice-chancellors  in 
their  respective  circuits.  But,  by  the  radical  changes  made  by  the 
Constitution   of    L846,    the  Court   of  Chancery   was  abolished,    and   its 


THE  BENCH  AND  BAR.  329 

powers,  duties  and  jurisdiction  vested  in  the  Supreme  Court,  as  before 
stated. 

By  act  of  the  Legislature,  passed  in  1848  and  entitled  "The  Code  of 
Procedure,"  all  distinctions  between  actions  at  law  and  suits  in  equity 
were  abolished,  so  far  as  the  manner  of  commencing  and  conducting 
them  was  concerned,  and  one  uniform  method  of  practice  was  adopted. 
Under  this  act  appeals  lay  to  the  General  Term  of  the  Supreme  Court 
from  judgments  rendered  in  Justice's,  Mayor's,  or  Recorder's  and 
County  Courts,  and  from  all  orders  and  decisions  of  a  justice  at  Special 
Term  of  the  Supreme  Court. 

The  judiciary  article  of  the  Constitution  of  1846  was  amended  in  1869, 
authorizing  the  Legislature,  not  oftener  than  once  in  five  years,  to  pro- 
vide for  the  organization  of  General  Terms,  consisting  of  a  presiding 
justice  and  not  more  than  three  associates;  but  by  chapter  403  of  the 
laws  of  1870,  the  then  organization  of  the  General  Term  was  abrogated 
and  the  State  divided  into  four  departments,  and  provision  was  made 
for  holding  General  Terms  in  each.  By  the  same  act  the  governor  was 
directed  to  designate  from  among  the  justices  of  the  Supreme  Court  a 
presiding  justice  and  two  associates  to  constitute  a  General  Term  in 
each  department.  Under  authority  of  the  constitutional  amendment 
adopted  in  1882,  the  Legislature  in  1883  divided  the  State  into  five 
judicial  departments,  and  provided  for  the  election  of  twelve  additional 
justices,  to  hold  office  from  the  first  Monday  in  June,  1884.  Onondaga 
county,  with  Oswego,  Herkimer,  Jefferson,  Lewis  and  Oneida,  have 
always  constituted  the  Fifth  District  of  the  State ;  and  the  Fifth  and 
Sixth  districts  have,  under  the  foregoing  provision,  constituted  the 
Fourth  Department. 

In  Tune,  1887,  the  Legislature  enacted  the  Code  of  Civil  Procedure 
now  in  force,  to  take  the  place  of  the  Code  of  1848.  By  this  many 
minor  changes  were  made,  among  them  a  provision  that  every  two  years 
the  justices  of  the  General  Terms  and  the  chief  judges  of  the  Superior 
City  Courts  should  meet  and  revise  and  establish  general  rules  of  prac- 
tice for  all  the  courts  of  record  in  the  State,  excepting  the  Court  of 
Appeals. 

Such  are,  in  brief,  the  changes  through  which  the  Supreme  Court  of 
this  State  has  passed  in  its  growth  from  the  prerogative  of  an  irre- 
sponsible governor  to  one  of  the  most  independent  and  enlightened  in- 
strumentalities for  the  attainment  and  protection  of  the  rights  of  citi- 
zens of  which  any  State  or  nation  can  boast.  So  well  is  this  fact  under- 
42 


330  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

stood  by  the  people,  that  by  far  the  greater  amount  of  legal  business 
which  might  be  done  in  inferior  courts  at  less  expense,  is  taken  to  this 
court  for  settlement. 

Under  the  Constitution  of  1847  the  following  persons  were  elected 
justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  from  Onondaga  county  (Fifth  District): 
Daniel  Pratt,  June  7,  1847;  Le  Roy  Morgan,  Novembers,  1859,  re- 
elected November  5,  1867;  James  Noxon,  November  2,  1875;  Irving 
G.  Vann,  November  8,  1881,  re-elected  1895;  George  N.  Kennedy, 
November  6,  1883;  Peter  B.  McLennan,  November  5,  1893. 

County  Court. — -Next  in  inferiority  to  the  Supreme  Court  is  the 
Count}-  Court,  held  in  and  for  each  county  in  the  State  at  such  times 
and  places  as  its  judges  may  direct.  This  court  had  its  origin  in  the 
English  Court  of  Sessions  and,  like  that  court,  had  at  first  criminal 
jurisdiction  only.  By  an  act  passed  in  1663  a  Court  of  Sessions,  having 
power  to  try  both  civil  and  criminal  causes  by  jury,  was  directed  to  be 
held  by  three  justices  of  the  peace  in  each  of  the  counties  of  the 
province,  twice  in  each  year,  with  an  additional  term  in  Albany  and  two 
in  New  York.  By  the  act  of  1691  and  the  decree  of  1699,  all  civil  juris- 
diction was  taken  from  this  court  and  conferred  upon  the  Court  of  Com- 
mon Pleas.  By  the  sweeping  changes  of  the  Constitution  of  1846,  pro- 
vision was  made  for  a  County  Court  in  each  county  of  the  State, 
excepting  New  York  county,  to  be  held  by  an  officer  to  be  designated 
the  county  judge,  and  to  have  such  jurisdiction  as  the  Legislature 
might  prescribe.  Under  authority  of  that  Constitution  the  County 
Courts  have  from  time  to  time  been  given  jurisdiction  in  various  classes 
of  actions  which  need  not  be  enumerated  here,  and  have  also  been  in- 
vested with  certain  equity  powers  in  the  foreclosure  of  mortgages;  the 
sale  of  infants'  real  estate;  the  partitioning  of  lands ;  admeasuring 
dower,  and  care  of  persons  and  estates  of  lunatics  and  habitual  drunk- 
ards. The  Judiciary  Act  of  1869  continued  the  then  existing  jurisdic- 
tion in  all  actions  in  which  the  defendants  lived  within  the  county,  and 
where  the  damages  did  not  exceed  $1,000;  this  sum  has  since  been  in- 
creased to  $2,000.  Like  the  Supreme  Court,  the  County  Court  now 
lias  its  civil  and  its  criminal  side.  It  is  in  the  criminal  branch  of 
this  court,  known  as  the  Sessions,  that  all  minor  criminal  offenses  are 
now  disposed  of.  All  indictments  of  the  grand  jury,  excepting  for 
murder  or  some  very  serious  felony,  are  sent  to  it  for  trial  from  the 
Over  and  Terminer.  By  the  Codes  of  1848  and  1877,  the  methods  of 
dure   'I'd  practice  were   made  to  conform  as  nearly  as  possible  to 


THE  BENCH  AND  BAR.  331 

the  practice  in  the  Supreme  Court.  This  was  done  with  the  evident 
design  of  attracting  litigation  into  these  courts,  thus  relieving  the  Su- 
preme Court.  In  this  purpose  comparative  failure  has  resulted,  liti- 
gants much  preferring,  as  before  intimated,  the  shield  and  assistance 
of  the  broader  powers  of  the  higher  court.  By  the  judiciary  act  the 
term  of  office  of  county  judges  was  extended  from  four  to  six  years. 
Under  the  Codes  the  judges  can  perform  some  of  the  duties  of  a  jus- 
tice of  the  Supreme  Court  at  Chambers.  The  County  Court  has  ap- 
pellate jurisdiction  over  actions  arising  in  justices'  courts  and  Courts  of 
Special  Sessions.  Appeals  lie  from  the  County  Court  to  the  General 
Term.  County  judges  were  appointed  until  1847,  after  which  the\ 
were  elected.  The  following  persons  have  held  the  office  of  county 
judge  of  Onondaga  county,  with  the  date  of  election :  Seth  Phelps, 
March  14,  1794;  Reuben  Humphrey,  June  3,  1804;  Dan  Bradley,  June 
8,  1807;  Joshua  Forman,  March  21,  1811;  Gideon  Forman,  March  9, 
1813;  Nehemiah  H.  Earll,  February  1,  1823;  Samuel  L.  Edwards, 
April  30,  1831;  John  Watson,  February  16,  1833;  Grove  Lawrence, 
February  23,  1838;  Daniel  Pratt,  February  23,  1843;  James  R.  Law- 
rence, June,  1847;  Richard  Woolworth  (appointed  vice  Lawrence  re- 
signed), October  18,  1850;  Israel  S.  Spencer,  November,  1850;  Richard 
Woolworth,  November,  1854;  Henry  Riegel,  November,  1862;  A. 
Judd  Northrup,  November  7,  1882;  William  M.  Ross,  present  judge. 
Surrogate's  Court. — One  of  these  courts  exists  in  each  of  the  counties 
of  this  State  and  are  now  Courts  of  Record  having  a  seal.  Their 
special  jurisdiction  is  the  settlement  and  care  of  estates  of  persons  who 
have  died  either  with  or  without  a  will,  and  of  infants.  The  deriva- 
tion of  the  powers  and  practice  of  the  Surrogate's  Court  in  this  State  is 
from  the  Ecclesiastical  Court  of  England  through  a  part  of  the  Colonial 
Council,  which  existed  during  a  part  of  the  Dutch  rule  here,  and  ex- 
ercised its  authority  in  accordance  with  the  Dutch  Roman  law,  the  cus- 
tom of  Amsterdam,  and  the  law  of  Aasdom ;  the  Court  of  Burgomas- 
ters and  Scheppens,  the  Court  of  Orphan  Masters,  the  Mayor's  Court, 
the  Prerogative  Court,  and  the  Court  of  Probates.  The  settlement  of 
estates  and  the  guardianship  of  orphans,  which  was  at  first  vested  in 
the  director-general  and  council  of  New  Netherlands,  was  transferred 
to  the  burgomasters  in  1653,  and  soon  afterward  to  the  orphan  masters. 
Under  the  colony  the  Prerogative  Court  controlled  all  matters  in  rela- 
lation  to  the  probate  of  wills  and  settlement  of  estates.  This  power 
continued  until  1692,  when  by  legislative  act  all  probates  and  granting 


332  ONONDAGA'S   CENTENNIAL. 

of  letters  of  administration  were  placed  under  the  hand  of  the  gover- 
nor or  his  delegate ;  and  two  freeholders  were  appointed  in  each  town 
to  take  charge  of  the  estates  of  persons  dying  without  a  will.  Under 
the  duke's  laws  this  duty  had  been  performed  by  the  constables,  over- 
seers, and  justices  of  each  town.  In  1778  the  governor  was  divested  of 
all  this  power  excepting  the  appointment  of  surrogates,  and  it  was  con- 
ferred upon  the  Court  of  Probates.  Under  the  first  Constitution  surro- 
gates were  appointed  by  the  Council  of  Appointment;  under  the  sec- 
ond Constitution,  by  the  governor  with  the  approval  of  the  Senate. 
The  Constitution  of  1846  abrogated  the  office  of  surrogate  in  all  coun- 
ties having  less  than  40,000  population,  and  conferred  its  powers  and 
duties  upon  the  county  judge — a  provision  that  has  never  been  applica- 
ble to  Onondaga  county.  By  the  Code  of  Civil  Procedure,  surrogates 
were  invested  with  all  the  necessary  powers  to  carry  out  the  equitable 
and  incidental  requirements  of  the  office. 

Surrogates  of  Onondaga  county,  with  dates  of  appointment :  Moses 
De  Witt,  March  14,  1794;  Thomas  Munford,  October  1,  1797;  Thad- 
deus  M.  Wood,  March  21,  1799;  George  Hall,  April  2,  1800;  Medad 
Curtiss,  March  20,  1810;  George  Hall,  February  18,  1811;  James 
Poeter,  February  14,  1822;  Freeborn  G.  Jewett,  February  11,  1824; 
John  Fleming,  jr.,  April  12,  1831:  Isaac  T.  Minard,  January  24,  1840; 
David  D.  Hillis,  February  8,  1844;  Isaac  T.  Minard,  June,  1847;  L. 
Harris. Hiscock,  November,  1851;  Amasa  H.  Jerome,  November,  1855; 
Samuel  D.  Luce,  November,  1859 ;  Oscar  L.  Sprague,  November, 
1863;  De  Witt  C.  Greenfield  (appointed  in  October  vice  Sprague,  and 
elected  in  November),  1865;  Cyrus  Sweet,  November,  1869;  George 
R.  Cook,  November,  1874;  Edgar  P.  Glass,  November,  1891. 

District  A  ttorneys. — Under  the  act  of  February  12,  1796,  this  State  was 
divided  into  seven  districts,  over  which  an  assistant  attorney-general  was 
appointed  by  the  Governor  and  Council  during  pleasure.  The  office  of 
district  attorney  was  created  April  4,  1801,  the  State  being  divided  into 
seven  districts  as  before,  but  subsequently  several  new  ones  were 
formed.  By  a  law  passed  in  April,  1813,  each  county  was  constituted 
a  separate  district,  for  the  purposes  of  this  office.  During  the  exist- 
ence of  the  second  Constitution  district  attorneys  wei-e  appointed  by  the 
Court  oi  General  Sessions  in  each  county.  The  following  persons  have 
held  this  office  in  Onondaga  county,  with  the  dates  of  their  appoint- 
ment of  election  : 

Victor  Birdseye,  June  17,  1818;  Jerome  L.  Briggs,  1836;  William  J. 


THE  BENCH  AND  BAR.  333 

Dodge,  1841;  Le  Roy  Morgan,  1843;  Henry  Sheldon,  June,  1847; 
Rowland  H.  Gardner,  November,  1850;  Charles  Andrews,  1853;  Henry 
S.  Fuller,  1856;  Frank  Hiscock,  1859;  William  H.  Giffo'rd,  186;>;  Levi 
W.  Hall,  1865;  Frederick  A.  Lyman,  1868;  William  P.  Goodelle,  L871; 
William  James,  1874;  Nathaniel  M.  White,  L877;  Harrison  Hoyt,  1880; 
Ceylon  H.  Lewis,  1883;  Lawrence  T.  Jones,  1886;  Theodore  E.  Han- 
cock, 1889;  Benjamin  J.   Shove,  1892. 

Court  of  Special  Sessions  and  Justice's  Court. — Previous  to  the  Con- 
stitution of  1821,  modified  in  1826,  justices  of  the  peace  were  appointed ; 
since  that  date  they  have  been  elected.  The  office  and  its  duties  art- 
descended  from  the  English  office  of  the  same  name,  but  are  much  less 
important  here  than  there,  and  under  the  laws  of  this  State  are  purely 
the  creature  of  the  statutes.  The  office  is  now  of  comparatively  little 
importance  in  the  administration  of  law,  and  with  its  loss  of  old-time 
power,  has  sacrificed  also  much  of  its  olden  dignitv. 

United  States  District  Court,  Northern  District  of  New  York. — The 
following  persons  have  been  officers  in  this  court  from  Onondaga 
county:  Joseph  F.  Sabine,  United  States  commissioner,  1850;  James  R. 
Lawrence,  United  States  district  attorney,  1850;  Harry  Allen,  United 
States  marshal.  The  first  deputy  marshal  was  Peter  Way,  who  was 
succeeded  by  William  Cahill.  B.  Davis  Noxon,  United  States  commis- 
sioner, appointed  October  22,  1867;  William  Crawford  Ruger,  United 
States  commissioner,  appointed  July  8,  1858;  Daniel  F.  Gott,  register 
in  bankruptcy,  appointed  May  10,  1867;  A.  Judd  Northrup,  United 
States  commissioner,  appointed  March  22,  1870;  Daniel  F.  Gott,  United 
States  commissioner,  appointed  April  2,  1872:  William  I.  Wallace, 
judge,  appointed  April  7,  1874,  and  still  in  office. 

Previous  to  the  organization  of  Onondaga  county  its  territory  re- 
mained under  the  legal  jurisdiction  of  Herkimer  county,  of  which  it 
formed  a  part.  The  early  courts  of  that  county  were  held  in  a  church 
at  Herkimer  village,  and  Col.  Henri  Staring  was  appointed  first  judge. 
He  was  without  much  education  or  legal  knowledge,  but  his  sound 
judgment  and  strict  integrity  enabled  him  to  administer  the  duties  of  his 
office  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  people,  though  many  scenes  in  the 
courts  possessed  a  large  fund  of  humor.  Michael  Myers  was  one  of  his 
associates  and  filled  other  prominent  offices  while  the  Military  Tract 
was  still  a  part  of  Herkimer  county.  In  1793  one  term  of  the  Herki- 
mer county  court  was  directed  to  be  held  at  Whitestown,  at  such  place 
as  the  court  should  direct.      The   first   court  held    tinder  this  provision 


334  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

was  in  judge  Jedediah  Sanger's  barn,  Judge  Sterling  presiding.  Jonas 
Piatt,  afterwards  judge,  was  then  clerk  of  Herkimer  county,  and  the 
sheriff  was  Col.  William  Colbraith,  the  first  sheriff  to  serve  a  process 
on  the  Military  Tract.  He  had  served  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  but 
acquired  his  title  as  an  officer  in  the  militia. 

In  1794,  after  the  Military  Tract  had  been  established  and  Onondaga 
county  organized,  Courts  of  Common  Pleas  and  General  Sessions  of  the 
Peace  were  established  by  law.  These  courts  were  ordered  to  be  held 
alternately  on  the  first  Mondays  in  May  and  November  in  each  year,  at 
the  house  of  Reuben  Patterson  in  Manlius,  and  at  the  house  of  Setli 
Phelps,  in  Scipio,  beginning  with  the  first.  Mr.  Patterson  then  kept  a 
public  house  at  Onondaga  Hollow,  which  was  then  included  in  the  town 
of  Manlius.      Each  term  of  court  was  to  continue  one  week  only. 

The  first  court  held  in  Onondaga  county  convened  in  Gen.  Asa  Dan- 
forth's  corn  house,  in  the  Valley,  on  the  first  Monday  in  May,  1794. 
Present — Seth  Phelps,  first  judge;  John  Richardson,  Silas  Halsey,  and 
William  Stevens,  judges.  Moses  D'e  Witt,  who  had  received  the  ap- 
pointment of  judge  of  Onondaga  Common  Pleas,  was  not  present.  At 
that  time  there  was  no  lawyer  in  this  county,  and  the  only  ones  present 
at  the  first  court  were  Thomas  R.  Gould  and  Arthur  Breeze. 

The  first  Court  of  Oyer  and  Terminer  for  Onondaga  county  was  held 
at  the  house  of  General  Danforth,  on  the  21st  of  July,  1794.  Present — 
"The  Hon.  Egbert  Benson,  esq.,  one  of  the  Judges  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  Judicature  for  the  State  of  New  York,  assisted  by  Seth  Phelps 
and  Andrew  Englis,  Justices  of  Oyer  and  Terminer  and  General  Jail 
Delivery  for  the  County  of  Onondaga."  This  court  was  attended  by 
lawyers  from  Whitestown  and  Herkimer.  The  grand  jury  was  made 
up  of  the  following  persons :  Walter  Wood,  foreman;  Comfort  Tyler, 
Isaac  Van  Vleek,  Elias  Fitch,  Moses  Carpenter,  William  Ward,  Jona- 
than Wilkinson,  Cyrus  Kinne,  Sier  Curtis,  Victory  S.  Tousley,  Amos 
Stanton,  Henry  Moore,  James  Geddes,  Ryal  Bingham,  Reuben  Patter- 
son. Among  these  names  are  several  with  which  the  reader  of  this 
work  has  or  will  become  familiar  among  the  pioneers  of  the  county. 
Only  one  indictment  was  found,  which  was  against  James  Fitzgerald 
for  assault  and  battery  with  intent  to  rob  Andrew  McCarthy. 

The  petit  jurors  on  the  first  criminal  trial  were  John  Brown,  William 
Linslev,  Thomas  Morgan,  Henry  Watkins,  Benjamin  De  Puy,  Nehe- 
nii.iii  Smith,  Isaac  Strong,  John  A.  Thompson,  Noah  Olmstead,  Isaac 
Baity,  William  Stevens,  and  Thomas  Ozman;  they  found  the  prisoner 


THE  BENCH  AND  BAR.  335 

guilty  and  he  was  sentenced  to  two  months  imprisonment  in  the  jail  at 
Herkimer,  where  all  prisoners  were  ordered  confined  until  a  jail  should 
be  built  for  Onondaga  county.  The  court  fined  nineteen  petit  jurors 
twenty  shillings  each,  and  four  grand  jurors  and  two  constables  a  like 
sum  for  absence;  and  John  Stowell,  William  Goodwin,  and  Perry 
Brownell,  justices  of  the  peace,  thirty  shillings,  for  absence.  It  was 
not  an  agreeable  nor  an  easy  task  to  serve  on  a  jury  or  attend  a  courl 
in  those  days.  The  county  covered  an  immense  territory ;  roads  were 
few  and  often  almost  impassable;  home  duties  of  the  pioneers  were 
exacting.  These  conditions,  more  than  a  lack  of  patriotism,  led  these 
delinquents  to  face  a  fine  rather  than  perform  judicial  labor. 

The  next  term  of  the  Circuit  Court  was  held  at  the  house  of  Seth 
Phelps,  in  Scipio,  September  i,  L795.  Present,  Hon.  John  Lansing, 
judge  of  the  Supreme  Court;  Seth  Phelps,  John  Richardson,  William 
Stevens,  judges  of  the  Onondaga  County  Common  Pleas.  The  follow- 
ing absent  justices  of  the  peace  were  fined  thirty  shillings  each  for 
absence:  John  A.  Sheaffer,  William  Goodwin,  John  Stowell,  Cyrus 
Kinne,  Hezekiah  Olcutt,  Daniel  Keeler,  Ryal  Bingham,  and  Ozias 
Burr. 

Hon.  Egbert  Benson  held  the  next  term  at  the  house  of  Reuben  Pat- 
terson, June  14,  1797,  assisted  by  Seth  Phelps,  William  Stevens,  A -a 
Danforth,  and  Comfort  Tyler.  The  grand  jury  were  Ozias  Burr,  fore- 
man; James  Geddes,  Ephraim  Webster,  Bethel  Cole,  Robert  Earll, 
John  Curtiss,  Joseph  Leonard,  Levi  Jerome,  David  Green,  John  Lamb, 
William  Rice,  Jonathan  Coe,  Joseph  Cody,  Peter  Lawrence,  William 
Cobb,  Irad  Smith.      No  indictment  was  found. 

Judge  James  Kent  held  the  next  Circuit  at  the  house  of  Seth  Phelps, 
in  Scipio,  June  12,  1798,  assisted  by  Seth  Phelps,  William  Stevens,  Seth 
vSherwood,  judges  of  Common  Pleas  for  Onondaga  county. 

The  following  were  the  judicial  officers  of  Herkimer  count}-  from 
1791  to  1794,  while  Onondaga  county  was  a  part  of  that  count}-:  Henri 
Staring,  first  judge  and  justice  of  the  peace;  Michael  Myers,  Hugh 
White,  and  Abraham  Hardenburgh,  judges  and  justices  of  the  peace: 
John  Bank,  Patrick  Campbell,  Jedediah  Sanger,  Amos  Whitmore, 
William  Veeder,  Alexander  Parkman,  and  Ephraim  Blackmail,  assist- 
ant justices  and  justices  of  the  peace;  Seth  Phelps,  Moses  De  Witt,  Asa 
Danforth,  Edward  Payne,  and  others,  justices  of  the  peace;  William 
Colbraith,  sheriff;  Jonas  Piatt,  clerk;  Moses  De  Wilt,  surrogate;  John 
Post   and   Daniel  White,   coroners.      Reappointment  of  justices  of  the 


336  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

peace  in  1793  were  Seth  Phelps,  Asa  Danforth,  Moses  De  Witt,  J.  L. 
Hardenburgh,  and  Silas  Halsey. 

Cayuga  county  was  set  off  from  Onondaga  in  1799,  after  which  the 
first  court  was  held  at  Onondaga  in  the  house  of  Reuben  Patterson, 
June,  L799.  Present,  William  Stevens,  first  judge,  assisted  by  Elijah 
Rust,  James  Geddes,  Orris  Curtiss,  James  Keep,  and  J  ere.  Gould.  The 
grand  jury  were  Ozias  Burr,  foreman;  Aaron  Wood,  James  Foster, 
Charles  Merriman,  Daniel  Thomas,  Franklin  Venall,  Jonathan  Bull, 
Punderson  Avery,  Shubel  Safford,  Thomas  Foster,  Roswell  Barnes, 
Joseph  Bartholomew,  Hezekiah  Weston,  Enos  Peck,  Jonas  Hinman, 
Thomas  Gaston,  John  Cole,  John  Stevens.  No  bill  was  found.  It  will 
be  observed  that  legal  business,  and  especially  criminal  business,  in  the 
first  few  years  of  the  history  of  the  county  was  extremely  light;  terms 
of  court  were  infrequent,  and  lawyers  were  almost  unknown  in  the 
county,  except  such  as  came  from  a  distance. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  present  century  legal  business  in  Onondaga 
county  had  so  far  increased  that  the  need  of  having  proper  court  build- 
ings was  apparent.  Accordingly  in  1801  measures  were  adopted  for 
providing  a  court  house.  A  law  was  passed  by  the  Legislature  on  the 
7th  of  April  of  that  year,  authorizing  the  Board  of  Supervisors  to  raise 
$3,000  for  the  purpose.  This  was  the  beginning  of  a  long  period  of 
strife  between  the  people  of  the  village  in  the  Valley  and  those  on  the 
Hill  over  the  sight  of  the  new  building.  These  villages  were  already 
rivals  from  a  business  point  of  view,  and  now  the  rivalry  became  more 
active  than  before.  The  county  records  had  been  kept  at  the  Valley, 
and  the  people  there  used  every  possible  influence  to  secure  the  court 
house  for  their  village;  it  was  more  accessible,  they  claimed,  and  more 
desirable  in  every  way  for  the  county  seat.  At  the  same  time  the  resi- 
dents on  the  Hill  set  forth  the  healthfulness  of  their  site,  the  bright 
prospects  of  their  village,  their  pleasant  surroundings,  etc.,  and  they 
won  the  prize.  Steps  were  promptly  taken  for  the  erection  of  the 
buildings.  Elisha  Lewis,  Medad  Curtis,  and  Thaddeus  M.  Wood  were 
appointed  commissioners  in  charge  of  the  work.  The  location  selected 
was  a  square  piece  of  ground  near  the  center  of  the  village,  now  par- 
tially vacant,  but  then  covered  with  a  heavy  forest.  This  was  partially 
red  off  bv  a  "bee,"  and  a  contract  was  let  to  William  Bostwick,  of 
Auburn,  to  erect  the  frame  and  inclose  it.  The  building  was  fifty  feet 
square,  two  stories  high,  with  square  roof  sloping  to  the  four  sides  of 
the  structure.      Mr.  Bostwick   finished  his  contract  in  1802.      A  tempo- 


THE  BENCH  AND  BAR.  337 

rary  floor  was  laid  so  that  the  courts  could  be  held  there  in  1803.  This 
condition  of  the  building-  remained  until  the  beginning-  of  1804,  when 
the  inhabitants  of  the  county  thought  they  could  prudently  finish 
the  structure.  The  commissioners  accordingly  contracted  with  Abel 
House  to  do  the  inside  carpenter  work,  excepting  the  jail  cells,  and 
with  a  Mr.  Sexton,  of  New  Hartford,  to  do  the  mason  work.  The 
court  room  occupied  the  second  floor,  and  this,  with  apartments  for  the 
jailor's  family,  were  finished  at  that  time.  About  two  years  later  a 
contract  was  made  with  Roswell  and  Sylvester  Tousley,  of  Manlius,  to 
do  the  necessary  iron  work  on  the  cells  at  the  price  of  two  shillings  per 
pound.  The  cells  were  not  entirely  finished  until  1810.  They  were 
made  of  oak  planks  fastened  together  with  wrought  iron  spikes.  The 
doors,  of  like  material,  had  a  "diamond  "  opening  in  the  center  to  ad- 
mit light  and  pass  in  food.  In  rear  of  the  cells  were  painted  windows. 
A  stairway  led  from  the  hall  to  the  court  room  above,  directly  in  front 
of  the  entrance  to  which  was  the  judges'  bench,  semi-circular  in  form. 
The  whole  cost  of  the  building  was  $10,000,  and  a  better  one  could 
probably  be  erected  now  for  one-half  that  sum.  James  Beebe,  a  Rev- 
olutionary soldier,  was  the  first  jailor,  and  was  succeeded  by  Mason 
Butts.  The  building  was  used  for  its  original  purpose  until  18*29,  and 
after  being  gradually  denuded  of  boards,  widows,  etc.,  throughout  a 
number  of  years  thereafter,  it  was  final ly  torn  down. 

The  establishment  of  the  county  seat  upon  the  Hill  gave  that  village 
a  wonderful  impetus.  It  grew  rapidly  and  was  the  center  of  a  large 
business.  At  one  period  there  were  seven  public  houses  and  eight 
stores,  besides  numerous  shops  in  existence  in  the  village.  The  village 
in  the  Valley  was  also  thriving,  though  it  lost  its  prestige  to  some  ex- 
tent when  it  lost  the  court  house.  But  there  was  another  factor  enter- 
ing into  the  village  rivalry  around  the  site  of  Syracuse  about  1825. 
The  village  of  Salina  was  incorporated  in  1824:  there  were  most  of  the 
salt  works;  there  had  settled  a  number  of  active  and  thoroughly  enter- 
prising men  whose  efforts  were  rapidly  building  up  the  place.  A; 
about  the  same  time  Syracuse,  though  not  quite  so  numerously  popu- 
lated as  Salina,  was  showing  remarkable  vitality  and  public  spirit. 
When  the  question  of  a  new  court  house  forced  itself  before  the  people 
there  were  four  villages  within  three  or  four  miles  of  each  other,  active 
rivals  in  business,  and  each  determined  that  the  new  court  house  should 
stand  in  its  midst.  Salina  was  especially  strong  and  persistent  in  its 
demands,    and  it  to  some   extent   received   sympathy  from  the  Valley, 

43 


338  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

whose  residents  were  almost  willing  to  see  the  court  house  removed  to 
the  lesser  rival,  for  the  sake  of  leaving  the  greater  one  destitute.      As 
soon  as  it  became  apparent  that  the  courts  would  leave  the  Hill  the  con- 
flict narrowed  to  Salina  and  Syracuse.      The  citizens  of  the  Hill  village 
succeeded  in  1825  in  getting  a  bill  through  the  Legislature  for  the  re- 
tention of  the  court  house  in  the  village;  but  Governor  Clinton  vetoed 
the  bill,  chiefly  through  the  influence  of  the  Syracuse  Company.     Meet- 
ings were  held  in  the  several  localities  interested,   at  one  of  which  B. 
Davis  Noxon,  then  a  leading  lawyer  on  the  Hill,  advocated  raising  a 
sum  of  money  sufficient  to  put  the  court  house  in  good  repair,  and  thus 
abolish  all  reason  for  its  removal.      Strong  effort  was  made -in  1826  to 
elect  a  Board  of  Supervisors  who  would  favor  retaining  the  building 
on  the  Hill;  this  effort  was  probably  successful,  for  in  that  year  a  reso- 
lution was  adopted  that  a  petition  be  presented  to  the  next  Legislature 
asking  the  passage  of  a  law  empowering  the  supervisors  of  the  county 
to  levy  a  tax  for  the  purpose  of  building  a  new  court  house  at  the  Hill. 
This  resolution  was  brought  before  the  Legislature  as  early  as  January, 
L827,  and  Daniel  Mosely,  a  Hill  lawyer,  was  selected  to  look  after  the 
interests   of  the  village   in  the  matter.      When   it  became  known  that 
initiatory  steps  had  been  taken  towards  this  project,  Moses  D.  Burnet, 
John  D.  James,  and  a  few  others  met  in  the  office  of  the  Syracuse  Com- 
pany in  a  secret  gathering.      Mr.  Burnet  was  made  chairman  and  stated 
the  object  of  the  meeting  as  a  consultation  on  the  best  course  to  be  pur- 
sued in  order  to   defeat   all   competitors   for  the  location  of  the  court 
house,  and  to  establish  the  county  seat  in  Syracuse.     After  careful  de- 
liberation by  this  gathering  of  gifted  schemers,  it  was  resolved  that  a 
sufficient  number  of  capable  canvassers  should  be  placed  in  every  town 
in  the  county,  to  obtain  the  signatures  of  as  many  taxpayers  as  possible 
on  a  petition  to  the  Legislature,  asking  that  the  court  house  be  estab- 
lished in   Syracuse  under  legal  sanction.      So  effectually  was  this  plan 
carried   out  that  a  canvass  of  the  whole  county  was  made  before  the 
opposition  could  take  measures  to  counteract  it.      The  petitions  poured 
into  Albany  until  the  legislative  halls  were  deluged  with  them.     A  bill 
was    offered  and  its   consideration    postponed  from   time  to  time,  and 
eloquent  speeches  were  made  for  and   against  it.     Among  those  who 
spoke   for  the   Hill    were  Messrs.  Moseley  and    Livingstone,  but  their 
speeches  were  largely  appeals  for  sympathy.      They  claimed  that  many 
people  had   settled  on  the   Hill  because  it  was  the  county  seat,  and  to 
remove  it   elsewhere  would   be  an  injustice  to  them;  that  the  removal 


THE  BENCH  AND  BAR,  339 

would  damage  the  Hill  more  than  it  would  benefit  Syracuse,  as  the  lat- 
ter place  had  other  advantages,  such  as  water  power  and  the  canal, 
while  the  existence  of  the  court  house  on  the  Hill  was  their  only  attrac- 
tion; that  it  brought  them  much  business  and  to  remove  it  would  cre- 
ate "an  eternal  Sunday"  up  there.  But  nothing  could  stay  the  change, 
and  on  March  19,  1827,  it  was  definitely  determined  that  the  new  court 
house  should  be  built  somewhere  in  the  valley.  This  narrowed  the 
strife  down  to  Salina  and  Syracuse,  and  it  became  a  part  of  the  long- 
existing  rivalry  between  the  villages.  To  secure  the  court  house,  Syr- 
acuse, backed  by  the  Syracuse  Company,  made  generous  offers  of  land 
and  money,  and  the  agent  of  the  company  tendered  to  the  county  the 
entire  block  surrounded  by  Salina,  East  Fayette,  Warren  and  Washing- 
ton streets,  excepting  the  lot  already  given  to  the  First  Presbyterian 
society.  The  company  also  offered  to  donate  a  lot  for  a  jail  on  the  cor- 
ner of  Warren  and  Fayette  streets.  In  addition  to  this  Gen.  Amos  P. 
Granger  offered  to  build  a  fire  proof  structure  for  a  clerk's  office  and 
to  give  $1,000  in  cash  towards  building  the  court  house. 

On  the  part  of  Salina,  Supervisor  Knapp  tendered  to  the  county  the 
block  bounded  by  Salina,  Division,  Townsend  and  Ash  streets,  then 
owned  by  Dr.  Kirkpatrick — a  very  insignificant  offer  beside  that  of 
Syracuse;  but  at  the  time  of  the  offer  Mr.  Knapp  made  a  speech,  in- 
sinuating that  money  had  been  wrongfully  used  to  secure  influence  in 
favor  of  Syracuse,  and  insisting  that  the  only  practicable  and  reason- 
able settlement  of  the  matter  was  to  place  the  buildings  midway  be- 
tween the  two  villages,  on  the  site  offered,  thus  conciliating  the  people 
of  both  places.  He  concluded  his  argument  by  urging  that  Svracuse 
would  probably  grow  rapidly  on  account  of  the  canal,  while  the  salt  in- 
terest would  continue  to  make  Salina  prosperous,  jealousy  would  dis- 
appear and  eventually  both  villages  would  be  incorporated  together, 
and  the  situation  of  the  public  buildings  on  the  site  offered  would  then 
be  found  to  be  central  and  convenient. 

A  vote  on  the  question  gave  eight  in  favor  and  six  against  Mr. 
Knapp's  scheme,  and  the  new  court  house  was  accordingly  located  on 
lot  276,  in  consideration  of  the  donation  of  land  and  §1,000  in  cash  by 
Salina.  The  people  of  Salina  considered  this  a  great  victory  over  Svr- 
acuse; if  they  could  not  have  the  court  house  wholly  to  themselves,  they 
were  content  to  have  been  instrumental  in  keeping  it  out  of  the  centei 
of  Syracuse.  Conservative  and  fair  persons  regretted  the  result  of  the 
agitation  and  accurately  prejudged  the  consequences.      The  locality  of 


340  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

the  site  was  only  thinly  settled,  not  a  sidewalk  was  laid  in  the  vicinity, 
and  the  offices  of  all  the  attorneys  were  and  would  continue  to  be  a  long 
distance  from  the  court  house.  But  the  building  was  erected  under  the 
commissionership  of  John  Smith,  Thomas  Starr,  and  Samuel  Forman. 
The  county  treasurer  was  authorized  to  borrow  $20,000  for  the  pur- 
pose, to  be  paid  in  two  annual  installments  of  $10,000  each. 

The  proposed  county  buildings  embraced  a  jail,  and  the  commission- 
ers decided  to  erect  it  out  of  stone,  fifty  feet  square  and  two  stories 
high,  with  hall  and  staircase  in  the  center.  The  south  half  was  for  the 
jailor's  dwelling  and  the  north  half  for  strong  stone  cells ;  the  second  story 
over  the  cells  was  designed  for  apartments  for  debtors,  witnesses,  etc. 
The  court  house  was  to  be  of  brick,  sixty-four  feet  square,  with  large 
columns  on  the  west  side,  and  two  stories  high.  The  lower  story  was 
divided  into  four  apartments  by  halls,  while  the  second  story  was  en- 
tirely devoted  to  the  court  room,  excepting  space  for  the  landing  of  the 
stairs  and  small  jury  rooms  in  the  corners.  The  judge's  bench  was  on 
the  south  side  opposite  the  entrance.  For  these  buildings  bids  were 
received  in  the  spring  of  1829,  and  John  Wall  was  awarded  the  contract 
for  the  jail,  which  was  finished  early  in  that  year.  L.  A.  Cheney  and 
Samuel  Booth  were  given  the  contract  for  the  mason  work,  and  David 
Stafford  the  contract  for  the  carpenter  work,  on  the  court  house,  and  it 
was  finished  and  ready  for  use  for  the  year  1830;  the  first  court  was 
held  in  it  on  May  13,  of  that  year,  Judge  Earll  presiding.  The  total 
cost  of  the  building  was  something  over  $27,000.  The  building  was 
quite  an  imposing  one  for  that  time  and  could  be  clearly  seen  by  look- 
ing north  on  Salina  street  from  as  far  south  as  Onondaga  street,  it  hav- 
ing the  appearance  from  that  direction  of  standing  in  the  middle  of 
Salina  street. 

The  numerous  and  almost  intolerable  inconveniences  of  having  the 
court  house  remote  from  the  center  of  both  of  the  most  important  vil- 
lages in  the  county  soon  became  apparent.  Leading  lawyers  followed 
the  county  seat  down  from  the  Hill,  but  were  met  with  the  necessity  of 
settling  nearly  a  mile  from  the  county  buildings,  to  which  they  must 
travel  over  streets  hardly  worthy  of  the  name  and  much  of  the  distance 
without  walks.  It  is  a  source  of  wonder  that  the  situation  was  endured, 
as  it  was,  for  nearly  twenty  years. 

Meanwhile  Syracuse  had  far  outstripped  her  rival  and  the  general 
dissatisfaction  with  the  location  of  the  court  house  became  so  pro- 
nounced that  about  the  year  1845  various  plans  were  projected  for  its 


THE  BENCH  AND  BAR.  341 

removal  nearer  to  the  center  of  the  village.  Gen.  Amos  P.  Granger 
offered  to  the  supervisors  to  build  a  good  court  house  on  any  suitable 
lot  in  the  center  of  the  city,  in  consideration  of  his  having  the  old  site 
and  $20,000  in  cash.  In  1847  a  delegation  consisting  of  James  R. 
Lawrence,  John  Williams,  and  Peter  Outwater,  met  with  the  supervis- 
ors and  presented  strong  arguments  for  the  removal  of  the  court  house. 
In  1853,  Sanford  C.  Parker,  then  supervisor  of  Van  Buren,  offered  a 
resolution,  which  he  supported  by  a  speech,  that  the  citv  and  county 
should  unite  in  erecting  a  handsome  building  suitable  for  court  house, 
clerk's  office,  city  hall,  etc.  Neither  of  these  propositions  materialized 
and  the  subject  languished  until  1855.  On  the  3d  of  December  of  that 
year  Mr.  Midler,  supervisor  from  Dewitt,  offered  a  resolution  of  inquiry 
on  the  subject,  proposing  to  instruct  the  committee  on  court  house 
and  clerk's  office,  consisting  of  Joel  Fuller,  Timothy  C.  Chenev,  and  E. 
A.  Williams,  "  to  examine  and  report  the  expense  of  building  a  new 
court  house,  and  what  the  premises  where  the  one  stands  will  sell  for." 
The  report  of  this  committee  urgently  advised  the  erection  of  new 
buildings  in  a  more  central  locality,  and  concluded  with  a  resolution 
proposing  "  that  a  committee  of  three  be  appointed  whose  duties  shall 
be  at  some  subsequent  meeting  of  this  board  to  report  a  plan  for  the 
sale  of  the  present  court  house  premises — to  examine  and  report  upon 
a  suitable  site  or  sites  for  a  new  court  house  and  the  terms  on  which  a 
title  thereto  can  be  secured  to  the  county.  And  also  plans  and  esti- 
mates of  a  new  court  house." 

The  committee  named  were  Luke  Wells,  T.  C.  Chenev,  and  D.  T. 
Moseley.  A  majority  report  of  this  committee  recommended  a  new 
site  and  a  new  court  house.  Mr.  Moseley  dissented  on  the  ground  that 
the  tax-payers  were  unfavorable  to  the  project.  In  the  board  the  re- 
port was  tabled  on  the  same  ground,  and  the  board  adjourned  the  next 
day  sine  die.  On  the  morning  of  February  5,  1856,  some  person  with 
the  public  welfare  at  heart,  set  fire  to  the  old  court  house  and  it  was 
burned  to  the  ground.  What  was  before  a  question  of  policy  now  be- 
came one  of  necessity.  A  special  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors 
was  held  on  the  13th  of  the  same  month,  and  a  committee  consisting  of 
T.  C.  Cheney,  George  Stevens,  and  William  F.  Gere  was  appointed  to 
investigate  new  sites  for  a  court  house  and  to  report  at  another  meet- 
ing. The  result  of  this  action  was  the  exchange  of  the  old  site  for  the 
site  of  the  present  court  house  with  Colonel  Voorhees.  Plans  for  the 
new   structure  were  drawn  by   H.   X.  White,  architect,  the  estimated 


342  ONONDAGA'S   CENTENNIAL. 

cost  of  the  building-  being  $38,000.  The  Board  of  Supervisors  appointed 
T.  C.  Cheney,  Luke  Wells,  and  D.  C.  Greenfield  building  commission- 
ers, and  the  contract  was  awarded  to  the  firm  of  Cheney  &  Wilcox  for 
$37,750,  the  contractors  to  have  the  material  left  from  the  old  court 
house  and  jail.  The  new  building  was  constructed  of  Onondaga  lime- 
stone and  was  finished  in  1857.  For  many  years  it  served  its  purpose 
satisfactorily,  but  various  important  changes  were  eventually  made  in 
the  interior,  one  important  object  of  which  was  the  improvement  of  the 
acoustic  properties  of  the  court  room. 

As  the  county  increased  in  population  and  the  business  of  the  courts 
became  larger,  additional  accommodations  were  needed,  and  in  L883 
steps  were  taken  to  supply  the  deficiency.  A  committee  of  the  Board 
of  vSupervisors  was  appointed,  consisting  of  N.  S.  Gere,  John  M.  Strong, 
I ).  M.  Lanigan,  and  A.  C.  Palmer,  to  make  a  report  on  the  subject, 
the  full  board  having  previously  been  requested  by  Justices  Irving  G. 
Yann  and  George  N.  Kennedy  and  Judge  A.  J.  Northrup  to  take  action 
in  the  matter.  After  the  report  of  this  committee  the  following  resolu- 
tion was  adopted: 

That  the  Committee  on  County  Buildings  be  and  are  hereby  directed  to  have  con- 
structed on  the  land  between  the  court  house  and  the  clerk's  office,  a  building  for 
the  Supreme  Court  Library  upon  the  plans  this  day  submitted  by  the  special  com- 
mittee, and  that  the  County  Treasurer  be  directed  to  borrow  on  the  credit  of  the 
county  $15,000  to  pay  for  the  same. 

This  action  resulted  in  the  erection  of  the  addition  in  rear  of  the 
court  house,  in  which  were  placed  the  Library  of  the  Court  of  Appeals, 
the  chambers  of  justices  Vann  and  Kennedy,  and  in  the  basement  the 
offices  of  the  county  superintendent  of  the  poor,  and  the  coroner.  In 
the  year  1889  about  $5,000  were  expended  in  putting  anew  roof  on  this 
building,  raising  it  higher,  and  thus  providing  better  light  and  ventila- 
tion. 

The  Court  of  Appeals  Library. — About  the  year  1830  the  "Chancel- 
lor's Library,"  as  it  was  called,  came  into  existence  by  act  of  the  Legis- 
ture,  the  unclaimed  funds  of  the  old  Court  of  Chancery  being  devoted 
to  the  purpose.  The  Constitution  of  1846  abolished  the  Court  of  Chan- 
cery, and  a  law  passed  April  9,  1849,  gave  the  custody  of  the  accumu- 
lated library  to  the  Court  of  Appeals  in  these  terms:  "  The  Library 
called  the  Chancellor's  Library  shall  continue  to  be  a  public  library  un- 
:  he  name  of  the  Library  of  the  Court  of  Appeals."  This  act  author- 
i/.ed  the  judges  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  to  divide  the  library  and  locate 


THE  BENCH  AND  BAR.  343 

it  in  two  suitable  places  west  of  the  State  capital.  The  court  appointed 
George  F.  Comstock  and  Samuel  L.  Selden  a  committee  for  that  pur- 
pose, both  of  whom  were  afterwards  judges  in  that  court.  The  gen- 
eral basis  of  the  division  was  that  all  "duplicate  books  and  such  others 
as  the  judges  may  think  proper,"  should  be  taken  for  the  new  library. 
The  act  also  provided  that  three-fourths  of  the  fund  of  interest  that 
had  accumulated  in  the  Court  of  Chancery,  and  known  as  the  Chan- 
cellor's Library  Fund,  should  be  devoted  first  to  the  expenses  of  carry- 
ing out  the  provisions  of  the  law,  and  then  to  the  enlargement  and 
improvement  of  the  library.  The  division  was  carried  out  and  the 
books  thus  devoted  to  the  Syracuse  library  were  deposited  in  a  large 
room  on  the  first  floor  of  the  court  house,  and  the  remainder  were 
taken  to  Rochester  and  the  other  library  established  in  that  city.  Willi 
the  completion  of  the  addition  to  the  court  house  in  1884,  before  de- 
scribed, the  library  was  removed  to  its  present  commodious  and  hand- 
some rooms.  Since  the  library  was  established  in  Syracuse  manv  val- 
uable additions  have  been  made.  The  librarians  have  been  William  H. 
Moseley,  Richard  Wolworth,  C.  H.  Sedgwick,  and  the  incumbent,  T. 
L.  R.  Morgan,  who  assumed  the  position  in  1885. 

BIOGRAPHICAL. 

Thaddeus  M.  Wood  was  born  at  Lenox,  Mass.,  March  '.),  1772,  and 
graduated  from  Dartmouth  College  in  the  class  of  1790.  He  studied 
law  in  Utica  and  in  1794  removed  to  and  settled  in  Onondaga  Valley, 
where  he  was  a  distinguished  character  throughout  his  life.  He  opened 
a  law  office  at  the  Valley  and  established  himself  as  the  first  resident 
attorney  in  the  county.  He  had  a  taste  for  military  science  and  was  ap- 
pointed lieutenant-colonel  in  1800,  and  served  in  the  war  of  1812.  In 
1818  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  brigadier-general,  and  to  major- 
general  in  1820.  Within  twenty-four  hours  after  receiving  notice  of 
the  threatened  descent  of  the  British  upon  Oswego,  he  was  on  his  way 
thither  with  his  command;  also  when,  a  little  later,  Sackett's  Harbor 
was  threatened,  he  sent  messengers  throughout  the  county  Id  arouse 
the  Onondagas  and  his  regiment  and  marched  northward.  A  Demo- 
crat in  politics,  General  Wood  became  a  Clintonian  upon  the  division 
of  the  party,  and  supported  Jackson  in  1828.  He  acquired  a  passion 
for  the  ownership  of  real  estate,  and  at  an  early  date  became  a  large 
landholder  in  the  towns  of  Manlius,  Liverpool,  Salina,  Onondaga  Val- 
ley and  on  the  site  of  Syracuse.      He   took  a  dee])   interest  in  agrieul- 


344  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

ture,  but  not  as  a  practical  farmer,  his  other  manifold  duties  taking  his 
undivided  attention.  As  a  lawyer  he  was  celebrated  for  his  wit,  pow- 
ers of  sarcasm  and  invective,  his  readiness  of  resource  in  emergencies 
and  his  professional  integrity  was  unquestioned.  In  later  years  of  his 
life  he  became  embarrassed  in  financial  affairs,  chiefly  through  his  deter- 
mination to  not  sell  his  landed  possessions  under  any  circumstances, 
and  becoming  involved  in  perplexing  and  costly  litigation.  In  this  way 
he  became  somewhat  unpopular  with  some,  but  the  confidence  and 
esteem  of  those  who  knew  him  best  was  never  lost.  His  wife  was  Patty 
Danforth,  daughter  of  the  pioneer,  Asa  Danforth,  and  they  had  four 
sons  and  four  daughters,  one  of  the  daughters  becoming  the  wife  of 
Charles  A.  Baker  of  Syracuse.  General  Wood  died  at  his  residence 
January  10,  1836,  and  his  widow  died  on  Thanksgiving  day  in  1854. 

B.  Davis  Noxon  was  born  in  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  in  1788,  and  was 
a  son  of  a  physician.  Receiving  an  academic  education,  he  took  up  the 
study  of  law,  and  in  1809  began  practice  in  Marcellus.  A  few  years  later 
he  removed  to  Onondaga  Hill,  where  his  professional  life  really  began. 
The  extensive  litigation  growing  out  of  the  grants  and  sales  of  the  mili- 
tary lots  early  engaged  his  attention,  in  which,  with  other  practice,  he 
soon  took  a  foremost  position.      His  biographer  wrote  of  him : 

In  knowledge  of  this  branch  of  the  law,  in  careful  preparation,  in  the  acumen 
necessary  to  mark  every  nice  distinction,  in  the  skill  requisite  to  detect  and  expose 
fraud  and  perjury;  in  boldness,  tact,  pertinacity;  in  his  hard  logic  for  the  court  and 
his  skillful  appeals  to  juries,  he  was  in  the  front  rank  of  his  profession.  Experience 
in  the  trial  of  such  causes  made  him  a  complete  and  thorough  lawyer,  and  he  stood 
almost  without  a  peer  or  rival  in  real  estate  law  throughout  his  professional  life.  .  . 
Mr.  Noxon  studied  the  cases  which  shaped  and  settled  the  law  of  the  State  as  they 
arose.  In  all  his  career  he  was  distinguished  for  his  accurate  knowledge  of  the  ad- 
judged cases,  their  reasons,  their  distinctions  and  their  limitations;  and  no  man  had 
a  better  memory  to  retain  or  nicer  skill  to  use  this  knowledge.  Mr.  Noxon  was  not 
alone  a  distinguished  real  estate  lawyer ;  his  mind  and  knowledge  were  versatile,  and 
in  other  branches  of  his  profession  he  was  eminent.  He  was  quick-witted  and  strong 
in  the  trial  of  every  cause.  He  was  a  master  of  invective,  always  honest,  always  a 
dominant  figure  at  the  bar.  With  the  transfer  of  the  courts  to  Syracuse  in  1829,  Mr. 
Noxon  removed  from  the  Hill,  and  with  the  late  Elias  W.  Leavenworth  formed  the 
firm  of  Noxon  &  Leavenworth,  which  was  during  many  years  the  foremost  firm  in 
the  village.  Mr.  Noxon  was  seldom  a  candidate  for  office,  but  he  held  political  views 
..I  a  clear  and  decided  character.  His  death  took  place  on  the  13th  of  May,  1869. 
Mr.  Noxon  had  the  distinction  of  being  connected  professionally  with  what  was  per- 
unique  lawsuit  ever  begun   in  (  hiondaga  county.     Charles  T.  Hicks, 

i  tl unty  1841-G,  was  a  man  of  great  tenacity  of  opinion;  in  short,  he  was 

obstinate,  and  when  W.  W.  Teall,  then  postmaster,  charged  Hicks  letter  postage  on 


THE  BENCH  AND  BAR.  .345 

a  newspaper  that  bore  the  simple  initials  of  the  sender  on  the  outside  of  the  wrap- 
per, Hicks  refused  payment  and  began  a  suit  in  trover  for  damages  and  secured  a 
favorable  verdict  before  a  justice~of,the  peace.  Postmaster  Teall  explained  the  case 
to  the  postmaster-general,  who  ordered  an  appeal,  and  the  County  Court_affirmed 
the  judgment.  The  case  next  went  to^the  Supreme  Court,  where  another  affirma- 
tion of  judgment  was  given.  An  appeal  was  'then  taken  to  the  Court  of  Appeals, 
Stephen  D.  Dillaye  appearing  for  the  postmaster  (as  he  had  in  the  lower  courts),  and 
Mr.  Noxon  for  Hicks.  Here  again  judgment  was  affirmed,- and  the  trifling  case  went 
to  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States,  where  William  H.  Seward  appeared  for 
Hicks.  The  postmaster-general  had  shown  the  deepest  interest  in  the  case  and  in- 
structed the  late  Judge  Allen,  then  United  States'district  attorney,  to  take  charge  of 
the  matter  before  the  highest  court  in  the  land.  ™  Mr.  Hicks  had  the  satisfaction  of 
winning  his  case.  The  law  prohibited  putting  marks  on  newspapers  intended  to 
"convey  information,"  and  there  was  no  evidence  that  the  letters  were  placed  on 
the  newspaper  for  that  purpose,  or  that  they  were  placed  there  by  the  sender  of  the 
package.  Mr.  Noxon's  ready  wit  and  repartee  is  indicated  in  his  reply  to  a  judge 
before  whom  he  was  trying  a  case,  in  which  he  constantly  interposed  objections.  Irri- 
tated at  this  course,  the  judge  finally  exclaimed:  "What  am  I  here  for  except  to 
decide  these  questions  as  they  arise?"  Mr.  Noxon,  with  his  usual  gravity,  laid  down 
his  glasses  and  pen,  and  raising  his  eyes  to  the  Judge,  replied,  "  Your  honor  has  got 
me  now." 

James  Robbins  Lawrence  was  born  in  Norfolk,  Litchfield  county, 
Conn.,  on  September  11,  1790.  At  the  age  of  five  years  he  came  with 
his  father  to  Oneida  county,  where  he  attended  school  and  the  Hamil- 
ton Academy,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1810.  He  studied  law  with 
Medad  Curtis,  the  pioneer  lawyer  of  Onondaga  Hill.  Soon  after  his 
admission  to  the  bar  Mr.  Lawrence  removed  to  Camillus  and  with  his 
brother,  Grove  Lawrence,  gained  a  large  practice.  In  1840  he  settled 
in  Syracuse,  where  he  remained  in  active  practice  about  forty  years 
He  was  made  the  first  county  judge  under  the  new  Constitution,  and 
served  from  l1847  to  1850.  In  September  of  this  last  year  he  was  ap- 
pointed United  States  attorney  for  the  Northern  District  of  New  York 
He  was  repeatedly  elected  to  the  Assembly  in  the  exciting  period  from 
L830  to  1840,  and  distinguished  himself  as  a  legislator.  He  continued 
active  in  politics  throughout  his  life,  affiliating  with  the  Republican 
party  upon  its  organization  and  giving  his  best  efforts  to  aid  the  gov- 
ernment in"  its  time  of  trial.  It  has  been  written  of  Judge  Lawrence 
by  one  who  knew  him  well,  that  "no  man  at  the  bar  had  uniformly 
better  success  than  he  in  the  conduct  of  cases.  Able  as  a  legist,  he 
shone  as  an  advocate;  with  a  commanding  presence,  a  persuasive  elo- 
quence, and  withal  quick  at  repartee  and  abounding  in  humor,  he  was 
almost  resistless  before  juries.      As  a  politician   he  was  patriotic  and 

44 


346  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

influential;  as  a  citizen,  enlightened  and  judicious;  as  a  husband  and 
father,  affectionate  and  indulgent."  About  seven  years  before  his 
death  Judge  Lawrence  was  stricken  blind,  but  he  bore  his  affliction 
with  fortitude.     He  died  on  March  21,  1874. 

Daniel  Pratt  was  a  native  of  Greenwich,  Washington  county,  N.  Y., 
where  he  was  born  in  1800.  He  graduated  from  Union  College  in  1833 
and  in  the  same  year  settled  in  Onondaga  county,  where  he  began  the 
study  of  law  in  the  office  of  David  D.  Hillis  in  Camillus.  In  February, 
1843,  he  was  appointed  first  judge  of  Onondaga  County  Common 
Pleas,  and  four  years  later  was  elected  judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  and 
re-elected  in  1851.  At  the  close  of  this  term  he  retired  from  the  bench 
in  the  full  enjoyment  of  the  confidence  of  his  compeers  in  his  judicial 
ability  and  unswerving  integrity.  During  his  term  of  service  as  judge 
he  received  the  degree  of  LL.D.  from  both  Hamilton  and  Union  Col- 
leges. January  1,  1800,  Judge  Pratt  took  up  his  practice  with  the  late 
David  J.  Mitchell,  and  two  years  later  Wilber  M.  Brown  was  admitted 
to  the  firm,  which  was  for  man}*  years  the  leading  law  firm  in  the  city. 
In  1873  Judge  Pratt  was  elected  attorney-general.  While  Judge  Pratt 
was  not  brilliant  as  a  speaker,  his  mind  was  most  admirably  disciplined 
and  stored  with  a  wealth  of  legal  knowledge,  which  was  always  at  his 
command,  and  gave  him  great  strength  in  certain  branches  of  his  pro- 
fession.     He  died  July  23,  1864. 

Joseph  F.  Sabine,  son  of  William  H.  Sabine,  the  pioneer  lawyer  of 
Onondaga  county,  was  born  in  March,  1814,  and  graduated  from  Yale 
College  in  1836.  He  soon  afterward  began  studying  law  in  the  office 
of  James  R.  Lawrence  in  Camillus,  was  admited  to  the  bar  in  1838  and 
became  a  partner  with  Mr.  Lawrence.  The  firm  removed  to  Syracuse 
in  L839  and  had  a  large  practice.  Mr.  Sabine's  health  was  not  robust 
and  he  passed  many  winters  in  the  latter  part  of  his  life  in  the  South, 
practically  giving  up  his  profession.  He  engaged  largely  in  real  estate 
operations  and  acquired  wealth.      He  died  in  Syracuse  June  4,   1874. 

Samuel  L.  Edwards,  one  of  the  early  and  conspicuous  members  of 
the  Onondaga  bar,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Fairfield,  Conn.,  on  Feb- 
ruary II,  L789.  In  L812  he  graduated  from  Yale  College  with  the  de- 
gree o1  A.  B.,  and  in  1834  received  the  degree  of  A.  M.  from  the  same 
institution.  Soon  after  graduating  he  settled  in  Manlius  and  began 
stud_\-  of  law  with  Randall  &  Wattles.  After  he  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  he  purchased  Mr.  Wattles's  interest  in  the  firm  and  continued  with 
Mr.   Randall  several  years.      lie  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the  Supreme 


THE  BENCH  AND  BAR.  347 

Court  in  1815  and  as  counselor  in  that  court  in  1821;  also  to  practice- 
as  solicitor  in  chancery  in  1821  and  as  counselor  in  L823.  In  all  of  these 
courts  he  acquired  a  high  reputation  and  a  large  measure  of  sir 
He  held  various  town  offices  and  in  1823  was  elected  to  the  Assembly 
where  he  served  two  terms.  He  was  appointed  first  judge  of  Common 
Pleas  of  this  county  in  183J  and  in  L833  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate 
where  he  served  eig"ht  years.  He  then  retired  from  public  life  and 
practiced  his  profession  until  a  short  time  before  his  death.  It  has  been 
said  of  Judge  Edwards  that  "he  was  studious  as  a  lawyer,  careful  and 
painstaking,  and  being  a  man  of  good  abilities,  was  always  ready  for 
the  trial  of  the  cases  entrusted  to  his  charge,  and  was  rewarded  with  a 
full  share  of  the  success  which  never  fails  to  attend  careful  preparation 
and  studious  and  persevering  industry."  Judge  Edwards  died  at  his 
home  in  Manlius  on  April  ', .  1877. 

Oliver  R.  Strong,  the  Onondaga  pioneer,  was  born  on  August  5, 
1781,  in  Lebanon,  Conn.  In  1802  he  joined  the  westward  tide  and 
made  his  way  to  Onondaga  Hill,  where  lived  the  Ellis  family  to  whom 
he  was  related.  He  was  employed  to  teach  he  first  school  there,  Ids 
salary  being  five  dollars  a  month  and  board.  He  made  the  school  thrive 
and  his  salary  was  soon  doubled.  In  1805  he  was  appointed  under 
sheriff  of  the  county,  by  Elijah  Phillips,  sheriff,  and  continued  in  the 
position  under  Robert  Earll,  the  next  sheriff.  In  180'J  he  was  ap- 
pointed treasurer  of  the  county  and  held  the  office  until  1830,  when  he 
resigned.  In  1812  he  began  mercantile  business  on  the  Hill.  In  1830 
he  was  associated  with  John  Wilkinson  in  founding  the  ( )nondaga 
County  Bank,  of  which  he  was  president  fourteen  years.  In  L834  he 
was  elected  to  the  Assembly,  served  one  term,  refused  a  re-election  and 
in  1838  was  appointed  associate  judge  of  Common  Pleas,  which  office 
he  held  several  years.  About  the  year  1850  Judge  Strong  retired  from 
active  business  life  and  died  at  the  residence  of  his  son,  John  M.  Strong, 
in  Syracuse  on  October  3,   1872. 

David  Duncan  Hillis,  who  died  in  .Syracuse  on  February  20,  1859, 
was  prominent  in  the  early  history  of  the  bar  of  this  county.  He  stud- 
ied with  James  R.  Lawrence  in  Camillus,  was  admitted  in  1832  and  re- 
moved to  Syracuse  in  1837.  Judge  Daniel  Pratt  studied  in  Mr.  Hillis's 
office  in  Camillus  and  after  the  removal  of  the  latter  to  Syracuse,  the 
firm  of  Hillis  &  Pratt  was  formed  which  continued  until  1843.  In  Feb- 
ruary, 1844,  Mr.  Hillis  was  made  surrogate  of  the  county.  In  1850  the 
firm  of  Hillis  &  Morgan  (Le  Roy  Morgan)  began,    which  existed  until 


348  ONONDAGA'S   CENTENNIAL. 

Mr.  Hillis's  death.  During  his  twenty  years  of  practice  Mr.  Hillis  took 
a  leading-  position  at  the  bar,  with  such  men  as  Noxon,  Lawrence, 
i  Ruger,  and  others,  and  he  was  the  peer  of  any  lawyer  of  that  time  as 
an  advocate.  He  was  connected  with  many  important  trials.  He  was 
a  communicant  of  the  Episcopal  church  and  a  man  of  kind  disposition 
and  rare  social  traits. 

Although  the  various  interests  with  which  John  Wilkinson  became 
connected  during  his  active  life  drew  him  away  from  his  profession  as 
a  lawyer  to  a  considerable  extent,  he  still  occupied  a  prominent  position 
in  the  county  bar.  He  was  born  in  Troy,  N.  Y.,  September  30,  1798. 
The  next  year  his  father  removed  to  the  town  of  Skaneateles,  making 
the  journey  with  a  sled  and  oxen.  At  twelve  years  of  age  the  son  was 
sent  to  the  Onondaga  Academy,  where  his  studious  habits  attracted  the 
attention  of  Joshua  Forman,  and  after  graduation  he  was  taken  into  the 
law  office  of  Forman  &  Sabine  to  study.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  September,  1819,  and  settled  in  Syracuse  as  the  first  resident  lawyer. 
After  being  instrumental  in  the  survey  of  the  Walton  Tract,  Mr.  Wil- 
kinson built  a  small  office  on  the  site  of  the  Globe  Hotel,  for  which  he 
was  ridiculed  for  locating  so  far  out  in  the  fields.  In  1820  he  was  ap- 
pointed postmaster  and  held  the  office  until  1840.  In  1825  he  was 
elected  the  first  village  clerk,  and  in  the  same  year  was  chosen  one  of 
the  directors  of  the  Onondaga  County  Bank  at  its  organization  and  held 
the  office  until  the  bank  closed  its  business.  He  was  president  of  the 
Bank  of  Syracuse  from  its  organization  until  his  death.  Later  in  life 
he  became  prominent  in  the  construction  and  management  of  early 
railroads.  He  was  president  of  the  Syracuse  &  Utica  Railroad,  and 
after  the  organization  of  the  New  York  Central  Company,  was  chosen 
its  counsel.  He  served  as  member  of  assembly  in  1834-5.  He  was  a 
director  in  the  Hudson  River  Railroad  Company,  the  Buffalo  and  State 
Line  Railroad  Company,  the  Oswego  and  Syracuse  Railroad  Company, 
and  the  Rochester  and  Syracuse  Company.  Later  he  was  president  of 
the  Michigan  Southern  and  Northern  Indiana  Company.  Mr.  Wilkin- 
son enjoyed  to  the  fullest  measure  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  all  who 
knew  him.  Many  large  estates  were  entrusted  to  him  and  his  co- 
operation and  counsel  were  sought  in  all  important  undertakings.  He 
died  in  1862. 

Nehemiah  H.  Earll  was  born  in  Whitehall,  N.  Y.,  October  5,  1787, 
and  his  father,  Gen.  Robert  Earll,  settled  in  Onondaga  county  about 
L793.      The   family  lived  at  Onondaga  Valley  about   nine  months  and 


THE  BENCH  AND  BAR.  349 

then  removed  to  Skaneateles,  where  they  lived  until  1804.  In  that 
year  the  son  entered  Fairfield  Academy  and  left  it  two  years  later  with 
a  good  education.  He  began  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Daniel 
Kellogg,  at  Skaneateles,  and  afterwards  studied  with  Thaddeus  M. 
Wood  and  George  Hall  at  the  Valley.  He  was  admitted  to  practice 
in  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  in  1809,  soon  after  which  he  removed  to 
Salina  and  was  a  partner  of  Daniel  Moseley  and  John  P.  Sherwood.  In 
L812  he  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the  Supreme  Court.  He  served  at 
( )s\vego  in  the  war  of  1812,  holding  the  post  of  adjutant,  and  in  L814 
resumed  his  profession  at  Onondaga  Hill.  In  1816  he  was  appointed 
postmaster,  and  in  the  same  year  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace,  an 
office  which  he  held  until  1820.  In  1823  he  was  appointed  first  judge 
of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  and  in  his  court  most  of  the  business  of 
the  county,  civil  and  criminal,  was  disposed  of.  In  1831  he  resigned 
the  office  of  judge  and  received  the  appointment  of  superintendent  of 
the  Salt  Springs.  This  position  he  filled  until  1830,  when  he  resigned 
and  engaged  in  milling  business  at  Jordan  with  his  brother  Hezekiah. 
Two  years  later  he  removed  to  Syracuse.  In  1838  he  was  elected  to 
Congress  by  the  Democrats,  and  was  renominated  and  defeated  in  1840. 
He  lived  as  a  private  citizen  from  that  time  until  18G0,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Mottville,  where  he  died  September  1,  1872.  fudge  Earll 
was  an  active  politician,  an  upright  judge,  a  man  of  tender  sympathies 
and  excellent  ability  as  a  lawyer. 

Le  Roy  Morgan  was  born  in  the  town  of  Pompey,  Onondaga  countv, 
N.  Y.,  on  March  27,  1810,  son  of  Lyman  and  Melissa  Morgan.  He 
graduated  from  the  Pompey  Academy  in  1830  and  in  the  same  year  be- 
gan the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Daniel  Gott,  continuing  later  in 
the  office  of  Samuel  L.  Edwards,  of  Manlius,  teaching  school  at  inter- 
vals during  his  studies.  He  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the  Court  of 
Common  Pleas  in  1833,  and  in  the  next  year  was  made  counselor  and 
attorney  in  the  Supreme  Court  of  this  State.  He  practiced  in  Manlius 
and  Baldwinsville  until  1851,  when  he  removed  to  Syracuse.  From 
1843  to  1848  he  held  the  office  of  district  attorney,  discharging  the 
duties  with  marked  ability  and  fidelity.  In  1849  he  formed  a  partner- 
ship with  David  D.  Hillis  and  remained  with  him  until  the  death  of 
Mr.  Hillis  in  1859.  In  November  of  that  year  he  was  elected  justice 
of  the  Supreme  Court  after  a  bitter  contest  for  the  nomination.  So 
satisfactory  to  the  bar  and  the  people  was  his  administration  of  the 
high  office  that  he  was  re-elected  for  a  second  term  of  eight  years  with- 


350  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

out  opposition.  He  was  judge  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  ex  officio  from 
January  1,  1806,  to  1867.  Upon  the  expiration  of  his  second  term  in 
L 875  he  resumed  his  profession  and  was  extensively  employed  in  ref- 
erences and  as  counsel  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  took  place  on 
May  15,  1880.  The  distinguishing-  traits  of  Judge  Morgan's  character 
were  his  great  industry  as  a  lawyer  and  judge,  and  the  independence 
and  fidelity  with  which  he  discharged  all  of  his  duties.  He  was  lead- 
ing counsel  for  the  defense  in  the  famous  Jerry  Rescue  trial,  and  also 
in  the  murder  trials  of  Carson,  McGuire  and  Fyler.  In  his  private  life 
he  was  as  much  beloved  as  he  was  honored  in  public  life.  Always 
genial,  approachable  and  amiable,  the  junior  members  of  the  bar  re- 
membered him  with  gratitude  for  his  unfailing  patience  with  them  in 
their  early  practice.  Resolutions  commemorating  his  learning  and 
ability  were  adopted  at  meetings  of  the  bar  in  several  counties  at  the 
time  of  his  death.  He  was  father  of  T.  L.  R.  Morgan  and  F.  J.  Mor- 
gan, of  Syracuse,  and  of  Mrs.  N.  M.  AVhite  and  Mrs.  Ellen  M.  Leary. 
[)  W  Wood  was  born  in  Pompey  November  5,  181!),  son  of  Daniel 
Wood,  one  of  the  pioneer  lawyers  of  that  town.  He  was  educated  in 
Pompey  Academy  and  graduated  from  Hamilton  College  in  184)1.  He 
studied  law  with  Victory  Birdseye  in  Pompey,  and  George  W.  Noxon 
in  Syracuse,  and  was  admitted  in  1846.  Upon  the  incorporation  of  the 
lily  Mr.  Wood  was  appointed  city  attorney,  and  in  1852  was  nominated 
for  the  Assembly  by  the  Whigs.  Pie  was  elected  and  upon  the  organ- 
ization of  the  Republican  party  he  joined  its  ranks.  He  was  honored 
with  live  re-elections  to  the  Legislature,  and  in  1871  was  elected  to  the 
State  Senate  and  re-elected  in  1873.  In  these  two  legislative  bodies 
Mi-.  Wood  was  called  upon  to  perform  services  of  the  most  important 
character.  After  Ids  retirement  from  the  Senate  he  was  president  of 
tlie  Onondaga  Savings  Bank  until  his  death  and  was  prominently  con- 
ed with  many  business  corporations.  He  died  in  Syracuse  May  I, 
is:.  |. 

Thomas  T.    Davis  was  born  in  Middlebury,  Yt.,   August  22,    1810. 
He  graduated   from    Hamilton  College  in    1831,   his  father  being  then 
ident    of  that    institution.      He   studied    law   in   Syracuse  with    his 
brother   Henry,  and  later   formed  a  partnership  with  him,  which   was 
linated  by  the   death  of  Henry  in   Isll.      He   soon   after  formed  a 
partnership  with  James  S.  Leach  which  continued  through  Mr.  Davis's 
essional  life.      In  L862  he  was  nominated  for  Congress  by  the  Re- 
publicans, was  elected   and   re-elected,   and   attained  a  prominent   posi- 


THE  BENCH  AND  BAR. 

tion  on  important  committees.     Mr.  Davis  was  distinguished  at  thi 
for  his  extensive  and  critical  knowledge  of  the   law.       He   ] 
great  business   sagacity,  and  was  a   writer  of   ability  on  subjects  with 
which  he  was  familiar.      Mr.  Davis  died  May  2,  1872. 

Elias  W.  Leavenworth  was  born  in  Columbia  county,  X.  Y.,  Decem- 
ber 20,  1803.  After  careful  preparation  he  entered  Williams  College 
for  one  year,  whence  he  went  to  Yale  and  graduated  in  L823.  He  first 
studied  law  with  William  Cullen  Bryant  in  Great  Barrington,  Mass., 
and  then  finished  in  the  law  school  at  Litchfield,  Conn,  lie  was  ad- 
mitted in  that  State  in  January,  1827.  In  the  fall  of  that  year  lie  set- 
tled in  Syracuse,  where  he  was  soon  admitted  to  all  the  courts.  He 
was  prominent  in  the  profession  until  about  1850,  when  his  health  was 
threatened  and  he  substantially  retired  to  give  his  energies  to  business 
and  political  affairs.  He  held  the  office  of  trustee  of  the  village  of  Syra- 
cuse, president  of  the  village,  supervisor  of  Salina.  mayor  of  Syracuse, 
member  of  assembly,  secretary  of  state,  member  of  congress,  regent 
of  the  university  and  various  minor  positions.  He  was  long  president 
of  the  Syracuse  Savings  Bank  and  of  the  old  water  and  gas  companies 
of  Syracuse.  Few  men  accomplished  more  for  the  good  of  the  city 
than  he.      He  died  November  25,   L887. 

James  Noxon  was  a  son  of  B.  Davis  Noxon,  and  born  at  Onondaga 
Hill  in  1817.  He  attended  Hamilton  College  two  years,  and  then 
entered  Union  College,  from  which  he  graduated  in  L838.  His  father 
had  in  the  mean  time  removed  to  Syracuse  and  thither  the  son  went 
and  studied  in  the  same  office.  After  his  admission  to  the  bar  he  be- 
came a  member  of  the  firm  of  Noxon,  Comstock  l\:  Leavenworth.  I  lur- 
ing succeeding  years  he  made  several  business  connections,  and  in  L856 
was  elected  State  senator  and.  and  re-elected  in  1858.  He  was  nomi- 
nated for  Supreme  Court  judge  in  1875  and  was  elected  by  a  la 
majority.  Judge  Noxon  was  estimated  throughout  the  district  not  as  a 
great  lawyer  or  jurist,  but  as  a  faithful,  hard-working  and  conscientious 
judge.  He  was  highly  esteemed  for  his  affability  with  members  of  the 
bar,  and  his  memory  will  stand  as  an  exponent  of  the  mild  rather  than 
the  severe  method  of  administering  justice. 

Israel  Selden  Spencer  was  born  in  Camden,  Oneida  county,  in  L815, 
and  died  in  his  office  chair  in  Syracuse.  March  L2,  1885.  He  studied 
law  in  Canastota  and  was  admitted  before  reaching  his  majority.  In 
isr;,  he  settled  in  Syracuse  and  in  L850  waselected  count)- judge,  which 
office  he  held  until   1854.     After  his  retirement  from  the  bench   fudge 


352  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Spencer  gave  his  undivided  attention  to  his  practice,  which  consisted 
largely  of  land  conveyancing,  the  settlement  of  estates,  and  kindred 
work.  In  about  the  year  1870  he  traveled  extensively  in  Egypt  and 
Palestine,  and  on  his  return  prepared  a  very  interesting  lecture  on  his 
travels  which  he  delivered  in  various  places.  He  was  a  lover  of  books 
and  presented  the  Central  Library  a  valuable  collection  of  newspaper 
files. 

George  Franklin  Comstock  came  from  Revolutionary  ancestry  and 
was  born  in  Williamstown,  Oswego  county,  N.  Y.,  August  24,  1811. 
Distinguished  from  his  boyhood  for  his  love  of  books  and  study,  he 
fitted  himself  for  teaching,  which  he  followed  for  a  period,  and  gradu- 
ated from  Union  College  in  1834.  In  the  following  year  he  settled  in 
Syracuse  and  studied  law  with  B.  Davis  Noxon.  Admitted  to  practice 
in  1837,  he  soon  took  a  leading  position  at  the  bar.  In  1874  he  was 
appointed  reporter  of  the  Court  of  Appeals,  which  position  he  held  three 
years,  publishing  four  volumes  of  reports.  In  1852  he  was  appointed 
solicitor  of  the  United  States  Treasury.  In  1855  he  was  elected  judge 
of  the  Court  of  Appeals  and  remained  on  the  bench  six  years,  during 
two  of  which  he  was  chief  justice.  Nominated  in  1861  for  the  same 
office  by  the  Democrats,  he  was  defeated.  In  18G7  he  was  elected  dele- 
gate-at-large  to  the  Constitutional  Convention,  in  which  body  he  gave 
especial  attention  to  the  framing  of  a  new  judicial  article;  this  was  ac- 
cepted by  popular  vote.  In  politics  he  was  a  Whig  and  later  a  Demo- 
crat. In  this  field  he  was  somewhat  active.  His  practice,  particularly 
in  the  later  years  of  his  life,  was  mainly  in  the  higher  walks  of  his  pro- 
fession. As  a  citizen  and  a  judge  his  character  was  above  reproach. 
His  death  took  place  in  1892. 

William  Crawford  Ruger  was  born  in  Bridgewater,  N.  Y.,  January 
30,  L824,  where  his  father,  John  Ruger,  was  a  prominent  lawyer,  and 
practiced  thereuntil  1847,  when  he  removed  to  Syracuse  and  continued 
until  his  death  in  1855.  The  subject  was  educated  in  the  Bridgewater 
Academy  and  studied  with  his  father  until  1845,  when  he  was  admitted 
to  the  bar.  Me  practiced  in  Bridgewater  until  1853,  when  he  settled  in 
Syracuse  and  formed  a  partnership  with  his  father.  After  his  father's 
death  he  was  associated  in  several  law  firms  and  had  the  conduct  of 
many  important  cases,  acquiring  a  reputation  of  the  highest  character. 
A  Democrat  in  politics,  lie  was  a  delegate  to  the  famous  Hunker  con - 
■  in  oi  L849;  also  to  the  first  judicial  State  convention  in  1870,  the 
National  convention  of  L872,  and  the  State  convention  of  1 877.      In  1863 


THE  BENCH  AND  BAR.  353 

and  1865  he  was  the  candidate  of  his  party  for  member  of  congress,  but 
was  defeated  with  the  remainder  of  the  ticket.  He  was  the  first  presi- 
dent of  the  Onondaga  Bar  Association,  and  twice  president  of  the  State 
Bar  Association.  In  1882  he  was  nominated  for  the  office  of  chief 
judge  of  the  Court  of  Appeals,  and  was  honored  with  an  election.  In 
that  exalted  office  Judge  Ruger  demonstrated  the  highest  judicial 
qualifications.     Judge  Ruger  died  in  Syracuse,  January  14,  1892. 

Among  the  eminent  men  who  were  born  or  lived  in  Pompey  were  a 
number  who  achieved  success  at  the  bar  or  on  the  bench.  The  first 
one  to  practice  in  the  town  was  a  man  named  Dunham,  but  he  is  re- 
membered only  as  a  pettifogger.  The  first  settled  lawyer  in  the  town 
was  John  Keedar,  who  located  there  about  1800.  He  was  a  German 
and  a  good  lawyer,  but  failing  to  secure  an  expected  appointment  he 
left  the  country.  He  was  succeeded  in  1806  by  Daniel  Wood,  who 
came  from  Berkshire,  Mass.  He  was  a  successful  practitioner,  and 
after  Victory  Birdseye  settled  at  Pompey  they  formed  a  partnership. 
Mr.  Wood  was  the  first  postmaster  at  Pompey  and  held  the  office  of 
justice  of  the  peace.  He  was  father  of  Daniel  P  Wood,  of  Syracuse. 
His  death  occurred  in  1838. 

Samuel  Baldwin  settled  in  Pompey  at  about  the  same  time  with  Mr. 
Wood  and  attained  an  enviable  reputation  as  an  attorney.  Details  of 
his  life  are  not  accessible.  He  was  succeeded  by  Daniel  Gott,  the 
Sedgwicks,  Morgan  and  others,  who  are  properly  noticed  in  this 
chapter. 

Victory  Birdseye,  the  prominent  early  attorney  of  Pompey,  was  born  at 
Cornwall,  Conn.,  December  25,  1782.  He  graduated  from  Williams 
College  in  September,  1804,  in  the  same  class  with  Robert  and  Henry 
D.  Sedgwick  and  Luther  Bradish.  Returning  to  Lansingburgh,  X.Y., 
where  part  of  his  preparatory  education  had  been  obtained  and  where 
his  uncle  lived,  he  began  studying  law  with  his  uncle,  Gideon  Tomlin- 
son,  and  Cornelius  Allen.  He  was  admitted  an  attorney  of  the  Su- 
preme Court  of  New  York,  February  12,  1807,  and  as  counselor  Febru- 
ary 15,  1810.  In  June,  1807,  he  settled  in  Pompey.  On  October  14, 
1813,  he  married  Electa,  daughter  of  Capt.  James  Beebee.  Mr.  Birds- 
eye  was  a  faithful  student,  was  possessed  of  a  large  capacity  for  work, 
and  early  took  high  rank  as  a  lawyer.  He  also  became  prominent  in 
politics  and  in  November,  1814,  was  elected  to  the  14th  Congress.  He 
was  chosen  a  delegate  to  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  1821,  was 
member  of  assembly  in  182-3,  and  a  member  of  the  State  Senate  in 
45 


351  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

1827-28.  Again  in  1838  and  1840  he  was  sent  to  the  Legislature,  and 
in  1810  was  elected  to  the  27th  Congress.  Besides  these  high  honors 
he  was  justice  of  the  peace  at  Pompey  four  years,  commissioner  in  in- 
solvency, master  in  chancery,  postmaster  of  Pompey,  and  in  June,  1818, 
was  appointed  district  attorney  of  the  county.  He  was  active  and  effi- 
cient in  establishing  the  Pompey  Academy,  and  conspicuous  in  all  the 
public  affairs  of  the  town.  As  a  lawyer  he  had  few  superiors  in  the 
early  years.  His  death  took  place  vSeptember  17,  1853.  He  was  father 
of  twelve  children,  among  whom  were  prominent  citizens  in  the  later 
history  of  this  county. 

Daniel  Gott  was  born  July  10,  1791,  in  Hebron,  Conn.,  and  died  in 
Syracuse  July  6,  1864.  Having  only  the  common  schools  in  which  to 
obtain  an  education,  he  early  took  up  teaching  which  he  followed  up  to 
and  including  his  first  years  of  residence  in  Pompey.  At  nineteen  he 
decided  to  learn  the  clothier's  trade,  but  it  was  not  congenial  to  him 
and  he  soon  began  studying  law  in  his  native  town.  Having  visited 
Pompey  with  his  uncle  about  the  year  1812,  he  resolved  to  settle  there 
and  in  1817  he  took  up  his  permanent  residence  at  the  Hill.  He  con- 
tinued his  studies  with  Daniel  Wood,  and  after  his  admission  became  a 
partner  with  Samuel  Baldwin.  He  applied  himself  assiduously  to  his 
profession  and  soon  acquired  distinction  and  a  large  business.  For 
more  than  a  epiarter  of  a  century  he  met  in  his  professional  work  all  of 
the  prominent  lawyers  of  this  vicinity,  and  they  all  found  in  him  their 
peer.  In  1816  he  was  elected  to  Congress,  where  he  was  the  author  of 
the  famous  "Gott  resolution,"  for  the  abolition  of  slave  trade  in  the 
District  of  Columbia.  In  1851  he  was  nominated  by  the  Whigs  for 
justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  and  was  defeated  by  Daniel  Pratt.  In 
L853  ho  removed  to  Syracuse,  where  he  continued  in  practice  with  his 
son,  Daniel  F.  Gott.  Among  the  men  who  studied  in  his  Pompey  office 
and  afterward  became  prominent  were  Seabred  Dodge,  Charles  Mason, 
John  M.  Pettit,  Harvey  Sheldon,  Charles  B.  and  Henry  J.  Sedgwick, 
Le  Roy  Morgan,  L.  H.  Hiscock,  and  others. 

Among  other  attorneys  of  the  county  should  be  mentioned  the  fol- 
lowing: 

Benoni    Lee  was  a  native  of   Vermont,   born  June  7,    1812.     When 

seven  years  old   he  was  taken  to  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  by  his  par- 

and    two  years  later  was  left  an  orphan.      In    1826  he  went  to 

Skaneateles  and  began  an  apprenticeship  in  the  tanning  business  with 

Col.  Warren   rlecox,  who  took  him  into  his  family.      Here  he  had  some 


THE  BENCH  AND  BAR. 

advantages  of  study  and  he  made  the  most  of  them.  In  1833,  having 
determined  to  secure  a  liberal  education,  he  attended  the  Skaneateles 
Academy,  where  he  made  astonishing  progress.  At  the  close  of  his 
course  he  began  studying  law  with  Freeborn  G.  Jewett,  teaching  school 
winters.  In  1840  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  soon  afterward  be- 
came a  partner  with  Mr.  Jewett.  During  the  succeeding  forty  or  more 
years  he  had  a  successful  practice.  As  a  lawyer  he  possessed  unusual 
powers,  and  as  a  man  he  took  part  in  public  affairs  and  enjoyed  the  re- 
spect of  the  community.      He  died  December  9,   L886. 

One  of  the  earliest  and  most  distinguished  attorneys  in  the  western 
part  of  the  county  was  Daniel  Kellogg,  of  Skaneateles.  He  became  a 
resident  of  that  place  in  1803,  when  twenty-three  years  of  age.  He 
was  born  in  Williamstown,  Mass.,  April  19,  1780,  and  after  attending 
Williams  College  two  years  he  began  the  study  of  law  in  Albany  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1800.  In  Skaneateles  lie  soon  became 
famous  both  as  a  lawyer  and  a  financier.  In  1813  he  was  appointed 
district  attorney  of  the  county.  In  1818  he  was  chosen  president  of  the 
Bank  of  Auburn,  and  held  the  position  at  the  time  of  his  death.  lie 
was  cut  off  in  his  prime,  his  death  taking  place  on  May  4,  1836. 

Freeborn  G.  Jewett,  of  Skaneateles,  was  born  in  Sharon,  Conn.,  in 
1791.  His  educational  advantages  w^ere  not  extensive,  and  he  began 
studying  law  with  Henry  Swift  in  Dutchess  county,  finishing  in  Ballston. 
He  was  admitted  in  1814  as  an  attorney,  and  in  1817  as  a  counselor. 
He  settled  early  in  Skaneateles  and  formed  a  partnership  with  Hon. 
James  Porter.  In  1815  he  was  appointed  master  in  chancery,  and  in 
1817  was  chosen  justice  of  the  peace,  which  office  he  held  six  years.  In 
1822  he  was  appointed  examiner  in  chancery  and  was  three  times  re- 
appointed. In  1824  he  was  appointed  surrogate  of  this  count}-  and  re- 
appointed in  1827.  In  1825  he  was  elected  to  the  Assembly,  and  in 
L830  to  Congress.  Declining  a  renomination,  he  devoted  himself  to  his 
profession,  and  in  1832  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the  U.  S.  Supreme 
Court.  In  1836  he  was  appointed  a  Supreme  Court  commissioner  for 
this  county.  In  1845  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  justices  of  the  Su- 
preme Court,  and  on  the  organization  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  in  1st; 
was  elected  one  of  its  members  and  held  the  office  until  1S5;J.  It  was 
written  of  him  that  "  as  a  man  he  was  honorable;  as  a  friend  reliable; 
as  a  counselor  judicious;  and  as  a  jurist  sound  and  discriminating." 
He  died  in  March,  1858. 

Henry  Clarke,  eldest  son  of  Dr.  Hezekiah  Clarke,  was  born  in  Lanes- 


35G  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

boro,  Mass.,  January  25,  1789,  and  removed  with  his  parents  to  Pompey 
in  1805.  He  studied  law  with  Wood  &  Birdseye  and  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  of  the  Supreme  Court  in  February,  1814.  In  March  of  that 
vear  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Caleb  B.  Drake,  of  Ithaca,  and  there 
closed  his  brief  career  February  IS,  1817.  It  is  believed  that  he  was 
the  first  law  student  of  Pompey. 

Daniel  Gilbert  was  born  in  Sheffield,  Mass.,  September  12,  1786,  and 
removed  with  his  father  to  Pompey  in  1799.  There  his  father  died  in 
1806.  The  son  studied  law  in  Cazenovia  and  was  admitted  to  practice 
in  1812,  at  which  time  he  settled  in  Salina.  He  was  soon  afterward 
appointed  justice  of  the  peace  and  held  the  office  twelve  years.  In 
September,  1817,  he  married  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Hezekiah  Clarke  and 
in  1832  removed  to  Fayetteville.  One  year  later  he  went  to  Orleans 
county  where  he  held  the  office  of  associate  judge  of  Common  Pleas. 
In  1844  he  removed  to  Coldwater,  Mich.,  where  he  died  February  15, 
1865. 

Manoah  Pratt,  jr.,  of  Pompey,  where  he  was  born  in  1798,  studied 
law  with  Daniel  Wood  and  later  with  Victory  Birdseye  and  Samuel 
Baldwin,  and  was  admitted  to  practice  in  1823.  He  never  practiced 
much,  having"  been  induced  to  relinquish  his  profession  to  take  charge 
of  the  home  farm,  on  account  of  his  father's  failing  health.  He  held  the 
office  of  supervisor,  and  was  in  the  State  Legislature  in  1847. 

Henry  Cruger  Van  Schaack,  the  prominent  attorney  and  citizen  of 
Manlius,  was  born  in  Kinderhook,  N.  Y.,  April  3,  1802.  He  received 
a  classical  education  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
one.  He  began  practice  at  Black  Rock,  near  Buffalo,  and  in  Novem- 
ber, 1827,  having  married  in  May  of  that  year,  he  settled  in  Manlius. 
He  soon  took  a  prominent  position  both  professionally  and  in  the  affairs 
of  the  town.  He  was  a  writer  of  ability,  published  several  works  of  a 
historical  character,  among  them  a  short  history  of  Manlius,  and  was  a 
persistent  collector  of  valuable  documents,  autographs,  etc.  Himself 
and  his  wife  were  active  members  of  the  Episcopal  church.  They  were 
parents  of  fourteen  children,  ten  of  whom  lived  to  maturity. 

Amasa  H.  Jerome,  of  Manlius,  was  many  years  prominent  in  the  bar 
of  the  county,  to  which  he  was  admitted  at  an  early  age.  He  was 
elected  one  of  the  judges  of  the  old  court  of  Common  Pleas,  and  in 
i  was  elected  surrogate  of  the  county,  for  which  office  he  was  espe- 
cially well  fitted.  In  politics  he  was  an  unwavering  Republican,  and 
was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church  of  Manlius. 


THE   BENCH  AND  BAR. 


357 


In  the  succeeding  histories  of  the  various  towns  and  in  Parts  II  and 
III  will  be  found  notices  of  many  other  members  of  the  bar  and  the 
judiciary. 

ONONDAGA  COUNTY  BAR,   1895. 


Charles  Andrews, 
William  C.  Anderson, 
Robert  H.  Abbott, 
T.  G.  Alvord, 
James  A.  Allis, 
I.  N.  Ames, 
Wm.  E.  Ayres, 
John  N.  Ardner, 
Hamilton  Burdick, 
E.  H.  Burdick, 
J.  L.  Bagg, 
Stanley  Bagg, 
D.  Bookstaver, 
S.  F.  Belknap, 
B.  N.  Bailey, 
Arthur  Beebe, 
S.  J.  Billington, 
Edward  C.  Britcher, 
W.  R.  Chamberlin, 
George  E.  Condon, 
George  K.  Collins, 
George  D.  Cowles, 
George  D.  Chapman, 
Wr.  G.  Cady, 
Morris  W.  Chase, 
A.  B.  Caldwell, 
George  N.  Cheney, 
David  F.  Costello, 
William  A.  Comstock, 
Clinton  S.  Carr, 
Peter  B.  Cole, 
Leonard  C.  Crouch, 
Charles  H.  Duell, 
R.  E.  Drake, 
Edward  Devine, 
Caleb  W.  Dove, 
Lincoln  W.  Dygert, 
Peter  A.  Drumm, 
Edward  E.  Dean, 
Giles  B.  Everson, 


SYRACl  SE. 

J.   Esmond, 
C.  B.  Ellis, 
H.  W.  English, 
H.  T.  Fellows, 
J.  C.  Fowler, 
William  B.  Fuller, 
L.  E.  Fuller, 
N.  F.  Graves, 
W.  H.  Gifford, 
Edgar  P.  Glass, 
A.  H.  Green, 
W.  H.  Gallup, 
C.  B.  Goodrich, 
William  Gilbert, 
W.  E.  Gilbert, 
George  W.  Gray, 
John  C.  Hunt, 
George  F.  Hine,  ' 
Norman  Hine, 

C.  A.  Hammond, 
S.  N.  Holmes, 
John  J.  Hallock, 
M.  Z.  Haven, 
George  W.  Hey, 
Everard  A.  Hill, 
Bert  Hanson, 

E.  M.  Harvie, 
Thomas  Hogan, 
Frank  B.  Hodges, 
Frank  J.  Hogan, 
Dennis  W.  Hunt, 
Gates  Hamberger, 
Julie  R.  Jenney, 
is.  H.  Jacobson, 
E.  O.  Johnson, 
Wm.  A.  James, 

D.  B.  Keeler, 
Charles  S.  Kent, 
Frank  T.  Kent, 
Frank  W.  Knapp, 


J.  A.  Kippley, 

J.  L.  King, 

Louis  P.  Lang, 

Wm.  Gray  Lapham, 

Edward  H.  Leggett, 

S.  J.  Kelly, 

P.  B.  McLennan, 

Walter  W.  Magee, 

Louis  Marshall, 

W.  S.  MacGregor, 

T.  Le  Roy  Morgan, 

D.  F.  McLennan, 

Thomas  F.  Murphy, 

M.  M.  Mara, 

J.  Charles  Meldram, 

D.  B.  Magee, 

M.  L.  McCarthy, 
H.  A.  Maynard, 
G.  G.  Munger, 
John  H.  McCrahc.u, 

E.  P.  More, 

R.  A.  McDuffie, 
John  ().  McMahon, 
J.  A.  McFarran, 
William  McMahon, 
John  N.  Mosherr 
Eugene  F.  McKinley, 
A.  Lee  Olmsted, 
A.  E.  Oberlander, 
George  W.  O'Brien, 

D.  Pratt, 

A.  C.  Phillips, 
X.   Peters,  jr., 

E.  J.  Page, 

X.  K.  Peckham, 
John  H.  Phillips, 
Edwin  W.  Parsons, 
Arthur  E.  Parsons, 
J.  T.  Quigley, 
Wm.  M.  Ross, 


358 


ONONDAGA'S    CENTENNIAL. 


John  T.  Roberts, 
P.  J.  Ryan, 
John  W.  Reynolds, 
George  H.  Sears, 
Michael  F.  Sherlock, 
C.  H.  Sedgwick, 

B.  J.  Shove, 
John  L.  Standart, 
Cornelius  E.  Stephens, 

C.  T.  Snavlin, 
Richard  Schroeppel, 
E.  J.  Shanahan, 

A.  H.  Sheldon, 
S.  D.  Solomon, 
George  W.  Standen, 
J.  M.  Seip, 


C.  E.  Shinaman, 
John  L.  Seager, 
La  Mont  Stilwell, 
Herbert  L.  Smith, 
Charles  E.  Spencer, 
Thomas  K.  Smith, 
Vance  Turtelot, 
George  M.  Tillson, 
W.  W.  Teall, 
S.  W.  Terry, 
John  Y.  Terry, 
F.  W.  Thomson, 
W.  G.  Trotter, 
L.  D.  Tyler, 
James  S.  Thorn, 
R.  R.  Tousley, 


Irving  G.  \Tann, 
Herold  M.  Van  Bergen, 
George  B.  Warner, 
G.  W.  Wisner, 
N.  M.  White, 
C.  A.  Weaver, 

E.  C.  Wright, 
Homer  Weston, 

F.  D.  White, 
F.  S.  Wicks, 
Clark  H.  Wilson, 
Frank  Z.  Wilcox, 
Eugene  M.  White, 
Newell  B.  Woodworth, 
Andrew  S.  White. 


Allis  &   Rogers  (A.    G.   S.  Allis,  Wm.  S. 

Rogers). 
Baldwin  &  Kennedy  (C.  G.  Baldwin,  Wm. 

Kennedy). 
Barnum    &    Danziger    (W.    L.    Barnum, 

H.  Danziger,  jr.). 
Brooks  &  Walrath   (J.  B.  Brooks,   J.   H. 

Walrath,  jr. ). 
Buck  &  Brown  (Henry  B.   Buck,  Edgar 

F.  Brown). 
Cook,  Nottingham  &   Pierce  (George  R. 

Cook,  J.  A.  Nottingham,  D.  A.  Pierce, 

Charles  C.  Cook). 
Costello  &  Welch  (J.  H.  Costello,  Walter 

Welch). 
Carley  &  Turner  (Leon  A.  Carley,  Ever- 
ett 1'.  Turner). 
Fuller  &  (Hen  (T.  K.  Fuller,  Willard  A. 

Glen). 
Goodelle  &  Nottingham  (W.  P.  Goodelle, 

Wm.   Nottingham). 

omb  &    Rafferty   (E.    I.    Edgcomb, 

Wm.  F.  Rafferty). 
1).  F.   &   F.    1).   Gott  1 1).   F.  Gott,   F.  D. 

Gott). 
Gill  &  Stilwell  (F.  B.  ('.ill.  G.  it.  Stilwell). 
Hiscock    Doheny  &  Hiscock  (Frank   Ilis- 

cocl;    George  Doheny,  F.  II.  Hiscock |. 


Hancock,  Beach,  Peck  &  Devine  (T.   E. 

Hancock,  Wm.  A.  Beach,  C.  H.  Peck, 

James  Devine). 
Hoyt  &  Farrington  (Harrison  Hoyt,  F.  J. 

Farrington,  jr.). 
Hopkins  &  Bondy  (Frank  Hopkins,  Jos. 

Bondy,  P.  J.  Tierney). 
Ide  &  Ryan  (Charles  E.  Ide,  Charles  P. 

Ryan). 
Jenney,  Jenney  &  Stolz  (E.    S.  Jenney, 

Wm.  S.  Jenney,  Benj.  Stolz). 
Jones,  McGowan  &  Young  (L.  E.  Jones, 

Geo.  McGowan,  F.  E.  Young). 
Knapp,  Nottingham  <.V-  Andrews  (M.   A. 

Knapp,  E.  Nottingham,  S.W.  Andrews, 

C.  W.  Andrews). 
Kline  &  Shove  (J.  B.  Kline,  B.  J.  Shove). 
Kennedy,   Tracy,    Mills  &   Ayling  (Geo. 

N.   Kennedy,  W.   G.   Tracy,    Chas.    F. 

Ayling). 
Lyman,  Hitchcock  &  Lyman  (F.   A.    Ly- 
man, C.  A.  Hitchcock,   E.   P.  Lyman). 
Luddington  &  Salmon  (J.  L.  Luddington, 

1  >aniel  F.  Salmon). 
Lewis  &  Crowley  (C.   H.    Lewis,  W.   B. 

Crowley). 
Messenger  &  Farmer  (H.  D.  Messenger, 

\V.  S.  Farmer). 


THE  BENCH  AND  BAR. 


359 


McClusky,  W.  J.  &  S.  E.(W.  J.  McClusky, 

S.  E.  McClusky). 
M.  E.  &  G.  W.  Driscoll  (M.    E.   Driscoll, 

Geo.  W.  Driscoll). 
Miller.   Gridley    &   Prate   (H.   E.   Miller, 

Willis  T.  Gridley,  William  E.  Pratt). 
A.  J.  &  F.  J.  Northrup  (A.   Judd  North- 

rup,  Elliott  J.  Northrup). 
Newell  &  Chapman  (J.  E.  Newell,  L.   S. 

Chapman). 
Reynolds  &  Dove   (John    W.    Reynolds, 

Caleb  W.  Dove). 
Riegel  &  Walker  (Henry  Riegel,  Frank 

R.  Walker). 
Rider  &  Benedict  (A.    B.    Rider,  A.   T. 

Benedict). 
Stone,  Gannon  &  Petit  (C.  L.  Stone,  W. 

P.  Gannon,  D.  E.   Petit). 
Stevens  &  Butterfield  (Chas.  E.  Stevens, 

E.  S.  Butterfield). 
Smith  &  Denison  (C.    W.    Smith,    H.    P. 

Denison). 
Sanford  &  Elliott  E.  H.  Sanford,  C.   M. 

Elliott). 
Talbott  &  Collins  (F.   W.  Talbott,  John 

R.  Collins). 
Waters,  McLennan  &  Waters  (John  Mc- 
Lennan, Louis  L.  Waters). 
Wilson,  Wells  &  Cobb  (E.  N.  Wilson,  E. 

M.  Wells,  Raymond  Cobb). 
White  &  Cheney   (Horace  White,   J.   L. 

Cheney). 
White  &  Cummings  (T.  B.  White,  F.  D. 

Cummings). 


Wilson  &  Forbes  (J.  Wm.  Wilson,  Claude 

L.  Forbes). 
Woods  &  Smith  (Thomas  Woods,  Ray  B. 

Smith). 
Williams  &  Cowie  (L.  B.  Williams,  Alex. 

H.  Cowie). 
Wilkin  &  Sargent  (Andrew  W.   Wilkin, 

Frank  C.  Sargent). 
Wilkinson  &  Fowler  (Alfred  Wilkinson, 

Albert  P.  Fowler). 

BALDWINS^  II. I. K. 

De  Witt  C.  Greenfield,  E.  D.  Myers, 

F.  P.  Tuger. 

FAYETTEVILLE. 

Andrew  W.  Wilkin,  S.  I).  Luce. 

JORDAN. 

John  G.  Bramley. 

LIVERPOOL. 

X.  King. 

MANLIUS. 

F.  L.  Maine. 

MARCELLX  S. 

Frank  W.  Knapp. 

POMPKV. 

William  W.  Van  Brocklin. 

SKANEAT]  I  I  -v 

Martin  F.  Dillon,  F.  E.  Stone, 

James  F.  Quigley. 


360  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 
THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION. 

The  Onondaga  County  Medical  Society — Synopsis  of  its  Acts  to  the  Present  Day — 
Its  Essayists — Its  Presidents — List  of  its  Members — The  Syracuse  Medical  Associa- 
tion— List  of  its  Members— Its  Officers — Its  Essayists — Syracuse  Medical  College- 
Biographical  Sketches  of  Deceased  Physicians — Sketch  of  Homoeopathy — Homoeo- 
pathic Medical  Society — Its  Members-  Its  Officers — Its  Necrology — The  Central 
New  York  Homoeopathic  Medical  Society. 

The  Onondaga  County  Medical  Society  was  organized  at  the  court 
house  on  Onondag-a  Hill,  on  the  1st  day  of  June,  1806,  under  the  State 
law  then  recently  passed  authorizing  such  societies  in  every  county  in 
this  State.  At  the  meeting  for  organization  William  Adams  was  chair- 
man and  Walter  Colton  clerk.  John  H.  Frisbie  was  elected  the  first 
president  of  the  society;  Gordon  Needham,  vice-president;  Daniel  Tib- 
bitts,  treasurer;  Walter  Colton,  secretary.  There  were  present  at  this 
early  meeting  Drs.  William  Adams,  Deodatus  Clark,  John  H.  Frisbie, 
Gordon  Needham,  Smith  Weed,  Jesse  Searle,  James  Jackson,  Daniel 
Tibbitts,  Isaac  Benedick,  Salmon  Thayer  and  Walter  Colton. 

Resolutions  were  adopted  providing  for  a  society  seal,  books,  etc., 
and  the  meeting  adjourned  to  the  first  Tuesday  in  October  of  the  same 
year  at  the  same  place.  At  this  meeting  a  Board  of  Censors  was 
chosen,  and  it  was  resolved  that  thereafter  no  person  should  be  admit- 
ted to  membership  in  the  society  unless  he  passed  an  examination  by 
the  board,  which  consisted  of  the  following  physicians:  John  Miller, 
Bildad  Beach,  Samuel  Porter,  Daniel  Tibbitts  and  James  Jackson.  Dr. 
John  H.  Frisbie  was  chosen  to  represent  the  society  at  the  succeeding 
meeting  of  the  State  Medical  Society.  A  committee  was  chosen  to  pre- 
pare a  series  of  by-laws,  and  Dr.  Daniel  Tibbits  was  appointed  to  de- 
liver an  oration  at  the  next  meeting.  Among  the  members  admitted 
on  this  occasion  were  Drs.  Daniel  Hubbard  and  David  Holbrook ;  the 
latter  had  previously  settled  at  Jamesville  as  the  first  settled  physician 
in  ( )nondaga  count)'.  The  meeting  adjourned  to  the  first  Tuesday  in 
lary,  L807.     Dr.  Tibbits's  oration,  just  alluded  to,  was,  of  course,  the 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION.  361 

first  before  the  society,  and  the  subject  was  "The  Inflammatory  State 
of  Fever. "  He  was  voted  thanks  for  his  able  effort.  To  spur  delin- 
quent members  to  attendance  on  the  meetings  a  fine  of  fifty  cents  for 
non-attendance  at   the  yearly  meetings  was  imposed  in  October,   L808. 

At  a  meeting  held  August  3,  1812,  preparations  were  made  to  pro- 
vide a  new  code  of  by-laws.  Several  committees  were  appointed  in 
the  early  years  of  the  society  to  investigate  and  prosecute  persons  who 
practiced  medicine  without  proper  authority.  The  records  do  not  in- 
dicate that  meetings  were  held  from  1818  to  1822,  excepting  one  in 
1820;  but  at  the  meeting  in  June,  1822,  an  impetus  seems  to  have  been 
given  to  the  society.  The  by-laws  were  considerably  changed,  the 
purchase  of  fifty  diplomas  ordered,  and  the  censors  were  called  upon 
to  prosecute  all  who  were  practicing  without  proper  authority. 

In  June,  1823,  Drs.  Elijah  Kendrick  and  Coburn  were  ap- 
pointed to  ''draft  a  system  of  Medical  Ethics  for  this  society.'"  In  L825 
it  was  resolved  that  a  part  of  the  funds  of  the  society  should  thereafter 
be  given  as  prizes,  the  amount  to  be  decided  by  a  majority  of  the  mem- 
bers present.  Prize  questions  were  to  be  selected  by  a  committee  and 
another  committee  was  appointed  to  decide  on  the  merits  of  the  disser- 
tations on  such  questions.  The  sum  of  five  dollars  was  voted  for  the 
best  dissertation  on  "  Some  Chronic  Disease."  Dr.  Jonathan  Day  was 
awarded  the  prize.  Resolutions  were  adopted  in  1830  strongly  con- 
demning the  use  of  ardent  spirits  except  for  medical  purposes,  and  that 
"we  will  so  far  as  is  consistent  with  the  duties  of  our  profession,  avoid 
prescribing  alcohol  in  any  form  which  may  endanger  the  temperate 
habits  of  our  patients." 

On  the  6th  of  July,  1832,  a  special  meeting  was  held  to  consult  upon 
measures  for  the  prevention  of  cholera,  which  had  then  begun  its  march 
of  death  in  this  country.  The  State  Medical  Society  had  issued  a  cir- 
cular on  the  subject,  which  was  the  cause  of  this  action.  Drs.  Day  and 
Clary  were  appointed  a  committee  to  "draught  such  remarks  expressive 
of  the  opinion  of  the  society  as  they  deemed  proper  to  publish  to  the 
inhabitants  of  the  county."  In  accordance  with  this  instruction,  an 
extended  series  of  resolutions  was  adopted  announcing  the  appearance 
of  the  dreaded  disease:  instructing  people  on  matters  of  sanitation  and 
general  cleanliness;  deprecating  fear  of  the  disease,  and  giving  other 
prudent  counsel.  A  central  committee  was  also  appointed  to  procure 
such  approved  publications  on  this  subject  as  were  deemed  valuable, 
and  it  was  made  the  duty  of  every  member  of  the  society  to  report  to 

46 


362  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

this  committee  every  case  of  cholera  which  might  occur  in  his  practice, 
and  his  opinion  of  the  disease  and  history  of  his  treatment  of  the  case. 
Other  committees  were  appointed  with  specific  duties,  all  intended  to 
lessen  the  ravages  of  the  disease.  The  experiences  of  the  village  dur- 
ing the  epidemic  have  been  properly  described  on  another  page.  Rev. 
Nelson  }.  Gilbert  and  Dr.  Jonathan  Day  were  among  the  first  victims 
of  the  malady,  and  their  loss  was  a  serious  one.  Such  comparative  im- 
munity from  the  scourge  as  Syracuse  enjoyed  was  due  in  no  small  de- 
gree to  the  work  of  this  society 

At  the  meeting  of  January  27,  1835,  Dr.  Hiram  Hoyt  offered  a  series 
of  resolutions  on  the  subject  of  an  eye  and  ear  infirmary  in  Syracuse, 
but  they  were  withdrawn.  In  the  same  year  the  State  Code  of  Ethics 
was  adopted  by  the  society.  About  the  same  time  a  "Topographical 
Committee  "  was  appointed  with  instructions  to  report  upon  the  topog- 
raphy of  the  county  and  its  relation  to  disease.  Reference  to  this  com- 
mittee crops  out  in  the  records  during  a  number  of  years,  generally 
with  requests  for  extension  of  time  and  other  excuses,  but  no  work  ap- 
pears to  have  been  accomplished  by  it. 

In  1840  the  State  Society  issued  a  circular  to  county  societies  asking- 
tor  an  expression  as  to  the  advisability  of  licensing  practitioners.  The 
Onondaga  County  Society  strongly  favored  this  course.  In  1843  a 
committee  was  appointed  to  inquire  into  the  propriety  of  using  "min- 
eral paste  "  in  dental  surgery. 

About  the  year  1845  opposition  to  homoeopathy  in  this  society  be- 
came quite  marked,  and  the  records  show  that  it  did  not  diminish  for 
many  years,  several  members  having  been  expelled  for  taking  up  the 
alleged  medical  heresy.  At  the  annual  meeting  of  1845  a  committee 
of  seven  prominent  members  was  appointed  to  collect  information  of 
"the  two  celebrated  systems  of  practice  taught  by  Priessnitz  and 
Hahnemann."  Upon  the  information  supplied  by  this  committee  and 
knowledge  of  homoeopathy  derived  from  other  sources,  the  society  con- 
demned the  new  school  in  unqualified  terms  and  summarily  expelled 
such  members  as  embraced  it,  among  them  Dr.  Lyman  Clary,  who  be- 
gan  practicing  homoeopathy  in  1846  and  became  very  successful.  In 
is  |s  a  communication  was  received  by  the  society  from  the  Board  of 
Health  relative  to  the  old  mill  pond  which  then  covered  the  site  of  the 
present  State  Armory  and  the  park.  This  was  a  part  of  the  agitation 
that  led  to  the  filling  of  the  pond. 

Down  to  the   year   1850   few  medical    questions  and  cases  were  dis- 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION.  3(53 

cussed  or  made  the  subject  of  essays  in  the  society,  but  constant  and 
watchful  attention  was  given  to  the  advancement  of  the  dignity  of  the 
profession  through  the  Code  of  Ethics  and  by  general  interchange  of 
views.  Only  two  meetings  were  held  in  each  year  until  lx7<),  exclusive 
of  special  meetings;  after  1870  the  number  was  doubled.  After  about 
1850  very  much  more  attention  was  given  to  reports  of  cases  by  mem- 
bers, discussion  of  their  treatment  and  the  reading  of  medical  papers. 
When  the  civil  war  was  inaugurated  many  of  the  members  of  the  society 
joined  the  army,  where  they  performed  service  as  heroic  and  as  valuable 
to  the  cause  as  that  of  the  rank  and  hie.  Among  these  were  Drs.  A. 
B.  Shipman,  R.  W.  Pease,  N.  R.  Tefft,  E.  E.  Knapp,  J.  V.  Kendall, 
I.  H.  Searl,  A.  D.  Head,  John  Van  Duyn,  George  H.  Greeley,  Elisha 
George,  Ely  Vandewarker,  W.  T.  Plant,  John  O.  Slocum,  I.  X.  Van 
Slyke,  J.  S.  Coe,  J.  O.  Burt,  Hiland  Weed,  Judson  H.  Graves  and  others. 

In  1865  the  subject  of  a  Library  for  the  society  was  introduced  by  I  >r. 
H.  D.  Didama,  and  a  committee  of  three  (Didama,  Smith  and  Mercer) 
was  appointed  to  investigate  and  report  on  the  matter.  This  resulted 
in  founding  a  library  to  be  supported  by  contributions  of  books,  papers 
and  money. 

In  January,  1866,  the  society  felt  called  upon  to  pass  the  following 
resolution  : 

Resolved,  That  the  Onondaga  County  Medical  Society  recommend  to  the  physi- 
cians of  this  county  to  form  boards  of  health,  to  use  proper' medical  and  sanitary 
regulations  to  ward  off  and  prevent  the  spread  of  Asiatic  cholera,  the  coming  of  which 
we  have  great  reason  to  fear  during  the  coming  summer. 

On  the  1st  da}"  of  November,  1871,  a  special  meeting  was  called  to 
consider  the  proposed  removal  of  Geneva  Medical  College  to  Syracuse. 
Rev.  Dr.  Jesse  T.  Peck  addressed  the  society  in  behalf  of  the  project 
and  the  establishment  of  the  college  in  connection  with  Syracuse  Uni- 
versity. Resolutions  were  adopted  strongly  favoring  the  removal,  and 
a  committee  wras  afterward  appointed  who  conferred  with  joint  com- 
mittees of  the  university  and  of  the  Geneva  College,  resulting  in  a  plan 
for  the  founding  of  the  College  of  Medicine  as  a  branch  of  Syracuse 
University. 

An  event  of  some  importance  took  place  in  the  afternoon  of  Septem- 
ber 7,  1870,  in  the  tender  of  a  complimentary  dinner  to  Dr.  Jehiel 
Stearns,  of  Pompey,  and  Dr.  Lake  I.  Tefft,  of  Syracuse,  in  celebration 
of  the  semi-centennial  year  of  their  practice  of  medicine.  The 
dinner  was  given  at  the   Onondaga  Temperance   House   and    was  pre- 


364  ONONDAGA'S    CENTENNIAL. 

sided  over  by  Dr.  H.    D.    Didama.      About  forty   of   the  physicians  of 
the  county  were  in  attendance. 

During  the  last  fifteen  years  of  the  society's  existence  it  had  expressed 
its-approval  of  the  employment  of  female  attendants  in  the  female 
wards  of  insane  asylums;  ordered  the  examination  and  substantially 
approved  of  the  metric  system;  reported  through  Dr.  Didama  the  first 
successful  case  of  tracheotomy  in  this  county  (May,  1860);  advocated 
through  Dr.  Cook  the  use  of  electricity  in  capital  punishment,  perhaps 
the  earliest  advocacy  of  that  reform ;  gave  a  banquet  to  Dr.  N.  R.  Tefft 
on  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  beginning  of  his  practice;  adopted 
active  measures  for  the  inauguration  of  better  sanitary  conditions  in 
Syracuse;  advocated  the  abandonment  of  Onondaga  Creek  as  a  source 
of  water  supply;  reported  through  Dr.  Alfred  Mercer  the  deaths  from 
typhoid  fever  from  1875  to  1884  inclusive  (the  first  five  years  117,  and 
the  second,  134;)  and  from  malarial  fever  (the  first  five  years  5,  and 
the  second  74;)  actively  participated  in  the  long  campaign  that  has  re- 
sulted in  giving  Syracuse  its  present  splendid  water  supply ;  participated 
in  a  banquet  to  Dr.  Joseph  P.  Dunlap  1  on  February  12,  1895,  on  the 
fiftieth  anniversary  of  his  residence  and  beginning  of  practice  in  Syra- 
cuse. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1881  apian  was  adopted  by  the  society  to  awaken 
deeper  interest  in  the  meetings  and  render  them  of  greater  value  to  the 
members.  This  plan  involved  the  selection  at  each  annual  meeting 
of  twelve  essayists,  three  of  whom  were  to  read  at  each  of  the  four 
meetings  in  each  year,  essays  on  appropriate  subjects.  A  penalty  of 
five  dollars  was  imposed  for  each  failure  to  fill  one  of  these  appointments. 
Following  is  a  list  of  these  essayists  from  that  time  to  the  present: 

1882.— April,  William  Manlius  Smith,  Ely  Van  de  Warker,  W.  W.  Porter.  Annual 
meeting,  J.  A.  Mowris,  W.  R.  Johnson,  J.  E.  Carr.  September,  George  W.  Cook, 
(  )    G.  Dibble,  G.  W.  Earll. 

1883.— January,  J.  V.  Kendall,  W.  W.  Munson,  H.  W.  Post.     April,  L.  F.  Weaver, 

F.  II.  Stevenson,  N.  Jacobson.  June,  John  L.  Heffron.  C.  E.  Billington,  J.  P.  Dun- 
lap.  September,  George  R.  Kinne,  M.  Stanton,  J.  D.  Potter.  Semi-annual,  E.  R. 
Maxson,  A.  S.  Edwards,  J.  O.  Slocum. 

1884.— April,  Gregory  Doyle,  Carrie  A.  Hatch.  L.  A.  Saxer.     June,   R.  W.  Pease, 

G.  W.  Earll,  C.  F.  Wright.     September,  J.  H.  Coe,  A.  C.  Mercer,  I.  H.  Searl. 

'Dr.  Joseph  P.  Dunlap  was  born  at  Carlisle,   Montgomery  county,  this  State,  in  1815.    He  was 
of  Scotch  ancestry.     He  was  graduated  from  Geneva  Medical  College  in  1842,  and  went  to  prac- 
ticing in   .Millport,  Chemung  county,  N.   V.     From  thence  he  removed  to  Syracuse  in 
as  since  remained.     Or.  Dunlap  was  active  in  founding  the  Syracuse  Medical 
College,  and  lor  a  number  of  years  held  a  professorship  there. 


HENRY  D.  DIDAMA. 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION.  365 

1885. — January,  A.  B.  Frazer,  A.  J.  Dallas,  Vandyke  Tripp.  April,  U.  H.  Brown. 
E.  A.  Knapp,  A.  A.  Aldrich,  June,  D.  M.  Totman,  G.  L.  Brown,  Alfred  Mercer. 
September,  Robert  Aberdein,  E.  S.  Mumford,  E.  J.  Holcomb. 

1886.— January,  M.  B.  Fairchild,  J.  H.  Graves,  L.  P.  Deming.  April,  H.  B.  Allen, 
N.  Wilbur,  F.  O.  Donohue.  June,  L.  C.  Skinner,  B.  F.  Chase,  G.  P.  Clark.  Sep- 
tember, F.  H.  Butler,  A.  C.  Benedict,  S.  M.  Higgins. 

1887.— January,  H.  B.  Wright,  J.  Van  Duyn,  G.  W.  Draper.  April,  H.  B.  Pritch- 
ard,  C.  S.  Roberts,  J.  P.  Shumway.  June,  G.  A.  Edwards,  H.  I).  Didama,  1-;.  C. 
Skinner.     September,  M.  G.  Rood,  A.  B.  Randall,  Scott  Owen. 

1888.— January,  F.  W.  Smith,  E.  S.  Maxson,  J.  W.  Knapp.  April,  H.  Murray, 
J.  W.  Fry,  J.  W.  Brown.  June,  E.  A.  Didama,  F.  A.  Strong,  E.  L.  Mooney.  Sep- 
tember, W.  T.  Plant,  R.  C.  Hanchett,  H.  L.  Eisner. 

1889. — January,  E.  S.  Sampson,  J.  G.  Justin,  F.  W.  Slocum. 

1890.— April,  J.  F.  Munn,  Clara  Smith,  J.  D.  Potter.  June,  F.  ().  Donohue,  David 
Gilliland,  Scott  Owen.  September,  D.  M.  Totman,  A.  S.  Edwards,  W.  J.  Ayling. 
January,  Wm.  T.  Plant,  J.  P.  Dunlap,  E.  A.  Mumford. 

1891.  April,  G.  W.  Cook,  W.  H.  Brown,  Ely  Van  de  Warker.  July,  H.  I).  Did- 
ama, J.  P.  Dunlap,  W.  T.  Plant. 

Following  is  a  list  of  the  presidents  of  this  society  from  its  organiza- 
tion to  the  present  time,  with  the  dates  of  their  election  : 

1806-7,  John  H.  Frisbie ;  1808,  Walter  Colton ;  1809,  Daniel  Tibbits;  1810,  Samuel 
Porter;  1812,  Isaac  Benedict;  1813,  H.  L.  Granger;  1815,  S.  Fish;  1816,  Luther 
French;  1817,  H.  L.  Granger;  1822-23,  Isaac  Magoon;  1824-5.  William  Taylor. 
1826-7,  Jehiel  Stearns;  1828-30,  H.  B.  Moore;  1831,  J.  B.  Hopkins;  1833-3,  Benjamin 
Trumbull;  1834,  A.  S.  Ball;  1835,  Schuyler  Pulford ;  1836,  G.  W.  Richards;  1837-8, 
Harman  Van  Dusen ;  1839-40,  L.  I.  Tefft ;  1845,  Lyman  Clary;  1846,  Horatio  Smith  ; 
1847,  P.  C.  Samson;  1848,  N.  R.  Tefft;  1849-50,  Abram  Hann  ;  1851,  John  Briggs ; 
1852,  Jonathan  Kneeland;  1853,  Hiram  Adams;  1854,  J.  V.  Kendall;  1855,  A.  J. 
Dallas;  1856,  A.  B.  Shipman  ;  1857,  J.  F.Trowbridge;  1858,  William  Laughlin ;  1859, 
James  Foran;  1860,  Alfred  Mercer;  1861,  Israel  Parsons;  1862,  R.  T.  Paine;  1863, 
S.  M.  Higgins;  1864,  Hiram  Wiggins;  1865,  William  Manlius  Smith ;  1866,  II.  D. 
Didama;  1867,  Elijah  Park;  1868,  George  W.  Cook;  1869,  W.  W.  Porter;  1S70,  M  D. 
Benedict;  1871,  J.  P.  Dunlap;  1872,  John  O.  Slocum;  1873,  William  A.  Bennett; 
1874,  George  T.  Campbell;  1876,  William  T.  Plant;  1877,  W.  W.  Munson;  1878,  Ely 
Van  de  Warker;  1879,  M.  H.  Blynn;  1880,  M.  B.  Fairchild;  1881,  J.  D.  Potter;  L882, 
John  Van  Duyn;  1883,  L.  C.  Skinner;  1884,  G.  W.  Earll ;  1885,  J.  L.  Heffron;  1886, 
Henry  B.  Allen;  1887,  D.  M.  Totman;  1888,  Henry  L.  Eisner;  1889,  G.  L.  Brown; 
1890,  J.  W.  Brown;  1891,  Nathan  Jacobson;  1892,  F.  W.  Sears.  L893,  X.  Wilbur; 
1894,  J.  H.  Coe;  1895,  Frederick  W.  Slocum. 

Following  is  a  complete  list  of  all  the  physicians  who  have  ever  been 
members  of  this  society,  with  such  brief  details  as  have  been  preserved 
regarding"  them.  The  space  for  this  list  is  cheerfully  given  up  in  these 
pages,  in  the  belief  that  its  preservation  must  be  of  great  importance 
to  the  medical  profession,  as  well  as  to  others,  for  no  other  record  ex- 
ists except  in  the  books  of  the  society: 


366  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Admitted  July  1,  1806. — Gordon  Needham,  Onondaga  Valley;  died  there  in  1864 
Deodatus  Clark,  Pompey,  removed  to  Oswego.  John  H.  Frisbie:  died  May  28,  1809. 
William  Adams,  Camillus.  Smith  Weed,  Eagle  Village.  Jesse  Searl,  Homer;  died 
there.  James  Jackson,  Manlius;  died  there  in  1829.  Daniel  Tibbits,  Pompey,  re- 
moved west.  Isaac  Benedict,  Skaneateles;  removed  elsewhere.  Salmon  Thayer, 
Onondaga  Hill ;  died  in  Geddes.     Walter  Col  ton, Manlius;  removed  from  the  county. 

Admitted  October  7,  1806. — John  Miller  Truxton.  Bildad  Beach,  Marcellus;  died 
there  Februarv  15,  1856.  Samuel  Porter,  Marcellus;  died  June  13,  1848.  Jesse 
Munger,  Camillus;  died  January  5,  1808.  Robert  D.  Tagart,  Tully ;  died  in  1831. 
John  C.  Marvin,  South  Onondaga;  removed  to  Virginia.  Silas  Parks,  La  Fayette. 
Dr.  David  Holbrook,  Jamesville;  died  in  1830.  Dr.  Holbrook  was  the  first  physician 
in  the  count}'  and  visited  Salina  and  other  points  hereabouts  in  very  early  years. 
Calvin  Wright.  George  Eagen,  Jamesville.  Joseph  Ely,  Delphi;  removed  from  the 
county.      Dr.  Ely  was  a  surgeon's  mate  in  the  Revolutionary  war  for  about  two  years. 

January 6,  1807.  — Hezekiah  Clarke;  died  in  Pompey,  March  4,  1826.  James  Pettit, 
Delphi;   died  at  Fredonia,  in  1845.     John  Davis,  Onondaga;  died  in  1842. 

April  7,  1807.— Lewis  S  Owen,  Homer;  died  there, 

October  6,  1807.— Iddo  Ellis,  Syracuse;  left  the  county, 

January  5,  1808. — Truman  Adams,  Elbridge  ;  died  about  1830. 

May  24,  1808. — Ashbel  Stedman,  Marcellus.  Isaac  Magoon,  Camillus.  Peyton  R. 
Hurlburt,  Onondaga  Hollow;  removed  to  Massachusetts  in  1813. 

October  4,  1808. — Jonathan  S.  Judd,  Green's  Corners;  went  west.  David  Fiske, 
Elbridge. 

May  23,  1809. — Erastus  Humphrey,  Marcellus;  removed  to  Utica.  John  Milton 
Stewart,  Onondaga  Hollow.     Ethan  Squire,  Cato.     Rufus  Moss,  Syracuse. 

October  3,  1809. — John  D.  Bissill,  Onondaga  Hollow.  Solomon  King,  west  part 
of  county.  Jonathan  Sweet,  Canton.  Jacob  Bradbury,  Manlius;  removed  to  Cin- 
cinnati about  1820  and  died  there.     Henry  Green,  South  Onondaga;  left  the  county. 

June  5,  1810 — Nathaniel  Sheldon,  Liverpool;  removed  west.  David  Kingsbury, 
Marcellus. 

May  25,  1812.— Hezekiah  L.  Granger,  Manlius;  died  May  26,  1828.  Isaac  Chi- 
chester, Pompey;  removed  to  Indiana.  Titus  Merriman,  Elbridge,  died  May  20, 
1864.  Luther  French,  Otisco;  died  1830.  David  S.  Colvin,  Syracuse.  Moses  Shel- 
don, Onondaga  Hill  and  .Salina;  died  at  Salina.  Lot  Thayer,  Onondaga;  left  the 
county. 

August  3,  1812.— William  Thayer,  Manlius;  died  there  September  16,  1865.  Rod- 
ney   Starkweather,  Fabius;  removed  west.     L.  H.  Colvin,  .Skaneateles. 

(Records  are  absent  until  October  22,  1814.) 

February  22,  1814. — R.  Purve,     John  Washburn,  Manlius;  went  south. 

October  24,  1815. — Joseph  Fish,  Onondaga  Hill.     Judah  B.  Hopkins,  Skaneateles. 

May  28,  1816.— Elijah  Park,  La  Fayette;  died  1832.  Jehiel  Stevens,  Pompey;  died 
there  1878.  Ashbel  Searle,  Otisco;  died  September,  1875.  Chauncey  Williams,  La 
Fayette;  died  1855.     John  S.  King,  Pompey;  removed  west. 

October  1,  181(5. — Ambrose  Bennett,  Onondaga  Hollow;  left  the  county.  Samuel 
1  Italy.  I  (nondaga  Hill;  died  May,  1854. 

January  28,  1817.  —  Liberty  Kimberly.      Henry  Ingersoll.      Warren    Patcheu. 

January  Is,   1820.      Saul    C.  Upson,    Eagle  Village.      Henry  B.  Moore,  Manlius;  re- 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION.  367 

moved  to  Coldwater,  Mich.,  and  died  therein  December.  1868       foseph  W.  Brev 
Onondaga  Valley ;  died  September  4,  1869.     George  W.  Fitch,  Preble.      Joseph  Kleb. 

June  11,  1822. — Oliver  Barber.  Schuyler  Pulford,  Fayetteville ;  removed  to  Wis- 
consin. L.  Gaylord,  Otisco.  Benjamin  Trumbull,  Borodino;  died  in  is:',:,.  Ward 
Bassett,  Manlius;  died  there  1874.  E.  Clark,  Otisco.  J.  A.  Parker,  Syracuse.  C. 
Colvin,  Syracuse;  died  in  1807. 

June  If),  1828.  —  Benjamin  M.  Root,  Canton;  died  in  1867.  L.  I.  Tefft,  Marcellus; 
died  May  10,  1880.  Augustus  Harris,  Amboy ;  died  there.  Elijah  Kendrick.  El- 
bridge;  removed  to  Columbus.  O.  Hugh  Gillespie,  Jamesville ;  died  September  IT, 
1836,  at  Michigan  City.  John  T.  Doran,  Apulia.  Daniel  Dennison,  Oran;  died  Sep- 
tember?, 1854.  R.  R.  Wheelock.  K.  R.  Lansing.  Thaddeus  Clark,  Pompey.  Josiah 
Millard,  Orville;  died  in  Illinois,  1867. 

June  8,  1824. — Ansel!  Lull,  Syracuse;  died  about  1863.  Orrin  Osburn.  Harley 
Hooker;  died  in  Syracuse.  John  W.  Hanchett,  Syracuse;  died  in  Syracuse  in  Octo- 
ber, 1844.  J.  W.  Daniels,  Salina;  died  there  February  26,  1849.  Adonija  White, 
Camillus. 

June  7,    1825.  —  Mather    Williams,    Syracuse;    died    here    February    10,    lsiis.      K]j 
Botsford,   Orville;   removed  west.     Parsons  G.  Shipman,  Delphi;    removed  to  Roch 
ester.    J.  De  Bois  Sherman.     Hezekiah  Joslyn,  Syracuse  ;  died  October  30,  1865.    Bet) 
jamin  L.  House.     Jonathan  Day,  Syracuse;  died  in  1832,  of  cholera. 

June  13,  1826. — George  Smith;  Syracuse,  died  there.  Evilyn  H.  Porter,  Skane- 
ateles;  died  in  September,  1875.     James  Andrews. 

June  12,  1827.— Daniel  P.  Jones,  Baldwinsville ;  died  there  March  29,  1861.  Jona- 
than Stanley,  Onondaga.  H.  Van  Dusen,  Tully ;  removed  to  Wisconsin.  Avery 
Benedict,  Baldwinsville. 

February  12,  1828. — George  Hooker,  Syracuse;  removed  to  Massachusetts.  Alonzo 
S.  Ball,  Salina;  removed  to  New  York.  Benjamin  Carlton,  jr.  ;  removed  to  Pom- 
pey and  died  there.      D.  A.  Sherwood,  Jamesville;  died  October  13,  1864. 

June  10,  1828. — E.  Kirby  Chamberlin,  Elbridge ;  removed  west.  A.  H.  Cowles, 
Marcellus;  died  May,  1854.  George  L.  Loomis,  Dewitt;  died  January  5,  1873.  Hi- 
ram Adams,  Fabius;  died  March  9,  1865.  Rial  Wright,  Syracuse;  removed  west. 
Lyman  Sprague,  Manlius.  George  W.  Gowing,  Tully;  died  1857.  Amnion  P.  Ad- 
ams, died  in  1870  in  the  West. 

February  10,  1829. — Wm.  Laughlin,  died  January  19,  1862.  Peter  O.  Sherwood, 
Dewitt ;  died  there.  George  W.  Richards,  Camillus;  died  in  Dubuque,  Iowa  Aaron 
Pitney,  Elbridge;  died  in  Chicago.  Jano  Wheeler,  Elbridge;  killed  by  cars  in  1866. 
Daniel  Weston,  Pompey.     George  Morley,  west  part  of  the  county.      E.  Adams. 

June  9,  1829. — B.  F.  Green,  Salina;  died  there.  Wanham  Root,  Canton;  died 
February,   1847.     T.  S.  Gorham.      1).  H.  Orcutt. 

February  9,  1830. — Lyman  Clary,  Syracuse;  died  there.  Franklin  Moulton,  Syra- 
cuse. Samuel  Kingsley,  South  Onondaga;  died  December,  1881.  Daniel  Smith, 
died  in  Wisconsin.     J.  C.  Hanchett,  Syracuse;  died  there. 

June  S,  1830. — Addison  K.  Beckwith,  north  part  of  county;  died  in  Palermo,  Os- 
wego county,  in  1856.     Henry  K.  Webster,  Onondaga;  died  in  Homer. 

February  8,  1831. —Dennis  Kennedy,  Lysander;  died  April,  L863.  A/.ariah  B. 
Shipman,  Syracuse;  died  in  Paris,  France,  September  15,  1868.  James  Riggs,  Jor- 
dan; died  January  19,  1855.     Baker. 


368  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

June  14,  1831.— John  Collins,  Spafford ;  died  in   Syracuse. 

February  14,  1832. — Daniel  D.  Evans.  Elijah  Lawrence,  Baldwinsville ;  died  Jan- 
uary, 1845.  John  O.  Shipman,  Fayetteville ;  died  September  29,  1866.  Homer  Ba- 
con, Delphi.  Harvey  Roberts,  Elbridge  ;  died  June  18,  1855.  — Farnsworth,  Fay- 
etteville ;    died  there. 

July  6,  1832.— Horatio  Smith,  Syracuse;  died  July  24,  1851. 

January  29,  1833.— I.  W.  Fitch,  Syracuse.  Edward  F.  Sing,  Syracuse.  P.  C. 
Sampson,  Syracuse;  died  April  13,  1865.  S.  D.  Day,  Syracuse;  died  there.  David 
Wilson,  Elbridge;  died  there  about  1865.      Edwin  G.  Dwyer,  Kirkville. 

June  11,  1833.— N.  R.  Tefft,  Onondaga;  died  November  14,  1890.  Charles  S.  Ster- 
ling, Liverpool.  Lewis  Bucter.  Franklyn  H.  Bangs,  Marcellus;  removed  to  New 
York.  Stephen  B.  Gay,  expelled.  David  M.  Shipman,  Manlius;  removed  to  Roch- 
ester. W.  A.  Marsh,  Manlius;  removed  to  Palmyra.  Hiram  Hoyt,  Syracuse;  died 
February  28,  1864. 

January  25,  1834.  —Joseph  W.  Chamberlin  ;   removed  west. 

June  10,  1834. — Dwight  Nims,  Manlius.  Mordecai  Morton.  Charles  Mandeville, 
Mottville;    removed  to  Illinois.     George  D.  Case. 

July  19,  1834.— S.   E.  Matthewson. 

June  9,  1835. — John  Goodell,  Delphi,  deceased.  Abraham  T.  Van  Gaasbeck,  Syr- 
acuse ;   suspended. 

June  14,  1836. — John  Briggs,  Manlius;  died  June  13,  1859.  D.  C.  Worden,  Syra- 
cuse; suspended  1859.  David  Brigham.  Adam  Vroraan.  Michael  Phillips,  Syra- 
cuse; died  about  1848.  A.  P.  Hamill,  removed  to  Phoenix;  died  October,  1890. 
Richard  R.  Davis,  .Syracuse;   died  December  13,  1851. 

January  31,  1837. — C.  B.  Chapman,  removed  from  county.  Levi  Bartlett,  Skane- 
ateles.  James  Foran,  Syracuse;  drowned  in  1873.  N.  M.  Pike,  Syracuse;  died  in 
1861.     Alfred  Clark,  Elbridge ;  died  there.     ' 

June  13,  1837. — Darwin  E.  Hurd,  Fayetteville;  died  there  October,  1873.  Curtis 
J.  Hurd,  Fayetteville;  was  a  surgeon  of  the  war  of  1812;  died  at  Dewitt,  July  10, 
1850.     Wm.  J.  Lovejoy,  Salina;   died  at  the  Isthmus,  1859. 

June  12,  1838.— Daniel  Harvey.  Samuel  M.  Farnham,  Tully;  suspended  1859. 
Hiram  Wiggins,  Cicero;  removed  to  Elbridge.     Wm.  H.  Kinne,  Tully. 

June  11,  1839.— James  C.  Stuart;  died  in  Syracuse  March  28,  1870.  G.  W.  Perrine. 
Andrew  H.  Newcomb,  Salina;  died  October  18,  1851.  Thomas  Spencer,  Syracuse; 
died  in  Philadelphia,  May  31,  1857. 

January  28,  1840. — W.  H.  Maxwell,  Syracuse;  removed  to  Xew  York.  B.  B. 
Schenck ;  gave  up  practice  for  the  ministry. 

June  9,  1840. — A.  B.  Edwards;  removed.  Ely  Cooke,  Truxton  ;  died  there.  Hays 
McKinley,  north  part  of  the  county;  died  in  Wisconsin  in  1880.  James  S.  Johnson, 
Euclid;  died  a1  Moravia,  August  19,  1879.     David  M.  Benson,  Geddes;  deceased. 

January  26,  1841. — Isaac  Morrell,  Borodino;  removed  from  county.  George  F. 
Hurd,  Fayetteville;  died  in  Rochester. 

June  8,  1841. — L.  D.  Gage.  E.  D.  Williams,  Syracuse.  T.  C.  Durant ;  removed  to 
la.  L.  B.  Hall;  removed  to  Ohio.  E.  T.  Richardson,  Tully.  John  Hart. 
Milton  W.  Cray,  Lysandcr. 

June  II  L842.  Wm.  Enworth,  Camillus;  removed  to  Wisconsin.  Wm.  S.  Young. 
J.  Kneeland,  Borodino;  removed  to  South  Onondaga. 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION.  369 

June  13.  1843. — Ira  B.  Geer.  James  Chandler,  Syracuse;  died  in  1883  M.  M. 
Marsh,  Manlius:  died  in  New  York,  1866.  Silas  Bliss,  Syracuse,  deceased.  Joel  C. 
Brown.  Abraham  Hann,  Syracuse;  removed  to  Little  Falls.  J.  K.  Cheesman,  Mar- 
cellus ;  removed  from  county. 

January  28,  1844. — Lyman  L.  Rose,  La  Fayette;  died  in  1867.  Amos  Westcott, 
Syracuse;  committed  suicide  while  insane,  July  6,  1873. 

June  11,  1844. — Heton  F.  Noyes;  removed  to  Minnesota.  Win.  A.  Grover,  Syra- 
cuse ;  removed  to  California. 

June  10,  1845. — Daniel  G.  Frisbie,  Syracuse;  removed  to  Iowa.  C.  W.  Boyce;  re- 
moved to  Auburn.  Thomas  B.  Washburn.  Wm.  G.  Redman,  Camillus;  removed 
to  Louisville. 

June  7,  1847. — John  F.  Trowbridge,  died  February  14,  1S?2.  Joseph  P.  Dunlap, 
Syracuse.     Tobias  J.  Green,  Syracuse;  removed  to  Oswego  county. 

January  25,  1848. — James  V.  Kendall,  Baldwinsville. 

June  13,  1848. — Harvey  T.  Tolman,  Jamesville.  Alexander  J.  Dallas,  Camillus. 
removed  to  Syracuse  in  186*3 

June  12,  1849. — M.  D.  Benedict,  Skaneateles;  came  to  Syracuse  in  1866  and  died 
there  in  1884.     Wm.  Manlius  Smith,  Syracuse. 

January  29,  1850. — James  Wells,  Baldwinsville. 

June  12,  1850. — Henry  P.  Coon,  Syracuse;  removed  to  California  and  died  there. 
John  E.  Todd,  Baldwinsville;  died  April  22,  1868.  Joel  B.  Linsley,  Salina;  died  in 
Central  America,  February  16,  1852. 

January  28,  1851. — Harry  Gifford,  Salina;  dismissed,  L870.  Israel  Parsons,  Mar- 
cellus. 

June  10,  1851. — H.  Emmett  Roberts,  Marcellus;  suspended  1863.  Jacob  O.  Loomis, 
Van  Buren,  deceased.  Roger  W.  Pease,  Syracuse;  died  at  his  home  Mav  2s.  lssti. 
Homer  Adams,  Ttilly ;  died  suddenly  in  Wisconsin.  August  3,  1867. 

January  27,  1852. — Horace  C.  Avery,  Kirkville ;  died  in  Fayetteville,  1857.  Sam- 
uel Avery,  Syracuse ;  gave  up  practice. 

January  14,  1853.—  Theodore  C.  Pomeroy ;  now  in  Syracuse. 

June  13,  1854. — Nelson  C.  Powers,  Syracuse;  died  August  13,  1875.  Judson  Can- 
dee,  Pompey;  killed  by  running  horse  in  1870. 

January  30,  1855.— H.  P.  Wallace,  Baldwinsville;  died  there  March  10,  1886. 

June  12,  1855.— W.  W.  Porter,  Geddes;  died  June  3,  1885. 

June  10,  1856. — Allen  V.  R.  Snyder,  Euclid;  became  blind  in  1861.  I.  X.  Van 
Slyke,  Syracuse;  died  April  15,  1869,  at  Burlington,  N.  J. 

June  9,  1857. — Alfred  Mercer,  Syracuse.     L.  D.  Clark,  Otisco. 

June  8,  1858. — George  W.  Cook,  Cicero;  came  to  Syracuse.  August,  1861.  D.  V. 
Van  .Slyke,  Syracuse;  removed  from  county.      S.  M.    Iliggius.    Memphis;  died   1889. 

January  31,  I860.— H.  B.  Wilbur,  Syracuse;  died  May  1,  1883,  Horace  Nims, 
Manlius;  died  in  December,  1894. 

June  12,  I860. — Robert  Treat  Paine,  Jordan;  removed  to  Lockport  and  died  Janu- 
ary 26,  1868.     Wm.  H.  Palmer,  Syracuse;  went  to  the  war  hut  did  not  return. 

June  11,  1861.  —  Henry  Darwin  Didama,  Salina;  removed  to  Syracuse  in  1864. 
Hiland  A.  Weed,  Jordan. 

June  10,  1862. — George  W.  Draper,  Clay:  moved   to  Geddes,    1869  and  to   Pueblo, 

1888. 

47 


370  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

June  !),  1863. — J.  Phelps  Shumway,  Baldwin sville. 

June  14,  1864. — F.  M.  Byington,  Fayetteville ;  removed  to  Kentucky  in  1874  and 
died  there  in  1877. 

January  81,  1865. — W.  O.  Luce,  Elbridge ;  removed  to  Auburn  1876.  George  W. 
Earll,  Skaneateles;  died  in  1889.  Wm.  A.  Bennett,  Syracuse;  removed  to  Massa- 
chusetts.    L.  C.  Skinner,  Belle  Isle;  died  December  11,  1887. 

January  30,  1866. — George  B.  Barrus,  Navarino.  Theron  Bradford,  Syracuse.  J. 
O.  Slocum,  Syracuse;  removed  to  Camillus  in  1867  and  died  March  5,  1885.  I.  H. 
Searl,  Syracuse;  died  in  1893.  W.  Kempster,  Syracuse;  removed  to  Utica  and  was 
assistant  superintendent  in  insane  asylum.  J.  N.  Arnold,  Elbridge;  removed  to 
Clyde.  E.  C.  Spaulding,  Fabius;  removed  to  Chicago.  James  P.  Kimball,  Pom- 
pey;  went  into  the  U.  S.  service. 

June  12,  1866. — Gregory  Doyle,  Syracuse.     James  A.  Mowris,  La  Fayette. 

January  29,  1867. — J.  Otis  Burt,  Syracuse.  William  T.  Plant,  Syracuse.  Henry 
Crouse,  Syracuse;  deceased. 

June  11,  1867.— J.  W.  Lawton,  Syracuse;  died  June  3,  1884.  M.  H.  Blynn,  Cicero; 
died  December  10,  1883.  S.  M.  Potter,  Manlius;  removed  to  Cazenovia.  O.  E. 
Wainwright,  Syracuse;  killed  in  Central  Baptist  church  disaster,  June  23,  1874. 

January  28,  1868. — Charles  Bliss,  Syracuse;  removed  to  Massachusetts.  Wm. 
Taylor,  Pompey;  left  the  county  in  1869.  James  E.  Carr,  Jordan.  Edwin  A. 
Knapp,  Jamesville. 

June  9,  1868. — J.  D.  Potter,  Delphi.  Leslie  Martin,  Lysander;  withdrew  1877. 
F.  A.  Strong,  Brewerton.  Wm.  M.  Bradford;  moved  to  Cortland  county,  1869,  set- 
tled in  Marathon,  1871.     J.  H.  Graves,  Manlius;  came  to  Syracuse  in  1881. 

January  26,  1869. — James  Durward,  Otisco;  removed  to  Indiana.  Howard  M. 
Haskell,  Onondaga  Hill;  came  to  Syracuse  in  1870,  and  left  there  the  next  year.  M. 
M.  .McDonald,  La  Fayette;  withdrew  in  1874.     Henry  B.  Allen,  Baldwinsville. 

June  8,  1869. — John  Van  Duyn,  Syracuse.  George  T.  Campbell,  Skaneateles; 
died  February  13,  1882.  Van  Dyke  Tripp,  Borodino.  James  H.  Gleason,  Salina; 
left  the  county  in  1870  and  died  from  poison  accidentally.  Merritt  B.  Fairchild, 
Syracuse. 

January  25,  1870. — E.  V.  Cuykendall,  La  Fayette.  E.  Van  de  Warker,  Syracuse. 
A.  L.  Turner,  Onondaga;  removed  to  Pennsylvania  in  1870.  James  Whitford,  On- 
ondaga Valley. 

June  II.  1870. —  E.  E.  Carrier,  Liverpool;  died  August,  1870.  Isaac  Butler,  Syra- 
l'llNL-. 

June  13,  is;  I.  A.  D.  Felton,  Syracuse;  removed  to  Saratoga  in  May,  1873,  and 
thence  to  Cedarville,  N.  J.     George  Whedon,  Syracuse;  expelled. 

January  30,  1872.  W.  W.  Morrison,  Otisco.  Charles  H.  Richmond,  Syracuse; 
removed  March,  1872.  Daniel  Terry,  Syracuse;  died  August  23,  1878.  T.  E. 
Quimby,  Fayetteville.      Henry  Laning,  Syracuse;  gone  to  Japan. 

June  11,  1872       Robert  B.  Wagner,  Syracuse;  in  U.  S.   service.     H.   B.    Pritchard, 

I  to  l   icero.      E.  S.  Mum  ford,  Syracuse     Joseph  Heme,  jr.,  Syracuse; 

to  New  York, 
mber  Hi,  1872.  -Frank  II.  Butler,'  Syracuse. 
September  9,   1873.      \V.  R.  Johnson,  Syracuse. 
Januarj  28,  L874.     J.  Wiltsie  Knapp,  Geddes, 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION.  371 

April  7,  1874. — C.  W.  Morse,  Syracuse;  removed  to  Michigan.  Edward  B.  Stearns, 
Syracuse;  removed  to  Ohio.  Arthur  S.  Hall,  Syracuse;  died  May,  1876.  Orson  <l. 
Dibble,  Pompey. 

June  it,  1874. — L.  F.  Weaver,  Syracuse.  Lucius  Stevens,  Svracuse ;  died  in 
Colorado,  July,  1884.  Frank  C.  Clarke,  Apulia;  removed  to  Cuyler.  F.  [.  Hol- 
combe,  Syracuse.     G.  W.  Earle,  Tully. 

September  8,  1874. — Wm.  A.  Chapin,  Liverpool;  died  in  1881.  fames  Willoughby 
Phillips,  Syracuse;  removed  to  Philadelphia  in  is?."). 

January  26,  1875.  —John  F.  Place,  Syracuse;  removed  to  Madison  county  in  1879. 
Amos  S.  Edwards,  Syracuse.      Horace  F.  Hatch,  Syracuse;  died  September  2,  L876 

June  8,  1875. — H.  D.  Hunt,  Spafford;  removed  to  Cortland  county.  Abel  C.  Bene- 
dict, Syracuse. 

September,  1875. — Erastus  B.  Phillips,  Syracuse;  died  in  1888. 

January  25,  1876. — C.  M.  Trenchard,  Syracuse;  removed  to  Philadelphia.  Edgar 
C.  Skinner,  Belle  Island. 

April  11,  1876. — Edwin  G.  Bush,  Syracuse.  H.  C.  Crowell,  East  Syracuse;  left 
the  State  in  1881. 

June  13,  1876. — Sumner  Rhoades,  Syracuse;  died  June  20,  1877.  Anthony  B. 
Magee,  Syracuse;  removed  to  Massachusetts,  187!i. 

January  30,  1877. — C.  O.  Baker  Elbridge;  removed  to  Auburn,  1883. 

April  10,  1877. — George  R.  Metcalf,  Syracuse;  removed  to  New  York  in  1882. 

June  12,  1877. — John  S.  Marshall,  Syracuse;  removed  to  Chicago.  David  M.  Tot- 
man,  Syracuse. 

September  25,  1877. — Edwin  R.  Maxson,  Syracuse. 

January  29,  1878. — John  W.  Brown,  Mottville.  LT.  Higgins  Brown,  Svracuse. 
Joel  G.  Justin,  Syracuse. 

April  9,  1878. — Margaret  Stanton,  Syracuse. 

June  18,  1878.— Alfred  Clifford  Mercer,  Syracuse. 

September  10,  1878. — Robert  Aberdein,  Syracuse.  Horace  D.  Babcock,  Svracuse; 
died  1894. 

January  28,  1879. — Nathan  Jacobson,  Syracuse.  Garrison  Lee  Brown,  Baldwins- 
ville;  removed  to  Euclid.     Carrie  A.  Hatch,  Syracuse. 

April  8,  1879. — George  A.  Edwards,  Syracuse.  Henry  L.  Eisner,  Syracuse.  Henry 
W.  Post,  Marcellus;  removed  to  Springfield,  Mass.     C.  E.  Billington,  Manlius. 

September  16,  1879. — J.  A.  McLoughlin,  Syracuse;  removed  to  New  York  in  1881. 

January  27,  1880. — G.  W.  Sargent,  Skaneateles ;  removed  to  Cayuga  countv. 

June  8,  1880. — J.  H.  Coe,  Syracuse.  Charles  E.  Slocum,  Syracuse;  left  the  city 
in  1882. 

June  14,  1881.— M.  G.  Rood,  Onondaga  Hill. 

September  13,  1881. — Susan  J.  Taber,  Skaneateles;  removed  to  Pennsylvania. 

April  18,  1882.— N.  Wilbur,  Fayetteville. 

June  12,  1882.— John  W.  Fry,  Syracuse. 

January  30.  1883. — F.  H.  Stephenson,  Syracuse.    John  Lorenzo  Heffron,  Syracuse. 

April  24,  1883.— L.  P.  Deming,  Syracuse.  H.  Blair  Frazee,  Elbridge.  Leonard 
A.  Saxer,  Syracuse. 

September  11,  1883. — B.  F.  Chase,  East  Syracuse.     Charles  F.  Wright,   Syracuse. 


372  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

January  29,  1884.— F.  O.  Donohue,  Syracuse.     H.   B.  Wright,   Skaneateles.     Cay- 
lord  P.  Clark,  Syracuse.     Win.  H.  Maynard,  South  Onondaga;  moved  to  Syracuse. 

April  22,  1884.—  Albert  A.  Aldrich,  Onondaga;  removed  to  Addison.     F.  \V.  Smith, 
Syracuse. 

January  27,  1885. — George  Bloomer,  Syracuse.     Samuel  G.  Ellis,  Syracuse. 

June  16,  1885. — A.  B.  Miller,  Geddes.     Leon  Owen,  Syracuse. 

September  8,  1885.— A.  B.  Randall,  Liverpool. 

June  8,  1886.— R.  C.  Hanchett,  Syracuse. 

September  14,  1886.— E.  S.  Sampson,  Plank  Road.     C.  S.  Roberts,  Syracuse. 

January  25,  1887. — E.  S.  Maxson,  Syracuse. 

April  12,  1887. — Emory  A.  Didama,  removed  to  Cortland. 

September  13,  1887.— E.  L.  Mooney,  Syracuse.  B.  P.  Wright,  Syracuse.  Wm.  J. 
Ayling,  Syracuse. 

January  31,  1888. — Fred  W.  Slocum,  Camillus.     Dwight  H.  Murray,  Syracuse. 

June  12,  1888. — Roderick  C.  McLennan,  Syracuse.     Frederick  W.  Sears,  Syracuse. 
,  H.  H.  Pease,  Syracuse.     Earll  W.  Smith,  Syracuse. 

January  29,  1889. — Clara  Smith,   Syracuse.     F.  W.  Marlow,   Syracuse. 

April  16,  1889. — David  Gilliland,  Marcellus.  George  M.  Price,  Syracuse.  William 
B.  Breed,  Syracuse. 

June  12,  1889.— R.  A.  Whitney,  Liverpool. 

September  8,  1889. — James  O.  Longstreet,  La  Fayette. 

October  1,  1889. — J.  F.  Munn,  James  T.  Michaels,  Thomas  H.  Halsted  and  John 
W.   Whitney. 

January  28,  1890. — Daniel  L.  McNamara,  John  F.  Boynton. 

April,  1890.— Charles  Edgar  Heaton,  J.  M.  Robson. 

September,  1890. — S.  F.  Snow,  Emma  A.  Runion. 

September,  1891. — D.  A.  Kellogg,  Theresa  Bannan,  O.  A.  Thomas,  I.  M.  Slinger- 
land. 

April  19,  1892.— H.  D.  Merwin,  Cicero;  J.  C.  Roth,  W.  J.  Werfelman,  Franklin 
Kaufman,  A.  B.  Breese,  Juliet  E.  Hanchett,  N.  F.  Vadeboncoeur,  Charles  H.  Daman, 
William  H.  May,  Thomas  B.  Dwyer,  Charles  H.  Benson,  Brace  W.  Loomis,  George 
T.  Head,  Charles  Lynch,  A.  D.  Head,  S.  B.  Craton,  Syracuse;  W.  H.  McDowell, 
Tully;  Frank  R.  Coe,  Warners;  N.  Cavenor,  Camillus;  A.  B.  Rood,  Manlius  Sta- 
tion; Allen  Cone,  J.  C.  Carson,  Syracuse. 

June,  1892,— C.  E.  McClary,  John  Shoudy. 

January,  1893.— Wm.  M.  F.  Nelson,  A.  G.  Doust,  Kate  Hathaway. 

April,  1893.— O.  W.  Oberlander,  A.  W.  Marsh,  H.  E.  Richardson. 

September,  1893.— Charles  M.  Magee,  D.  W.  Burdick. 

December,  1893. — Gervas  M.  Wasse. 

March,  1894.— P.  Melfi,  Hiram  B.  Hawley,  Frank  McMorrow,  S.  Ellis  Crane. 

.May,  1894.— Wm.  A.  Curtin,  John  A.  Belch,    D.  J.  McLaughlin,   Chas.  L.   Parker. 

September,  1894. — J.  Harris  Levy. 

December,  1894.— E.  J.  Wynkoop,  E.  B.  Marvin,  M.  J.  Williams. 

May,  1895.— J.  H.  Burch,  John  R.  Harding. 

September,  1895.— W.  C,  Kellog,  Louis  K.  Peck. 

Syracuse  Medical  Association — In  1S47   occurred  the  first  meeting  of 


Ob   (/HiZ4WL> 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION.  373 

medical  men  in  Syracuse  for  discussion  of  medical  subjects.  In  that 
year  there  was  an  epidemic  of  typhus  fever,  which  followed  the  canal, 
and  visited  Syracuse.  A  hospital  had  been  erected  at  "  Wide  Waters, " 
and  placed  under  the  charge  of  Dr.  J.  P.  Dunlap.  During  this  epi- 
demic Dr.  Dunlap  and  others,  notably  Drs.  Stuart  and  Samson,  met 
informally  to  discuss  subjects  pertaining  to  the  epidemic. 

Although  cholera  visited  Syracuse  in  1854,  there  is  no  evidence  that 
the  physicians  of  the  city  even  met  to  discuss  it. 

The  first  organization  of  the  city's  medical  men  was  effected  Novem- 
ber 22,  1858,  and  the  society  was  called  The  City  Medical  Association. 
This  is  a  partial  record  of  the  first  meeting: 

CITY    MEDICAL    ASSOCIATION. 

A  meeting  of  the  members  of  the  medical  profession  of  the  city  convened  at  the 
office  of  Dr.  A.  B.  Shipman  on  Tuesday  evening  last  for  the  purpose  of  forming  a 
City  Medical  Association,  and  organized  by  appointing  Dr.  A.  B.  Shipman  president 
and  Dr.  R.  W.  Pease  secretary. 

The  president  appointed  Dr.  Alfred  Mercer  a  committee  to  draft  a  constitution 
and  by-laws  for  the  regulation  of  the  association,  to  be  reported  at  the  next  meeting. 

The  meeting  adjourned  to  meet  at  the  same  place — Dr.  Shipman's  office— on 
the  following  Thursday  evening. 

The  minutes  of  the  association  have  been  lost,  and  the  scant  records 
of  the  association's  meetings  are  to  be  found  in  the  daily  papers  of  that 
time. 

In  January,  1859,  Dr.  Pease  read  a  paper  on  Pneumonia.  During 
the  discussion  which  followed,  Dr.  Mercer  emphasized  the  doctrine  of 
Vis  Medicatrix  Naturce,  and  begged  the  meeting  to  remember  it  in 
boasting  of  the  efficiency  of  remedies. 

At  the  next  meeting  Dr.  Foran  read  an  essay  on  Vaccination. 

In  December  Dr.  Didama  read  a  paper  on  "Acetate  of  Potash  in 
Acute  Rheumatism."  This  paper  has  been  preserved  and  a  copy  filed 
as  the  first  of  the  essays  of  the  Academy. 

Following  this  there  is  no  record  of  another  meeting  of  the  associa- 
tion until  1866.  The  Civil  war  enlisted  the  services  of  many  of  the 
members,  and  drowned  the  interest  of  those  left  in  the  society,  so  that 
the  association  ceased  to  exist. 

Cholera  reappeared  in  L866,  and  stirred  the  doctors  of  the  city  to 
reorganize. 

A  daily  newspaper  gives  the  following  record  of  the  events  of  re- 
organization : 


374  ONONDAGA'S    CENTENNIAL. 

A  meeting  of  the  Doctors  was  called  for  January  13,  1866,  at  the  office  of  Dr.  Bene- 
dict, in  Convention  block,  to  take  action  on  a  "  Movement  to  effect  sanitary  improve- 
ments and  to  prevent  and  mitigate  Cholera,"  which  devised  and  adopted  a  resolution 
that  it  was  desirous  and  wise  to  organize  a  Council  of  Hygiene  and  Citizens'  Asso- 
ciation for  that  purpose,  appointing  Drs.  Didama,  Foran,  Dunlap,  A.  B.  Shipman, 
Cook  and  Mercer  a  committee  to  perfect  plans  of  organization,  and  report  at  the  next 
meeting. 

The  adjourned  meeting  was  held  January  IT,  at  the  office  of  Dr. 
Shipman,  when  it  was  resolved  to  organize  a  Council  of  Hygiene,  to 
consist  of,  president,  Dr.  A.  B.  Shipman;  vice-president,  Dr.  H.  D. 
Didama;  secretary,  Dr.  R.  W.  Pease;  consulting  committee,  Drs. 
James  Foran,  A.  Mercer,  M.  D.  Benedict,  G.  W.  Cook  and  W.  Kemps- 
ter. 

At  this  meeting  a  proposition  wras  made  for  the  reorganization  of  the 
City  Medical  Association,  which  was  adopted,  and  the  meeting  ad- 
journed to  meet  at  the  residence  of  Dr.  Pease  on  Januarv  24,  to  com- 
plete the  reorganization  of  the  City  Medical  Association. 

The  City  Medical  Association  reorganized  January  24,  1826,  with  the  following 
officers:  President,  Dr.  A.  B.  Shipman;  vice-president,  Dr.  Lake  J.  Tefft;  secretary, 
Dr.  J.  Otis  Burt.     Dr.  Foran  was  appointed  to  read  an  essay  on  Cholera. 

Following  is  a  list  of  the  physicians  who  have  joined  this  association 
from  the  date  of  its  reorganization  to  the  present,  with  dates  when 
most  of  them  became  members: 

1866— A.  B.  Shipman,  L.  I.  Tefft,  James  Foran,  H.  D.  Didama,  R.  W.  Pease, 
M.  D.  Benedict,  W.  Kempster,  J.  A.  Mowris,  W.  A.  Bennett,  Henry  Crouse,  I.  H. 
Searl,  Alfred  Mercer,  George  W.  Cook,  J.  P.  Dunlap,  I.  O.  Burt,  W.  W.  Porter. 

1868— J.  W.  Lawton,  A.  J.  Dallas,  J.  F.  Trowbridge. 

1869— W.  T.  Plant,  S.  B.  Gay,  M.  B.  Fairchild.  Ely  Van  der  Warker,  Gregory 
Doyle. 

1870— X.  C.  Powers. 

isTI  M.  M.  McDonald,  E.  ft.  Mumford,  D.  Terry,  Charles  H.  Richmond,  A.  D. 
Felter,  Henry  Lairing. 

IS72— Frank  H.  Butler. 

is;:; — Elisha  George,  Lucius  Stevens. 

is;  4— Arthur  L.  Hall,  J.  W.  Knapp,  John  Van  Duyn,  Edward  B.  fttevens,  W.  R. 
Johnson. 

is;:,— Horace  F.  Hatch,  Amos  ft.  Edwards,  C.  W.  Morse. 

1*70— Sumner  Rhoades,  L.  F.  Weaver,  E.  R.  Maxson,  George  R.  Metcalf,  John  S. 
Marshall. 

isi'.i  Brace  W.  Loomis,  Margaret  fttanton,  D.  M.  Totman,  Nathan  Jacobson, 
.   L.  Eisner,  A.  C.  Benedict,  A.  F.  Vandeboncoeur,  George  C.  Edwards. 

L880— Morris  H.  Conner,  Henry  Gifford,  jr.,  U.  H.  Brown,  Jerome  Pk  Coe,  Carrie 
A.   Hatch. 

1  SMI— Charles  E.  Slocum,  A.  C.  Mercer. 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION.  375 

1882— Leonard  A.  Saxer,  Samuel  C.  Ellis,  William  Davis,  F.  W.  Smith,  ('.  I.. 
Roberts. 

1888— F.  A.  Stephenson,  Miller  E.  Dann,  Lewis  P.  Deming,  John  L.  Heffron, 
Judson  J.  Taylor,  Mary  W.  Case,  W.  H.  Mills. 

1884—  William  J.  Ayling,  A.  I).  Head. 

1885— F.  W.  Marlow,  0.  A.  Thomas,  R.  C.  Hanchett. 

1886— Arthur  A.  Breese,  George  R.  Kinney,  J.  J.  Moore,  E.  A.  Didama,  Edwin  S. 
Maxson,  John  W.  Whitney,  W.  B.  Breed,  Fred  W.  Sears,  W.  H.  Mavnard,  James  L. 
Jarvis,  H.  D.  Murray. 

1887— Scott  Owen,  Earll  W.  Smith,  A.  B.  Miller,  Julia  E.  Hanchett,  1'..  P.  Wright, 
F.  O.  Donohue,  Daniel  McNamara,  Charles  Wright,  E.  L.  Moonev. 

1888 — Emma  A.  Runnion,  Franklin  John  Kaufman. 

1889— G.  M.  Price,  T.  H.  Halsted,  Joseph  C.  Roth,  George  W.  Draper. 

1890— Katherine  A.  Hathaway,  G.  M.  Wasse,  C.  E.  Billington,  J.  F.  Munn,  C.  X. 
Daman,  A.  J.  Campbell,  N.  P.  Warner,  deceased. 

1891— O.  W.  Oberlander,  A.  G.  Doust,  S.  F.  Snow. 

1892— C.  E.  McClary. 

1893— Thomas  B.  Dwyer,  C.  H.  Ransom,  Marcena  G.  Rood. 

1895— Theresa  Bannan,  F.  C.  Williams. 

Further  records  of  this  association  from  the  date  of  its  organization 
to  1875  are  not  in  existence  as  far  as  ascertained,  but  during-  thai 
period  meetings  were  held  with  commendable  regularity  and  were  gen- 
erally well  attended.  An  election  of  officers  "took  place  at  the  resi- 
dence of  Dr.  M.  1).  Benedict  on  the  29th  of  December,  1S?4.  resulting 
as  follows:  Dr.  Gregory  Doyle,  president;  Dr.  E.  B.  Stevens,  vice- 
president;  Dr.  George  W.  Cook,  treasurer;  Dr.  Frank  H.  Butler,  sec- 
retary. Dr.  M.  B.  Fairchild  had  held  the  office  of  president  just 
preceding  this  election,  and  read  at  this  meeting  a  paper  on  "Ven- 
tilation." 

During  the  year  1875  small-pox  raged  in  Syracuse  and  caused  mam- 
deaths.  A  small  conflict  occurred  in  1877  between  the  Board  of  Health 
and  the  physicians  over  the  fact  that  four  members  of  the  association 
were  sued  for  false  imprisonment,  the  suit  being  based  upon  the  shut- 
ting up  of  a  patient  in  the  pest  house,  and  a  verdict  of  $500  was  ob- 
tained against  one  of  the  defendants.  The  physicians  strongly  pro- 
tested against  this  proceeding  in  a  series  of  resolutions,  and  against 
being  "thus  liable  to  be  dragged  into  court  by  the  caprice  and  venality 
of  every  aggrieved  person  upon  real  or  imaginary  wrongs." 

The  officers  of  the  association  for  1876  were  as  follows:  President, 
E.  B.  Stevens;  vice-president,  F.  H.  Butler;  secretary,  E.  S.  Mum- 
ford;  treasurer,  A.  S.  Hall. 

<  'ffieers  elected  for  1871  were  Dr.  F.  H.  Butler,  president;   Dr.   H.  S. 


376  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Mumford,  vice-president;  Dr.  J.  S.  Marshall,  secretary  and  treasurer. 
At  the  meeting-  held  April  1?  of  this  year,  Drs.  Metcalf,  E.  S.  Mumford, 
and  J.  S.  Marshall  were  elected  delegates  to  the  meeting  of  the  Central 
New  York  Medical  Society.  Dr.  G.  W.  Cook  read  an  able  and  exhaus- 
tive paper  on  the  sanitary  condition  of  the  city  schools  at  the  meeting 
of  May  ->'.t,  18??.  This  paper  was  the  outcome  of  the  thorough  inves- 
tigation of  the  condition  of  the  school  buildings  by  a  committee  of 
physicians.  The  paper  was  published  and  resulted  in  considerable  im- 
provement in  the  sanitary  arrangements  of  several  of  the  schools. 

At  the  meeting  of  December  15,  1877,  the  following  officers  were 
elected  for  1878:  Dr.  E.  S.  Mumford,  president;  Dr.  John  Van  Duyn, 
vice-president;  Dr.  J.  S.  Marshall,  secretary  and  treasurer. 

There  are  no  records  of  meetings  held  from  April  2,  1878,  to  Febru- 
ary 11,  L879,  on  which  date  the  following  officers  were  elected:  Dr. 
John  Van  Duyn,  president;  Dr.  George  E.  Metcalf,  vice-president; 
Dr.  Nathan  Jacobson,  secretary  and  treasurer.  After  this  date  the 
meetings  of  the  association  were  generally  held  at  residences  of  the 
members. 

The  next  meeting,  according  to  the  records,  was  held  January  21, 
1880.  Dr.  Van  Duyn  continued  as  president,  and  Dr.  Jacobson  as  sec- 
retary and  treasurer.  At  a  meeting  held  in  the  following  spring,  the 
president  congratulated  the  association  on  the  general  success  and 
attendance  during  the  preceding  winter. 

At  the  meeting  of  December  21,  1880,  the  following  officers  were 
elected  for  1881:  Dr.  George  R.  Metcalf,  president;  Dr.  Ely  Van  de 
Warker,  vice-president;  Dr.  Nathan  Jacobson,  secretary  and  treasurer. 
At  the  meeting  of  January  4,  Dr.  Alfred  Mercer  read  an  address  which 
had  previously  been  presented  to  the  Common  Council,  embodying  the 
mortuary  statistics  of  the  three  preceding  years,  with  tables  showing 
the  location  of  deaths,  the  favorite  month  for  certain  diseases,  ages  se- 
lected, etc.  It  was  shown  that  twenty  per  cent,  of  deaths  occur  from 
phthisis.  The  entire  percentage  of  deaths  was  about  thirteen  per 
thousand  of  population. 

Dr.  Lucius  Stevens  was  elected  president  of  the  association  in  1882 
and  Dr.  facobson  continued  as  secretary  and  treasurer.  At  the  meet- 
ing of  January  '■),  the  retiring  president,  Dr.  Metcalf,  read  a  paper 
treating  upon  the  subject  of  the  proper  requirements  of  the  society,  the 
demands  it  should  make  upon  its  members,  the  methods  to  secure  its 
mation  and  elevate  it  to  a  high  standard. 


fr** 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION.  377 

At  the  meeting  of  December  19,  1882,  the  following  officers  were 
elected  for  the  succeeding  year:  Dr.  A.  C.  Mercer,  president;  Dr. 
Jerome  H.  Coe,  vice-president;  Dr.  N.  Jacobson,  secretary  and  treas- 
urer. Officers  for  1884  were:  Dr.  Jerome  H.  Coe,  president;  Dr.  H. 
L.  Eisner,  vice-president;  Dr.  W.  H.  Mills,  secretary  and  treasurer. 

At  a  meeting  held  on  February  20,  1884,  at  the  residence  of  Dr.  H. 
D.  Didama,  Dr.  A.  C.  Mercer  read  an  able  paper  on  the  "The  Theory 
of  Microscopic  Vision."  Officers  elected  for  1885  at  the  meeting  of 
January  20,  were  as  follows:  Dr.  H.  L.  Eisner,  president;  and  Dr.  J. 
L.  Heffron,  vice-president;  Dr.  W.  F.  Marlow,  secretary  and  treasurer. 
A  special  meeting  was  held  January  8,  at  which  action  was  taken  on 
the  death  of  Dr.  M.  D.  Benedict. 

At  a  meeting  held  in  January,  Dr.  Van  Duyn  presented  a  map  of  a 
large  portion  of  the  city,  with  marks  showing  the  location  of  deaths 
from  1879  to  1884,  inclusive,  different  kinds  of  marks  indicating  the 
character  of  the  disease  causing  the  death,  and  accompanied  by  an  ex- 
planatory paper.  This  map,  with  the  text  of  the  paper,  was  engraved 
and  printed  in  the  Syracuse  Herald,  and  was  most  favorably  received, 
not  only  by  the  physicians  of  the  city,  but  by  the  city  authorities  and 
the  community. 

At  the  meeting  on  January  o,  1886,  the  following  officers  were  elected  : 
Dr.  J.  L.  Heffron,  president;  Dr.  D.  M.  Totman,  vice-president;  Dr. 
W.  J.  Ayling,  secretary  and  treasurer.  Early  in  this  year  the  associa- 
tion opened  up  a  discussion  of  the  question  of  city  water  supply,  which 
was  participated  in  by  several  members  and  undoubtedly  contributed 
its  share  towards  subsequent  agitation  which  has  accomplished  the 
object  of  giving  to  Syracuse  an  ample  supply  of  pure  water.  A 
special  meeting  was  held  on  April  24  at  the  College  of  Medicine,  where 
this  important  topic  again  received  a  free  discussion,  and  the  following 
resolution  was  adopted ; 

Resolved,  That  the  health  of  our  citizens  is  jeopardized  by  offensive  and  noxious 
and  unflushed  sewers  and  by  the  use  of  drinking  water  drawn  from  contaminated 
wells,  and  all  wells  in  crowded  cities  are  likely  to  be  contaminated  by  sewage 
and  nitrations  from  stables  and  out  houses,  and  believing  also  that  an  abundant  sup- 
ply of  good  water  is  essential  to  prevent  sickness,  to  protect  property  and  promote 
the  prosperity  of  the  city,  and  believing,  furthermore,  that  Skaneateles  lake  is  the 
best  available  source  from  whence  such  supply  can  be  obtained,  the  Syracuse  Medi- 
cal Association  earnesly  advises  our  citizens  to  vote  on  the  4th  of  June  that  this 
Skaneateles  lake  water,  the  best  for  the  people,  shall  be  procured  by  the  people  and 
owned  by  the  people  of  the  city. 
48 


378  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Officers  elected  from  1887  at  a  meeting  held  December  21,  1886,  were 
as  follows:  Dr.  D.  M.  Totman,  president ;  Dr.  F.  H.  Stephenson,  vice- 
president;  Dr.  W.  J.  Ayling",  secretary  and  treasurer.  The  retiring 
president  read  an  address  on  "  Cholelithiasis." 

The  officers  elected  for  1888  were  Dr.  D.  M.  Totman,  re-elected 
president;  Dr.  F.  H.  Stephenson,  vice-president;  Dr.  L.  P.  Deming, 
secretary  and  treasurer. 

Early  in  the  year  the  care  of  the  insane  occupied  the  attention  of  the 
society  and  the  subject  was  fully  discussed  in  all  of  its  features,  particu- 
larly the  proposed  legislation  by  the  State. 

The  officers  of  the  association  since  1888  have  been  as  follows; 

1889 — President,  N.  Jaeobson  ;  vice-president,  F.  H.  Stephenson;  secretary  and 
treasurer,  Geo.  M.  Price. 

1890 — President,  Florince  O.  Donohue;  vice-president,  F.  H.  Stephenson;  secre- 
tary and  treasurer,  Geo.  M.  Price. 

1891 — President,  F.  H.  Stephenson;  vice-president,  Geo.  M.  Price;  secretary  and 
treasurer,  H.  H.  Pease. 

1892— President,  Geo.  M.  Price;  vice-president,  N.  P.  Warner;  secretary  and 
treasurer,  H.  H.  Pease. 

1893 — President,  N.  P.  Warner;  vice-president,  Thos.  H.  Halsted;  secretary  and 
treasurer,  S.  B.   Craton. 

The  officers  held  office  until  early  in  1894  when  the  association  resolved 
to  disband  and  reorganize  under  another  name  as  shown  a  little  further 
on. 

Among  the  more  important  papers  read  before  the  association  by  its 
members  were  the  following: 

"  New  Remedies,"  Dr.  Mumford,  January  25,  1876.  "Code  of  Medical  Ethics," 
Dr.  Plant,  April  4,  1876.      "Cases  of  Puerperal  Convulsions,"  Dr.  A.  Mercer,  May  18, 

1876.  "Typhoid  Fever,"  Dr.  Didama,  May  21,  1876.  "Diphtheria,"  Dr.  Van  Duyn, 
December  12,  1876.  "Thrombosis,"  Dr.  A.  Mercer,  December  26,  1876.  "Pathology 
of  Uterine  Flexions,"  Dr.  Van  de  Warker,  January  23,  1877.  "Shoulder  and  other 
Mal-tranverse  Presentations,"  Dr.  A.  Mercer,  February  6,  1877.  "  Digitalis  in  Heart 
and  Kidney  Diseases,"  Dr.  Didama,  March  20,  1877.  "Hygienic  and  Sanitary  Con- 
dition of  our  Schools,"  Dr.  Cook,  May  29,  1877  (this  paper  was  the  outcome  of  a  thor- 
ough investigation  of  the  school  buildings  by  a  committee  of  physicians,  and  resulted 
in  a  change  for  the  better).      "  Quinine  as  an  Antiseptic,"  Dr.  Metcalf,  November  27, 

1877.  "  Diphtheria,"  Dr.  Maxson,  December  15,  1877,  and  "Paralysis,"  January  21, 
issn      -The  Sulphate  of  Copper  in   Croup,"   Dr.   Cook,  January  15,1878.      "The 

of  the  Present  Generation,"  Dr.  J.  S.  Marshall,  March  19,  1878.  "Pure  and 
Impure  Waters,"  Dr.  Fnglehardt,  March  11,  1879.  "Enlarged  Tonsils,"  Dr.  Coe, 
January  18,  1881.  "  Myxodema,"  Dr.  A.  C.  Mercer,  February  15,  1881.  "  Ergot  in 
Labor,"  Dr.  A.  Mercer,  December  19,  1882.  "  Prevention  of  the  Spread  of  Disease," 
I'!    Didama     February   13,  1883.     "A   Fatal  Case  of  Mastoid  Abscess,"  Dr.  U.  H. 


THE  MEDICAL.  PROFESSION.  379 

Brown,  March  6,  1883.  "Mental  Therapeutics  in  General  Practice,"  Dr.  Coe,  No- 
vember 25,  1884.  "Tonsilitis,"  Dr.  N.  Jacobson.  "Hysteric  Paralysis.'  Dr.  Eisner, 
January  19,  1886.  "  Infantile  Diarrhoea,"  Dr.  Mills,  October  19,  1886.  "Pathology 
on  Diabetes,"  Dr.  Stephenson,  November  2,  1885.  "  Prophylaxis  of  Typhoid  Fever," 
Dr.  Roberts,  November  23,  1886.  "Antiseptic  Surgery,"  Dr.  Totraan,  December  7, 
1886.  "The  Artificial  Drumhead,"  Dr.  U.  H.  Brown,  February  1,  1887.  "Chole- 
lithiasis," Dr.  John  L.  Heffron,  December,  1887.  "Care  of  the  Insane,"  Dr.  A.  C. 
Benedict,  February  21,  1888.  "Intestinal  Obstruction,"  Dr.  Mills,  March  20,  1888. 
"  Spasmodic  Asthma,"  Dr.  Babcock,  November  20,  1888.  "  Cataract  Operation  with 
Iridectomy,"  Dr.  Brown,  October  22,  1889.  "  Electricity  in  Gynecology,"  Dr.  Van 
de  Warker,  February  11,  1890.  "  Electricity  in  Nervous  Diseases,"  Dr.  Eisner,  same 
date.  "  Universal  Manifestations  of  Tuberculosis,"  Dr.  Halsted,  February  25,  1890. 
"The  High  School  and  the  Health  of  our  Girls,"  Dr.  John  L.  Heffron,  January  17, 
1893. 

Many  papers  and  useful  discussions  have  also  been  heard  in  1894-5, 
since  the  reorganization  as  the  Syracuse  Academy  of  Medicine. 

On  the  16th  of  January,  18D4,  the  Syracuse  Medical  Association  re- 
solved to  disband  and  reorganize  under  the  name  of  The  Syracuse 
Academy  of  Medicine.  This  was  done  and  the  academy  was  legally 
incorporated  on  the  1st  day  of  February,  1894.  A  new  constitution 
and  by-laws  were  adopted,  which  state  the  objects  of  the  academy  to 
be: 

First — The  cultivation  and  advancement  of.  the  Science  of  Medicine, 
and  the  maintenance  of  a  library. 

Second — The  promotion  of  public  health. 

Third — The  maintenance  of  the  honor  and  character  of  the  medical 
profession. 

The  date  of  the  annual  meeting  is  the  first  Tuesday  in  December  in 
each  year  and  regular  meetings  are  held  on  the  first  and  third  Tuesdays 
of  each  month.     The  officers  of  the  academy  for  1894  were  as  follows: 

President,  Henry  D.  Didama;  vice-presidents,  Alfred  Mercer,  John 
Van  Duyn;  secretary,  Thomas  H.  Halsted;  treasurer,  Edward  L. 
Mooney;  council,  above  officers  and  Dr.  Ely  Van  de  Warker  and  Dr. 
Newell  P.  Warner;  trustees,  John  L.  Heffron,  Dwight  II.  Murray, 
Frank  A.  Stephenson,  Henry  L.  Eisner,  Roderick  C.  McLennan. 

The  officers  for  1895  are  as  follows; 

President,  Alfred  Mercer;  vice-presidents,  John  Van  Duyn,  Ely  Van 
de  Warker;  secretary,  Thomas  H.  Halsted;  treasurer,  Edward  L. 
Mooney;  council,  above  officers  and  Drs.  John  L.  Heffron  and  Henry 
L.  Eisner;  trustees,  Henry D.  Didama,  Roderick  C.  McLennan,  Dwight 
H.  Murray,  Newell  P.  Warner  (died  September  10,  1895),  and  George 
M.  Price. 


380  ONONDAGA'S   CENTENNIAL. 

The  bequest  of  Dr.  A.  B.  Shipman  becoming  available,  the  academy 
joined  with  the  County  Medical  vSociety,  leased  rooms  in  the  Larned 
building,  furnished  appropriately,  established  a  library  aad  reading 
room,  and  now  for  the  first  time,  the  profession  has  a  home  of  its  own 
for  its  meetings. 

Syracuse  Medical  College.  — In  1809  medical  instruction  was  given  in  the 
literary  academy  established  in  Fairfield,  Herkimer  county,  ten  miles 
north  of  Little  Falls.  In  1812  the  State  granted  a  charter  to  this  school 
under  the  descriptive  and  imposing  title  of  "  The  College  of  Physicians 
and  Surgeons  of  the  Western  District  of  the  State  of  New  York.  "  This 
was  the  sixth  medical  school  organized  in  the  United  States.  By  the  ad- 
vent of  public  highways  it  was  so  completely  isolated  that  in  1839  it 
closed  its  doors.  The  eminent  teachers  who  had  kept  students  on  its 
benches  against  such  great  disadvantages,  with  the  students  and  the 
properties  which  it  had  accumulated,  were  transferred,  in  a  large  part, 
to  the  Geneva  Medical  School,  which  had  been  chartered  in  1834.  In 
18-40  the  faculty  of  Geneva  Medical  College  included,  with  others,  the 
names  of  such  men  as  Willard  Parker,  Charles  B.  Coventry,  Thomas 
Spencer,  James  Hadley,  John  Delamater,  and  Frank  H.  Hamilton,  all 
men  of  the  first  rank,  and  several  of  whom  have  been  recognized  as 
authorities  in  medicine  and  in  surgery  by  two  continents. 

In  1872  Geneva  Medical  College  had  been  so  shorn  of  its  strength  by 
competition  with  those  schools  more  fortunately  and  more  accessibly 
situated,  and  by  the  changing  methods  of  instruction,  that  the  faculty 
gladly  accepted  a  proposition  from  the  Board  ofv  Trustees  of  Syracuse 
University,  then  just  started,  to  move  the  college  to  this  city  and  in- 
corporate it  as  one  of  the  colleges  making  up  the  university.  This  was 
speedily  accomplished,  and  for  twenty-three  years  the  College  of  Medi- 
cine has  fulfilled  its  purpose  of  offering  to  ambitious  young  men  and 
young  women  the  best  opportunities  for  higher  medical  education. 

When  the  Medical  College  became  a  part  of  Syracuse  University  it 
graded  its  courses,  lengthened  its  term,  and  increased  the  number  of 
years  of  study,  and  in  so  doing  was  the  third  in  the  United  States  to 
thus  advance  the  standard  of  education  in  medicine.  It  has  held  to  its 
high  edicts  through  thick  and  through  thin,  and  to-day  is  rewarded  by 
the  proud  consciousness  that  its  work  is  known  from  one  end  of  the 
land  to  the  other,  and  that  its  diploma  is  recognized  as  a  testimonial  of 
olute  merit. 
In  June,  1895,  a  committee  of  the  Medical  College  faculty,  of  which 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION.  381 

Dr.  Gaylord  P.  Clark  was  chairman,  waited  on  the  Board  of  Trustees 
of  the  university  and  asked  that  steps  be  taken  toward  the  erection  of 
a  new  building.  Plans  which  had  been  prepared  were  presented,  and 
finally  the  members  of  the  committee  were  instructed  to  build  as  soon 
as  they  had  raised  sufficient  money.  Very  soon  afterward  subscrip- 
tions to  the  building  fund  reached  an  aggregate  of  $40,000,  among  the 
contributors  being  E.  F.  Holden,  Hon.  James  J.  Belden,  Judge  Charles 
Andrews,  Hon.  Francis  Hendricks,  Edwin  Nottingham  and  Messrs. 
Weeks  and  Archbold.  A  little  later  the  construction  of  a  handsome 
and  commodious  brick  and  stone  building,  facing  Orange  street,  be- 
tween East  Genesee  and  Fayette,  was  commenced,  to  be  completed  in 
1896.  It  occupies  the  site  upon  which  the  former  Medical  College 
stood;  and  will  cost  in  the  neighborhood  of  $?5,000. 

The  influence  of  this  college  upon  the  profession  of  medicine  in 
Syracuse  and  vicinity  has  been  to  stimulate  all  physicians  to  attain  the 
highest  possible  degree  of  professional  excellence  It  is  believed  that 
no  city  of  this  size  is  better  served  in  general  medical  and  surgical 
practices  and  in  surgical  specialties.  The  faculty,  of  which  Henrv  I). 
Didama,  M.  D.,  LL.  D.,  is  dean,  is  composed  of  many  of  the  leading 
physicians  and  surgeons  in  Syracuse. 

BIOGRAPHICAL. 

Dr.  Jehiel  Stearns  was  born  in  Rockingham,  Vt.,  February  6,  1790; 
graduated  from  the  Medical  College  at  Dartmouth  with  high  honors  and 
was  a  surgeon  in  the  war  of  1812.  He  settled  in  Pompey  in  1815,  and 
in  the  following  year  became  a  member  of  the  Onondaga  County  Med- 
ical Society.  He  was  particularly  distinguished  as  a  surgeon  and  per- 
formed many  notable  operations.  "He  was  thoroughly  upright  in  his 
profession,  scorning  all  tricks  and  sham  and  pretense,  which  never 
secure  distinction,  though  it  might  obtain  notoriety."  He  died  October 
8,  1879. 

Dr.  Hezekiah  L.  Granger  was  born  in  Suffolk,  Conn.,  in  1780,  and  was 
a  son  of  Dr.  Amos  Granger,  under  whose  instruction  principally  lie 
acquired  a  knowledge  of  his  profession.  After  a  short  period  of  prac- 
tice with  his  father  he  removed  to  Litchfield,  N.  Y.  Soon  afterward 
he  was  offered  a  partnership  with  Dr.  Joseph  White,  a  distinguished 
physician  of  Cherry  Valley,  which  he  accepted.  This  gave  him  ample 
opportunity  for  advancement,  of  which  he  was  prompt  to  avail  himself, 
especially  in   surgery,  to  which    he  was  partial.      In  1810  he  settled  in 


382  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Manlius,  and  there  enjoyed  a  high  degree  of  success  until  his  death, 
May  2G,  1828,  at  the  age  of  forty-eight  years.  Although  cut  down  in 
his  prime,  Dr.  Granger  gained  a  wide  reputation  both  as  a  physician 
and  a  public  man.  He  held  several  minor  offices  (see  Chapter  XXIV. ) 
and  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  in  1814. 

Dr.  Harvey  Roberts  was  born  in  Danbury,  Conn.,  January  11,  1798. 
His  father  removed  early  into  the  town  of  Elbridge,  where  the  son  attend- 
ed school  and  for  a  time  served  as  clerk  in  a  store.  After  a  period  spent 
in  the  West  he  returned  and  taught  school  in  Elbridge,  and  about  the 
same  time  began  studying  medicine.  He  attended  lectures  at  Fairfield 
and  received  a  diploma  January  15,  1827.  Returning  to  Elbridge,  he 
began  practice  as  a  partner  with  Dr.  Truman  Adams,  which  continued 
about  three  years.  After  that  he  practiced  by  himself  until  1844, 
achieving  professional  success  and  becoming  somewhat  prominent  in 
local  public  affairs.  In  the  year  just  named  he  removed  from  his 
country  home  into  Elbridge  village  and  there  resided  until  his  death.  His 
biographer  speaks  of  him  as  a  strict  adherent  to  professional  ethics,  a 
public-spirited  citizen  and  a  warm  and  faithful  friend.  He  died  June 
18,  1855. 

Dr.  Jared  Wheeler  was  born  in  Pomfret,  Conn.,  September  1,  1793. 
When  he  was  twelve  years  old  his  father  died,  and  he  was  left  to  de- 
pend on  his  own  exertions.  It  is  not  known  when  or  with  whom  he 
began  studying  medicine,  but  in  Aurora  he  studied  during  a  period 
and  attended  lectures  at  Fairfield,  where  he  obtained  a  license  to  prac- 
tice. Returning  to  Cayuga  county,  he  practiced  a  year  or  two  at  Sen- 
nett  and  then  took  up  his  permanent  residence  in  Elbridge.  There  he 
practiced  over  forty  years,  enduring  the  hardships  inseparable  from  a 
physician's  life  in  a  new  country.  He  joined  the  County  Medical  So- 
ciety in  February,  1829,  and  was  a  faithful  member.  "His  sense  of 
medical  honor  was  keen  and  he  found  his  diagnosis  after  a  careful 
examination."  He  united  with  the  Congregational  church  of  Elbridge 
in  1825,  and  was  chosen  trustee  of  Munro  Academy  in  1834.  Dr. 
Wheeler  was  killed  on  the  cars  near  Erie,  Pa. 

Dr.  Hezekiah  Clarke  was  born  in  Lebanon,  Conn.,  December  19, 
I  I'm.  His  father  was  a  physician  and  his  ancestors  came  to  America 
in  Kilo,  settling  at  Hartford,  Conn.  His  maternal  grandmother  was  a 
sister  of  President  Jonathan  Edwards.  He  studied  medicine  with  his 
father  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  was  appointed  surgeon's  mate 
in  the  3d  Connecticut  Regiment  of  the  Army  of  the  Revolution.     He 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION.  383 

P 

rendered  efficient  and  valuable  service  in  the  war,  and  particularly  at 
the  attack  of  the  British  on  Fort  Griswold.  Soon  after  the  war  he 
settled  in  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  where  he  remained  one  year,  after  which  he 
married  and  located  in  Lanesborough,  Mass.  During"  the  following 
eighteen  years  he  devoted  himself  to  his  profession  in  that  place  and 
in  1805  removed  to  Pompey,  where  he  arrived  on  the  3d  of  November. 
He  remained  at  Pompey  Hill  one  year  and  then  settled  on  a  farm  two 
miles  southeast  of  the  Hill,  where  he  continued  his  professional  labor. 
He  had  a  large  practice  and  was  especially  eminent  as  a  surgeon.  In 
the  spotted  fever  epidemic,  as  it  was  termed,  of  1813-14,  his  services 
were  so  extensive  as  to  finally  prostrate  him,  andhewas  in  one  instance 
carried  on  a  bed  to  the  couch  of  a  patient.  Dr.  Clarke  took  a  deep 
interest  in  the  public  affairs  of  his  adopted  town  and  was  a  member  of 
the  first  board  of  trustees  of  the  academy.  He  was  father  of  eight 
children  who  grew  to  maturity.      His  death  occurred  March  4,  1826. 

Dr.  Hiram  Hoyt  was  born  in  St.  Johnsbury,  Yt.,  on  April  2 ', , 
1800,  the  fifth  of  seven  sons  and  the  eleventh  of  thirteen  children 
born  to  William  Hoyt,  who  emigrated  to  St.  Johnsbury  from  Concord, 
Mass.,  soon  after  the  Revolution.  His  mother  was  a  native  of  Ver- 
mont. He  began  his  medical  studies  in  the  office  of  Dr.  Josiah  Mills 
in  St.  Johnsbury,  where  he  continued  for  a  year,  and  was  three  years 
with  Dr.  Jarnett.  He  took  his  degree  from  Dartmouth  Medical  Lec- 
ture Institute,  and  began  practice  in  Montpelier,  Yt.,  with  Dr.  Adams. 
After  five  or  six  years  of  practice  in  various  places  in  New  England, 
in  1832  he  came  to  Syracuse,  where  he  resided  until  his  death.  Dr. 
Hoyt's  was  a  forceful  character;  he  was  a  hard  worker,  a  close  student, 
and  filled  with  ardor  for  his  profession.  He  became  prominent  more 
as  a  surgeon  than  as  a  physician, and  for  many  years  was  a  leader  if  not 
the  head  of  that  branch  of  the  local  profession,  in  which  he  was  a  tearless 
operator  and  ready  with  expedients.  In  1846  he  read  a  report  before 
the  Onondaga  County  Medical  College  on  Homoeopathy.  He  was 
married,  in  182(3,  to  Miss  McKiege  of  Boston,  and  their  children  were 
two  sons  and  two  daughters.      Dr.  Hoyt  died  February  28,    L8*3  I 

Dr.  Levi  Bartlett  was  born  in  Warren,  N.  H.,  October  4,  1806,  and  was 
a  grandson  of  Joshua  Bartlett,  one  of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of 
Independence.  He  graduated  from  Dartmouth  College  in  1827,  stud- 
ied medicine  and  located  in  Skaneateles  in  1838.  There  he  practiced 
nearly  fifty  years,  acquiring  a  large  practice  and  gaining  a  high  repu- 
tation for  skill  and  integrity.      He  was  compelled  to  relinquish  practice 


384  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

eight  years  prior  to  his  death  on  account  of  failing  health.  He  died 
June  22,  1892. 

Dr.  Nathan  Redington  Tefft  was  born  in  Greenwich,  Washington 
county,  N.Y.,  December  25, 1808.  He  was  reared  by  his  maternal  grand- 
father, receiving  a  good  common  school  education,  after  which  he  taught 
to  obtain  means  for  attendance  at  the  Lansingbnrgh  Academy.  He  set- 
tled in  Marcellus  in  the  fall  of  1827,  and  entered  the  office  of  his  brother, 
Dr.  Lake  I.  Tefft,  as  a  student.  With  the  exception  of  two  winters 
in  teaching  school  and  a  few  months  under  tutorship  of  Drs.  Hopkins 
and.s  Porter  of  Skaneateles,  he  remained  with  his  brother  until  the  spring 
of  1831,  when  he  removed  to  Onondaga  Hill  and  continued  study  with 
Dr.  Samuel  Healy.  In  the  winter  of  1832-3  he  attended  lectures  in 
the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  in  New  York  and  in  the  follow- 
ing spring  he  received  a  diploma  from  the  State  Medical  Society.  Re- 
turning to  Onondaga  Hill  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Dr.  Healy 
which  continued  two  years  when  the  senior  retired,  leaving  Dr.  Tefft 
an  extensive  practice.  For  fifty  years  he  was  physician  to  the  county 
poorhouse,  and  was  secretary  of  the  County  Medical  Society  in  1838-47. 
In  1862  he  was  appointed  surgeon  of  the  122d  Regiment  in  which  he 
served  two  years,  retiring  on  account  of  ill  health.  He  was  elected  to 
the  Legislature  in  1869  and  declined  a  renomination.  He  joined  the 
Onondaga  County  Medical  Society  in  1833,  and  in  1883  was  tendered  a 
banquet  by  the  society  in  honor  of  his  fifty  years  of  membership.  His 
death  took  place  November  19,  1890.  He  was  father  of  Edward  S. 
Tefft  of  Syracuse.  It  has  been  written  of  Dr.  Tefft  that  "he  led  a  very 
useful  life  as  a  physician  and  as  a  member  of  society.  A  close  student 
and  an  indefatigable  practitioner,  a  person  of  good  ability  and  of  ex- 
cellent judgment,  a  courteous  gentleman,  a  good  surgeon,  a  safe  phy- 
sician, a  satisfactory  counselor,  and  an  honest  man." 

Dr.  John  Wilkes  Hanchett  was  a  son  of  Capt.  Oliver  Hanchett,  whose 
ancestry  came  over  from  Plymouth,  England  in  1630.  His  grandfather 
was  Lieut.  John  Hanchett,  a  hero  of  the  old  Indian  wars,  and  Capt. 
Oliver  gained  his  military  title  as  captain  of  a  company  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary arm}-.  Dr.  John  Wilkes  Hanchett  removed  to  Onondaga  Val- 
ley in  1824,  and  two  years  later  settled  in  Syracuse,  where  he  continued 
in  active  practice  of  his  profession  until  near  his  death  in  October, 
L844.  He  was  a  man  of  unblemished  character  and  ranked  high  in  the 
medical  profession.  He  joined  the  Onondaga  County  Medical  Society 
on  June  8,  1824,  and  continued  an  active  and  consistent  member.  He 
was  father  of  M.  W.  Hanchett,  of  Syracuse.      (See  sketch,  Part  III.) 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION.  385 

Dr.  Samuel  G.  Ellis  was  born  in  Plymouth,  Mass.,  July  17,  1811,  and 
died  September  13,  1894.  While  he  was  still  young  his  parents  removed 
to  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y.,  where  his  son  graduated  from  the  Fredonia 
Academy  and  began  studying  medicine.  In  1838  he  graduated  from 
the  Fairfield  Medical  College.  He  settled  first  in  Cattaraugus  county 
and  in  1856  removed  to  Lima,  N.  Y.,  where  he  remained  in  successful 
practice  many  years.  He  was  eminent  as  a  surgeon,  mingled  in  public 
affairs,  holding  several  positions  of  trust.  In  1881  he  removed  t<>  Syr- 
acuse and  practiced  until  near  his  death.  He  became  a  member  of  the 
Onondaga  County  Medical  Society  in  1885  and  was  one  of  its  most 
faithful  members. 

Dr.  Lake  I.  Tefft  was  born  in  Greenwich,  Washington  county.  X.  Y.. 
March  10,  1797.  He  obtained  his  education  and  his  medical  diploma 
in  his  native  place  and  in  1823  settled  in  Marcellus,  where  he  continued 
in  practice  to  about  1850.  At  this  time  he  largely  abandoned  his  pro- 
fession and  gave  his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits  for  which  he  pos- 
sessed ardent  taste  and  broad  knowledge.  In  1876  he  was  delegate  to 
the  International  Medical  Convention.  Returning  to  Syracuse,  which 
had  been  his  home  after  1863,  his  health  failed  and  gradually  declined 
until  his  death,  at  the  home  of  his  son  in-law,  George  N.  Kennedy,  in 
May,  1880.  Dr.  Tefft  was  honored  with  positions  of  trust  and  respon- 
sibility unsought  by  himself;  he  was  elected  to  the  Assembly  in  L845. 

Dr.  James  Foran  was  born  in  Ireland  in  1807,  where  he  received  a 
good  education  and  began  life  as  a  merchant.  His  natural  tastes  soon 
led  him  to  take  up  the  medical  profession.  He  came  to  America  in 
1825,  locating  first  in  Albany  where  he  began  teaching  in  a  female 
seminary,  giving  all  of  his  leisure  to  the  study  of  medicine.  At  the  cud 
of  three  years  he  removed  to  Canastota,  where  he  continued  teaching 
and  studying.  In  1833  he  settled  in  Salina  where  he  devoted  two  more 
years  to  study  before  assuming  the  responsibilities  of  active  practice. 
In  1834  he  received  a  license  from  the  State  Medical  Society  and  opened 
an  office.  In  1837  he  became  a  member  of  the  Onondaga  County  Medi- 
cal Society  and  was  its  president  in  1859.  In  lKl  1  he  removed  to  Syra- 
cuse where  he  remained  until  his  death.  He  was  terribly  injured  in  the 
gunpowder  explosion,  and  about  six  years  before  his  death  was  poisoned 
while  treating  a  patient,  by  a  discharge  reaching  his  blood  through  an 
abrasion  on  his  hand,  which  soon  affected  his  brain  and  wrecked  his 
mental  powers.  During  a  period  of  insanity  he  was  drowned  in  Onon- 
daga Creek  December  10,  1873.  It  was  written  of  him  that  "in  the 
49 


386  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

practice  of  obstetrics  he  was  recognized  as  second  to  none  in  Central 
New  York." 

Dr.  Darwin  E.  Hurd  was  born  in  Sharon,  Conn.,  in  1813,  the  son  of 
an  eminent  physician,  with  whom  he  studied  the  profession.  He  grad- 
uated at  Pittsfield,  Mass,  in  1834  and  settled  in  Canastota,  whence  he 
removed  in  1850  to  Fayetteville  and  there  passed  the  remainder  of  his 
life.  He  was  a  successful  physician  and  became  quite  prominent  in 
local  politics;  he  always  refused  to  accept  public  office.  He  died  Octo- 
ber 24,  is;:;. 

Dr.  Joseph  W.  Brewster  was  born  at  Lebanon,  Conn.,  February  23, 
1704,  and  died  at  Onondaga  Valley  September  4,  1849.  At  the  age  of 
about  sixteen  he  joined  the  Revolutionary  army  and  was  present  at  the 
surrender  of  Cornwallis  October  19,  1781.  Returning  home  he  studied 
medicine  with  his  brother,  then  practicing  in  Becket,  Mass.  He  began 
practice  in  Blanford  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years.  In  1805  he  re- 
moved to  Chatham,  N.  Y.,  where  he  met  with  excellent  success.  In 
the  spring  of  1818  he  removed  to  Onondaga  Valley  where  he  gained  not 
alone  a  large  measure  of  professional  success,  but  the  esteem  of  the 
community. 

Dr.  John  F.  Trowbridge  was  born  in  Columbia  county,  N.  Y.,  July  21, 
1791.  After  attending  school  until  he  was  fifteen  he  worked  three  years 
in  a  store  in  Johnstown,  N.  Y.,  and  then  began  studying  medicine  in 
Ghent,  N.  Y. ,  and  graduated  from  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Sur- 
geons in  1812.  In  1813  he  began  practice  in  Bridgewater,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  continued  thirty  years.  In  1830  and  again  in  1839  he  was  elected  to 
the  Assembly  and  in  1836  declined  a  nomination  for  Congress,  He 
settled  in  Syracuse  in  1843,  where  he  enjoyed  a  considerable  practice 
and  the  esteem  of  the  community.  He  was  stricken  with  paralysis  in 
1ST1  and  died  February  18,  1872. 

Dr.  Mather  Williams  was  born  in  Columbia  county,  N.  Y.,  February 
3,  1799.  At  nineteen  years  of  age,  after  having  secured  a  good  educa- 
tion, he  began  studying  medicine  in  Canaan,  his  native  place,  with  Dr. 
Robert  G.  Frary.  The  latter  soon  removed  to  Hudson  and  was  accom- 
panied by  his  student.  After  attending  lectures  in  New  York  he  prac- 
ticed less  than  a  year  in  eastern  Massachusetts,  when  he  settled  in  Syr- 
acuse in  1X25.  The  village  was  then  very  unhealthy  and  Dr.  Williams 
found  an  extensive  practice.  He  also  carried  on  a  drug  business  for 
some  years.  It  has  been  written  of  him  that  "  he  was  a  close  observer 
of  the  ethics  of  his  profession  and  while  very  stately,  if  not  even  pom- 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION.  387 

pous,  in  his  demeanor,  was  still  courteous  and  gentlemanly  at  all  times." 
His  first  wife  was  the  second  daughter  of  Judge  Forman.  Dr.  Williams 
died  in  1869. 

Dr.  W.  W.  Porter  was  born  in  Washington  county,  N.  Y.,  July  24, 
1826.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two  he  began  studying  medicine  in  Waits- 
field,  Vt.,  and  two  years  later  entered  the  medical  college  at  Wood- 
stock, Vt.  After  one  term  there  he  studied  two  terms  in  the  college 
at  Castleton,  Vt.,  and  graduated  in  1851.  In  the  same  year  he  settled 
in  Syracuse  in  the  office  of  Dr.  Hiram  Hoyt.  In  May,  1862,  he  accepted 
the  position  of  principal  of  Geddes  school,  remaining  one  year.  He 
then  opened  an  office  there  and  began  practice  which  he  continued  with 
increasing  success  during  his  life.  In  1875  he  opened  an  office  in  Syr- 
acuse, still  retaining  the  Geddes  office.  On  the  opening  of  the  Medical 
College  of  the  University  in  1872,  Dr.  Porter  was  called  as  Clinical  Pro- 
fessor of  Obstetrics  and  Gynecology  and  one  year  later  was  given  the 
chair  of  that  professorship.      Dr.  Porter  died  June  22,  1885. 

Dr.  Samuel  Healy  was  born  in  Washington  county,  N.  V..  about  the 
year  1786.  He  followed  teaching  in  his  young  manhood,  and  while 
engaged  in  that  vocation  began  studying  medicine,  for  which  he  devel- 
oped a  decided  taste  and  fitness.  Under  trying  circumstances  he 
attended  lectures  in  the  New  York  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons, 
in  which  he  was  aided  by  Dr.  Steel,  then  on  the  medical  staff  in  Fort 
Gansevoort.  The  following  year  Dr.  Healy  returned  north  to  Saratoga 
and  was  licensed  to  practice  by  the  County  Medical  Society.  In  1815, 
he,  in  company  with  Dr.  Mann,  settled  at  Onondaga  Hill  where  they 
began  practice  in  partnership.  When  Dr.  Mann  subsequently  with- 
drew Dr.  Healy  continued  alone,  and  secured  a  large  practice  for  his 
time  and  was  very  popular  personally.  He  died  on  the  16th  of  April, 
1854. 

Dr.  Azariah  B.  Shipman  was  born  in  Roxbury,  Conn.,  March  22, 
1803.  He  was  one  of  five  brothers  all  of  whom  became  physicians. 
Soon  after  his  birth  the  family  removed  to  Pitcher,  Chenango  county, 
N.  V.  The  young  man  was  determined  to  fit  himself  for  a  profession 
and  labored  at  whatever  he  could  find  to  do  in  summers,  and  taught 
school  winters,  and  studied  whenever  he  could  rind  an  hour  of  leisure. 
In  1832  he  went  to  Delphi  and  began  studying  medicine  in  his  brother's 
office,  and  in  the  winter  of  1825  attended  a  course  of  lectures  at  Castle- 
ton, Vt.  In  September,  1829,  he  removed  to  Fayetteville  where  he 
soon  gained  a  large  practice.      During  the  cholera  epidemic  of  1832  he 


388  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

attended  many  cases  and  made  special  study  of  the  disease.  In  the 
winter  of  1832-3  he  attended  lectures  at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania 
and  also  the  anatomical  demonstrations  of  Jefferson  Medical  College. 
In  the  spring  of  1833  he  located  in  Cortland,  N.  Y.,  and  soon  attained 
a  wide  celebrity,  particularly  as  a  surgeon.  In  1844  his  reputation  as  a 
surgeon  and  his  frequent  contributions  to  medical  literature  having 
made  him  generally  known,  Dr.  Shipman  was  appointed  professor  of 
anatomy  in  the  medical  department  of  the  University  of  Laporte,  Ind. 
In  the  following  year  he  was  appointed  to  the  chair  of  surgery  and 
remained  there  five  years.  In  1849  he  settled  in  Syracuse  where  he 
at  once  took  high  rank  among  his  professional  brethren.  It  has  been 
stated  of  him  that  during  the  last  fifteen  years  of  his  active  life,  he 
performed  as  great  a  number  and  variety  of  operations  as  any  surgeon 
in  Western  New  York.  Dr.  Shipman  entered  the  army  in  the  civil  .war 
as  surgeon  of  the  17th  Regiment  of  New  York  Volunteers.  In  March, 
1862,  he  was  promoted  to  brigade  surgeon  and  placed  in  charge  of  a 
hospital  at  Newport  News.  In  the  summer  of  1803  he  resigned  and  re- 
turned to  Syracuse.  He  however  accepted  appointment  as  a  reserve 
surgeon,  and  was  soon  ordered  back  to  the  service  where  he  remained 
until  failing  health  prompted  his  return.  With  his  ruined  health  and 
under  depression  of  spirits  he  gradually  declined  practice  until  the 
spring  of  1868,  when  he  started  on  a  European  tour.  While  in  Paris 
he  was  taken  ill  and  died  on  the  15th  of  September,  1868.  Dr.  Ship- 
man  was  for  many  years  a  member  of  the  New  York  State  Medical 
Society  and  represented  the  Onondaga  Medical  Society  in  that  body 
several  times.  He  was  four  times  a  delegate  to  the  American  Medical 
Association,  and  an  honorary  member  of  several  scientific  and  historical 
societies. 

Dr.  John  O.  Shipman  was  born  in  Roxbury,  Conn.,  in  1805  and  died 
in  Syracuse  September  24,  1866.  He  belonged  to  the  family  of  which 
five  sons  were  physicians,  some  of  them  very  eminent.  He  studied  his 
profession  with  his  elder  brother,  P.  G.  Shipman,  and  others,  and  in 
1  s-i:i  was  licensed  by  the  Onondaga  County  Medical  Society.  He  began 
practice  in  Manlius,  where  he  attained  success.  When  his  brother,  Dr. 
A.  B.  Shipman,  left  Fayetteville,  John  O.  removed  to  that  place.  He 
soon  afterward  went  to  Georgia  as  a  physician  to  a  large  company  that 
were  to  build  a  railroad  in  that  State.  About  six  years  later  he  returned 
in  Fayetteville,  remained  there  until  1855,  when  he  removed  to  Syra- 
cuse and  entered  the  office  of  his  brother,  before  noticed.     While  not 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION.  389 

so  learned  and  eminent  as  some  of  his  brothers.  Dr.  Shipman  was  en- 
tirely worthy  of  confidence. 

Dr.  Horace  F.  Hatch  was  born  in  Syracuse  June  30,  1849,  and  died 
September  2,  1875.  He  was  a  graduate  of  the  University  of  Michigan, 
where  he  gave  part  of  his  time  to  medical  study,  particularly  chemical 
and  pharmaceutical  work.  Graduating  in  chemistry  and  pharmacy,  he 
returned  and  entered  the  Medical  College  of  Syracuse  University,  grad- 
uating in  the  class  of  1874.  He  practiced  in  Syracuse  until  his  death, 
falling  a  victim  to  his  unselfish  labors  in  the  small-pox  epidemic  of  is;;,. 

Dr.  M.  D.  Benedict  was  born  in  Danbury,  Conn.,  January  21,  I  si  I,  and 
died  in  Syracuse  January  7,  1885.  His  education  was  obtained  in  the 
common  school  and  Danbury  Academy.  After  studying  Ids  profession 
and  taking  a  course  of  lectures  in  the  medical  department  of  Yak-,  he 
began  practice  in  New  Haven  Conn.,  where  he  continued  until  1838. 
He  then  removed  to  Skaneateles  and  during  the  succeeding  twenty-five 
years  was  engaged  in  a  large  and  successful  practice  in  that  village.  In 
September,  1861,  he  entered  the  army  as  surgeon  of  the  75th  X.  Y.  \\. 
and  was  mustered  out  in  December,  1861.  He  was  soon  after  appointed 
medical  officer  of  the  Sanitary  Commission  and  stationed  at  Washington 
until  September,  UB65,  when  he  settled  in  Syracuse  and  continued  in 
active  practice  as  long  as  his  health  permitted.  He  joined  the  County 
Medical  Society  in  1869,  and  was  its  president  in  1870.  As  a  physician 
he  was  among  the  foremost,  and  as  a  man  was  respected  by  all  who 
knew  him. 

Dr.  Ichabod  Howe  Searl  was  born  in  Southampton,  Mass.,  December 
22,  1831.  His  early  education  was  obtained  in  the  schools  of  his  native 
town  and  the  Easthampton  Seminary.  During  a  number  of  succeeding 
years  he  taught  school  in  Massachusetts  and  then  entered  the  medical 
college  at  Castleton,  Vt.  In  1862  he  was  appointed  assistant-surgeon 
of  the  26th  Regiment  N.  Y.  V.,  and  served  about  a  year,  when  he  was 
assigned  to  the  73d  Regiment  as  assistant-surgeon  and  was  afterwards 
promoted  to  surgeon.  He  was  discharged  with  the  regiment  in  1865, 
after  which  he  took  a  course  in  Bellevue  Hospital.  Having  studied  for 
a  time  in  the  office  of  Dr.  Alfred  Mercer  in  Syracuse,  previous  to  his 
army  service,  he  returned  and  formed  a  partnership  with  him,  which 
continued  five  years.  From  that  time  until  his  health  failed  he  con- 
tinued alone  in  business.  He  was  a  member  of  the  County  Medical 
Society  and  in  1883  was  its  president.  Dr.  Searl  was  a  practitioner  of 
signal  ability  and  noted  for  his  kindness  of  heart.      He  was  a  member 


390  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

of  the  First  Presbyterian  church.  His  death  took  place  on  April  20, 
1893. 

Dr.  Horace  Nims  was  a  lifelong  resident  and  long  a  reputable  prac- 
titioner of  Manlius.  He  was  born  July  5,  1815,  and  studied  medicine 
with  Dr.  Taylor,  graduating  from  the  Geneva  Medical  College  at  the 
age  of  twenty-one.  After  attaining  a  large  practice  he  enlisted  as  assist- 
ant surgeon  in  the  149th  Regiment,  and  later  was  called  from  the  field 
and  placed  on  the  staff  in  one  of  the  large  hospitals  at  Harper's  Ferry. 
For  many  years  he  conducted  a  drug  store  in  Manlius  in  connection 
with  his  practice,  and  was  at  one  period  postmaster  of  Manlius.  In 
the  latter  years  of  his  life  he  suffered  from  ill  health  and  died  in  De- 
cember, 1894.  Unostentatious,  kind  and  considerate,  he  was  accorded 
the  confidence  and  respect  of  all  who  knew  him. 

Dr.  Judson  H.  Graves  was  another  Manlius  physician  of  repute.  He 
was  born  in  Ontario  county,  May  22,  1829,  where  he  studied,  and  he 
graduated  from  the  University  of  Michigan  in  1858.  He  also  received 
the  degree  of  M.  D.  from  the  Syracuse  University  in  1876.  He  set- 
tled in  Manlius  in  1860.  He  was  commissioned  captain  in  the  149th 
Regiment  in  1862,  and  went  to  the  front,  but  for  reasons  connected 
with  the  command  of  the  regiment  he  soon  afterward  resigned  and  con- 
tinued practice  in  Manlius. 

Dr.  William  Herbert  Dunlap  was  born  in  Syracuse,  June  24,  1853, 
was  educated  in  this  city  and  received  his  diploma  from  the  Syracuse 
College  of  Medicine.  From  1882  to  1884  he  was  professor  of  materia 
medica  and  therapeutics  in  the  Syracuse  Medical  College,  and  of  thera- 
peutics, from  1884  until  1887.  From  the  spring  of  1886  to  1887  he 
resided  in  Germany,  where  he  studied  dermatology  under  eminent 
professors.  From  the  time  of  his  return  he  occupied  the  professorship 
of  dermatology  in  the  local  Medical  College.  His  death  took  place  in 
Syracuse  in  1895. 

Dr.  A.  H.  Cowles  was  born  in  Plymouth,  Conn.,  and  his  father  having 
died  while  the  son  was  young,  his  mother  migrated  to  the  town  of 
Marcellus  and  settled.  Ambitious  to  obtain  an  education,  the  young 
man  taught  school  to  obtain  the  necessary  means  and  to  enable  him  to 
pursue  medical  study,  which  he  began  in  1822,  under  instruction  of 
Dr.  Erastus  Humphreys,  in  Marcellus.  He  graduated  at  Castleton  in 
L826  and  began  practice  at  Navarino  in  the  following  year.  There  he 
gained  a  large  practice  and  one  that  demanded  great  exertion  and  much 
self-sacrifice.      In   1S35   he  removed  to  Marcellus,  where  he  continued 


■^■■HHfc 


GEORGE  T.   CAMPBELL,  M.  D. 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION.  391 

in  business  until  his  final  illness.  He  is  remembered  as  a  man  of  ex- 
cellent character,  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  church.  His  professional 
skill  was  unquestioned,  but  a  lack  of  care  in  diagnosing  was  sometimes 
attributed  to  him.      He  died  in  May,  1854. 

Dr.  James  Riggswas  born  December  25,  1807,  in  vSteuben county,  N. 
Y. ,  and  began  his  medical  study  with  a  physician  in  Rome  when  eighteen 
years  of  age,  and  attended  lectures  at  Fairfield.  When  twenty-one  he 
removed  to  Jordan.  In  1844  he  attended  a  course  of  lectures  at  the 
Albany  Medical  College  and  graduated.  He  was  a  man  of  unblemished 
character  and  a  good  physician.      He  diedv  January  19,  1855. 

Among  the  early  physicians  of  Marcellus  was  Dr.  David  Kingsbury, 
who  was  born  in  1777,  and  died  March  7,  1841.  He  practiced  in  that 
town  nearly  forty  years. 

Dr.  George  T.  Campbell,  born  in  Camillus  October  13,  1826,  gradu- 
ated from  the  Buffalo  Medical  College  in  1851,  and#  settled  in  Skaneat- 
eles  in  1858.  He  died  in  February,  1882.  He  was  president  of  the 
County  Medical  Society  in  1874,  and  held  the  office  of  supervisor  and 
president  of  Skaneateles  village. 

Dr.  Hiram  Adams,  who  died  March  9,  1865,  was  a  native  of  Madison 
county,  studied  his  profession  in  Sherburne  and  began  practice  in  Clin- 
ton about  1821.  Five  years  later  he  removed  to  Fabius  and  there  prac- 
ticed until  just  before  his  death.  He  is  remembered  as  an  energetic, 
successful  physician. 

Dr.  William  Laughlin  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  in  his  young  man- 
hood taught  school  in  Saratoga  county.  He  located  at  Wellington  in 
the  town  of  Van  Buren  in  1816,  where  he  continued  to  teach  while 
studying  medicine.  He  received  a  license  at  Fairfield  in  1823  and  prac- 
ticed all  his  life  at  what  is  now  Memphis.  He  died  January  1!»,  1 S < ; 2 , 
aged  seventy  years.      He  was  a  thorough  scholar. 

Dr.  Amelia  L.  (Didama)  Niven  was  born  at  Romulus,  Seneca  countv, 
September  23.  1850,  and  a  few  months  later  was  brought  to  Syracuse 
by  her  parents.  She  graduated  from  the  seminary  of  Mr.  Brown  in 
Auburn,  and  in  June,  1878,  married  William  H.  Niven  of  Syracuse. 
After  the  death  of  Dr  Didama's  son  she  decided  to  study  medicine, 
and  she  graduated  from  the  College  of  Medicine  of  Syracuse  University 
in  1888.      She  died  in  Florida  on  May  8,  1890. 

Dr.  Horace  B.  Pritchard  was  born  in  the  town  of  Lysander  March  1, 
1843,  and  received  his  education  in  Baldwinsville  Academy  and  Falley 
Seminary.      He  studied  medicine  with  Dr.  Todd  and  Dr.  J.  V.  Kendall 


392  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

in  Baldwinsville,  and  graduated  from  the  Geneva  Medical  College  in 
January,  1870.  He  began  practice  in  Euclid,  where  he  remained  until 
the  fall  of  1881 ;  that  winter  and  the  next  year  he  spent  in  the  hospitals 
of  New  York  and  in  private  classes,  preparing  for  special  practice.  He 
located  for  a  time  in  Baldwinsville,  but  later  settled  in  Cicero,  where 
he  practiced  successfully  the  nine  years  previous  to  his  death.  His 
character  as  a  man  was  above  reproach.  He  died  early  in  Decem- 
ber, 1893. 

Dr.  Nathaniel  A.  Cavenor  was  born  in  the  town  of  Elbridge  June  11, 
I  si,.;,  and  died  January  9,  1893.  He  matriculated  in  the  College  of 
Medicine  of  vSyracuse  University  in  1881  and  took  his  degree  in  1885. 
During  his  first  professional  year  he  was  resident  physician  at  the 
county  poorhouse,  and  afterwards  settled  in  Camillus,  where  his  quali- 
fications and  character  soon  gave  him  a  good  practice.  He  was  called 
when  just  entering  upon  the  fruits  of  his  study  and  labor. 

The  first  physician  to  settle  in  Pompey  was  probably  a  Dr.  Holbrook, 
who  located  at  Pompey  Center  in  1793.  The  first  resident  physician 
at  Pompev  Hill  was  Dr.  Walter  Colton,  who  married  a  daughter  of  the 
pioneer,  Elizur  Brace.  He  was  followed  by  Dr.  Daniel  Tibbals,  who 
settled  in  the  town  about  1800,  and  followed  his  profession  many  years. 
Later  in  life  he  removed  to  Erie,  Pa.,  whither  his  sons  had  preceded 
him.  Contemporary  with  Dr.  Tibbals  from  the  year  1814  was  Dr. 
Jehiel  Stearns,  whose  long  life  was  devoted  to  his  profession  in  the  town. 
A  sketch  of  his  career  appears  herein.  Dr.  Hezekiah  Clarke,  who  had 
served  as  a  surgeon  in. the  Revolutionary  army,  settled  east  of  the  vil- 
lage of  Pompey  in  1805  or  1806  and  practiced  there  many  years.  The 
early  practice  of  Dr.  L.  B.  Wells  was  in  Pompey,  and  he  was  the  first 
homeopath  in  the  town.  Dr.  J.  De  Blois  Sherman  located  at  Pompey 
Hill  about  1825  and  gained  considerable  celebrity.  He  subsequently 
removed  to  another  State. 

Dr.  Silas  W.  Park  settled  at  Pompey  West  Hill  in  the  town  of  La 
Fayette  in  1800  and  began  practice  over  a  "ride"  that  is  said  to  have 
extended  from  Liverpool  on  the  north  to  Cortland  on  the  south  and 
from  Skaneateles  to  Cazenovia  east  and  west  He  served  as  a  surgeon 
in  the  war  of  1  SI 2  and  was  recognized  as  a  skillful  man  in  his  profes- 
sion. IK'  died  in  1  S •  > 4 .  In  L803  his  first  child  and  only  son  was  born 
in  what  is  now  La  Fayette.  He  studied  with  his  father  and  with  other 
physicians  of  this  county  and  graduated  from  the  Berkshire  Medical 
I  iiu  it  mi    in  December,   L826.      He  continued  in  practice  in  his  native 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION.  393 

town  until  his  death  June  17,  1873.  He  held  the  office  of  supervisor 
of  his  town  in  1861-63,  and  was  also  justice  of  the  peace.  Dr.  Park 
was  a  public  spirited  and  useful  citizen  outside  of  his  professional  life, 
which  was  successful  and  honorable. 

Dr.  Joseph  Ely  was  probably  the  first  physician  to  settle  in  Pompey 
in  the  valley  at  Delphi.  He  remained  only  about  three  years.  Dr. 
P.  G.  Shipman,  brother  of  Dr.  A.  B.  Shipman,  of  Syracuse,  practiced 
many  years  at  Delphi  and  died  in  Rochester  in  1871.  Dr.  Frisbie  also 
was  an  early  practitioner  there,  and  Dr.  John  L.  Kim.;'  and  Dr. 
James  Pettit,  brother  of  Judge  Pettit,  were  in  partnership  there.  Dr. 
Goodell  succeeded  Dr.  Shipman,  and  others  who  located  there  later 
were  Drs.  Marsh,  Hiram  Wiggins,  Eli  Cook,  Isaac  Baker,  Todd  and 
Potter. 

Dr.  Samuel  Porter  came  in  soon  after  Dr.  Hunger,  removed  to  Well- 
ington, and  died  June  14,  1843.  Born  at  Williamstown,  Mass.,  April 
16,  1778,  where  his  father  was  a  surgeon,  he  entered  the  first  freshman 
class  of  Williams  College,  but  left  on  account  of  ill  health,  and  subse- 
quently received  from  that  institution  the  honorary  degree  of  A.  M. 
He  finished  his  medical  studies  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  and  removed 
to  Skaneateles,  where  his  son,  Dr.  Evelyn  H.  Porter,  was  born  in  L801. 
The  latter  died  here  in  October,  1875.  Both  were  prominent  physicians, 
and  pursued  their  active  careers  in  this  town. 

For  sketch  of  Dr.  John  Collins,  of  Spafford,  see  Part  III.  Many  of 
the  early  physicians  are  mentioned  in  the  subsequent  histories  of  the 
several  towns. 

A  SKETCH  OF  HOMOEOPATHY  IN  ONONDAGA  COUNTY. 

From  available  records  it  appears  that  homoeopathy  had  its  first  ex- 
ponent in  Onondaga  county  in  the  person  of  a  regular  practicing  phy- 
sician about  fifty  years  ago.  From  that  time  until  the  incorporation  of 
the  Onondaga  County  Homoeopathic  Medical  Society  in  1863  there  was 
no  organization  of  practitioners  of  this  medical  faith,  During  the 
period  in  question,  however,  through  the  individual  labors  and  achieve- 
ments of  the  few  sturdy  pioneers  in  homoeopathy,  and  notwithstanding 
most  constant  and  bitter  opposition,  this  practice  became  firmly  estab- 
lished, and  the  foundation  thus  laid  upon  which  the  present  capable 
corps  of  workers  and  powerful  and  enduring  clientale  has  been  ba 
Numerically,  homoeopathists  are  here  as  yet  in  the  minority,  but  in 
quality  of  adherents,  both  lay  and  professional,  in  so  far  as  character, 
50 


394  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

ability,  influence,  and  wealth  are  concerned,  they  are  singularly  and 
disproportionately  strong.  To-day  the  Onondaga  County  Homoeopathic 
Medical  Society  stands  for  progress  in  all  that  relates  to  professional 
elevation  and  public  welfare,  and  in  these  directions  occupies  advanced 
ground.  In  general  practice,  its  members  have  made  records  which 
invite  comparisons;  while  in  the  specialties,  including  surgery, they  are 
rapidly  coming  into  the  front  rank.  Such  results  are  evidences  of  /the 
work  of  strong  minds.  In  the  list  of  Onondaga's  homoeopathists  may 
be  found  the  names  of  men  and  women  of  great  ability,  character, 
and  force,  to  whose  faithful  and  intelligent  efforts  a  splendid  and  en- 
during following  stands  as  a  fit  monument. 

The  first  homoeopathic  practitioner  of  this  county  was  Dr.  H.  H. 
Cator,  who  located  at  Syracuse  in   184G.      Closely  following  him  were 

Drs.  Lyman  Clary  and Richardson;  then  Drs.  Stephen  Seward, 

Loomis,   Charles   Baker  of  Fayetteville,    and  B.  B.  Schenck  of 

Plainville. 

The  pioneers  of  homoeopathy  were,  almost  without  exception,  old 
school  physicians,  who,  having  investigated  the  new  practice,  adopted 
it.  From  1863  the  history  of  homoeopathy  in  Onondaga  has  been 
closely  identified  with  that  of  the  county  medical  society. 

It  is  not  the  purpose  of  this  sketch  to  particularly  trace  the  history  of 
this  society,  but  rather  to  note  its  organization  and  membership,  and  to 
briefly  refer  to  some  of  its  more  important  acts.  In  its  archives  are  to 
be  found  records  of  most  of  the  principal  papers  which  have  been  pre- 
sented before  the  society  during  its  existence,  together  with  the  dis- 
cussions thereupon.  It  is  also  not  designed  to  offer  general  biograph- 
ical sketches  of  the  members,  save  that  of  the  first  president. 

In  1863  a  circular  letter  signed  by  Drs.  Lyman  Clary,  J.  G.  Bigelow, 
\V.  A.  Hawley,  William  H.  Hoyt,  H.  H.  Cator,  Stephen  Seward, 
Charles  Baker,  and  J.  C.  Covill,  all  homoeopathic  physicians  of  Onon- 
daga county,  was  issued  calling  for  a  meeting  to  be  held  December  3, 
for  the  purpose  of  organizing  a  county  homoeopathic  medical  society. 
At  the  appointed  time  Drs.  Clary,  Hoyt,  Bigelow,  Hawley,  Kinne, 
Rhodes,  Baker,  and  Miller  assembled  in  the  office  of  Dr.  Clary  and  at 
once  proceeded  to  business.  On  motion,  Dr.  Clary  was  appointed 
chairman  and  Dr.  Bigelow  secretary.  The  object  of  the  meeting  was 
ssed  by  the  following  resolution: 

',  That  we  organize  a  county  homoeopathic  medical  society  by  the  adop- 
a  consl  itul  ion 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION.  395 

A  draft  of  a  constitution  was  then  read  and  after  thorough  discussion 
adopted.  In  accordance  with  the  constitution  as  adopted,  permanent 
officers  were  elected  as  follows:  President,  Dr.  Lyman  Clary;  vice- 
president,  Dr.  William  Henry  Hoyt ;  secretary  and  treasurer,  Dr.  J.  G. 
Bigelow;  censors,  Drs.  Clary,  Hoyt,  and  Hawley.  After  the  adoption 
of  suitable  by-laws,  Dr.  J.  D.  Stowe,  a  delegate  to  the  meeting  from 
theOsvvego  County  Homoeopathic  Medical  Society,  submitted  a  proposi- 
tion from  the  Oswego  county  society  to  the  effect  that  the  latter  organ- 
ization should  discontinue  and  the  members  unite  with  the  Onondaga 
county  society.      Upon  motion  it  was  therefore 

Resolved,  That  the  homoeopathic  physicians  of  the  counties  of  Oswego  and  Cort- 
land are  hereby  invited  to  join  this  society  in  accordance  with  the  laws  of  the  State 
of  New  York. 

The  meeting  then  adjourned. 

Such  was  the  meeting  that  over  thirty  years  ago  gave  birth  to  the 
Onondaga  County  Homoeopathic  Medical  Society.  The  sole  object  of 
the  society,  as  expressed  in  its  constitution,  is  for  the  advancement  of 
the  science  of  medicine  and  surgery.  The  laws  of  the  State  of  New 
York  regulating  the  practice  of  medicine  and  surgery  and  providing 
for  the  organization  of  medical  societies  was  made  a  part  of  the  con- 
stitution. 

At  first,  regular  meetings  were  held  annually  on  the  first  Tuesday  in 
the  month  of  May,  but  interest  in  the  meetings  was  so  great  that  very 
soon  after  organization  semi-annual  meetings  were  held  and  later 
quarterly  meetings,  while  at  the  present  time  regular  meetings  are  held 
every  month. 

1863 — Charter  Members. — Dr.  Lyman  Clary,  William  Henry  Hoyt,  J,  G.  Bigelow, 
William  A.  Hawley,  T.  Y.  Kinne,  H.  V.  Miller  all  of  Syracuse;  R.  D.  Rhodes, 
Marcellus ;  Charles  Baker,  Fayetteville. 

The  following  physicians  became  members  in  the  years  subsequently 
named: 

1864— J.  W.  Sheldon,  G.  H.  Greeley,  A.  R.  Morgan,  W.  E.  Brown,  E.  D.  Leonard, 
all  of  Syracuse ;  B.  B.  Schenck,  Plainville. 

1865 — Stephen  Seward,  R.  E.  Belding,  Syracuse. 

1866 — B.  F.  Bronson,  Syracuse. 

1872 — Franklin  Bigelow,  J.  C.  Covill,  Syracuse. 

1873— M.  C.  Garrison,  J.  H.  Turck,  U.  H.  Brown,  all  of  Syracuse;  A.  Marks,  Bald- 
winsville. 

1874— A.  J.  Brewster.  F.  C.  Crowell,  C.  H.  Weaver,  all  of  Syracuse;  J.  R.  Young, 
Young,  Liverpool ;  D.  P.  Hutchins,  Fayetteville. 

1875 — Dr.  Chidester,  A.  W.  Jaynes,  Syracuse;  N.  B.  Sullivan,  Memphis;  F,  W. 
Flint,  Baldwinsville. 


396  ONONDAGA'S   CENTENNIAL. 

1876— C.  H.  Richards,  Syracuse. 

1877— D.  M.  Emmens,  A.  B.  Kinne,  J.  Leslie  Martin,  E.  B.  Squire,  John  Notting- 
ham, R.  B.  Sullivan,  all  of  Syracuse. 

1879— J.  W.  Candee,  P.  W.  Neefus,  Syracuse;  C.  P.  Jennings,  Skaneateles. 

1880— C.  D.  Hale,  F.  B.  Putnam,  C.  T.  Harris,  E.  O.  Kinne,  T.  D wight  Stowe, 
all  of  Syracuse;  P.  O.  C.  Benson,  Skaneateles;  B.  A.  Anthony,  Warners;  H.  H. 
Cator,  Syracuse. 

1884—  E.  H.  Flint,  M.  J.  Harris,  C.  T.  Harris,  all  of  Syracuse. 

1887 — R.  S.  True,  E.  J.  Robinson,  Carl  Schumacher,  all  of  Syracuse;  Frederick 
Hooker,  Fayetteville ;  J.  H.  Burch,   Baldwinsville. 

1888—  F.  A.  Macomber,  D.  F.  Young,  S.  L.  Guild-Leggett,  C.  M.  Lukens,  Elmer 
E.  Keeler,  J.  H.  Hallock,  G.  E.  Orton,  all  of  Syracuse. 

1890— W.  C.  Du  Bois,  B.  W.  Sherwood,  C.  S.  Cooper,  all  of  Syracuse. 

1891— G.  Forrest  Martin,  Skaneateles;  C.  E.  Barker,  Tully;  D.  Weller,  Memphis. 

1893 — C.  E.  Stephens,  R.  Carl  Kaiser,  Syracuse. 

1895 — A.  B.  Dake,  Mary  McMasters,  C.  E.  Hinman,  all  of  Syracuse. 

Honorary  Members — L.  B.  Wells,  J.  C.  Raymond,  Utica, ;  G.  B.  Palmer,  Oneida; 
J.  Chaffee,  Palermo;  H.  B.  Fellows,  Cayuga;  W.  F.  Sweeting,  South  Butler;  W.  E. 
Deuel,  Chittenango. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  presidents  of  the  society  from  its  organ- 
ization to  1895,  inclusive: 

1863,  (First  Year),  Lyman  Clary:  1864,  William  A.  Hawley;  1865,  William  Henry" 
Hoyt;  1866,  J.  G.  Bigelow;  1867,  B.  B.  Schenck;  1868-69,  S.  Seward;  1870,  H.  V. 
Miller;  1871,  F.  Bigelow;  1872,  William  A.  Hawlew;  1873,  J.  G.  Bigelow;  1874-75, 
H.  V.  Miller;  1876,  Geo.  H.  Greeley;  1877,  William  A.  Hawley;  1878,  J.  G.  Bigelow; 
1879-30,  J.  R.  Young:  1881,  A.  J.  Brewster;  1882,  J.  G.  Bigelow;  1883-84-85-86-87, 
William  A.  Hawley;  1888,  A.  B.  Kinne;  1889,  Leslie  Martin;  1890-91,  J.  W.  Candee; 
1892-93,  J.  W.  Sheldon;  1894,  C.  D.  Hale;  1895,  B.  W.  Sherwood. 

Dr.  Lyman  Clary,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  homoeopathy,  had  a  varied 
experience  during  his  early  practice.  He  was  president  of  the  allo- 
pathic Medical  Society  of  Onondaga  county^in  1845,  also  had  practiced 
allopathy  for  twenty  years. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  said  society  in  1845,  as  their  records  show, 
a  committee  of  several  prominent  members  was  appointed  to  collect 
information  of  the  two  "  celebrated  systems  of  medical  practice  taught 
by  Priessnitz  and  Hahnemann."  Upon  the  information  supplied  by  the 
committee  and  knowledge  of  homoeopathy  derived  from  other  sources, 
the  society  condemned  the  new  school  in  unqualified  terms,  and  sum- 
marily expelled  such  members  as  embraced  it,  among  those  Dr.  Clary, 
for  practicing  the  so  called  heresy. 

The  committee  formulated  so  favorable  a  report  of  the  new  practice 
that  they  were  refused  a  hearing  by  their  colleagues.  Dr.  Clary  and 
others  who  were  expelled  from  the  above  society,  began  practicing 
homeopathy  in  L846,  and  became  very  successful. 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION.  397 

Dr.  Clary,  who  was  made  the  first  president  of  this  society,  and  who 
had  been  most  active  in  its  organization,  died  in  May,  L876 

The  regard  which  the  society  had  for  Dr.  Clary  is  shown  by  the 
memorial  resolutions  that  were  adopted  at  a  special  meeting  held  June 
2,  187G,  and  spread  upon  the  records  of  the  society. 

The  memorial  reads  as  follows: 

"Lyman  Clary,  M.  D.,  one  of  the  oldest  members  of  the  Homoeopathic  Medical 
Society,  having  fulfilled  his  life  work,  this  society  has  met  to  express  to  his  family, 
also  his  friends  and  fellow  citizens,  our  feeling  that  his  work  has  been  well  and  nobly 
done  and  that  in  his  faithful  adherence  to  his  enlightened  conviction  he  has  set  us  an 
example  worthy  of  our  following. 

Dr.  Clary  was  an  honored  member  of  this  society  since  its  organization  and  he 
occupied  many  prominent  positions  of  trust  and  honor,  both  public  and  professional. 
He  was  president  of  the  following  medical  societies: 

The  Onondaga  Medical  Society  of  both  schools,  the  Central  New  York  Homoeo- 
pathic Medical  .Society,  and  the  New  York  State  Homoeopathic  Medical  Society,  also 
the  American  Institute  of  Homoeopathy.  We  congratulate  his  family  and  friends 
on  his  life  of  manly  integrity  and  enthusiastic  devotion  to  his  chosen  profession.  We 
point  them  to  the  record  of  that  life  for  the  consolation  they  will  need  in  the  time  of 
their  bereavement,  and  as  a  further  token  of  our  respect  for  his  memory,  we 
will  unitedly  attend  his  funeral.  Copies  of  these  resolutions  shall  be  spread  upon 
the  minutes  of  the  society  and  forwarded  to  his  family." 

The  following  names  represent  the  list  of  deaths  of  members  of  this 
society,  as  the  records  show ; 

H.  C.  Hubbard,  1867;  C.  H.  Richards,  May,  1877;  E.  B.  Squier,  May,  1879;  II.  V. 
Miller,  November,  1879;  Frank  Bigelow,  March,  1879;  J.  G.  Rigelow,  December, 
1885;  O.  P.  Benson,  1890;  W.  A.  Hawley,  May,  1891;  H.  H.  Cator,  about  1888;  Wm. 
H.   Hoyt,   December,  1893. 

Of  the  following  there  is  no  record  of  the  time  of  their  decease : 
B.  B.  Schenck,  Chas.  Baker,  E.  D.  Leonard,  A.  Marsh,  R.  B.  Sullivan,  C.  T.  Har- 
ris, D.  Chidester. 

The  work  of  the  Onondaga  County  Homoeopathic  Medical  Society, 
which  is  on  the  lines  of  progress  and  liberality,  has  been  in  charge  of 
men  of  repute  in  the  community  and  of  high  standing  in  the  profession. 
The  society  has  proven  itself  to  be  alert  and  aggressive  in  its  compre- 
hension of  the  action  upon  many  matters  of  great  importance  not  only 
to  this  community  and  State,  but  to  mankind  in  general.  Its  members 
are  known  and  honored  throughout  the  country. 

The  Syracuse  Homoeopathic  Medical  Association  is  a  direct  out- 
growth of  the  county  society  and  may  be  considered  one  of  the  evidenl 
results  of  the  same. 


398  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

The  Syracuse  Homoeopathic  Free  Dispensary,  incorporated  in  May, 
1892,  is  another  outcome  of  the  county  society,  and  one  which  has  proved 
itself  to  be  a  blessing  to  the  poor  of  this  city. 

For  many  years  prior  to  1895,  a  strong  sentiment  existed  among 
physicians  and  laymen  in  favor  of  a  homoeopathic  hospital  for  Syracuse. 
For  various  reasons  this  project  was  from  time  to  time  deferred,  until, 
it  becoming  evident  that  such  hospital  was  an  urgent  necessity,  in 
1895  the  county  society  began  earnestly  to  work  for  its  organization. 
As  a  result,  the  Syracuse  Homoeopathic  Hospital  was  incorporated 
December  30,  1895. 

The  forty  incorporators  and  charter  members  represent  most  strik- 
ingly the  intelligence,  business  ability  and  wealth  of  Syracuse,  and  thus 
augurs  a  successful  future  for  the  institution.  The  trustees  effected  an 
organization  January  21,  1896,  by  electing  the  following  officers:  A.  C. 
Chase,  president;  E.  A.  Powell,  first  vice-president;  O  D.  Soule,  sec- 
ond vice-president;  D.  H.  Gowing,  secretary;  Anthony  Lamb,  treas- 
urer. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE. 

It  has  been  clearly  indicated  in  the  foregoing  chapters  that  between 
the  date  of  the  organization  of  Onondaga  county,  now  just  a  century 
ago,  and  the  founding  of  the  village  and  city  of  Syracuse,  a  compara- 
tively long  period  elapsed.  The  reader  of  these  pages  may  have 
already  become  aware  of  the  principal  reasons  for  this  circumstance. 
They  are  embodied  in  the  following  facts:  Much  of  the  immediate 
locality  was  a  low,  swampy  jungle,  apparently  unfitted  for  the  site  of  a 
village  or  any  compact  settlement.  It  can  probably  truthfully  be  stated 
that  no  city  in  the  United  States  was  founded  in  such  a  dismal  spot  as 
Syracuse.  It  was  not  until  some  time  after  1800  that  it  was  thought 
expedient  to  endeavor  to  maintain  a  good  road  across  it,  unless  it  were 
constructed  on  a  "corduroy"  basis.  Even  the  Indians  shunned  it  and 
made  their  trails  on  the  higher  ground  on  either  side.  Quite  large 
tracts  of  the  site  would  not  even  produce  trees  of  any  considerable  size 
until  they  were  drained,  and  were  overgrown  with  rank  shrubbery  and 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  399 

such  saplings  as  are  commonly  found  in  cedar  swamps.  The  Onondaga 
Creek,  then  much  larger  in  volume  than  now,  wound  its  wonderfully 
devious  way  from  south  to  north  across  the  tract,  into  which  flowed  the 
Yellow  Brook  from  the  northeastward,  and  trailed  its  sluggish  current 
among  the  logs  and  brush,  creating  a  paradise  for  frogs.  Moreover, 
the  site  was  practically  surrounded  with  villages  that  were  prosperous 
and  growing  before  there  was  more  than  a  mere  hamlet  here.  Onon- 
daga Valley  (or  Hollow)  had  its  newspaper,  its  mills,  numerous  stores 
and  shops,  church  and  school,  before  any  one  was  sanguine  enough  to 
predict  that  Syracuse  would  ever  overtake  it  in  population.  The  same 
statement  applies  to  the  village  on  Onondaga  Hill,  and  these  two  rival 
communities  were  engaged  in  a  fierce  strife  for  possession  of  the  county 
buildings  at  a  date  when  such  a  pretension  on  the  part  of  Syracuse 
would  have  provoked  only  ridicule.  Salina,  close  by  on  the  north,  was 
a  still  more  active  and  enterprising  community,  with  an  enormous  prod- 
uct of  snowy  salt  going  out  to  various  markets,  when  Syracuse  had 
only  a  few  cheap  dwellings  and  shops  standing  in  or  near  the  Low  lands. 
Manlius,  on  the  east,  had  a  considerable  population  at  the  beginning  of 
the  century,  before  Syracuse  had  awakened  a  thought.  Not  only  was 
the  site  unfitted  for  a  village,  but  there  seemed  to  be  not  the  slightest 
necessity  for  one  in  the  locality.  Against  all  these  really  weight}7  rea- 
sons there  existed  the  fact  that  the  site  is  centrally  situated  in  the  Em- 
pire State;  that  is  all  there  was  to  recommend  it.  If  it  could  have 
been  foreseen  that  the  bluff  known  as  Prospect  Hill  (then  forty  or  fifty 
feet  higher  than  now)  and  the  swelling  hills  over  which  now  pass  James 
street  and  East  Genesee  street,  and  the  rising  plateau  of  Danforth, 
would  eventually  be  covered  with  stately  homes,  there  would  have 
been  a  little  added  brightness  in  the  prospect;  but  no  such  anticipa- 
tions were  entertained  by  the  pioneers. 

The  site  of  Syracuse  lies  within  the  boundaries  of  the  Salt  Springs 
Reservation,  and  in  lTD-i  was  in  the  town  of  Manlius,  as  was  also  all 
the  reservation  lying  east  of  the  lake  and  Onondaga  Creek.  In  1804  a 
legislative  act  authorized  the  surveyor-general  to  sell  250  acres  of  the 
reservation,  the  proceeds  to  be  applied  to  the  improvement  of  the  Sen- 
eca Turnpike  within  Onondaga  county.  The  advertisement  of  sale 
stated  that  there  was  a  good  mill  site  on  the  tract.'     James  Geddes  was 

'  While  the  subject  of  this  land  sale  was  under  discussion,  certain  persons  at  Onondaga   Hoi 
low  and  at  Salina  denied  the  possibility  of  a  water  power,  and  so  influenced  the   survovor-gen- 
eral  that  he  put  a  spirit  level  into  his  gig  and  came  out  from  Albany  expressly  to  examine  the 


400  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

appointed  by  the  surveyor-general  to  lay  out  the  tract,  in  which  task 
he  endeavored  to  not  only  include  the  mill  site,  but  to  exclude  as  far 
as  possible  the  swamps  and  low  lands;  in  the  latter  effort  he  was  not 
very  successful,  although  he  gave  the  tract  a  very  irregular  outline. 
The  maps1  of  1819  and  1834,  accompanying  these  pages,  show  the 
boundaries  of  the  tract.  The  sale  took  place  in  June,  1804,  and  the 
land  was  purchased  by  Abraham  Walton  for  $6,550.  Considering  the 
character  of  the  land  and  the  immediate  prospects  of  the  settlement, 
the  price  was  considered  a  fair  one.  From  this  purchaser  has  been 
handed  down  the  title  of  "Walton  Tract."  James  Geddes,  Moses  Car- 
penter and  John  Young  were  appointed  commissioners  to  disburse  the 
fund  to  the  contractors  on  the  road;  but  most  of  the  business  was  done 
by  Mrs.  Geddes. 

The  first  settler  on  the  site  of  Syracuse  was  Ephraim  Webster,  and 
he  was  also  the  first  in  the  county.  In  1786  he  built  his  cabin  for 
trade  with  the  Indians  on  the  bank  of  Onondaga  Creek  near  its  mouth, 
made  that  his  headquarters  for  several  years  and  later  lived  at  the 
Valley,  as  fully  described  in  the  earlier  pages  of  this  volume.  In  1793 
Webster's  trading  station  was  occupied  a  short  time  by  Benjamin  New- 
kirk,  but  he  can  hardly  be  considered  as  having  been  a  settler. 

At  this  time  the  Indians  had  a  number  of  cabins  along  the  west  bank 
of  the  creek,  and  near  by  on  the  same  side  of  the  stream  was  a  large 
Indian  burying  ground,  from  which  in  later  years  many  skeletons  were 
disinterred.  As  far  as  known  Webster  and  Newkirk  were  the  only 
white  residents  on  the  site  of  Syracuse  prior  to  1800,  if  we  except  the 
general  and  somewhat  indefinite  statement  in  Clark's  Onondaga  (vol. 
II.  p.  87)  that  a  Mr.  Butler  and  a  Mr.  Hopkins  were  located  a  little 
west  of  the  first  bridge  over  the  Oswego  Canal  on  James  street,  near  a 
spring  of  water,  the  latter  in  1797,  and  the  former  in  1799. 

In  the  spring  of  1800  Calvin  Jackson,  son  of  Col.  Jeremiah  Jackson 
of    famesville  (whose  name  has  appeared  in  earlier  pages),  built  a  small 

premises.     He,  assisted  by  Mr.  Geddes,  took  a  level  oi  the  creek  and  found  the  power  even  better 
as  made  by  the  imperfect  instrument  Mr.  Geddes  had  used  in  taking 
firsl  level.    Clark's  Onondaga,  vol.  II.  p.  85. 

1  John  Randel,  jr.,  made  the  early  maps  not  only  in  this  immediate  vicinity,  but  in  Oswego 

ii  New  York.     He  possessed  greal    professional  ability,  and  his  maps 

are  prized  for  their  accuracy.     He  was  a  resident  oi  Albany.     Before  beginning  a  piece  of  work 

it  was  his  custom  to  require  liis  assistant  s  total,    an  oath  which  read  as  follows:     "We,  the  sub- 

ralb   swear  thai  we  will  faithfully  execute  the  trust  reposed  in  us  by  John  Ran- 

assistants.     So  help   us  God."     Randel   established  the  monuments  in  the  Salina  salt 

1821 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  401 

log  house  near  where  Montgomery  and  East  Genesee  streets  cross  the 
Central  Railroad,  and  in  that  dwelling  on  December,  28,  1800,  was  born 
Albion  Jackson,  probably  the  first  white  child  born  in  Syracuse,  ex- 
cluding Salina.  There  is  no  positive  record  of  a  permanent  settlement 
here  until  1805.  In  the  same  year  of  his  purchase  Mr.  Walton  laid  out 
a  part  of  his  tract  into  village  lots  and  sold  to  Henry  Bogardus  a  half 
acre  for  $300,  embodying  in  the  contract  a  stipulation  already  binding 
upon  Walton  in  his  purchase,  that  he  should  within  a  certain  time 
erect  a  building  on  the  lot  and  keep  therein,  or  cause  to  be  kept,  a  pub- 
lic tavern. 

In  1805  Mr.  Walton  built  the  first  mills  in  Syracuse,  thus  improving 
the  disputed  mill  site.  He  constructed  a  dam  of  logs  across  the  creek 
about  where  it  is  crossed  by  West  Genesee  street,  and  the  roadway 
passed  along  the  top  of  the  dam.  The  mill  stood  on  the  east  bank  of 
the  stream  partly  on  the  High  School  site  and  partly  in  what  is  now  the 
street.  It  was  two  stories  high  with  an  attic,  contained  two  runs  of 
stones,  and  was  painted  red,  giving  it  the  well-known  title  of  "the 
red  mill."  The  first  dam  stood  only  about  a  year  when  a  spring 
freshet  carried  it  away.  The  second  was  built  about  where  West 
Water  street  crosses  the  creek,  and  a  wooden  bridge  was  erected  over 
the  creek  at  Genesee  street.  This  second  dam  was  replaced  in  18*24  by 
one  built  of  stone.  These  dams  created  a  large  pond,  the  size  and 
situation  of  which  are  shown  on  the  maps  of  1819  and  1834.  In  the 
same  year  that  the  grist  mill  was  erected,  Mr.  Walton  built  a  saw  mill 
south  of  Genesee  street  on  the  east  side  of  the  creek,  and  at  a  little 
later  date  Rufus  Parsons  established  near  by  a  linseed  oil  mill,  both  of 
which  were  operated  down  to  about  1830;  the  oil  mill  was  subsequently 
occupied  as  an  axe  factory.      A  tannery  stood  still  farther  south. 

When  Mr.  Walton  laid  out  his  village  lots  the  place  was  called 
"South  Salina;"  it  was  an  off-shoot,  a  mere  branch  of  Salina.  In 
1805  Amos  Stanton,  father  of  Isaac  and  Rufus  Stanton,  became  one  of 
the  earliest  permanent  residents  of  the  place.  What  is  now  North 
Salina  street  was  then  called  "Cooper"  street,1  and  Mr.  Stanton  pur- 
chased an  acre  of  land  on  the  east  side  of  the  street  about  where  it 
crosses  the  Oswego  Canal,  cleared  the  tract  as  soon  as  practicable,  and 

1  In  early  years  the  demand  for  salt  barrels  was  immense,  considering  the  existing  facilities 
for  their  manufacture.  Through  the  northern  part  of  Onondaga  and  the  southern  towns  of  Os- 
wego county,  an  army  of  coopers  were  kept  busy  in  this  business  as  lung  as  the  requisite  timber 
lasted.  Cooper  shops  in  and  around  Salina  were  numerous,  and  the  location  of  a  number  of  them 
along  this  street  gave  it  its  name. 
51 


402  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

with  a  few  more  acres  to  the  southeast  of  his  purchase,  began  farming; 
in  the  winter  season  he,  like  most  of  the  early  inhabitants,  worked  in 
the  salt  industry. 


The  Mansion  House. 
[Sketched  from  memory  by  M.  W.  Hanchett.] 

In  accordance  with  his  stipulation  Mr.  Bogardus  built  a  tavern  on  the 
site  of  the  present  Empire  House  in  1806.  While  the  work  was  in 
progress  he  occupied  a  small  frame  house  which  he  had  built  about  on 
the  site  of  the  Convention  block  on  the  east  side  of  Genesee  street. 
The  tavern  was  35  by  45  feet  in  size,  two  stories  high,  according  to  Mr. 
Clark,  while  the  reminiscences  of  Mr.  Cheney  describe  it  as  a  story  and  a 
half  structure,  20  by  30  feet  in  size.1  Mr.  Bogardus  was  succeeded  by 
a  Mr.  Burlingame  in  1808,  and  two  years  later  Joseph  Landon  took  the 
house.  The  place  soon  began  to  be  known  as  "  Bogardus's  Corners," 
while  the  tavern  was  often  called  the   "South  Salina  Hotel."     Landon 

1  Mr.  Cheney  wrote  a  few  years  later  than  .Mr.  Clark,  and  was  not   a   practiced  investigator; 
but  he  was  a  builder,  a  man  of  observation,  and  moreover  hoarded  for  a  time  in  the  hotel  with  his 
II1     statement   would,  therefore,  seem  to  be  a ut  horitative. 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  403 

was  succeeded  in  1812  by  James  Ingalls,  who  was  followed  in  1815  by 
Sterling  Cossitt,  from  whom  the  settlement  became  known  as  "  Cossitt's 
Corners."  This  name  did  not  long  please  the  inhabitants;  perhaps  it 
seemed  to  lack  dignity,  or  it  may  have  been  realized  that  with  the 
future  possible  death  or  removal  of  all  the  Cossitts,  the  name  would  lose 
all  significance  and  propriety.  Whatever  the  cause,  the  hamlet  was 
about  1809  given  the  name  "Milan,"  which  it  bore  a  few  years,  and 
was  then  changed  to  "  South  vSalina." 

In  1805  William  Lee  and  Aaron  Cole  opened  a  blacksmith  shop  and 
were  among  the  first  mechanics  in  the  place.  In  the  same  year  that 
Mr.  Bogardus  built  the  tavern,  a  Mr.  Merrell  erected  a  small  frame 
dwelling  nearly  opposite  on  the  east,  but  prevailing  sickness  and  the 
hopeless  prospect  discouraged  him  and  he  took  down  his  house  and 
removed  elsewhere. 

In  1807  (possibly  a  year  earlier)  a  Mr.  Blake  made  a  small  clearing 
about  half  way  between  the  Bogardus  tavern  and  Salina,  and  began 
farming.  In  the  same  year  a  road  running  north  and  south  from  the 
Walton  Tract  was  laid  out  six  rods  wide,  as  a  State  road,  under  direc- 
tion of  the  surveyor-general.  The  work  was  done  by  Moses  Carpenter 
and  two  others,  and  a  part  of  the  road  afterwards  became  Salina  street.1 

For  a  considerable  period  after  the  building  of  Bogardus's  tavern  and 
the  Walton  mills  it  was  believed  that  the  center  of  settlement  and  busi- 
ness would  be  in  that  vicinity,  and  such  was,  indeed,  the  case  for  a 
number  of  years,  as  we  shall  see.  Previous  to  the  year  18:20  immigra- 
tion was  slow.  For  this  there  were  good  reasons,  some  of  which  have 
been  touched  upon.  The  locality  was  unhealthful,  as  well  as  uninvit- 
ing, and  many  of  the  inhabitants  suffered  severely  from  sickness,  even 
down  to  1825,  or  later.  The  villages  in  the  Valley,  on  the  Hill,  and  at 
Salina  attracted  most  of  the  new  comers  The  hamlet  in  the  swamp, 
with  its  several  incongruous  names,  was  a  subject  of  ridicule  and  of 
little  other  expression.      Perhaps  the  prevailing  sickness  induced   Dr. 

•This  street  has  been  encroached  upon  on  the  west  side  between  Onondaga  and  A. lam--  s1 
in  a  manner  that  has  called  forth  the  condemnation  of  many  good  citizens  M.  C.  Hand,  who 
owned  property  on  the  east  side  of  the  street,  was  one  of  the  most  determined  opponents  "(  this 
encroachment,  and  made  the  most  thorough  investigation  t.>  prove  that  tin-  street  was  originally 
laid  out  six  rods  wide.  The  restmlt  of  these  investigations  lie  lias  printed  in  detail  in  his  volume, 
"From  a  Forest  to  a  City,"  page  95,  etc.  It  is  sufficient  for  our  present  purpose  to  state  that,  in 
spite  of  all  opposition,  embodying  applications  to  the  Common  Council  and  other  legitimate 
efforts  to  accomplish  the  object,  the  owners  of  the  lots  on   the  \\  ■  the  street   in  that 

locality   crowded  their  sidewalks,  trees  and  buildings  eastward,  cutting  down   the  width 
street  several  feet  and  forever  destroying  its  beauty  and  much  of  its  usefulness, 


IS/O-LIVAA 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  405 

Ziba  Swan  to  locate  herein  1807,  and  in  1808  Jonathan  Day  settled  near 
the  site  of  the  old  court  house  (corner  of  Division  and   North    Sa 
streets). 

In  1811  Rufus  Stanton  opened  a  tavern  on  the  east  side  of  North 
Salina  street,  just  south  of  the  site  of  the  bridge  over  the- Oswego  Canal, 
while  in  1814  two  men,  Sidney  Dole  and  Milan  C.  Taylor,  who  were 
then  operating  the  Walton  mills,  opened  the  first  store  in  the  place  about 
on  the  site  of  the  Wieting  block. 

The  prospects  of  the  place  now  began  to  brighten.  The  obstacles  to 
settlement  gave  birth  to  and  stimulated  the  growth  of  their  own  rem- 
edy. Men  were  coming  forward  who  were  not  wont  to  abandon  a  de- 
sired object  because  its  attainment  was  difficult.  And  still  there  was 
an  element  of  accident  among  the  forces  which  produced  the  early  Syr- 
acuse, entirely  dissociated  from  the  fact  that  it  was  so  near  the  salt 
springs  and  must  necessarily  share  in  their  rapidly  increasing  prosper- 
ity. The  Erie  Canal  project  had  been  under  discussion  since  the  early 
years  of  the  century,  and  by  the  end  of  the  first  decade  was  assuming  a 
definite  character  and  receiving  the  favor  and  active  aid  of  many  promi- 
nent men.  It  early  became  a  political  issue,  and  in  1807  a  "canal 
ticket"  was  formed  with  Judge  Joshua  Forman,  Federalist,  and  [ohn 
McWhorter,  Democrat,  at  its  head.  Judge  Forman  lived  at  the  Valley 
and  was  one  of  the  foremost  men  in  Central  New  York  ;  he  was  elected 
to  the  Assembly  and  became  at  once  one  of  the  first  and  most  enthusi- 
astic advocates  of  the  canal.  It  is  this  apparently  simple  fact  that  con- 
stitutes the  element  of  accident  alluded  to,  and  which  answers  the  oft- 
repeated  question,  how  could  so  prosperous  a  village  as  Syracuse  have 
been  founded  on  such  a  site?  The  Erie  Canal  made  the  Syracuse  of 
1825  and  later  a  possibility. 

In  Judge  Forman's  early  advocacy  of  the  "grand  canal,"  as  it  was 
commonly  termed,  it  was  natural  and,  perhaps,  not  opposed  to  the  pub- 
lic welfare,  that  he  should  evince  a  deep  interest  in  having  it  pass 
through  the  village  at  the  Valley  where  he  lived  and  owned  much  prop- 
erty. His  prophetic  eye  saw  a  great  and  beautiful  city  uprising 
around  his  home  through  which  would  pass  myriads  of  boats  bearing 
the  commerce  of  the  State.  He  appealed  to  his  neighbors  and  friends 
to  give  their  influence  and  means  to  the  enterprise,  assuring  them  that 
the  canal  would  become  a  fact  and  would  pass  through  or  near  their 
village  and  northward  along  the  western  side  of  the  valley  and  around 
the  hill  westward.     A  memorial  to  the  Legislature  was  prepared   by 


406  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL 

him,  to  which  he  found  it  not  difficult  to  obtain  signatures,  but  they 
were  often  accompanied  by  doleful  predictions  of  high  taxes  and  ulti- 
mate disaster.  The  pretense  that  the  canal  would  ever  be  of  any  ad- 
vantage to  their  little  village  was  simply  ridiculous  to  many  good  citi- 
zens, and  they  said  so ;  they  might  sign  a  memorial,  but  more  substantial 
aid  was  generally  withheld.  The  fact  is,  the  canal  project  received 
bitter  opposition  and  ridicule  in  many  localities,  and  particularly  in 
rural  communities.  It  was  too  grand  an  undertaking  to  be  compre-' 
hended  by  any  except  broad  minds.  This  opposition  and  ridicule  at 
home  finally  had  their  legitimate  effect,  and  Judge  Forman  transferred 
to  Salina  his  entreaties,  prophecies  and  promises,  in  an  effort  to  enlist 
the  influence  that  was  denied  him  at  home.  He  eloquently  portrayed 
to  the  citizens  of  the  northern  village  the  advantages  they  would  derive 
from  having  the  canal  pass  through  that  place.  The  leading  men  of 
Salina  thought  less  favorably  and  talked  more  in  derogation  of  the  proj- 
ect than  those  in  the  Valley,  and  smarting  under  the  lack  of  apprecia- 
tion accorded  his  favorite  project,  his  dauntless  spirit  aroused,  he 
thenceforward  threw  his  powerful  influence  in  favor  of  the  direct  route 
between  the  two  villages  which  had  spurned  his  offer,  and  which  was 
finally  followed.  He  firmly  determined  and  maintained  his  position  in 
all  places  and  on  all  occasions,  that  a  great  city  should  ultimately  be- 
stride the  canal  on  the  shore  of  Onondaga  Lake — a  city  that  should 
draw  the  very  breath  of  their  existence  from  the  villages  to  the  north- 
ward and  the  westward.1  The  idea  was  preposterous  in  the  opinion  of 
one  who  had  calmly  considered  and  closely  studied  the  site  of  Syracuse. 
But  Judge  Forman  and  the  few  local  men  who  agreed  and  worked  with 
him,  ignored  all  consideration  of  obstacles  to  their  plans  and  pressed 
forward. 

One  of  the  first  steps  towards  the  desired  end  was  the  formation  of 
the  company  of  Forman,  Wilson  &  Co.,  in  1814,  composed  of  Judge 
Forman,  Ebenezer  Wilson  and  John  B.  Creed,  and  the  purchase  by 
them  of  a  large  part  of  the  unsold  portion  of  the  Walton  Tract,  for 
which  they  paid  about  $9,000.  A  part  had  been  previously  sold  to 
Michael  Hogan  and  Charles  Walton,  who  held  their  interest  in  common 

'The  Salina   route  Eoi    the  canal   would  undoubtedly  have  been  a  good  and  natural  one,  the 

■    i  few  miles  easl  of  the  present  city,  northwestward  behind  the  high  grounds 

'  third  wards,  to  Salina,  and  thence  on  westward.     The  Hon.  Thomas  G.  Alvord 

thai  it  wa  '      ral  expression,  even  by  opponents  of  the  project,  that  if  we  were  to 

have  a  canal  a1  all,  ii  oughl  to  pass  through  Salina;  hut  the  prominent  people  of  the  place  at  that 

thei    the  practicability  or  desirability  of  the  undertaking— and  lost   it. 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  407 

with  Abraham  Walton.  During  the  succeeding  few  years  not  a  day  or 
an  opportunity  was  lost  by  Judge  Forman  and  his  associates  in  their 
enthusiastic  efforts  to  advance  the  interests  of  the  still  insignificant  set- 
tlement. 

After  the  name  "Milan"  was  given  to  the  place,  when  steps  were 
taken  to  secure  a  post-office  by  that  name,  it  was  learned  that  it  could 
not  be  done,  as  there  was  already  an  office  of  the  same  name  in  the 
State.  Judge  Forman,  therefore,  in  about  1817,  applied  the  name 
"Corinth"  to  the  village,  by  which,  or  as  "Cossitt's  Corners,"  it  was 
known  only  a  few  years.  At  about  the  time  of  the  purchase  of  the 
tract,  the  company  established  a  large  slaughter  and  packing-house  in 
a  grove  a  little  north  of  Church  street,  and  a  prosperous  business  was 
carried  on  until  1817,  especially  during  the  latter  part  of  the  war  of 
1812. 

Although  the  yearly  growth  of  the  settlement  was  still  slow,  nothing 
could  now  turn  back  the  tide  of  prosperity.  In  1818  the  Walton  Tract 
passed  to  the  possession  of  Daniel  Kellogg  and  William  H.  Sabine  (the 
latter  a  law  partner  of  Judge  Forman.)  For  these  two  men  [udge 
Forman  acted  as  agent  in  the  sale  of  lands,  removing  to  Syracuse  in 
1819,  where  he  built  a  substantial  frame  house  a  little  south  of  Water 
street  in  about  the  line  of  Clinton  street.  In  the  spring  of  this  year 
Owen  Forman,  brother  of  the  judge,  and  John  Wilkinson,  a  law  stu- 
dent in  the  judge's  office,  who  located  in  Syracuse  in  the  same  year, 
laid  out  the  tract  into  village  and  farm  lots,  under  the  direction  of 
Judge  Forman,  as  agent  for  the  new  owners,1  and  a  considerable  num- 
ber of  sales  were  made.  John  Wilkinson  bought  the  Globe  Hotel 
corner  and  a  little  later  built  a  small  law  office  thereon.  Mr.  Wilkin- 
son was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1819;  further  particulars  of  his  life  are 
given  in  Chapter  XXVI. 

1  Following  is  a  copy  of  the  deed   under  which  the  transfer  to  Kellogg  &  Sabine  was  made. 
It  is  recorded  in  Book  V,  p.  310,  in  the  county  clerk's  office  : 
Jonas  Earll,  jr.,  Sheriff  of  Onondaga  County, 

To 
Daniel  Kellogg  and  William  H.  Sabine. 

DEED  Dated  October  26,  1818.     Consideration  $10,915.00. 

By  virtue  of  a  writ  of  fieri  facias,  issued  out  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  State  of  New  York, 
against  the  lands  of  Joshua  Forman,  Ebenezer  Wilson  Junior  and  John  B.  Creed  He  ~-> >U1  at 
public  auction  to  the  highest  bidder,  a  large  quantity  of  land  in  the  town  ,,i  Onondaga,  on  lots 
(4-75-88-89-90-91-106  and  107.  "Also  all  that  tract  or  parcel  of  land,  granted  by  the  People  of  the 
State  of  New  York,   by   Letters   Patent   to  Abraham    M.  Walto  I    unary.  1807, 

for  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  lying  and  being  in  the  town   ol  Salina,  in   the  County   aforesaid, 
at  the  place  commonly  called  the  four  corners,  saving  and   excepting   thereout,   one  small   lot   of 
one  half  of  an  acre  of  land,  and  also  two  small   lots,   ol    one  quarter  of  an  acre  each,  and  1  i 
fore  conveyed  to  Henry  Bogardus,  Ziba  Swan,  and  one  Van   I 


408  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Mr.  Wilkinson  was  appointed  the  first  postmaster  of  the  village  in 
1820  (February  24).  His  first  office  was  in  the  store  of  Amos  P. 
Granger,  on  the  site  of  the  Syracuse  Savings  Bank.  Desiring  to  change 
his  office  in  1824,  he  proposed  to  John  Durnford,  then  located  in  a 
building  on  the  site  of  the  Onondaga  Savings  Bank,  that  the  office  be 
removed  thither;  Mr.  Durnford  objected  for  lack  of  room.  Mr.  Wil- 
kinson argued  that  there  was  plenty  of  room,  and  to  clinch  his  argument 
he  went  over  to  his  office,  packed  up  the  whole  paraphernalia,  mail 
matter,  letter  bags,  letter  boxes,  etc.,  and  carried  it  on  his  shoulder  to 
Durnford's  store.  He  was  then  given  possession  of  a  corner.  Some 
time  later  the  office  was  removed  to  the  east  wing  of  the  Syracuse 
House. 

At  some  time  between  lSlS'and  1824  "Corinth"  was  renamed  Syra- 
cuse, after  an  unusual  series  of  changes.  The  new  name  was  chosen 
on  the  suggestion  of  Mr.  Wilkinson,  to  whom  it  was  brought  to  mind 
during  the  reading  of  a  poem,  in  which  the  ancient  city  of  Syra- 
cuse, with  a  "Salina"  near  by,  was  mentioned.  When  a  new  name 
was  proposed,  a  committee  consisting  of  Mr.  Wilkinson,  Judge  Forman 
and  Rufus  Stanton,  was  appointed  to  make  the  selection,  with  the  result 
of  unanimity  in  favor  of  Syracuse. 

It  was  in  this  year  (1819)  that  Oliver  Teall 1  became  a  resident  of 
Syracuse  and  settled  in  what  became  known  as  "  Lodi,"  as  seen  on  the 
map  of  1834.  He  purchased  extensive  tracts  of  land  in  that  section 
and  built  mills  which  were  operated  by  the  surplus  water  from  the 
canal  under  concession  from  the  State.  On  the  27th  of  March,  1821,  a 
law  was  passed  by  the  Legislature  (chapter  176)  entitled,  "An  act  to 
supply  the  village  of  Syracuse  with  wholesome  water."  The  franchise 
under  this  act  was  transferred  to  Mr.  Teall  in  1829,  and  he  constructed 
the  first  water  supply  in  the  village. 

While  the  village  was  thus  progressing,  the  canal  project  did  not 
languish.  Judge  Geddes  made  his  final  report  in  1816,  and  it  became 
a  certainty   that   the   great  waterway   would   pass  through   Syracuse. 

1  ( >liver  Teall  was  horn  August  5,  1788,  in  Killing-worth,  Conn.,  and  was  a  son  of  Dr.  Timothy 
Teall,  who  settled  with  his  family  in  Manlius  at  an  early  day.  Working  on  a  farm  until  he  was 
about  i  ild,  he  afterward  engaged  in  making  lime,  the  tanning  business  and  shoe- 

making,  iron  smithing,  etc.     He  was  lieutenant  of  a  company   in   181*2,  and   marched  to  Oswego, 
i   title.     In  1818  he  took  a  large  contract  on  the  middle  section  of  the  Erie 

his  residence-  in  S\  raeiise,  constructed  the  first  water  works,  operated 

mills,  di  real  i   ;tate,  was  appointed  superintendent  of  the  canal,  and  actively  sup- 

i  usi  it  utions  of  Syracuse.    His  wife  was  ( Catharine  Walter,  of  .Manlius,  who  died 
KJ      Mr.  Teall  died  August   15,  1857.      He  was  lather  of  William  W.  Teall. 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  409 

This  fact,  with  the  eloquent  arguments  of  the  energetic  men  who  were 
now  deeply  interested  in  the  place,  greatly  stimulated  growth  and  gen- 
eral improvement.  Work  was  begun  on  the  middle  section  of  the  canal 
in  1817,  and  on  the  21st  of  April,  1820,  the  first  packet  boat  (the  Monte- 
zuma) arrived  in  Syracuse  from  the  West.  A  crowd  collected  to  wit- 
ness the  novel  spectacle,  and  it  contained  the  usual  contingent  of  pessi- 
mists ;  but  the  actual  sight  of  the  boat  floating  easily  and  rapidly  on  the 
turbid  tide  silenced  all  forebodings,  which  were  displaced  by  shouts  of 
joyful  welcome.  The  succeeding  Fourth  of  July  was  celebrated  for 
both  its  own  significance  and  for  the  opening  of  the  canal,  and  the  vil- 
lage was  filled  with  people.  The  exercises  were  held  in  a  grove  in  rear 
of  the  site  of  the  Townsend  block;  Thaddeus  M.  Wood  presided, 
Nathan  P.  Randall  read  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  and  Samuel 
Miles  Hopkins,  of  New  York,  delivered  the  oration.  This  was  the  first 
celebration  of  Independence  Day  in  the  village. 

If  a  passenger  had  landed  in  Syracuse  from  the  Montezuma  and  re- 
mained long  enough  to  fully  survey  the  place  he  would  have  seen  about 
nine-tenths  of  the  whole  valley  still  covered  with  forest  or  brush. 
Along  each  side  of  the  main  north  and  south,  and  the  east  and  west 
roads,  the  trees  and  bushes  had  been  cut  away  for  only  a  few  feet.  He 
would  have  noted  that  the  "clearing"  in  which  the  village  stood  ex- 
tended only  from  the  canal  near  Clinton  street  south  to  Fayette  street 
and  east  to  Warren  street ;  while  north  of  the  canal  it  reached  to  Church 
street  and  east  to  Warren.  Only  two  frame  houses  besides  the  tavern 
on  the  Empire  House  corner  would  have  met  his  gaze,  with  log  houses 
scattered  about  the  dry  ground  and  slab  cabins  for  the  canal  laborers. 
Judge  Forman's  pasture  extended  back  perhaps  fifty  rods  from  the  line 
of  Clinton  street  and  eastward  to  Salina  street,  most  of  it  covered  by 
an  open  pine  grove.  And  if  our  traveler  by  the  first  canal  boat  had 
remained  in  the  place  twenty-four  hours  he  would  have  become  a 
promising  subject  for  fever  and  ague.  In  1820  the  population  was  only 
about  250  persons,  one  of  the  chief  causes  of  the  slow  growth  being  the 
distressing  and  prevalent  sickness.  During  the  building  of  the  canal, 
especially,  fevers  were  alarmingly  frequent  and  fatal.  Thirty  of  the  labor- 
ers near  by  died  and  were  buried  near  the  corner  of  Fayette  and  Clin- 
ton streets.  The  stagnant  waters  on  the  eastern  and  southeastern  part 
of  the  village  site  did  not  subside  until  May  or  June  and  left  decaying 
vegetation  to  breed  disease.  Teams  traveling  from  the  Valley  to  Salina 
in  the  spring  were  often  forced  to  leave  the  road  and  follow  the  higher 
52 


410  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

ground  on  the  east.  In  the  vicinity  of  what  is  now  Fayette  Park  and 
farther  east  and  south  was  then  a  famous  shooting  ground.  These 
conditions  and  the  great  unhealthfulness  of  the  locality  caused  the 
founders  of  Syracuse  much  anxiety.  It  was  realized  by  them  that 
something  must  be  promptly  done  to  counteract  such  baleful  influences, 
or  Syracuse  would  remain  an  insignificant  hamlet.  Judge  Forman  and 
his  associates  accordingly  took  the  matter  in  hand,  and  in  the  winter  of 
1821-22  a  survey  was  made  which  showed  that  the  level  of  Onondaga 
Lake  was  nearly  as  high  as  some  of  the  surrounding  territory  at  high 
water,  and  that  it  set  back  in  the  creek  and  often  flooded  the  low 
lands  and  always  kept  them  wet.  It  was  determined  to  lower  the  out- 
let and  an  appropriation  was  obtained  from  the  Legislature  for  the  pur- 
pose and  for  a  system  of  drainage.  A  part  of  the  expense  was  to  fall 
upon  the  owners  of  lands  benefited  by  the  improvement.  The  law 
authorized  the  judges  of  the  County  Court  to  appoint  three  freeholders 
of  the  county,  who  should  assess  the  amount  of  money  to  be  raised 
upon  the  benefited  lands,  and  provided  that  the  lands  could  be  sold 
after  public  notice  of  four  weeks  in  case  of  non-payment  of  the  assess- 
ments ;  if  not  redeemed  within  six  months,  with  ten  per  cent,  added, 
the  sale  would  be  absolute.  The  law  permitted  citizens  to  construct 
their  own  ditches,  according  to  the  plans  of  the  commissioners;  but  if 
they  did  not  do  so,  then  the  commissioners  could  do  the  work  and 
charge  the  land  owners  with  the  expense.  While  this  law  was  at  the 
time  considered  arbitrary,  the  great  benefits  which  it  was  to  confer 
finally  reconciled  the  people  to  its  execution.  It  was  one  of  the  most 
beneficent  measures  ever  adopted  in  the  interest  of  Syracuse. 

It  was  probably  in  the  year  1820  that  the  first  school  house  was 
built  in  Syracuse.  (See  engraving  and  history  in  later  pages).  It  stood 
on  the  north  side  of  Church  street  on  the  first  lot  east  of  the  present 
Rome,  Watertown  &  Ogdensburg  Railroad  crossing,  where  the  brick 
school  house  of  district  number  four  was  subsequently  built.  In 
1 82 1  I  liram  Deming  taught  school  there  and  was  succeeded  by  William 
K.  Blair.  The  year  1821  saw  the  organization  of  the  First  Baptist 
Society,  which  in  1824  erected  the  first  church  edifice;  it  stood  on  the 
site  of  the  present  Universalist  church.  Religious  services  had  been 
held  previous  to  that  time  in  private  residences  and  in  the  school  house. 

Upon  the  opening  of  the  canal  a  stone  bridge  was  built  over  it  on 
Sal ina  street,  with  a  single  arch,  and  scarcely  high  enough  to  permit 
the  passing  of  boats  with  passengers  on  their  decks;  this  was  built  in 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  411 

1823,  and  was  superseded  by  a  wooden  bridge,  and  that  by  the  first 
iron  bridge.  It  is  related  that  on  account  of  the  first  bridge  being  so 
low,  passengers  were  sometimes  injured  when  riding  on  deck,  and  that 
when  Canal  Commissioner  Earll's  attention  was  called  to  the  fact,  his 
reply  was,  "Yes,  I  will  have  the  cause  of  these  complaints  removed  by 
deepening  the  bottom  of  the  canal  at  that  point." 

The  tendency  of  settlement  and  business  was  now  turning  south  of 
the  canal.  Rufus  Stanton  had  continued  farming  on  the  land  east  of 
Salina  street,  and  in  1815  had  a  field  of  twenty  acres  of  grain,  at  the 
northwest  corner  of  which  was  erected  the  Syracuse  House.  The  tract 
was  afterwards  sowed  with  grass  seed,  enclosed  with  a  rail  fence,  and 
in  1820  was  bought  by  Luther  Buell  (brother  of  the  grandfather  of  H. 
B.  Buell,  of  McCarthy's  wholesale  house),  and  Shubael  Safford  (grand- 
father of  John  D.  Safford  of  Syracuse),  who  began  the  erection  of  a 
brick  hotel  fifty  feet  square,  two  stories  high  with  basement.  Mr. 
Safford  fell  from  a  scaffold  during  the  work  on  the  building  and  was 
killed.  The  accident  delayed  the  building,  which  was  finished  by 
Henry  Eckford  in  1822,  after  his  purchase  of  the  tract.  It  was  called 
the  Syracuse  Hotel,  but  in  1827,  after  the  accession  of  the  Syracuse 
Company,  was  rebuilt  in  an  enlarged  and  improved  style,  and  renamed 
the  Syracuse  House. 

In  1823  what  remained  unsold  of  the  Walton  Tract  again  changed 
hands,  passing  from  Kellogg  &  Sabine  to  Henry  Eckford,  of  New  York 
city,  who  sold  it  in  May,  1824,  to  an  organization  called  "  The  Syra- 
cuse Company,"  from  whom  very  many  of  the  later  real  estate  titles  of 
the  village  and  city  were  derived.  The  price  was  $30,000.  This  com- 
pany was  composed  of  William  James,  John  Townsend,  Isaiah  Town- 
send,  and  James  McBride.  The  deed  transferred  the  land  in  trust  to 
Moses  Burnet  and  Gideon  Hawley;  further  draining  of  portions  was 
inaugurated,  and  the  sale  of  lots  was  vigorously  pursued. 

Thus  far  the  village  had  existed  without  a  newspaper.  Onondaga 
Hill  had  enjoyed  the  blessing  since  1816,  the  Valley  since  L814  (with 
an  ephemeral  sheet  started  in  1811),  when  Lewis  H.  Redfield  began 
the  publication  there  of  the  Onondaga  Register,  and  the  need  of 
a  more  strictly  local  and  directly  interested  journal  was  strongly  felt. 
In  April,  1823,  the  first  number  of  the  Onondaga  Gazette  was  issued 
in  Syracuse  by  John  Durnford.  It  contained  only  one  mercantile  ad- 
vertisement, that  of  Kasson  &  Heermans. 

The  neighboring  village  of  Liverpool  was  still  a  place  of  much  more 


412  ONONDAGA'S   CENTENNIAL. 

importance  than  either  Syracuse  or  Salina.  Farmers  found  a  good 
market  there  and  received  cash  for  their  products,  while  in  most  in- 
stances in  the  other  villages,  salt  was  offered  in  exchange.  The  amount 
of  business  done  in  Syracuse  in  1825  was  much  less  than  at  the  Valley, 
and  most  of  the  stores  were  still  on  the  north  side  of  the  canal  between 
the  two  bridges.  A  dwelling  on  the  corner  of  Mulberry  and  Fayette 
streets  was  considered  far  in  the  country;  and  when  Ezra  Town,  about 
1825,  determined  to  open  a  grocery  on  the  south  side  of  the  canal,  he 
was  assured  by  the  wise  men  that  he  could  not  succeed ;  but  he  did, 
and  conducted  it  on  temperance  principles. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  year  1825  there  were  about  fifteen  merchants 
of  various  kinds  in  the  village,  with  the  usual  shops,  mills,  etc.  Streets 
had  been  extended  to  some  extent  and  somewhat  improved  in  charac- 
ter, though  there  were  seasons  when  many  of  them  were  almost  im- 
passable. Very  little  sidewalk  had  yet  been  constructed.  The  canal 
was  finished  in  November,  1825;  the  salt  industry  was  remarkably  pros- 
perous and  increasing  with  rapid  strides,  and  all  outward  signs  pointed 
to  the  rapid  advancement  which  followed.  These  auspicious  indica- 
tions prompted  the  inhabitants  to  cheerfully  support  the  plan  of  vil- 
lage incorporation,  and  on  the  13th  of  April,  1825,  the  necessary  act 
passed  the  Legislature.  The  first  village  election  was  held  on  the  3d 
of 'May,  1825,  when  the  following  officers  were  elected: 

Joshua  Forman,  president;  Amos  P.  Granger,  Moses  D.  Burnet,  Heman  Wal- 
bridge,  John  Rogers,  trustees;  James  Webb,  Alfred  Northam,  Thomas  Spencer, 
assessors;  John  Durnford,  treasurer;  John  Wilkinson,  clerk;  Henry  Young,  pound- 
master;  Jesse  D.  Rose,  Henry  W.  Durnford,  constables;  Daniel  Gilbert,  justice  of 
the  peace. 

Meetings  were  held  with  great  frequency  by  the  trustees  and  pro- 
vision made  for  setting  in  motion  the  new  government.  The  corpora- 
tion was  divided  into  two  highway  districts,  the  dividing  line  being  the 
canal  from  the  east  line  of  the  village  to  the  "stone  bridge  [which  had 
been  built  over  the  canal  on  Salina  street] ;  thence  along  the  center  of 
the  Turnpike  to  the  Onondaga  creek;  thence  up  the  same  to  the  canal, 
and  from  thence  along  the  line  of  the  same  to  the  west  line  of  the  vil- 
lage."    The  map  of  1834  shows  the  village  boundaries. 

Now  Syracuse  began  to  advance  with  rapid  strides.  The  simple 
machineryof  the  village  government  was  soon  in  smooth  working  con- 
dition. The  second  meeting  of  the  trustees  was  held  on  May  4,  when 
a  resolution  was  adopted  "that  Othniel  H.  Williston,  George  W.  Palmer, 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  413 

Hiram  C.  Woodworth,  and  James  Mann  are  severally  fit  persons  to  be 
licensed  as  tavern  keepers."  At  the  meeting  of  May  8,  grocer's  li- 
censes were  granted  to  Joseph  Thompson,  Henry  Newton,  Stephen  W. 
Cadwell,  Paschal  N.  Thurber,  Joel  Owen,  Peter  Van  Olinda,  Henry 
W.  Durnford,  Hayden  Rice,  William  T.  Arnold,  Ambrose  Kasson, 
Bush  &  Vose,  Andrew  N.  Van  Patten,  and  Ralph  Waldby.  If  a  grocer 
sold  liquor,  he  had  to  pay  $25  additional  to  his  grocer's  license  fee. 
Canal  street  (now  Pearl)  "running  parallel  to  the  Lateral  Canal  at  the 
distance  of  100  feet  therefrom,"  was  ordered  to  be  opened  from  Foot 
street  to  Salina  street.  (The  lateral  canal  was  what  is  now  the  Oswego 
Canal  between  the  Erie  Canal  and  Salina).  Willow  street  was  opened 
from  Lock  street  to  the  lateral  canal,  and  Lock  street  from  Foot  (now 
James)  to  Willow.  "  Robber's  Row  "  was  ordered  to  be  opened  four 
rods  wide. 

At  a  meeting  held  May  9,  it  was  determined  to  procure  "  a  good  fire 
engine,"  and  Moses  D.  Burnet  was  designated  to  ascertain  the  cost. 
On  the  following  day  ordinances  were  adopted  providing  that  the  ' '  streets 
and  canal  should  be  kept  clear  of  logs,  lumber,  etc.  ;  that  no  property 
should  be  landed  on  the  banks  of  the  canal  on  Sunday,  penalty,  $>5; 
that  liquor  shops  should  be  closed  on  Sunday  and  at  11  o'clock  even- 
ings, penalty  $2.50;  that  no  guns  should  be  fired  in  the  village,  pen- 
alty $1 ;  that  no  hogs  be  permitted  to  run  at  large,  penalty  25c.  ;  that 
no  boisterous  noise,  profane  or  obscene  talk  should  be  permitted,  pen- 
alty $5." 

At  the  meeting  of  May  13,  Salina,  Warren,  Clinton,  Water,  Wash- 
ington, Fayette  and  Church  streets  received  the  village  authority  for 
their  names,  and  it  was  enacted  that  "the  Seneca  Turnpike  through 
said  village  shall  be  called  Genesee  street;"  while  at  the  same  time 
"  the  street  leading  east  from  the  public  square  north  of  the  canal  "  was 
named  Foot  street.  "The  street  running  from  the  Turnpike  to  the 
canal,  next  west  of  Gifford's  house  with  its  continuation,"  was  named 
South  Franklin  street.  "The  street  leading  to  the  mill  race,  north  of 
the  canal,  thence  along  the  same  to  the  Seneca  Turnpike,"  was  made 
Mill  street.  The  street  west  of  Onondaga  Creek,  which  had  been  kn<  »wn 
as  "Apple"  street,  was  renamed  West  street.  At  this  meeting  steps 
were  taken  for  building  the  Oswego  Canal  bridge  in  James  street  ami 
for  opening  "Clinton  street,  on  both  sides  of  Washington."  On  the  2  1th 
of  May  it  was  ordered  that  proposals  be  advertised  for  lighting  ami 
trimming  the  four  lamps  "now  put   up,  and  such  as  may   be  put  up." 


414  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

This  was  probably  the  first  call  for  bids  on  any  contract  in  the  village. 
It  was  also  provided,  in  this  connection,  that  "persons  applying  shall 
state  the  price  they  will  charge  per  lamp,  to  be  lighted  only  on  dark 
nights." 

When  we  consider  that  all  this  business  was  accomplished  in  about 
three  weeks  from  the  incorporation,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  trustees  were 
wide  awake.     The  race  with  Salina  was  begun. 

The  condition  of  the  streets  at  the  time  under  consideration  is  indi- 
cated by  a  resolution  passed  at  a  meeting  on  the  6th  of  June,  ordering 
that  the  lumber,  etc.,  which  had  been  left  on  "  the  public  square  be 
removed  to-morrow,  and  John  Wilkinson  see  to  this  order."1  Mr, 
Wilkinson  was  forced  to  remove  the  lumber  himself,  as  the  owner  did 
not  appear — unless  it  was  Mr.  Wilkinson  himself. 

At  a  meeting  held  June  15,  $125  were  appropriated  to  inclose  "the 
burying  ground  with  a  decent  fence,  painted,  with  a  gate."  Moses  D. 
Burnet  was  authorized  to  provide  "a  decent  pall  and  bier."  The  first 
burial  ground  in  the  village  of  Syracuse  was  at  the  intersection  of  Clin- 
ton and  West  Fayette  streets,  as  shown  on  the  map  of  1834.  Burials 
ceased  here  before  1819  and  were  probably  not  more  than  thirty  in 
number.  The  second  burial  ground  was  situated  on  the  west  end  of 
block  77 ;  it  extended  from  Church  street  to  the  Walton  line.  This  was 
never  used  for  its  contemplated  purpose,  and  what  became  known  as 
"  the  old  cemetery,"  was  laid  out  on  the  Forman  and  Wilkinson  map 
at  the  corner  of  West  Water  and  Franklin  streets;  this  is  the  ground 
for  which  the  appropriation  was  made  for  a  fence.  The  first  burial  in 
it  was  the  body  of  Eliza  Spencer,  first  wife  of  Thomas  Spencer,  who 
died  April  2,  1824. 

( )n  the  14th  of  July,  1825,  $450  were  appropriated  for  opening  and 
improving  Clinton  street,  and  $250  "for  improving  the  road  to  the  fur- 
nace." 

1  In  reminiscences  of  1835,  written  by   K.   W.   Leavenworth,  he  thus  speaks  of  some  of  the 
in  the  Fourth   ward-     "On  the  north  side  of  James  street  all  the  land  was  in  woods,  ex- 
narrow  strip  on  each  side  of  North   Salina  street,  north  of  the  bridge.     Block  No.  35  was 
ligher  than  any  part  of  it  now  is;  it  was  a  solid  bed  of  pure  gravel.     Between  this  block 
anil  Willow   street    there    was  a  perennial  frog  pond,  which  was  grown  up  to  alders  and  other 
,  ami   was  lull  of  old  rotted  logs.     It  was  extended  south  t < >  about  the  middle  of  the  Foot 
road,  Dr.  Colvin  hit,  and   east  tn   the    west  line  of  the  second  lot  east  of  Townsend 

No  attempt  was  made  to  drain  this  until  Mr.    Forbes  built  his  house,  when  he  induced 
the  tin  ■■■!    to  put   an  eight-inch  ■wooden  pipe  across  James  street  not  far  from  the 

ad     init.     When  the  lot  owners  graded  James  street  in  1S33-  4  they  cut  through 
the  bed  of  gravel  crossing  the  street  at  Lock  street,  using  the  gravel  in  the  work,  and  must  have 
■  -!i!   lilt  nearly  its  entire  length. 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  U5 

The  Marquis  de  La  Fayette  made  a  tour  of  this  country  in  1825  and 
honored  Syracuse  with  a  visit.  He  came  eastward  from  Marcellus, 
made  a  short  stop  at  the  hotel  on  Onondaga  Hill  (where  he  had  break- 
fast), and  in  the  Valley,  whence  he  proceeded  with  an  escort  to  the  old 
Mansion  House.  He  was  met  by  a  large  assemblage  of  people  of  the 
village  and  surrounding-  country,  and  Judge  Forman,  president  of  the 
village,  delivered  an  eloquent  address,  tendering  the  distinguished 
guest  the  hospitalities  of  a  grateful  people.  La  Fayette  made  a  fitting 
response,  after  which  a  repast  was  served.  The  general  and  suite,  with 
the  Onondaga  committee  of  escort,  left  for  Utica  on  the  packet  boat 
Rochester. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  trustees,  held  October  11,  1825,  Judge  Forman 
stated  that  he  had  engaged  a  fire  engine  at  the  cost  of  $935,  and 
Thomas  B.  Heermans  was  appointed  a  captain  of  a  fire  company,  with 
authority  to  enlist  thirty-five  men  as  members.  This  action  had  been 
taken  in  pursuance  of  the  following  resolutions,  which  were  adopted  at 
an  earlier  meeting  of  June  7,  1825: 

Whereas,  The  Albany  Insurance  Company  has  proposed  to  this  village,  that  the 
said  company  will  loan  the  sum  of  81,000,  to  be  used  in  the  purchase  of  a  good  and 
sufficient  fire  engine,  with  proper  implements,  to  extinguish  fires,  on  the  following 
conditions:  The  village  to  secure  the  payment  of  that  sum  in  four  years,  by  a  bond 
under  the  corporate  seal,  two  years  without  interest,  and  after  that  at  threeper  cent, 
a  year  for  the  remainder  of  the  time,  therefore, 

Resolved,  That  the  trustees  of  the  village  be  authorized  to  effect  the  loan  of  the 
sum  of  one  thousand  dollars  on  the  terms  aforesaid,  and  that  the  same  be  applied  to 
the  purchase  of  a  good  first-rate  engine,  and  that  they  procure  the  same  under  the 
corporate  seal. 

Resolved,  That  the  sum  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  be  raised  for  the  purpose 
of  building  an  engine  house,  purchasing  hooks  and  necessary  ladders,  which  sum  to 
be  assessed  on  said  village,  pursuant  to  statute. 

Some  difficulty  must  have  been  encountered  in  effecting  the  loan,  for 
another  meeting  was  held  "at  the  house  of  James  Mann  "  (Syracuse 
House)  on  the  28th  of  November,  when  other  similar  resolutions  were 
adopted,  but  providing  for  the  payment  of  seven  per  cent,  interest  on 
the  loan.  On  the  3d  .  of  January,  1826,  the  trustees  adopted  resolu- 
tions ordering  housekeepers  to  provide  themselves  with  leather  buck- 
ets, bearing  the  name  of  the  owner,  ordinary  dwellings  to  have  one 
each,  two-story  houses  to  have  two,  and  taverns  to  have  four.  John 
Rogers  and  Moses  D.  Burnet  were  at  the  same  time  authorized  to  con- 
tract for  the   building  of  an  engine  house  "22   feet   by  16  feet,   8  feet 


0 
416  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

posts,  and  to  be  neatly  painted  and  furnished  with  a  good  box  stove, 
which  building  to  be  placed  in  a  line  with  and  next  to  the  barn  of  John 
Rogers."  This  engine  house,  as  nearly  as  can  now  be  learned,  stood 
about  on  the  site  of  the  southeastern  corner  or  side  of  the  Bastable 
block,  near  Genesee  street,  where  stood  the  small  brick  dwelling  of 
John  Rogers,  the  first  brick  building  erected  in  the  village,  and  re- 
moved when  the  present  new  Bastable  block  was  erected.  The  mem- 
bership of  the  first  fire  company  was  as  follows;  John  Durnford, 
Stephen  W.  Cadwell,  Paschal  Thurber,  Linneus  P.  Noble,  Agrippa 
Martin,  Thomas  Spencer,  Edward  Chapman,  Joel  Owen,  William  O. 
Chope,  Henry  Van  Heusen,  Harman  Van  Heusen,  Russell  Hebard, 
Zopher  Adams,  Humprey  Mellen,  Samuel  Mead,  Theodore  Ashley, 
John  Wall,  Volney  Cook,  Archibald  L.  Fellows,  Seth  K.  Akin  and 
Henry  Gifford.  This  list  embraced  most  of  the  prominent  citizens  of 
the  place.  Suitable  fire  hooks  were  ordered  of  Henry  Van  Heusen,  at 
a  cost  of  $18.75,  and  on  the  4th  of  December,  1827,  a  hook  and  ladder 
company  was  formed,  with  the  following  members:  Daniel  Elliot, 
David  Stafford,  C  Walbridge,  Ambrose  Kasson,  J.  C.  Fields,  J.  Whit- 
ney and  Captain  Archer.  These  facilities  for  fire  extinguishment 
served  the  village  until  1832. 

It  was  probably  in  1827  that  the  first  so-called  police  duty  was  per- 
formed, as  in  March  of  that  year  the  records  show  the  payment  of  $25 
to  H.  W.  Durnford  "for  services  as  police  constable."  In  the  follow- 
ing year  the  same  sum  was  paid  to  Charles  Cook  for  like  service.  Po- 
lice duty,  at  least  aside  from  what  was  done  by  the  regular  constables, 
was  doubtless  of  a  transient  and  intermittent  character  for  some  years 
after  the  village  was  incorporated. 

The  first  store,  of  Sidney  Dole  and  Milan  C.  Taylor  (181-4)  has  been 
mentioned.  During  work  on  the  canal  in  1817  the  firm  of  Northrup  & 
Dexter,  who  had  a  contract  on  the  work,  succeeded  Dole  &  Taylor, 
and  continued  in  trade  until  1821.  The  following  list  embraces  most 
of  the  merchants  who  began  business  between  1820  and  the  incorpora- 
tion of  the  village: 

Amos  P.  Granger  came  down  from  Onondaga  Hill  in  1831  and  opened  a  dry  goods 

st on-  which  fronted  on  the  canal  on  the  east  side  of  Salina  street;  besides  this  store 

were  then  only  a  few  small  groceries  and  general  stores.     Henry   Newton 

opened  a  store  in  1822.     Archy  Kasson  opened  a  hardware  store  in  1822;  Kasson  & 

leral   store,    in   1823;  G.  M.  Towle,   forwarding  and  commission  busi- 

April,   I*1.!:;,  George   Davis  &  Co.,  July,  1823;  John  Rogers  &  Co.,  November, 

William  Malcolm,   1823;  Haskell  &  Walbridge,  saddlers  and  furnishers,  1824; 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  417 

and  in  that  year  J.  Vanderheyden,  Mead  &  Davis,  A.  N.  Van  Patten,  and  II.  &  W. 
Dowd  began  business  as  merchants,  with  Hiram  Judson,  jeweller,  and  H.  Hyde  cV 
Co.,  forwarders. 

From  this  time  forward,  business  enterprises  of  various  kinds  multi- 
plied rapidly.  Dr.  Basset,  who  succeeded  Dr.  Ziba  Swan,  was  in  the 
village  during-  the  building-  of  the  canal  and  had  an  enormous  practice 
considering  the  number  of  inhabitants,  for  almost  everybodv  was  sick. 
He  was  succeeded  by  Dr.  David  Colvin,  who  was  in  practice  here  many 
years,  and  by  Dr.  Jonathan  Day,  who  died  with  cholera  in  1832.  John 
Wilkinson  was  practicing  law,  and  Alfred  Northam  opened  an  office  in 
1824,  while  Harvey  Baldwin  and  Schuyler  Strong  were  added  to  the 
number  of  attorneys  in  1826.  The  second  newspaper,  The  Syracuse 
Advertiser,  a  Jackson  organ,  was  started  in  1825.  The  first  Presby- 
terian church  was  organized  December  14,  1824,  and  St.  Paul's  on  the 
2d  of  May,  1826. 

The  principal  factors  of  this  very  remarkable  and  rapid  growth  were 
the  salt  industry,  the  canal,  the  spirit  of  enterprise  among  the  citizens, 
and,  strange  as  it  may  seem  to-day,  the  intense  and  aggressive  rivalry 
that  came  into  existence  between  Syracuse  and  Salina,  which  reached 
disagreeable  if  not  disgraceful  proportions  and  did  not  wholly  disappear 
until  1840  or  later.  The  development  of  this  rivalry  was  due  chiefly  to 
a  class  of  the  inhabitants  of  Salina  who  found  it  impossible  to  remain 
silent  and  inactive  while  being  outstripped  by  a  mushroom  rival  that 
was  a  mere  hamlet  in  a  swamp  when  their  own  village  was  a  large  and 
prosperous  place.  "Salt  Pointers"  for  many  years  merely  smiled  with 
incredulity  at  intimations  that  Syracuse  would  ever  become  a  rival  of 
Salina;  but  the  time  came  when  their  scorn  changed  to  fear  and  jealous}-, 
which  were  greatly  intensified  by  the  opening  of  the  canal.  Salina  was 
incorporated  a  little  earlier  than  Syracuse  (March  12,  L824),  a  fact 
which  hastened  the  same  action  in  the  younger  village.  It  should  not 
be  understood  that  jealousy  led  to  any  overt  acts  on  the  part  of  the 
authorities  of  Salina,  or  by  the  better  class  of  its  inhabitants,  whatever 
may  have  been  their  sentiments.  Such  was  not  the  case,  except  as 
demonstrated  in  the  very  active  opposition  to  the  location  of  the  court 
house  in  Syracuse  (182&-9);  but  the  spirit  of  antagonism  and  jealousy 
was  communicated  to  the  younger  generation,  and  particularly  to  the 
laboring  class  who  were  employed  in  the  salt  works  and  who  constituted 
a  numerous  element  of  the  population.  These  were  rough  in  their 
habits  and  unused  to  the  amenities  of  life,  and  hence  were  quite  ready 
5^ 


418  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

to  insist  that  Syracusans  had  no  real  right  to  build  up  a  rival  village  at 
their  very  doors,  and  should  not  do  it  if  they  could  prevent  it.  They 
supported  their  position  with  their  own  crude  arguments  and  often 
with  their  fists.  This  rough  element  often  visited  vSyracuse,  sometimes 
led  by  Dean  Richmond,  and  missed  no  opportunity  for  provoking  the 
young  men  of  this  place  until  a  conflict  would  follow,  which  on  some 
occasions  became  almost  a  riot,  as  we  shall  see.  This  rivalry,  as  be- 
fore intimated,  became  an  important  factor  in  the  rapid  growth  of 
Syracuse.  The  population  which  was  about  500  in  1825,  reached  6,929 
in  1830,  while  general  improvements  and  infant  industries  sprang  up 
on  every  hand. 

Some  brief  notes  upon  the  condition  of  the  village  from  1827  to  1830 
will  be  of  interest  here.  In  1827  there  were  no  blocks  (or  squares)  in 
the  Fourth  ward  as  now  bounded;  none  north  of  the  Walton  line;  none 
west  of  Apple  (West)  street  on  the  north  side  of  the  canal;  none  south 
of  Fayette  street  and  none  east  of  Mulberry  street.  No  street  north  of 
the  canal  had  been  opened  or  worked,  excepting  Salina  street  and  what 
little  had  been  done  on  the  "Foot  Road,"  (James  street).1  The  only 
bridge  over  the  canal  east  of  Warren  street  was  at  the  Lodi  Locks. 
Major  Moses  D.  Burnet  lived  in  what  is  now  the  Century  Club  house, 
though  it  has  been  slightly  changed.  He  built  first  a  large  frame  house 
on  West  Genesee  street,  on  the  site  of  the  Judge  Comstock  place. 
Nelson  Gilbert  lived  in  a  small  house  on  the  site  of  the  Cathedral  par- 
sonage, and  on  the  block  between  the  two  canals,  John  Boyd,  a  Scotch- 
man, lived  a  sort  of  hermit  life  in  a  shant}'  and  raised  and  sold  garden 
truck.  There  was  a  small  house  near  the  present  corner  of  McBride 
and  Ash  streets,  and  a  few  whitewashed  shanties  along  the  Oswego 
Canal  north  of  Willow  street  were  called  "White  Hall."  Peter  Wales, 
the  first  butcher  of  the  village,  lived  in  a  small  house  just  north  of  the 
Oswego  Canal  bridge  on  the  west  side  of  North  Salina  street.  On  the 
same  side  of  the  street,  corner  of  Division,  was  a  tavern  kept  by  Henry 
Blake,  which  was  called  at  different  times  the  "Center  House,"  and 
the  "Half  Way  House."  The  Foot  Road  (now  James  street)  was 
passable  by  teams  only  to  Lodi  street.  A  gulf  extended  across  the 
road  at  the  site  of  Gen.  D.  H.  Bruce's  residence  (James  and  Highland), 
cutting  off  travel.      South  of  the  road  and  east  of  Lodi  street  there  was 

i  W'Im -ii  tlir  Syracuse  Company  laid  oui   what  is  now  t  he  Fourth  ward  and  that  vicinity,  they 
■  n  own  names  to  several  of  the  streets,  as  McBride,  Townsend,  James,  while  Burnet  ami 
named  from  Major  Burnet  and  Gideon  Hawtey,  agents  of  the  company. 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE. 


419 


no  cleared  land,  and  most  of  what  was  cleared  in  other  localities 
abounded  with  stumps.  "Robber's  Row"  in  1827  had  become  a  busy 
place,  owing  chiefly  to  canal  traffic.  Columbus  C.  and  David  Bradley 
occupied  the  basement  of  Amos  P.  Granger's  building,  next  to  the 
Salina  street  bridge,  and  the  next  three  stores  were  occupied  succes- 
sively by  Thomas  and  Elisha  George,  Dexter  Pepper,  and  William  K. 
Blair;  Mr.  Blair  afterwards  built  a  four-story  block  there.  The  site  of 
these  buildings  is  now  covered  by  the  Syracuse  Savings  Bank  building. 
Farther  east  were  the  groceries  of  Stephen  W.  Cadwell  and  Paschal  Thur- 
ber  (the  largest  in  the  village),  and  Deacon  Henry  Chamberlain.  This 
latter  building  is  standing  now,  the  front  just  as  Deacon  Chamberlain 
built  it.  Still  further  east  Rob- 
ert I.  Brockway  had  a  butcher 
shop  as  early  as  1830,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Caleb  Davis, 
father  of  the  late  chief  of 
police,  Thomas  Davis.  The 
north  side  of  Robber's  Row 
was  occupied  by  cheap  struct- 
ures which  were  built  prior  to 
1824.  Gilbert  Fitch  lived  in 
the  old  Greyhound  Hotel  in 
1827,  and  Thomas  Spencer  in 

a  small  dwelling  next  west.  The  next  building  was  a  two-story  house 
occupied  by  Messrs.  Cadwell  and  Thurber.  Hugh  Hancock  had  a  shoe 
store  in  a  small  building  on  the  corner  fronting  Salina  street. 

On  the   Salina  street   side  of  this  block  (82)  lived  Dr.    Colvin,  - 
Lewis,  a  brother-in-law  of  Sterling  Cossitt,  and  James  Sackctt.1     Just 

1  Mr.  Sackctt  was  a  very  peculiar  and  eccentric  bachelor.  His  tastes  in  dresswere  verj  sin- 
gular, and  he  often  wore  a  frock  coat  reaching  nearly  to  his  heel-,  a  wide-brimmed  hat  with  a  vail 
over  his  face;  he  usually  traveled  about  in  a  dilapidated  sulky  with  a  top  patched  up  in  varied 
colors.  When  he  was  on  foot  he  carried  a  large  umbrella  with  a  white  patch  on  top.  When  he 
was  ready  to  build  on  his  property  he  contracted  for  a  house  22  X  In  feet  in  size.  As  the  con- 
tractor did  not  come  and  build  as  agreed,  Sackett  bargained  with  another  man  to  do  the  same 
work  and  the  structure  was  immediately  erected.  Before  it  was  finished  the  first  contractor 
came  with  timbers,  etc..  for  the  performance  of  his  contract.  Although  Mr.  Sackett  was  not 
bound  to  fulfill  his  agreement  with  this  man,  he  said  to  him,  "  Here,  put  it  up  at  the  end  of  this 
one."'  Of  course  he  then  had  a  house  22x80  feet.  With  all  his  peculiarities  he  was  a  well-dis- 
posed person,  correct  and  prompt  in  business  matters.  At  his  death  his  estate  was  worth  $150,- 
000.  A  part  of  his  estate  was  land  embracing  and  surrounding  the  site  of  the  Cathedral.  Tins 
land,  or  part  of  it,  w-as  covered  with  a  pleasant  grove  the  possession  of  which  greatly  delighted 
Mr.  Sackett.  One  morning  he  arose  to  find  nothing  left  <<(  it  but  the  stumps  of  the  trees  which 
had  been  neatly  sawed  off  and  marked  with  white  chalk.  The  afflicted  owner  made  des] 
efforts  to  learn  who  among  his  enemies  did  the  deed   but  he  never  succeeded. 


r^©USf©.^^ 


5-- 


420  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

north  of  the  corner  of  Salina  and  James  streets  was  a  plain  two-story 
building-  with  the  law  office  of  Thaddeus  M.  Wood  and  his  son-in-law, 
Charles  A.  Baker,  on  the  first  floor  and  John  F.  Wyman's  printing  office 
on  the  second  floor,  with  the  law  office  of  Alfred  Northam  and  Elias  W. 
Leavenworth  in  rear  of  it;  the  latter  office  remained  there  until  1828, 
when  they  removed  to  the  east  wing  of  the  Syracuse  House.  All  north 
of  that  was  the  property  of  James  Sackett.  The  block  where  stands 
Andrews  Brothers  James  and  Warren  street  grocery  was  unoccupied  at 
this  time,  but  the  block  next  on  the  north  was  used  by  Deacon  Thomas 


.  Marvin  Block,  1824,  Site  of  Onondaga  County  Court   House. 
Sketched   from  memory  by  M.  W.  Hanchett.. 

Spencer  for  a  boat  yard  and  dry  dock.  The  corner  of  Willow  and  North 
Salina  streets  was  vacant  in  1827  and  about  100  feet  north  stood  the 
dwelling  of  Elisha  F.  Wallace,  father  of  Judge  William  J.  Wallace.  A 
little  farther  north  was  the  house  of  Rufus  Stanton,  built  in  1808.  The 
old  Mansion  house  stood  on  the  Empire  House  corner  and  was  kept  in 
L825  by  O.  H.  Williston;  it  was  removed  in  1844-45  to  clear  the  site  for 
the  present  structure.  There  was  no  building  on  this  block  on  Salina 
street  north  of  the  hotel.     A  one-story  building  next  west  of  the  Man- 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  421 

sion  House  fronting- the  "public  square,"  contained  three  stores,  two  of 
which  were  occupied  by  Volney  Cook  &  Co.,  the  fashionable  dry  goods 
dealers  of  the  village,  and  by  the  harness  shop  of  Silas  Ames  (who  came 
down  from  the  Hill).  Next  west  of  the  Mansion  House  was  the  wood 
structures  shown  in  the  engraving.  The  first  :5:5  feet  of  the  brick 
Marvin  block  was  built  by  the  Syracuse  Company  and  was  occupied  in 
part  by  the  lottery  office  of  S.  C.  Brewster,  in  which  Hiram  Deming 
bought  a  quarter  of  the  ticket  which  drew  $50,000.  Samuel  Copp  was 
Mr.  Brewster's  manager.  Next  was  Marvin  &  Norton's  fur  store. 
That  part  of  the  row  was  built  by  Asa  Marvin,  whose  partner  was  El- 
bert Norton.  Directly  after  the  death  of  Elbert  Norton  about  1832, 
that  part  of  the  block  was  occupied  by  E.  B.  Wicks  &  Co.,  who  removed 
from  the  structure  adjoining  the  Mansion  House.  Next  came  Dr. 
John  W.  Hanchett's  drug  store  and  office,  over  which  he  lived  about 
fifteen  years.  Next  to  this  was  the  shoe  store  of  Adonijah  Root,  father 
of  Mrs.  John  R.  Whitlock.  On  the  corner  was  a  two-story  frame  build- 
ing, part  of  which  was  occupied  by  the  Presbyterian  society  for  a  ses- 
sion room  before  they  built  one.  On  the  second  floor  was  the  dwelling 
of  Mrs.  Barlow,  mother  of  Jason,  Augustus,  John  and  Benjamin  R. 
John  and  Benjamin  Barlow  were  both  printers,  and  Benjamin  became 
superintendent  of  the  Five  Points  Mission,  New  York.  Her  oldest 
daughter,  Mary,  was  the  first  wife  of  C.  T  Longstreet;  the  second 
daughter  was  the  second  wife  of  Dr.  John  C.  Hanchett;  and  the  third 
was  the  wife  of  J.  P.  Ballard.  Next  west  was  the  store  of  B.  B.  Batch- 
elder  and  adjoining  that  the  store  occupied  by  Samuel  Ketcham,  and  at 
one  time  by  Samuel  Weaver. 

The  only  dwelling  then  on  North  Clinton  street  was  on  the  southeast 
corner  of  Church  street  and  remained  there  until  the  county  buildings 
were  erected.  Clinton  street  was  then  a  mere  alley  and  was  long 
known  as  "Clinton  Alley."  East  of  the  house  on  the  corner  of  Church 
street  was  a  small  dwelling  built  for  the  Syracuse  Company,1  occupied 
in  1827  by  Gardner  Lawrence.  The  remainder  of  the  block  was  de- 
voted to  the  stables  and  grounds  of  the  Mansion  House.  In  1825  An- 
drew N.  Van  Patten  and  John  Rogers  built  on  the  north  side  of  Church 
street  between  Salina  and  Warren,  what  was  called  "the  circus  house," 
a  large  wooden   structure  in   which  was  a  "  ring  "  and   rude  seats   for 

1  The  Syracuse  Company  erected  many  houses  ami  nearly  all  were  uniform  in  size  and  a  story 
and  a  half  high.  A  few  of  these  ait- still  left  in  the  city,  two  of  them  on  South  Warren  street 
opposite  Billings  Park. 


422 


ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 


spectators;  various  shows  were  given  it.  On  the  southeast  corner  of 
the  block  (80)  surrounded  by  Church,  Clinton  and  Genesee  streets,  a 
Mr.  Gates,  son-in-law  of  Sterling  Cossitt,  kept  a  tavern  in  1827.  Capt. 
Joel  Codv,  a  popular  packet  officer  between  Syracuse  and  Utica,  lived 
next  west,  and  Matthew  W.  Davis,  son  of  Matthew  L.,  the  early  mer- 
chant, lived  just  west  of  the  site  of  the  present  First  Baptist  church. 
The  next  dwelling  west  was  occupied  many  years  by  Joseph  Slocum, 
father  of  the  wife  of  the  New  York  millionaire  Russell  Sage.  There 
were  a  few  other  unimportant  houses  on  the  block. 

On   the  northwest  corner  of  Church  and   Salina  streets  was  Isaac 
Stanton's  stone-cutting  shop;    he  died  in  1832.      The   three   lots   next 

west  of  the  corner  were 
bought  in  1829  successively 
by  B.  Davis  Noxon,  Hiram 
A.  Deming,  and  Amos  P. 
Granger,  who  built  the 
brick  houses  still  standing, 
demolishing  or  removing 
small  dwellings  built  by 
the  Syracuse  Company. 
Three  other  houses  stood 
west  of-  these  lots  on  that 
street.  On  the  southwest 
corner  of  Genesee  and 
Clinton  streets,  Booth  & 
Elliott  built  in  1824  what 
bacame  known  as  "the 
old  saleratus  factory"  (site 
of  the  present  Clinton 
block).  There  were  three 
stores  on  the  lower  floor, 
two  of  which  fronted  Clin- 
ton Square  and  one  on  Gen- 
esee street.  The  two  next 
the  canal  were  occupied  by 
I ).  .V  M.  I  )ana,  dealers  in  -rain,  etc.  L.  O.  Phinney  had  the  other  store. 
|  I  >eacon  Dana  built  the  first  house  east  of  the  Baptist  church,  now  stand- 
in-.  )  But  when  business  drifted  away  from  that  locality,  the  building  was 
taken  by  James  Taylor  &  Co.,  who  manufactured  saleratus  there.     The 


A.     I'.    (  '■  RANG]  B 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  *23 

building  was  burned  August  23,  1859.  West  of  this  block  was  in  1821 
the  Eagle  Tavern,  kept  first  by  Ezra  Rhyne,  and  later  by  William  A. 
Robinson,  afterwards  proprietor  of  the  Onondaga  Hotel,  judge  For- 
man  built  the  next  dwelling  on  the  west  and  the  next  three  were  occu- 
pied respectively  by  Pliny  Dickinson,  Rev.  Dr.  John  \Y.  Adams,  and 
Josiah  Wright,  now  occupied  by  D.  O.  Salmon.  Dr.  George  Hooker 
lived  in  182?  in  the  house  built  in  1S24  by  Henry  Gilford,  on  the  cor- 
ner of  Genesee  and  Franklin  streets,  which  with  the  residence  of  Wil 
liam  Malcolm,  corner  of  Washington  and  South  Salina  streets,  were 
then  the  finest  in  the  village.  Henry  Gifford  built  and  occupied  the 
first  house  south  of  Genesee  on  Franklin  street  and  later  erected  his 
handsome  residence  on  the  corner  of  Genesee  and  North  West  streets. 
On  block  85  were  three  small  houses  fronting  Genesee  street,  and  on 
the  west  side  of  Franklin  street  was  a  good  house  built  about  the  time 
under  consideration  by  Heman  and  Chester  Wal bridge,  the  successful 
merchants.  Only  a  few  other  small  dwellings  were  on  this  block.  '  >n 
block  197  were  the  saw  mill,  the  oil  mill,  and  a  tannery,  while  on  block 
66,  west  of  the  creek,  was  a  small  house  nearly  on  the  site  of  the  Allen 
Munroe  residence,  occupied  first  by  Henry  Young,  and  where  Sterling 
Cossitt  lived  many  years.  Near  the  southern  corner  of  block  65  was  a 
large  two-story  house  built  by  Judge  Forman,  and  occupied  in  L821 
and  later  by  Major  Burnet.  A  few  poor  dwellings  stood  on  West 
street,  occupied  at  this  time  by  Herman  Hyde,  William  James  (miller 
in  Major  Burnet's  stone  mill),  and  Gilbert  Horton,  a  cooper.  To  the 
westward  of  this  region  were  the  salt  fields  of  the  Syracuse  and  Onon- 
daga Coarse  Salt  Companies.  Joseph  Savage  was  superintendent  for 
the  latter  company  and  lived  in  a  large  house  on  the  north  side  of 
Genesee  street,  just  east  of  what  is  now  Leavenworth  avenue.  All 
the  land  about  the  head  of  the  lake  and  south  of  the  road  leading  from 
Geddes  to  Salina  and  below  the  bluffs,  was  uncleared  and  undrained 
swamp. 

Turning  to  the  territory  south  of  the  canal  and  east  of  Salina  street, 
it  may  be  stated  that  between  Fayette  Park  and  Chestnut  street  there 
were  no  buildings  and  no  cultivated  land.  The  forest  had  been  cut 
away  on  the  north  side  of  the  Turnpike,  but  the  stumps  were  all  stand- 
ing in  1827-8.  South  of  the  Turnpike,  the  swamp,  shrubs  and  trees 
were  in  their  primeval  condition.  Capt.  Oliver  Teal]  had  two  small 
saw  mills  and  a  grist  mill  near  the  Lodi  locks.  The  streets  n  the  east- 
ern part  of  the  city  were  the  Turnpike,  the  Jamesville  road  and  Beech 


424 


ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 


street  between  the  Turnpike  and  the  canal.  A  little-traveled  wood- 
road  ran  south  from  the  Turnpike  to  the  Valley  about  on  the  line  of  Ren- 
wick  avenue.  Yellow  Brook  ran  in  Water  street  from  Lodi  as  far  west 
as  Lemon  street,  where  it  turned  southerly  and  crossed  Genesee  street 
east  of  Almond,  continued  on  through  the  swamp  to  the  neighborhood 

of  Harrison  street  where  it  turn- 
ed northwesterly,  passed  across 
the  site  of  the  Farmer  block, 
crossed  Warren  street  on  the 
site  of  the  Dr.  Powers  residence, 
and  ran  thence  northerly,  cross- 
ing Jefferson  street  about  mid- 
way between  vSalina  and  War- 
ren streets,  and  vSalina  street 
about  300  feet  south  of  Fayette 
through  a  deep  depression; 
thence  it  turned  southwesterly 
to  Onondaga  Creek.  There 
was  not  a  building  on  the  west 
side  of  South  Salina  street  south 
of  Yellow  Brook,  nor  on  the  east 
side  south  of  the  fourth  lot  south 
from  Fayette  street.  When  the 
Syracuse  Company  purchased 
the  Walton  Tract  they  found  this 
immediate  region  covered  with  stumps  and  underbrush.  Building  a  farm 
house  south  of  the  corner  of  Salina  and  Jefferson  streets  on  the  east  side, 
they  leased  it  to  Jacob  Husenfrats  (or  Hausenfradt)  who  contracted  to 
clear  their  land.  By  industry  he  soon  had  the  tract  covered  with  grain 
and  vegetables.  Olmsted  Quick  had  a  boat-house  on  the  Yellow  Brook 
for  the  craft  in  which  he  fished  in  the  brook  and  the  mill  pond  ;  he  was  a 
shoemaker.  Zophar  Adams  was  making  brick  in  1824  on  the  west  side 
of  Salina  street  near  the  brook.  The  section  now  intersected  by  West 
<  >nondaga  street  was  in  1824-5  mostly  a  cedar  swamp,  with  some  dry 
places  where  blackberries  grew  in  luxuriance;  it  was  also  a  resort  for 
game,  and  hunting  and  blackberrying  expeditions  thither  were  part  of 
the  pleasures  of  that  time. 

The    block    bounded    by   Salina,    Washington,    Warren   and   Fayette 
ts  was  vacant  in  1824,  excepting  some  large  trees.     The  First  Pres- 


Oliver  Tkall. 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  425 

byterian  church  was  built  in  1825  on  the  site  of  the  McCarthy  stores. 
On  the  southwest  corner  of  the  block  surrounded  by  Salina,  Washing- 
ton, East  Genesee  and  Warren  streets,  where  the  telegraph  offii 
the  Western  Union  is  now  situated,  Archy  Kasson  built  a  two-story 
dwelling  in  1824;  later  this  was  displaced  by  the  Exchange  Hotel,  long 
a  popular  resort  and  place  for  holding  meetings.  Soon  after  is  j ;  a 
row  of  one-story  offices,  their  roofs  sloping  eastward,  were  built  be- 
tween the  hotel  and  the  Syracuse  House.  In  the  east  wing  of  the  Syr- 
acuse House  Col.  Elijah  Phillips  had  the  stage  office,  up  before  which 
Jason  C.  Woodruff  was  wont  to  drive  his  four-in-hand  stage  teams  with 
a  grand  nourish.  Adjoining  the  stage  office  was,  in  1827,  the  law  office 
of  Harvey  Baldwin  and  Schuyler  Strong,  east  of  which  was  the  drug 
store  and  office  of  Dr.  Mather  Williams.  (For  biographical  sketch  of 
Dr.  Williams,  see  Chapter  XXVII).  In  1824  a  Mr.  Waterburv  owned 
a  small  building  on  Genesee  street  adjoining  the  gateway  to  the  Syra- 
cuse House  stables,  where  he  kept  a  little  grocery;  in  that  year  Joel 
Owen  purchased  the  property  and  kept  a  bowling  alley  there.  Later 
he  built  the  present  brick  block  on  the  site  now  owned  by  his  son  of  the 
same  name.  Next  east  of  the  Waterbury  place,  Jabez  Hawley  had  his 
cabinet  shop;  he  died  in  1835.  From  this  building  to  Warren  street 
the  lots  were  vacant  until  after  1827.  On  the  corner  was  the  blacksmith 
shop  of  Henry  Van  Heusen  (and  others),  brother  of  S.  V.  B.  Van  Heu- 
sen  who  died  within  the  present  year  (1895).  Mr.  Van  Heusen  at  an 
earlier  date  had  his  shop  on  the  southwest  corner  of  Clinton  and  Gene- 
see streets.  In  early  years  H.  W.  Durnford  owned  the  two  lots  south 
of  the  corner,  and  a  small  house  stood  on  the  southeast  corner;  these 
were  purchased  by  Samuel  Larned  who  built  a  plain  brick  structure 
where  he  kept  a  hotel  called  the  Alhambra;  a  part  of  the  lower  story 
contained  stores.  The  hotel  was  afterwards  called  the  Tremont  (kept 
at  one  period  by  Barnet  Filkins),  and  still  later  the  Sherman  House. 
The  building  finally  burned  and  the  Larned  Building  took  its  place. 

Block  111,  bounded  by  Salina,  East  Fayette,  Warren  and  Jefferson 
streets,  was  nearly  vacant  until  after  1824.  A  small  house  stood  on  the 
site  of  the  Washington  block  near  the  corner  of  Salina  and  East  Fay- 
ette streets.  Northward  of  the  Hausenfradt  dwelling  stood  the  barn 
of  the  three-story  brick  tavern  built  on  the  corner  by  Joel  Kinney, 
where  he  conducted  the  American  Hotel  on  temperance  principles. 
The  lots  on  this  corner  were  sold  originally  by  the  Syracuse  Company 
— lot  number  1  to  Archibald  Perkins,  and  it  passed. through  the  hands 
54 


426 


ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 


of  Henry  Perkins,  Lewis  Averell,  and  Lewis  Kinney;  lot  number  3  to 
Amos  P.  Granger  and  by  him  to  Lewis  Kinney.  On  the  1st  of  April, 
1848,  the  First  Presbyterian  Society  bought  the  property  for  $10,000. 
Just  south  of  the  tavern  barn  mentioned  stood  in  1827  two  one-story 
dwellings  and  south  of  them  a  two-story  house  in  which  Mrs.  Dickinson 
taught  a  young  ladies'  school.  ( )n  the  site  of  Francis  Hendricks's  block 
Harvey  Baldwin  erected  before  1827  a  two-story  brick  building,  and  in 
that  vicinity  were  several  of  the  wood  houses  built  by  the  Syracuse 
Company.  In  182"/  I.  De  Blois  Sherman  built  south  of  the  corner  on 
Warren  street  the  brick  dwelling  long  occupied  by  Dr.  Lyman  Clary, 
on  the  site  of  which  is  now  being  erected  a  brick  block  by  Edward  T. 
Hawkins.  The  west  side  of  Warren  street  was  unoccupied  except  by 
this  house.  The  first  Episcopal  church,  finished  in  1822,  stood  on  the 
site  of  the  Granger  block ;  the  church  is  now  the  old  St.  Mary's,  stand- 
on  the  corner  of  Montgomery  and  Madison  streets. 


Cook'SaCoffee  Hoi  se. 


Block    L09,   surrounded  by  Washington,   Montgomery,   Fayette  and 

Warren  streets,  contained    a    number  of  buildings  before  1830.     Col. 

!i  Phillips   lived    in  a  house  built  about  1824  by  Jonas  Mann    on 

tin'  Vanderbilt  House  corner,  which  became  the  historic  Cook's  Coffee 

House,     On  the  Montgomery  street  corner,    site  of  the  Yates,  was  a 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE. 


427 


dwelling  built  by  A.  N.  Van  Patten  just  before  L827,  which  became 
the  L.  H.Redfield  home.  Next  to  the  Redfield  house  was  the  two- 
story  brick  house  of  Capt.  Hiram  Putnam.  Jason  C.  Woodruff  lived 
on  the  Warren  street  side  and  had  his  livery  stable  in  the  rear.  These 
and  one  other  dwelling  were  all  the  buildings  on  the  block  until  later 
than  1827.  The  next  block  south  (112)  had  only  four  small  houses,  all 
probably  built  by  the  Syracuse  Company,  until  after  L827. 

Samuel  Phelps  had  a  blacksmith  shop  on  the  site  of  the  Myers  block 
in  1827.  aside  from  which  this  block  (55)  and  block  122  on  which  is  now 
the  Joy  building,  were  vacant. 


1 

ill"! 
Sililllll 


L 


Sites  of  the  Onondaga  County,  and  Syracuse  Savings  Banks  Hi  ildings. 


In  early  years  the  land  on  which  stands  the  Onondaga  Savings  Bank 
was  separated  from  the  land  east  of  it  (block  04)  by  an  alley  which  ex- 
tended back  to  the  canal,  the  part  where  the  bank  stands  being  num- 
bered 93.  On  this  part  was  a  brick  building  which  came  to  a  point  on 
the  western  end,  where  was  Pliny  Dickinson's  jewelry  store;  next  to 
that  John  Van  Epps  sold  dry  goods.  In  the  upper  part  was  printed 
the  first  number  of  the  first  newspaper  in  the  village  in  1823.  To  this 
building  was  removed  the  post-office  in  L824.  Adjoining  the  alley  was 
the  store  of  Jonas  Mann  and  Humphrey  Mellen,  and  next  to  this  was 
Madame  Raoul's  fancv  gfoods  store.     To  the  eastward  as  far  as  Warren 


428  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNJ  A  I, 

street  were  three-story  buildings  partly  of  brick  and  partly  wood,  built  to 
project  over  a  passage  way  along  the  canal,  many  of  which  were  used 
for  canal  business.  Here  Henry  Newton  had  a  grocery  and  Joseph 
Slocum  occupied  the  two  eastern  stores.  These  buildings  were  burned  in 
1834.  East  of  Warren  street  on  the  canal  the  block  was  considerably 
built  up  between  1824  and  1830.  A  three  story  brick  building  at  the 
western  end  was  occupied  by  the  storehouse  of  John  Rogers  and  was 
burned  November  18,  1827.  The  eastern  end  was  occupied  by  the 
building  now  standing  which  was  erected  by  William  Malcolm  for  a 
storehouse.  Between  these  blocks  were  a  number  of  cheap  wooden 
buildings.  Just  east  of  this  was  the  canal  basin  extending  south  to 
about  the  front  line  of  the  first  City  Hall  and  covering  a  large  part  of 
Montgomery  and  Market  streets  in  that  square.     (See  map  of  1834). 

On  the  site  of  the  Bastable  block  in  1827  was  a  small  dwelling  occu- 
pied by  a  man  named  Walker.  Daniel  Elliott  owned  the  site  and  after- 
ward built  on  it  a  two-story  wooden  building  for  stores  and  offices. 
Next  east  of  this  was  another  wooden  building  erected  in  1817,  in  which 
a  tavern  was  kept,  and  adjoining  this  was  the  old  brick  dwelling  built 
by  John  Rogers  in  1825,  whose  stone  steps  were  a  marvel;  this  was  one 
of  the  first  brick  houses  in  the  village  and  stood  in  nearly  its  original 
form  until  the  erection  of  the  present  Bastable  block  in  1893.  No  other 
buildings  were  on  this  square  until  after  1827. 

A  Mr.  Russell  had  a  small  pottery  on  the  block  east  of  Market  street, 
and  Nathan  Van  Benschoten  lived  in  a  small  dwelling  east  of  the  pot- 
tery. He  afterwards  built  the  house  still  standing  on  the  northeast 
corner  of  the  square  and  lived  and  died  there.  The  blocks  on  either 
side  of  the  canal  east  of  Mulberry  street  (48  and  52)  were  almost  un- 
occupied until  about  1830.  Harmon  W.  A"an  Buren  lived  in  a  house 
built  by  his  father,  Peter  Van  Buren,  on  the  east  side  of  Mulberry 
street  and  afterwards  built  his  brick  residence  on  the  south  side  of 
Water  street.  His  tannery  and  shoe  shop,  where  he  laid  the  foundation 
of  his  fortune,  were  near  by. 

Block  56  fronting  on  Fayette  Park  was  vacant  until  after  1824  and 
mostly  covered  with  large  trees.  Henry  Gifford  cut  the  timber  here 
for  his  first  house.  John  Daniels  owned  the  Crouse  dwelling  corner 
before  L825,  and  built  a  tavern  there  which  he  sold  to  a  Mr.  Luce.  It 
was  kept  by  Jared  Phelps  in  1827  and  later  was  owned  and  occupied 
by  Judge  Sylvahus  Tousley;  it  was  demolished  when  the  Crouse  resi- 
dence  was  built.      What  is  now  the  park  was  bisected  by  the  Turnpike, 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE. 


429 


which  ran  diagnolly  across  it.  Mulberry  street  stopped  at  Genesee,  and 
there  was  no  other  house  east  of  Mulberry  street  in  L827,  and  no  street 
on  which  to  build,  excepting  Genesee. 

South  of  the  canal  and  west  of  Clinton  street  improvements  were 
limited  in  character  in  early  years.  In  1824  a  foot  bridge  crossed  the 
canal  a  little  east  of  the  site  of  the  present  Clinton  street  bridge  and 
near  its  north  end  Deacon  Henry  Chamberlain  had  a  small  meat  market. 
On  the  north  side  of  Water  street  west  of  Clinton,  Hiram  Hyde,  son-in- 
law  of  Judge  Forman,  had  two  storehouses;  he  died  in  1825.  The 
building  was  removed  about  1830  by  Willett  and  Henry  Raynor  and 
the  original  of  the  Jerry  Rescue  Block  built  on  the  site.  This  was  the 
only  building  in  1830  on  that  side  to  the  creek.  Le  Grand  and  William 
Crofoot  made  brick  about  this  time  on  the  site  of  Greenway's  malt 
house. 


I  CARPETING. 


rDRY  coodsTI  |^»i. ;A"N" 'iVi?" I         iuat  it r  storTIicowwission  stobc.  Ip'^'p-gyff"" 


i  I 


^ttf-Srf    «i""limimini',iiillM i'lll7frU'l"-lll'l» 


BPb^g* 


The  Town  send  Block. 

Block  100,  bounded  by  Salina, Washington,  Clinton,  and  Water  streets, 
was  the  principal  business  locality  in  early  years.  The  hardware  store 
of  Kasson  &  Heermans  was  on  the  Wieting  block  corner  in  1824  and 
later,  and  in  that  year  their  wooden  building  was  replaced  with  a  three- 
story  brick  building  70  feet  deep  on  Salina  street.  This  closed  the  east 
(Windows  of  William  Malcolm's  hardware  store  situated  thirty  feet  west 
of  the  corner.  Mr.  Malcolm  had  given  offense  to  Mr.  Kasson  and  the 
character  of  the  corner  structure  was  in  part  retaliatory.  Elam 
Lynds  and  his  son  subsequently  purchased  the  corner  building  and  car- 
ried on  the  same  business;  they  were  succeeded  by  Horace  and  Charles 


430 


ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 


A.  Wheaton.  West  of  Malcolm's  store  fronting  the  canal  the  Syracuse 
Company  built  a  row  of  wooden  buildings  for  stores  and  shops ;  these 
were  occupied  about  1827  by  Henry  Green,  tailor;  Ross  and  Joseph 
Leslie,  Charles  Leonard  (still  living),  harness  maker;  Agnew&Wood, 
tailors;  Jonathan  Day,  drugs;  Hiram  Judson,  jeweler;  and  E.  T.  Tefft, 
dry  goods.  John  Durnford  taught  a  select  school  on  the  second  floor 
next  west  of  Malcolm's  store.  Major  Burnet,  agent  for  the  company, 
had  his  office  west  of  this  row,  and  built  another  east  of  it  for  John  G. 
Forbes,  who  came  down  from  Salina  to  practice  law.  A  wooden  two- 
story  house  stood  until  after  1827  west  of  these  building,  occupied  later 
by  Charles  Rust,  cabinet  maker,  father  of  Stiles  M.  and  Spencer  Rust. 
These  last  named  buildings  were  on  the  site  of  the  Townsend  block, 
shown  in  engraving.  Next  south  of  the  Kasson  &  Heermans  building 
on  Salina  street  was  a  narrow  alley  running  back  behind  three  of  the 
Water  street  lots,  and  adjoining  the  alley  was  the  shoe  store  of  James 
Pease;  next  to  that  was  the  cabinet  shop  of  Theodore  Ashley,  with 
whom  Charles  F.  Williston  learned  his  trade  and  was  partner  some 
years.  Adjoining  the  Ashley  building  was  a  two-story  brick,  the  side 
walls  of  which  still  stand.  William  Malcolm's  fine  house  was  on  the 
corner  of  Washington  and  Salina  streets,  and  on  the  southeast  corner 
of  the  square  was  the  dwelling  of  Gen.  James  Mann,  whose  daughter, 
Mary,  married  Capt.  (afterward  general)  R.  B.  Marcy,  whose  daughter 
was  the  wife  of  Gen.  George  B.  McClellan. 

On  block  99,  bound- 
ed by  Clinton,  Wash- 
ington, Water,  and 
Franklin  Sts. ,  there 
were  few  buildings 
until  about  1828-30. 
J  u  d  g  e  Forman's 
house,  which  has  be- 
fore been  mentioned, 
was  removed  west- 
ward to  allow  the 
opening  of  South 
Clinton  street ;  after 
the  judge  left  the  vil- 
the  house  was  occupied  by  Calvin  Riley,  who  had  a  soap  factory 


Bun 


b\  lli.\k\   Raynor,1  in  West  Water  Street, 

\i:<  lUT  1S:!2. 
[Sketched  from  memory  by  M.  W.  Hanchett.] 


1  Henry  Raynor  was  born  in  Si  hagticoke,  X.  Y.,  August   7,  1799,  and  went  to  Oswego  county, 
aoved  to  Onondaga  Vallej    in   1822  and  carried,  on  business  with  his  elder  brother 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE. 


131 


on  block!)].  The  Forman  house  remained  until  Jacob  Crouse  pur- 
chased the  corner  for  his  block.  The  old  stone  house  which  stood  as  a 
landmark  many  years  was  erected  very  early  and  in  1821  was  occupied 
by  Judge  James  Webb.  West  of  this  was  the  two-story  brick  house, 
built,  owned  and  occupied  by  John  Wall  in  1827  and  many  later  years 
by  Columbus  C.  Bradley.  The  only  other  building-  on  this  block  was 
the  brick  dwelling  built  by  Daniel  Elliott  for  Dr.  Mather  Williams 
Block  97  had  no  improvements  until  later  than  1827  and  98  was  used  as 
the  burying  ground  from  1824  to  1841. 

Block  107,  bounded  by  Washington,  Salina,  Fayette,  and  Clinton 
streets,  now  in  the  business  heart  of  the  city,  was  very  little  improved 
until  after  1830.  In  1827 
John  Wilkinson  had  his  lit- 
tle law  office  on  the  Globe 
Hotel  corner  and  just  south 
of  it  his  plain  dwelling  where 
he  lived  many  years.  On 
the  next  lot  south  was  the 
house  of  Thomas  B.  Heer- 
mans.  The  next  house  was 
occupied  by  Alanson  Ed- 
wards, and  next  west  was 
James  Manning's  house,  oc- 
cupied later  by  Vivus  W. 
Smith.  John  Garrison's  two- 
story  tavern  was  on  the 
corner  of  Fayette  and  Salina 
streets ;  he  purchased  the 
lot  in  1824  and  for  his  build- 
ing cut  some  pine  timber 
west  of  Clinton  street.  Will- 
iam B.  Kirk,  the  La  Fay- 
ette wagonmaker,  sold  him  a  wagon  and  at  Mr.  Garrison's  death  in 
1820,  purchased  the  tavern,  partly  to  collect  what  was  due  him.  Thus 
Mr.  Kirk's  business  career  was  changed;  he  took  the  hotel  and  made  it 


John   Wilkins 


Willett.  In  1826  they  settled  in  Syracuse  ami  Long  formed  the  successful  firm  of  W.  &  II  Raynor 
Henry  built  stores  on  the  site  of  the  Jerry  Rescue  block,  and  a  block  of  dwellings  (shown  in  en- 
graving) on  the  opposite  side  of  W.  Water  street  which  were  recently  demolished  He  was  prom- 
inent in  Whig  politics,  a  bosom  friend  of  Wm.  H.  Seward  and  chiefly  instrumental  in  pushing 
forward  that  eminent  statesman.     Mr.  Raynor  died  .March  7,  1866. 


432  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

popular,  accumulated  wealth,  which  he  early  invested  in  Central  Rail- 
road stock  and  later  in  real  estate,  and  died  in  possession  of  a  large  for- 
tune. In  1869  he  built  the  first  Kirk  block,  in  which  he  also  kept  a 
hotel.1  This  was  removed  to  make  room  for  the  stately  building  erected 
by  his  son,  William  B.  Kirk.  On  the  northeast  corner  of  the  square, 
in  the  rear  of  the  Wilkinson  house,  was  the  two-story  brick  house  of 
Dr.  Jonathan  Day,  who  in  1832,  fell  a  victim  to  his  unselfish  labor 
among  cholera  patients.  He  was  a  prominent  man  outside  of  his  pro- 
fession, had  one  of  the  earliest  drug  stores  on  Clinton  Square,  and  his 
death  was  a  great  loss  to  the  community.  These  five  were  all  the 
buildings  on  this  now  important  block  in  1827. 

Block  110,  next  south  of  the  one  just  described,  had  only  three  build- 
ings in  1827.  On  the  site  of  the  Pike  block  was  a  building  similar  to 
the  Garrison  tavern  where  Clark  Hebard  kept  a  public  house.  This 
was  soon  purchased  by  Thomas  J.  Keeler,  who  greatly  improved  the 
property  in  later  years.  Next  on  the  south  was  a  large  unpainted 
building  used  for  tenements,  and  just  south  of  this  and  near  Yellow 
Brook  was  a  brick  structure  used  for  a  tobacco  factory. 

In  describing  the  western  section  of  the  city's  site  General  Leaven- 
worth wrote  as  follows: 

The  woods  on  that  portion  lying  west  of  the  creek  were  of  course  the  second 
growth,  principally  oak  and  hickory,  interspersed  with  some  hemlock.  Near  the 
junction  of  the  Cinder  Road  and  Furnace  street  and  north  of  the  Cinder  Road,  there 
were  many  acres  of  land  with  very  little  wood  growing  on  it.  This  ground  was 
cleared  in  1827-8  and  a  race  course  made  there.  The  bridge  across  the  creek  on  the 
Cinder  Road  was  known  as  the  high  bridge,  as  it  was  quite  high  above  the  water, 
and  also  in  contradistinction  to  the  bridge  on  Water  street,  which  was  very  low.  At 
the  west  end  of  the  high  bridge,  on  the  north  side  of  the  road,  lived  Zophar  Adams; 
he  had  a  brickyard  between  his  home  and  the  creek.  He  did  much  of  the  early  vil- 
lage jobbing,  and  made  Warren  street  from  Jefferson  street  to  Billings  Park.  His 
was  the  only  house  west  of  the  creek. 

The  first  house  built  on  the  Cinder  Road  was  by  George  T.  M.  Davis 
in  1829,  which  stood  on  two  acres  of  land  at  the  corner  of  Onondaga 
street  and  South  avenue.  This  old  house  now  forms  part  of  a  dwelling 
on  South  avenue.      Mr.  Davis  married  a  daughter  of  Judge  Forman  in 

1  Daniel  Candee  is  authority  for  the  statement  that  When  Mr.  Kirk  came  to  Syracuse  his  de- 

as  in  buy  a  hotel  then  situated  on  the  site  of  the  Kearney  brewery  in  the  First  ward.     But 

oi    'in     property  was  $4,000,  which   was  §1, nun  more  than  he  possessed;  so  he  contented 

himself  with  the  purchase  of  the  Garrison  tavern,  for  which  he  paid  $2,700.    He  never  claimed 

thai  ii  was  the  re,sult  of  foresight  as  to  its  subsequent  value,  but  he  was  driven  to  buy 

he  '  i 'Miii  ii. it  gei  i  he  place  he  wanted. 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  433 

1828.  Major  Burnet's  stone  flouring'  mill  stood  on  the  site  of  the  Amos 
mills,  and  was  burned.  Water  street  extended  across  the  creek  but 
only  to  this  mill.  Washington  and  Fayette  streets  terminated  at  Clin- 
ton street,  and  the  latter  extended  from  Clinton  square  to  the  Yellow 
Brook  and  was  very  little  used.  Salina  street  terminated  on  the  south 
at  what  is  now  Cortland  avenue,  the  latter  forming  a  part  of  the  high- 
way to  the  Valley.  The  Cinder  Road  stopped  on  its  eastern  end  at 
South  Salina  street  and  it  was  not  until  several  years  later  that  East 
Onondaga  street  (as  now  named)  was  opened.  Many  of  these  and  other 
details  are  shown  on  the  two  old  maps,  and  the  course  of  the  creek  is 
indicated  as  it  existed  before  the  improvements  of  1838-9. 

The  Yellow  Brook  was  partly  filled  up  in  the  summer  of  1S2T  and 
Washington  street  was  extended  eastward.  Calvin  Mitchell  was  paid 
"$49.4:6  for  making  83  rods  and  7  links  of  road  in  Clinton  street,"  and 
$200  were  expended  for  "improvement  on  the  south  side  of  the  canal, 
from  the  stone  bridge  to  the  engine  house."  The  dry  dock  and  canal 
at  James  street  were  bridged  about  this  time  at  a  cost  of  $225.  In  1828 
notices  were  posted  in  the  village  to  the  following  effect : 

For  the  purpose  of  improving  the  road  on  Foot  street  and  for  the  purpose  of  doing 
it  with  the  best  economy,  any  person  needing  earth  for  filling  up  lots  or  other  pur- 
poses, may  take  it  from  Foot  street  hill,  provided  it  be  done  in  such  a  manner  as 
to  leave  the  road  bed  level,  and  in  all  cases  to  be  taken  between  the  stakes  on  each 
side  of  the  road. 

West  street  (Apple)  was  extended  northward  from  the  stone  mill  in 
1828. 

A  census  of  the  population  of  the  village  taken  in  1829  gave  the 
number  as  2,565.  It  was  this  year  that  saw  the  close  of  the  bitter  strife 
for  the  location  of  the  county  buildings,  and  although  Salina  won  a 
partial  victory  by  their  erection  midway  between  the  two  villages, 
Syracuse  was  not  wholly  disappointed;  the  removal  from  the  Hill  had 
been  accomplished  and  the  citizens  of  the  young  village  bided  their 
time.  Down  to  this  time,  very  little  sidewalk  had  been  laid  and  what 
there  was  was  poor  in  character.  In  August,  L830,  the  following 
ordinance  was  published : 

The  Trustees  of  the  village  deem  it  necessary  to  order  sidewalks  on  the  several 
streets  hereinafter  specified,  viz. :  On  Salina  street  from  the  Yellow  brook  (between 
Fayette  and  Jefferson  streets)  to  the  canal.  From  the  north  side  of  Salina  street  to 
the  side  cut  (Oswego  canal);  from  that  point  on  the  east  side  of  the  street  to  the 
Court  House.  Also,  from  the  bridge  at  the  red  mill,  on  Genesee  street  to  Montgom- 
ery street,  and  from  that  point  along  the  south  side  of  Genesee  street  to  Center 
55 


434  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Square  (Fayette  Park)  and  on  all  sides  of  the  public  squares.     All  of  the  above  or- 
dered walks  must  be  so  laid  as  to  leave  six  feet  for  cellar  ways. 

In  those  times  the  sidewalks  were  laid  of  brick  4  by  S  or  8  by  8 
inches  in  size.  From  the  newspapers  of  1829-30  are  gathered  the  fol- 
lowing items  that  will  aid  in  completing  the  description  of  the  village 
at  that  date: 

A.  Abbott  and  S.  F.  Myers  had  in  a  "  new  supply  of  medicines,  paints  and  dye- 
stuffs;"  they  were  located  in  the  east  wing  of  the  Syracuse  House.  Samuel  Good- 
win's stock  of  goods  in  the  store  "  in  the  brick  block  east  of  C.  Walbridge  &  Co.,  on 
the  south  side  of  the  canal,"  comprises  "dry  goods,  hardware,  cutlery,  nails,  gro- 
ceries, cognac  brandy,  Holland  gin,  St.  Croix  rum,  cannister  powder,  shot,"  etc.  At 
this  time  Chester  and  Heman  Walbridge  had  a  factory  for  the  manufacture  of  chairs 
and  other  furniture  near  the  canal  locks  not  far  from  the  present  crossing  of  Mul- 
berry street.  This  was  burned  a  few  years  later  and  was  not  rebuilt.  Bradley  and 
Josiah  Wright  were  in  the  "west  store  in  the  brick  building  erected  by  W.  &  H. 
Raynor,  on  the  bank  of  the  canal,  near  the  wooden  bridge  in  the  western  part  of  the 
village  of  Syracuse,"  where  they  offered  Spanish  hides,  sole,  upper  and  harness 
leather;  also  an  assortment  of  choice  groceries,  storage  and  forwarding.  Johnson 
&  Huntley  were  merchant  tailors  in  the  "east  wing  of  Amos  P.  Granger's  building," 
on  the  canal,  where  "  garments  were  made  with  precision,  and  ready-made  clothing 
sold,"  probably  the  first  goods  of  this  kind  in  the  village.  Marvin  Devoe  &  Co.  had 
taken  the  store  recently  occupied  by  C.  Walbridge  &  Co. ,  where  they  had  a  general 
store.  Volney  Cook  advertised  carpeting,  paper  hangings  and  looking  glasses.  His 
store  was  just  west  of  the  Mansion  House.  Kellogg  &  Fitch  announced  that  they 
had  just  returned  from  New  York  "with  a  good  assortment  of  dry  goods."  Dr. 
Jonathan  Day  says  he  "keeps  his  office  in  his  drug  store,  sign  of  the  mortar  and 
pestle,  where  all  calls  in  the  way  of  his  profession  will  be  thankfully  received  and 
punctually  attended  to."  His  store  was  then  in  the  Syracuse  House  block.  E. 
Brewster  wanted  30,000  sheep  and  lamb  skins,  delivered  at  "  Chauncey  Woodruff's 
market  in  the  west  part  of  Syracuse."  Woodruff  was  located  on  West  Water  street. 
Henry  Judson  had  "just  received  from  New  York  military  goods,  watches,  brittan- 
nia  ware,  musical  instruments,"  etc;  his  store  was  on  Water  street  near  Clinton. 
D.  &  M.  Dana  would  "pay  cash  for  wheat,"  and  sold  flour,  dye  woods,  Shaker 
brooms,  Nova  Scotia  grindstones,"  etc.,  in  the  "Yellow  Building."  They  had  also 
on  hand  a  "  few  barrels  of  superior  whisky."  John  Rogers,  that  excellent  citizen, 
had  just  "  removed  to  the  brick  building  formerly  occupied  by  David  Griffith  &  Co.," 
where  he  carried  on  storage  and  forwarding,  and  also  had  a  stock  of  shoes  to  sell  at 
wholesale.  This  building  was  on  the  corner  of  Warren  and  East  Water  streets. 
Newton  &  Humphreys  had  received  on  consignment  200  fancy  chairs.  They  soon 
removed  "  to  the  store  lately  occupied  by  Ambrose  Kasson,  opposite  Clinton  Row." 
(',.  T.  X.  Davis  would  pay  cash  for  rags,  and  offered  500  miner's  pails,  from  the 
Waterloo  pail  factory,  and  paper  of  all  kinds.  His  store  was  in  the  Yellow  Build- 
ing. Henry  Van  Heusen  and  Peter  Moshell  had  entered  into  partnership  as  black- 
smiths on  the  corner  of  Warren  and  Genesee  streets,  where  the  former  had  long  had 
his  shop,  [ames  Pease,  "one  door  south  of  A.  Kasson's  hardware  store,"  Salina 
street,  advertised  boots  and  shoes.     Mr.  Pease  came  from  Lvsander,  where  he  cut 


THE  ArILLAGE  AND  THE  CTTY  OF  SYRACUSE.  435 

timber  on  his  father's  farm,  drew  it  to  Baldwinsville,  had  it  sawed  and  framed  and 
soon  after  1820  floated  it  on  a  scow  via  the  new  waterway  and  the  Seneca  River  to 
the  lake,  and  thence  to  Syracuse,  and  built  his  store.  It  stood  on  the  site  afterwards 
occupied  by  the  Mechanics'  Bank  building  and  now  by  part  of  the  Wieting  block. 
A.  S.  Tilden  had  just  opened  a  saddlery  and  harness  shop  "one  door  west  of  Wil- 
liston's  Mansion  House."  Pliny  Dickinson  had  his  jewelry  store  "  opposite  the  Syra- 
cuse House,"  on  the  north  side  of  Genesee  street,  and  about  this  time  Elam  Lynds 
and  son  purchased  the  hardware  business  of  A.  Kasson.  Dr.  R.  Belden,  one  of  the 
earliest  dentists  in  the  village,  had  his  rooms  at  "  O.  B.  Teall's  Onondaga  House." 
or  he  would  "be  happy  to  wait  on  them  [his  patrons]  at  their  homes."  Perhaps  the 
quaintest  advertisement  of  those  days  was  that  of  Samuel  Larned  and  one  that  an- 
nounced the  business  that  laid  the  foundation  of  a  liberal  fortune.  He  said:  "  The 
Boat  Vendor,  or  Floating  Store,  owned  by  Mr.  John  Converse  of  the  city  of  Troy,  is 
is  now  lying  at  the  village  of  Syracuse,  opposite  Brockway's Mansion  House."  Then 
followed  a  long  list  of  groceries  offered  for  sale,  and  the  important  statement  that 
"all  liquors  are  warranted  of  the  purest  quality."  Mr.  Larned  commanded  this 
floating  store  with  great  success  and  became  a  strong  rival  of  the  local  grocers. 
Jason  C.  Woodruff  carried  on  his  livery  at  the  old  stand  on  Warren  street,  and  an- 
nounced that  he  would  continue  to  run  a  daily  line  of  stages  to  Homer.  E.  W. 
Leavenworth  was  rapidly  winning  the  fame  that  increased  in  after  years,  by  ardu- 
ous law  work  in  his  office  in  the  east  wing  of  the  Syracuse  House.  II.  Winchester 
announced  that  he  had  removed  "from  the  select  schoolroom  lately  occupied  by 
Mr.  Walker  to  Masonic  Hall,  east  of  the  Mansion  House."  The  "Syracuse  School  " 
was  announced  to  open  on  December  10,  1829,  under  the  general  superintendence  of 
Rev.  G.  S.  Olds.  Jonathan  Day  and  Henry  Newton  were  the  trustees.  II.  Bennet 
had  a  lottery  office  in  the  village,  and  S.  C.  Brewster  announced  that  on  January  7, 
1829,  he  would  open  a  second  one  "  in  the  first  brick  building  west  of  the  Mansion 
House."  A  new  daily  line  of  post  coaches  had  recently  been  established  between 
the  village  and  Watertown.  Reuben  West  and  son  carried  on  a  general  ston 
Ambrose  Dunbar  was  the  village  barber. 

The  volume  of  business  transacted  in  Syracuse  and  Salina  at  this 
time  was  larger  than  would  be  indicated  by  the  same  number  of  mer- 
chants in  other  places,  owing  to  the  large  operations  in  salt  manufac- 
ture and  sale.  This  industry  formed  the  sound  and  active  substratum 
of  business,  gave  the  community  a  source  of  income  that  was  unfailing 
and  inspired  the  highest  confidence  in  the  future.  Consequent  upon 
the  increasing  business  of  the  village  banking  facilities  were  needed,  to 
meet  which  requirement  the  Onondaga  County  Dank  was  established 
and  incorporated  by  the  Legislature  under  date  of  April  26,  L830,  and 
the  organization  was  perfected  on  the  loth  of  June. 

No  apology  is  necessary  for  devoting  so  much  space  to  the  foregoing 
detailed  account  of  the  conditions  in  the  village  in  J 8 "2  "<  30.  That 
period  was  a  most  important  one;  the  population  was  increasing 
rapidly  and  included,  as  has   been  shown,   many    men  of  energy  and 


436  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

high  character,  who  devoted  their  zealous  efforts  to  the  development  of 
the  varied  interests  of  the  recently  formed  corporation,  as  well  as  to  the 
advancement  of  their  own  fortunes;  it  was  a  period  of  activity  in  pub- 
lic affairs  and  public  improvements,  and  the  manufacturing  and  trade 
industries  of  the  village  were  multiplying  rapidly.  While  it  will  be 
impossible  to  give  such  minute  particulars  of  the  village  or  city  at  any 
later  period  of  its  history,  the  reader,  by  comparing  the  foregoing  with 
what  follows,  will  be  able  to  note  the  general  progress  of  the  place  and 
arrive  at  a  correct  estimate  of  what  has  been  accomplished  in  the  sixty- 
five  years  that  have  since  elapsed. 

The  names  and  occupation  of  some  of  the  early  leading  men  of  the 
village  have  been  given  in  preceding  pages,  to  which  may  be  added  a 
few  others  who  became  residents  prior  to  1830  and  were  prominently 
identified  with  the  growth  of  the  place. 

Among  these  was  Henry  Gifford,  one  of  the  very  early  settlers  and 
one  of  the  first  to  engage  in  the  coarse  salt  industry.  He  became  a 
large  holder  of  real  estate  and  built  many  houses  in  the  Fifth  ward. 
He  was  vice-president  of  the  Syracuse  Savings  Bank,  a  trustee  of  the 
Water  Company  and  a  man  of  high  character.      He  died  June  20,  1872. 

Christopher  C.  Bradley,  who  removed  to  Syracuse  from  Groton,  N. 
Y.,  about  1822,  and  was  for  many  years  at  the  head  of  the  leading 
foundry  of  the  village,  founded  in  1832  on  Water  street  and  removed 
later  to  the  Fifth  ward.  He  was  active  in  promoting  the  growth  of  the 
place  and  died  January  3,  1872. 

E.  B.  Wicks  located  in  Syracuse  in  1828  and  engaged  in  the  hat  and 
fur  business  and  later  was  engaged  in  banking,  and  was  a  member  of 
the  leather  firm  of  Ellis,  Wicks  &  Co.  He  was  trustee  of  the  village  in 
1833  and  treasurer  in  1837-8-9. 

William  Winton  settled  in  Syracuse  about  1826  and  was  for  many 
years  landlord  of  the  old  Exchange  Hotel,  on  the  northeast  corner  of 
South  Salina  and  Washington  streets,  and  later  of  the  Globe  Hotel;  he 
was  also  engaged  in  the  salt  industry.  He  was  a  trustee  of  the  Onon- 
daga County  Savings  Bank,  and  was  elected  mayor  in  1868.  He  died 
on  the  18th  of  March,  1871. 

JohnW.  Hanchett,  a  prominent  physician,  came  from  Suffield,  Conn., 

to  <  >nondaga  Valley  in  1824;  he  removed  to  Syracuse  in  1826,  where  he 

was  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  and  as  druggist.     He  and 

his  wife  were  of  the  twenty-six  persons  who  organized  the  First  Pres- 

rian  church  of  Syracuse.      He  died  October  17,  1844. 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  437 

Elias  W.  Leavenworth  came  to  Syracuse  in  L827  and  began   a  long 

and  honorable  career;  a  proper  biography  appears  in  another  place  in 
this  work.  He  was  conspicuous  in  all  public  affairs,  a  firm  believer  in 
the  future  of  Syracuse  from  the  first,  and  lived  to  be  highly  honored  by 
his  fellow  citizens. 

Cornelius  T.  Longstreet  had  come  down  from  the  Hill  with  many 
other  enterprising  men,  to  carry  on  a  merchant  tailoring  business,  first 
in  Geddes  and  in  1830  in  Syracuse,  where  he  was  associated  with  Henry 
Agnew,  and  the  firm  became  the  leading  one  in  the  business  in  tin's 
section.  From  1846  to  1852  he  was  in  wholesale  trade  in  New  York 
city  and  amassed  a  fortune.  He  was  conspicuous  in  aiding  benevolent 
institutions,  was  connected  with  the  banking  interests  of  the  place,  and 
lived  a  life  of  exemplary  usefulness.  His  death  took  place  July  4, 
1881. 

Harmon  W.  Van  Buren  had  established  his  tannery  in  Water  street 
near  Grape  in  1825,  where  he  carried  on  business  until  1858,  and  then 
removed  to  about  the  site  of  the  Rome,  Watertown  &  Ogdensburg 
freight  house.  He  also  opened  a  leather  store  on  Hanover  Square 
which  was  conducted  till  his  death  in  1887.  Mr.  Van  Buren  was  zeal- 
ous for  the  welfare  of  Syracuse  and  was  treasurer  of  the  village  in 
1840-41,  trustee  in  1829,  and  treasurer  of  the  city  in  is  lit. 

Elisha  F.  Wallace,  father  of  Judge  William  J.  Wallace,  settled  in 
Syracuse  in  1825  to  practice  law,  but  it  was  distasteful  to  him  and  he 
became  a  large  salt  manufacturer.  He  held  numerous  local  positions 
and  was  consul  to  Cuba  from  1861  eight  years.  He  died  on  the  15th  of 
August,  1870. 

William  H.  Alexander,  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  located  in  Syra- 
cuse in  1828;  became  one  of  the  pioneers  in  the  foundry  business;  was 
trustee  of  the  village  in  1837,  and  one  of  the  first  board  of  aldermen  <>f 
the  city.      He  died  on  August  20,  1863. 

Capt.  Hiram  Putnam  came  to  Syracuse  in  1829  and  was  a  prominent 
and  estimable  citizen;  was  trustee  of  the  village  in  1832  and  1841; 
assessor  in  1834  and  1836;  was  in  partnership  with  T.  B.  Fitch  in  the 
drug  business,  and  was  officially  connected  with  the  banks  of  the  pla.ee. 
He  died  November  8,  1874. 

Jacob  S.  Smith  settled  in  the  village  in  1825  and  began  a  long  and 
successful  business  career.  Associated  between  1830  and  1840  with 
Levi  Chapman  in  the  dry  goods  business,  he  later  was  a  partner  with 
H.  W.   Van  Buren  in   the  leather  trade.      He  was  a  member  of    the 


438  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Board  of  Education  and  otherwise  received  evidence  of  the  confidence 
of  his  fellow  citizens.      He  died  June  20,  1881. 

Others  who  had  taken  up  their  residence  in  Syracuse  in  or  before  the 
year  1830  were  Henry  Shattuck,  who  came  in  1826  from  Pompey;  he 
was  a  large  real  estate  owner;  was  constable,  deputy  sheriff  and  deputy 
United  States  marshal,  and  died  April  28,  1881.  Richard  Savage,  born 
in  Syracuse  in  1817,  a  large  lumber  dealer;  built  the  St.  Charles  Hotel 
(now  the  Remington  block),  and  died  April  11,  1885.  Dudley  P. 
Phelps,  who  entered  the  office  of  Dr.  Jonathan  Day  in  1829,  and  after- 
wards studied  law  with  Wilkinson  &  Outwater ;  was  afterwards  ticket 
agent  for  different  railroads  and  later  treasurer  of  the  Onondaga  County 
Savings  Bank  and  the  Trust  and  Deposit  Company;  was  county  treas- 
urer in  1864-66,  and  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Education.  T.  B. 
Fitch,  who  became  a  resident  in  1830  and  with  Capt.  Hiram  Putnam 
conducted  the  "Green  Drug  Store"  on  the  north  side  of  Hanover 
Square;  afterwards  was  instrumental  in  organizing  the  Mechanics' 
Bank,  of  which  he  was  cashier;  was  a  founder  and  trustee  of  the  Syra- 
cuse Savings  Bank  and  identified  with  many  of  the  public  and  benevo- 
lent institutions  of  the  city.      He  died  August  27,  1879. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  residents  of  the  city  of  Syracuse  who  lo- 
cated here  prior  to  1826,  when  the  original  village  was  organized,  or 
who  came  here  about  that  time.  It  embraces  principal  citizens  of  that 
time,  and  doubtless  there  are  others  who  should  have  a  place  in  it: 

1792— Henry  Young.  1798— Ezekiel  Austin.  1805— Rufus  Stanton.  1816— Albert 
Congdon.  1817 — L.  Crofoots.  1818 — Christopher  Hyde.  1819 — Joshua  Forman, 
Owen  Forman,  John  Wilkinson,  Thomas  Spencer.  1820 — Joel  Cody.  1821 — Amos 
P.  Granger.  1822— Stephen  Smith.  1823— John  Durnford,  Henry  W.  Durnford. 
1824 — Adonijah  Root,  Elihu  Walter,  Moses  D.' Burnet,  Samuel  Phelps,  Hiram  Jud- 
son,  Joseph  Savage,  John  H-  Lathrop,  Mather  Williams,  Henry  Church,  Milton  Gil- 
bert, Lucius  A.  Cheney,  Timothy  C.  Cheney,  Samuel  Hurst,  Archibald  L.  Fellows, 
William  Sharp.  1825 — E.  F.  Wallace,  Ezra  Town,  Thomas  Bennett,  Isaac  D.  Law- 
son,  Waranus  Pratt,  H.  W.  Van  Buren,  Samuel  Mead,  Bradley  Carey,  Barent  Filkins, 
Russell  Hibbard,  Erastus  Whiston,  William  K.  Blair,  Theodore  Ashley,  Jabez 
Hawley,  Pliny  Dickinson.  1826— M.  M.  White,  R.  R.  Phelps,  H.  S.  Green,  A.  A. 
Hudson,  Dr.  John  W.  Hanchett,  John  C.  Hanchett,  Willett  and  Henry  Raynor, 
Isaak  Wales.     1829— Lewis  H.  Redfield,  B.  Davis  Noxon. 

During  a  few  years  after  about  1820  the  scpiare  surrounded  by  South 
Salina,  Fayette,  Washington  and  Warren  streets  was  destitute  of  build- 
ings, excepting  the  First  Presbyterian   church  and  some  barns  for  the 
of   the   stage   lines.      The  square   was  used  as   a   sort   of  "village 
ii "  and  there  the  traveling  caravans  pitched  their  tents  and  exhib- 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  439 

ited  the  solitary  elephant,  with  sometimes  a  lion,  and  boys  played  their 
games.  On  the  southwest  corner  of  Warren  and  East  Genesee  streets 
in  early  days  was  a  drug  store  which  was  something  of  a  headquarters 

for  the  discussion  of  current  topics.  On  one  occasion  when  several 
citizens  were  gathered  there  to  settle  the  fate  of  the  nation,  a  deer 
bounded  directly  through  the  glass  of  one  of  the  front  windows  and 
into  their  midst.  The  animal  came  from  the  east  through  Genesee 
street.  It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  the  little  assemblage  were  sur- 
prised. At  about  the  same  time  a  bear  was  killed  in  South  Salina 
street. 

The  block  where  now  stands  the  Durston  Memorial  Building  (Warren 
and  James  streets)  was  owned  in  lS-><)  by  Daniel  Kellogg,  William  H. 
Sabine,  and  Joshua  Forman,  who  contracted  with  Thomas  Spencer  and 
David  Johnson  to  build  a  boat-house  and  dry  dock  there,  which  have 
been  previously  mentioned.  The  property  passed  to  the  Syracuse 
Company  in  1824.  who  sold  it  to  Mr.  Spencer  in  1828.  A  document 
still  in  existence  possesses  historical  interest  in  this  connection  ;  it  is  an 
agreement  dated  February  27,  1834,  under  which  Maria  Durston,  of 
the  town  of  Salina,  indentured  her  son,  John  Durston,  to  Thomas 
Spencer,  as  an  apprentice  at  boat- building,  John  Durston  being  then 
seventeen  years  old.  The  agreement  provided  that  Spencer  should 
furnish  "the  said  John  good  and  sufficient  meat,  drink,  washing  and 
lodging,  and  also  pay  for  his  services  at  the  rate  of  $75  for  the  first 
year."  The  wages  were  gradually  increased  so  that  when  the  young 
man  reached  his  majority  he  was  to  receive  $200  a  year.  The  voung 
boat-builder  prospered  and  in  1843  purchased  the  property  of  Mr. 
Spencer,  and  it  has  ever  since  remained  in  the  family. 

In  1827  the  trustees  of  the  village  appointed  a  "Protection  Com- 
pany" of  twelve  reliable  citizens,  whose  duty  was  "to  protect  such 
goods  as  must  of  necessity  be  removed  at  a  fire,  and  to  direct  the  pack- 
ing of  the  same."  Each  member  of  the  company  was  ordered  to  carry 
"a  good  and  sufficient  bag  to  all  fires  for  the  more  safety  of  packing 
and  removing  goods."  It  was  also  ordered  that  "the  trustees  shall 
each  carry  a  staff  at  fires,  such  as  shall  be  designated  an  insignia  of 
office  of  fire  wardens,  for  the  purpose  of  compelling  such  [persons]  as 
are  unwilling  to  render  due  assistance  in  all  cases  at  fires." 

The  political  campaign  of  1828,  which  resulted  in  the  election  of 
General  Jackson  to  the  presidency,  was  an  important  >nw  ami  created 
considerable  excitement  in   Svracuse;  so  much   so   that  the  event  was 


440  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

celebrated  by  a  "grand  military  ball"  at  the  Syracuse  House.  The 
event  was  in  charge  of  A.  N.  Van  Patten.  In  the  middle  of  the  ball- 
room was  placed  a  hickory  tree,  with  artificial  leaves  and  living  squir- 
rels in  the  branches.  The  room  was  profusely  decorated  and  six  of  the 
steel  engravings  that  hung  on  the  walls  are  still  in  the  possession  of 
William  Kirkpatrick,  of  Syracuse.  The  late  Elisha  Ford  was  present 
at  the  ball  and  was  probably  at  his  death  the  only  person  living  who 
attended. 

The  late  Bradley  Carey's  reminiscences  of  the  period  under  consider- 
ation are  interesting.      He  said: 

"When  I  came  to  Syracuse  in  1825  I  was  nearly  twenty-one  years  of  age.  The 
village  then  contained  800  to  900  inhabitants,  for  the  most  part  north  of  and  near  the 
Erie  Canal.  The  old  Mansion  Tavern  stood  where  the  Empire  House  does  now. 
The  salt  men  were  just  beginning  to  make  salt  by  the  solar  process,  and  were  build- 
ing works  south  of  West  Genesee  street.  Two  years  before  I  came  here  to  live,  or 
in  1823,  I  recollect  attending  a  show  in  the  hall  of  the  Mansion  Tavern.  Samuel 
Larned  carried  his  show  about  on  a  canal  boat,  exhibiting  at  the  towns  along  the 
canal.  I  remember  it  consisted  of  wax  figures,  two  of  which  were  Lady  Jane  Gray 
and  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots.  We  thought  it  was  a  great  show  in  those  days.  The 
greatest  excitement  we  had  in  those  days  was  town  meeting.  The  nearest  polling 
place  was  at  Salt  Point,  or  Salina.  As  town  meeting  came  in  the  spring  of  the  year 
we  often  had  to  go  in  sleighs  over  a  very  rough  and  much  drifted  road.  I  remember 
one  election,  the  first  time  Jackson  ran  for  the  presidency.  Excitement  ran  high. 
There  were  two  or  three  feet  of  snow  in  the  road.  Both  parties  had  sleighs  carrying- 
people  to  the  polls,  and  as  the  road  had  only  a  single  track,  a  trip  to  Salt  Point  was 
prettv  rough.  When  I  came  to  Syracuse  the  only  church  in  the  village  which  was 
finished  and  occupied  was  the  Baptist  church,  which  stood  where  the  First  Univer- 
salist  church  stands.  In  1825  the  First  Presbyterian  and  the  First  Methodist 
churches  were  being  built." 

The  period  between  1830  and  the  incorporation  of  the  city  in  1847 
was  one  of  remarkable  growth  in  all  directions  in  the  village  of  Syra- 
cuse. From  a  population  of  about  7,000  in  1830  it  grew  to  11,014  in 
L840,  and  to  22,271  in  1850.  Business  industries  multiplied,  churches 
and  schools  were  established,  and  from  the  small  community  which  has 
been  described,  living  in  quite  primitive  conditions,  Syracuse  became 
a  large  and  thriving  village,  with  a  reputation  for  enterprise  and  pro- 
gressiveness  that  was  reaching  out  over  the  State,  and  has  ever  since 
continued  to  spread  and  augment. 

The  village  felt  the  shock  of  the  cholera  epidemic  in  1832  severely 
and  prompt  measures  were  instituted  to  mitigate  its  effects.  On  the 
23d  of  June  the  village  was  divided  into  four  wards,  the  northwest  di- 
vision being  numbered  1 ,  the  southwest  2,  the  southeast  3  and  the  north- 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  4  11 

east  4.  A  "Committee  of  Inspection  to  carry  out  the  village  ordi- 
nances" was  appointed,  consisting  of  E.  B.  Wicks  and  Silas  Ames, 
First  ward;  Henry  Raynor  and  Theodore  Ashley,  Second  ward;  W.  II. 
Alexander  and  Daniel  Comstock,  Third  ward;  Paschal  Thurber  and 
Benjamin  C.  Lathrop,  Fourth  ward.  The  principal  duties  of  this  com- 
mittee were  to  abate  nuisances  and  provide  proper  disinfection.  On 
June  25  a  resolution  was  adopted  by  the  trustees  that  no  canal  boat 
with  cholera  on  board  should  be  permitted  to  approach  within  a  mile 
of  the  village  until  it  had  been  quarantined  fifteen  daws,  and  men  were 
stationed  at  Lodi  locks  to  inspect  all  passing  boats.  The  physicians  of 
the  village  were  constituted  a  board  of  health,  and  they  issued  a  mani- 
festo of  instruction  and  counsel  to  the  people.  The  trustees  were 
authorized  to  raise  not  to  exceed  $1,000  for  health  purposes.  Dr. 
Jonathan  Day,  the  leading  physician,  was  commissioned  by  the  gov- 
ernor to  go  to  Montreal  to  study  the  disease,  but  no  good  resulted 
from  his  journey.  The  first  case  of  the  disease  in  Syracuse  occurred 
on  the  17th  of  July,  when  a  laboring  man  who  had  been  careless  of  his 
physical  condition,  was  taken  down  and  soon  died.  ( )n  the  following 
day  Rev.  Nathaniel  J.  Gilbert,  who  had  been  pastor  of  the  First  Bap- 
tist church  since  1823,  preached  the  funeral  sermon  over  the  first  vic- 
tim, and  the  next  evening  was  taken  with  the  disease  and  died  in  a  few- 
hours.  Mrs.  Gilbert  was  also  attacked,  but  finally  recovered.  Dr. 
Day  attended  both  of  these  cases.  Two  domestics  in  the  Gilbert  fam- 
ily became  frightened  and  left,  but  both  soon  died  with  the  disease. 
After  the  first  few  cases  very  few  funerals  were  held,  and  physicians 
and  undertakers  labored  with  heroism.  The  number  of  cases  increased 
daily,  and  soon  the  detention  of  boats  at  the  locks  caused  great  anx- 
iety. After  two  that  were  filled  with  passengers  had  been  stopped, 
another  came  on  westward  from  Albany  with  sixty  emigrants  on  board. 
At  Utica  cholera  broke  out  among  them,  the  captain  being  the  first 
victim,  and  when  Syracuse  was  reached  there  were  a  number  ot  dead 
bodies  on  board.  This  boat  was  followed  by  another  with  fifty  passen- 
gers, of  whom  six  were  dead  when  Syracuse  was  reached.  It  was 
seen  that  this  wholesale  quarantining  of  the  dead  so  near  the  village 
would  prove  more  dangerous  than  hurrying  them  through  the  place, 
and  this  course  was  finally  adopted.  In  the  midst  of  the  scourge  faith- 
ful Dr.  Day  was  stricken  down.  This  calamity  added  greatly  to  the 
general  dismay,  and  great  numbers  of  the  terror-stricken  fled  from  the 
village.  In  some  instances  whole  families  were  prostrated  within  a 
56 


442  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

few  hours.  The  dead  were  rolled  up  in  their  clothing,  laid  in  rude, 
plain  coffins  and  hurried  into  their  graves.  Grief  and  gloom  pervaded 
the  whole  community.  There  were  about  100  deaths  in  Syracuse  and 
Salina,  among  the  more  prominent  victims  being  Dr.  William  Kirk- 
patrick,1  one  of  the  most  influential  citizens  of  the  place,  Anson  Rich- 
mond (uncle   of  Dean   Richmond),  I.  Dunscombe,    Dr.  Jonathan  Day, 

Halcombe  and  Rev.  N.  J.  Gilbert.      The   disease  again  made  its 

appearance  in  1834,  but  in  a  milder  form.  On  the  last  Sunday  in  July 
of  that  year  Theodore  Ashley,  the  undertaker,  had  ten  funerals,  seven 
of  which  were  in  charge  of  Charles  F.  Williston,  his  assistant. 

The  health  of  the  village  in  1833  was  good,  and  extensive  public  im- 
provements were  inaugurated.  The  new  bridge  on  Salina  street  had 
been  finished,  and  a  tax  of  §1,000  was  levied  for  the  building  of  others 
at  Lock  and  Franklin  streets.  A.  X.  Van  Patten- was  given  the  privi- 
lege of  erecting  "  a  packet  boat  office  at  the  southeast  corner  of  the 
new  bridge  on  the  public  square,  for  which  he  paid  $20  annually.  In 
1834  the  population  had  reached  about  3,800,  and  the  village  then  con- 
tained the  following  number  of  business  and  public  institutions: 

Twenty-two  grocery  and  provision  stores,  16  variety  stores,  2  hardware  stores,  4 
clothing  stores,  5  boot  and  shoe  stores,  4  drug  stores,  2  book  stores,  3  printing  offices, 
3  silversmiths,  2  flouring  mills,  1  lumber  mill,  1  planing  mill,  3  tin  shops,  3  furnace 
and  machine  shops,  2  carriage  shops,  3  cabinet  shops,  2  leather  manufactories,  1  mo- 
rocco manufactory,  1  soap  and  candle  manufactory,  1  distillery,  1  brewery,  3  marble 
yards,  1  boat  yard,  15  salt  blocks,  4  churches  (Baptist,  Presbyterian,  Episcopal  and 
Methodist),  and  3  lyceums. 

1  Dr.  William  Kirkpatrick  was  a  native  of  Huntingdon  county,  N.  J.,  and  was  born  November 
7,  1769.  He  graduated  from  Princeton  College,  studied  medicine  in  Philadelphia  and  began  prac- 
tice in  Whitestown  in  1795,  where  he  remained  ten  years.  His  profession  was  distasteful  to  him 
and  he  finally  abandoned   it  for  other  occupations.     In  1805  he  was  appointed  superintendent  of 

ill  Springs  and  settled  at  Salina;  he  held  this  office  twenty-two  years.  In  politics  he  was 
from  the  first  a  "  Republican,"  or  Democrat,  as  they  were  afterwards  termed.  While  in  Oneida 
county  he  was  elected  :  1808  9).     In  this  county  he  favored  the  canal  project  and  was 

instrumental  in  advancing  the  "canal  ticket."  in  January,  1809,  in  company  with  Judge  Forman, 
he  called  on  President  Jefferson,  in  Washington,  to  secure  his  aid  for  the  Erie  Canal,  which,  as  is 
well  known,  was  refused.  Dr.  Kirkpatrick  possessed  decided  literar}7  tastes,  and  after  his  set- 
tlement in  Salina  found  opportunity  to  gratify  them  by  extensive  reading  and  study.  He  was  a 
man  of  unblemished  character,  excellent  native  qualities  and  lofty  mind.  He  died  of  cholera 
Septeiu  12     eaving  sons,  William   and  Donald;  the  latter  died  after  a  useful  life,  Septem- 

ber, 19,  1889,  and  William  is  a  prominent  citizen  of  .Syracuse. 

2  Andrew  N.  Van  Patten  was  f<  nspicuous  figure  in  Syracuse.  He 
bought  the  lot  fronting  on  South  Salina  and  West  Onondaga  streets,  where  the  Florence  flats  now 
stand,  and  built  for  a  tavern  the  house  afterwards  occupied  some  years  by  Samuel  I.arned.    This 

rty  he  wagered   on  the  election   of  1829  and   lost;  and  he  paid  his  wager.     He  afterwards, 

about  1836,  built  on  the  west  side  of  Salina  street,  near  Onondaga,  what   was  for  years  known  as 

ne  House,"  a    targe  brick  structure  shown  in  the  engraving  in  this  work.     He  was 

is  other  projects,     Hi.-  held  the  office  of  village  trustee  1826  i.  and  died 

January  39   1841 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE. 


113 


The  "  Franklin  Buildings,"  as  they  were  termed,  were  built  this 
year  (1834)  on  the  south  side  of  Hanover  Square,  partially  as  they  exist 
at  present,  and  about  this  time  new  structures  were  erected  on  Salina 
street  south  of  the  Syracuse  House.     The  Exchange  Hotel  (where  the 


The  Old   "Line  Hoi 

Merchant's  Bank  is  now)  was  begun  in  1831,  and  the  north  and  south 
walls  fell  before  the  building  was  finished,  crushing  some  of  the  old 
structures  on  the  north.  The  Exchange  Hotel  was  kept  for  a  time  by 
Van  Patten  &  Crane.  Library  Hall  was  in  the  upper  part,  and  for  a 
number  of  years  was  the  most  important  place  for  public  meetings  and 
entertainments.  A  revision  of  the  village  charter  was  made  by  Moses 
D.  Burnet,  John  Wilkinson,  B.  Davis  Noxon,  Stephen  Smith,  Hiram 
Putnam,    E.  W.  Leavenworth,    L.   H.  Redfield,1   Harvey    Baldwin  and 


1  Lewis  Hamilton  Redfield    \\us  born  in  Farrnington,  Conn.,  November  26,  1792.     In  1799  he 
was  brought  by  his  parents  to  near  Clifton   Springs  and  learned  thi  trade  with    I 

D.  Bemis,  the  early  newspaper  publisher  of  Canandaigua.  He  began  the  publication  of  the  On- 
ondaga Register  at  Onondaga  Valley,  September  17,  1814,  an  organ  of  the  Jefferson  Democracy, 
and  made  it  a  successful  journal.  In  1832  he  removed  his  office  to  Syracuse  and  consolidated  the 
Register  with  the  Syracuse  Gazette,  started   by  John  Durnford  in  1828.     Failing  health  led  him 


444  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Henry   Davis,  who  were  appointed  in   February,  1834.     The  trustees 
also  ordered  the  paving  of  the  following  streets: 

Salina  street  from  the  bridge  across  the  Erie  Canal  on  the  line  of  said  street,  to 
the  south  line  of  Church  street;  also  the  south  side  of  Clinton  Square  from  Salina 
street  to  the  west  line  of  the  intersection  of  Clinton  street;  also  Water  street  from 
Salina  street  easterly  to  the  east  line  of  Warren  street,  then  Warren  street  from 
Water  street  to  the  south  line  of  Genesee  street,  and  then  Genesee  street  from  War- 
ren street  to  Salina  street ;  also  Genesee  street  from  the  east  line  of  the  intersection 
of  Warren  street  to  the  west  line  of  Center  Square;  also,  Genesee  street,  from  the 
west  line  of  Salina  street  to  a  running  from  the  northwest  corner  of  lot  number  1,  in 
block  85,  to  the  southwest  corner  of  lot  number  9,  in  block  76  in  said  street.  The 
said  pavement  to  embrace  the  north  half  of  Clinton  Square  and  Genesee  street,  be- 
tween the  jines  above  mentioned.  Also,  the  half  of  Salina  street  fronting  the  tavern 
and  lot  owned  and  occupied  by  William  B.  Kirk ;  to  be  done  inside  of  three  months. 

The  first  paving  was  not  laid,  however,  until  1835  when  Salina  street 
between  Fayette  and  Church  streets  was  paved  by  Utica  contractors. 
In  the  year  183G  Salina  street  was  paved  southward  to  Onondaga  street, 
and  Warren  from  the  south  line  of  Genesee  street  to  Jefferson  street; 
the  "square  formed  by  the  crossing  of  Salina  and  Foot  streets"  was 
also  paved  at  this  time.  Hanover  Square  was  paved  a  little  later  and 
the  paving  of  other  streets  rapidly  followed.  The  first  Clinton  street 
bridge  (excepting  a  foot  bridge  before  mentioned)  was  built  in  1835  at 
a  cost  of  $1,730.  In  1836  over  $3,000  were  appropriated  for  paving, 
and  the  total  expense  for  improvement  of  streets  and  squares  in  that 
year  was  $6,782.  A  public  well  with  a  railing  around  it  was  provided 
for  Hanover  Square,  at  a  cost  of  about  $275.  These  were  important 
and  extensive  works  for  that  early  day,  and  clearly  indicate  the  prevail- 
ing public  spirit  of  the  community.  Land  on  Prospect  Hill  and  forty 
acres  near  the  Lodi  locks  were  sold  in  1836  for  $1,000  an  acre,  the  lat- 
ter tract  by  the  Syracuse  Company,  and  according  to  a  local  newspaper 
of  that  year,  "  the  farm  of  Mr.  Forman  one  and  a  half  miles  east  of  the 
village  has  been  purchased  by  II.  Baldwin,  esq.,  for  $40,000,  being 
$200  the  acre." 

The  financial  crisis  of  1837-38  was  felt  in  .Syracuse,  of  course,  but  the 
village  suffered  far  less  than  many  other  places  of  similar  size.  Al- 
though  business   was   somewhat    crippled   for  a  time,  the  solid  finan- 

to  dispose  '>i'  his  paper  in  1832,  but  In-  continued  in  the  book  trade  ten  years  longer,  and  later 
was  interested   ii  iterprises.     He  was  president  of  the  village  in  1834  and  held  the  office 

of  trustee  and  assessor.     In  1872,  at  the  a  ity  years,  tie  was  honored  by  the  Demo 

lential  electoi      He  ni  ;1  his  early  interest  in  the  printing 

Ann    Maria  Tredwell,  a   wo  ittainmi  tits  and   charj ind  died  July 

1 1,  1882. 


H  - 


3  9 

■x  - 
o   o 


c    : 
3    z 

SO 


446  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

cial  foundation  on  which  the  industries  of  the  village  rested,  its  reputa- 
tion for  business  stability,  and  its  great  natural  source  of  income  and 
profit  were  not  vouchsafed  to  many  localities,  and  carried  the  place 
through  the  panic  that  overwhelmed  many  villages  and  cities  with 
comparative  safety. 

In  1838  the  preliminary  steps  were  taken  for  building  a  public  market. 
The  old  canal  basin,  before  described,  had  for  years  been  an  intolerable 
nuisance,  and  the  project  was  actively  discussed  of  filling  it  up  and 
erecting  a  market  on  the  site.  It  is  difficult  now  for  us  to  understand 
how  the  people  of  the  village  could  have  seen  a  prospect  of  success  and 
profit  in  the  enterprise;  but,  like  the  inhabitants  of  most  other  similar 
villages,  they  determined  to  try  it.  The  plan  contemplated  a  building 
with  market  stalls  on  the  lower  part  and  a  public  hall  above.  The  dis- 
cussion over  various  proposed  sites  was  protracted  and  warm,  and  the 
work  was  not  finally  accomplished  until  1845,  when  the  trustees  were 
authorized  to  raise  $20,000  for  the  purpose,  to  be  paid  in  annual  in- 
stallments of  $1,000.  On  March  20,  of  that  year,  it  was  resolved  to 
buy  the  site,  and  a  public  meeting  was  held  at  which  a  vote  of  628  was 
given  in  favor,  and  304  against  the  project.  The  building  was  erected 
as  it  appeared  in  the  old  City  Hall,  except  that  twenty  feet  were  added 
to  the  Washington  street  end  at  a  later  date.  The  stalls  were  readily 
leased  to  leading  retail  market  men  and  butchers,  who  properly  dis- 
played their  wares,  while  the  square  in  front  was  soon  taken  as  a  stand 
for  farmers'  wagons.  It  looked  well,  but  it  did  not  pay;  it  was  ahead 
of  the  time  and  not  adapted  to  so  small  a  village ;  customers  did  not 
like  it,  nor  did  the  rival  dealers,  who  soon  deserted  the  building.  The 
public  hall  was,  however,  a  great  convenience. 

Meanwhile  the  Auburn  and  Syracuse  Railroad,  chartered  in  1836, 
was  opened  from  Auburn  to  Geddes  on  January  8,  1838,  and  soon  after- 
ward was  continued  to  Syracuse.  On  the  4th  of  April,  1837,  an  act  of 
Legislature  was  passed  authorizing  the  commissioners  of  the  land  office 
to  sell  to  the  Auburn  and  Syracuse  Railroad  Company  such  portion  of 
farm  lot  number  253  of  the  Onondaga  Salt  Springs  Reservation  in  the 
town  of  Salina,  lying  between  the  Erie  Canal  and  the  streets  crossing 
said  lot,  as  might  be  necessary  for  the  track  of  the  road  and  for  a  depot, 
and  for  the  construction  of  a  basin  for  the  use  of  the  company.  The 
land  thus  mentioned  is  that  on  which  the  railroad  was  constructed  in 
the  city  and  embraced  the  site  of  the  old  depot  on  what  is  now  Vander- 
bilt    Square.      Between   Auburn    and    Geddes   the   road   was  laid   with 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  117 

wooden  rails,  and  Sherwood's  stage  horses  were  employed  to  draw  the 
cars  nntil  June  4,  1839,  when  the  first  locomotive  took  their  place. 
The  bridge  across  the  old  mill  pond  was  finished  in  the  spring  of  1839 
and  on  the  day  just  mentioned  an  excursion  train,  the  first  steam  rail- 
road train  to  enter  Syracuse,  was  run  over  the  line.  The  engine  was 
appropriately  named  "Syracuse."1  Landlord  Philo  N.  Rust,  of  the 
Syracuse  House,  used  to  offer  wagers  that  he  would  drive  his  spirited 
team  to  Auburn  quicker  than  the  cars  would  make  the  trip;  but  he 
seldom  found  any  takers.  After  the  locomotive  was  introduced  on  the 
road,  and  on  the  10th  of  September,  1839,  an  excursion  was  made  by 
many  prominent  men  in  celebration  'of  the  event.  The  Syracuse  and 
Utica  Railroad  also  was  rapidly  becoming  an  accomplished  fact.  Char- 
tered in  1836,  its  construction  was  pushed  with  energy  and  on  July  4, 
1839,  the  line  was  opened.  John  Wilkinson  and  other  prominent  men 
of  Syracuse  were  largely  influential  in  advancing  this  important  en- 
terprise. 

It  was  in  1838  that  Yellow  Brook  was  finally  disposed  of.  A  few- 
years  earlier  the  Syracuse  Company  partly  filled  the  channel  between 
Jefferson  street  and  the  creek;  but  in  order  to  more  effectually  com- 
plete the  improvement  the  company  laid  a  conduit  or  culvert  from  a 
little  east  of  Salina  street  to  the  creek. 2  When  the  Syracuse  and  Utica 
Railroad  Company  built  their  road  in  1838  the  remainder  of  the  brook 
was  filled  by  them  in  return  for  their  franchise. 

In  1838-40  E.  W.  Leavenworth  was  president  of  the  village  and 
displayed  his  customary  public  spirit  in  the  promotion  of  public  affairs. 
He  was  always  zealous  in  the  interest  of  the  aesthetic  side  of  improve- 
ments and  labored  for  broad  streets,  more  parks,  and  shade  trees.  In 
1838  he  prepared  the  resolution  under  which  Vanderbilt  Square  was 
preserved.  Here  the  old  railroad  depot  was  built  by  Daniel  Elliott, 
to  stand  until  it  long  outlived  its  usefulness.  In  the  winter  of  1839 
40  General  Leavenworth  drew  the  law  under  which  the  trustees  were 
enabled  to  contract  with  the  Turnpike  Company  to  so  change  the  course 
of  the  road  between  Mull  berry  and  Grape  streets  as  to  pass  around  what 

'  The  Syracuse  subscribers  to  the  fund  of  $400,000  Eoi  constructing  the  Auburn  and  Syracuse 
Railroad  were  as  follows:    Stephen  Smith,  $2,000;  L.  H.  Redi  VI.  S.  Marsh,  $1,000;  W 

and  H.  Raynor,  $10,000;  Joseph  Savage,  $500;  John  B.  Ives,  $5,000;  James   Manning,  $500;    rhomas 
Spencer,  Agnew  &  Wood,  and  Daniel  Elliott,  $1,000  each;  Philo  N.  Rust  (by  G.  Lawrence,  attorney. 
$200;  Richard  S.  Corning,  $1,000;  Joel  Cody  (by  J.  Manning,  attorney),  $100;  Am..-  Benedii 
John  L.  V.  Yates,  $300;  John  Wilkinson,  $2,000;  V.  W.  Smith,  $2,000;   Hem  .    Dai    ,    jr.,  $2,000 

2  It  was  a  part  of  this  old  culvert  that  was  unearthed  during  the  excavation  for  the  founda- 
tions of  the  new  Dey  Brothers'  building  in  1894, 


418  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

is  now  Fayette  Park,  instead  of  through  it  as  before.  In  the  next  year 
"  Forman  Square  "  was  officially  made  a  public  park,  and  Washington 
street  was  extended  east  to  Chestnut  street  and  Fayette  from  Beech 
to  Cherry  street. 

With  the  inauguration  of  these  various  improvements;  the  great 
success  of  the  canal,  the  railroads  entering  the  village  from  east  and 
west ;  the  activity  in  building,  and  the  generally  growing  belief  that 
the  early  predictions  of  Judge  Forman  and  some  of  his  associates  would 
be  fulfilled,  it  is  not  surprising  that  city  incorporation  became  a  topic 
of  discussion  at  this  time.  The  subject  was  first  brought  before  the 
trustees  in  a  resolution  in  December,  1838,  but  it  went  no  further,  for 
several  years. 

German  immigration  to  Syracuse  in  any  considerable  numbers  did 
not  begin  until  about  1830,  but  many  settlers  of  that  nationality  came 
into  Onondaga  county  long  previous  to  that  year,  locating  in  the  various 
towns.  Of  those  who  came  previous  to  1821  the  majority  settled  in 
Manlius,  with  a  few  in  Pompey;  among  these  were  the  Houser,  Real, 
Fesenmeyer,  Uth,  Eb,  Suiter,  Schneider,  Herbener,  Schepp,  Bucher, 
Heller,  Heifer  families  and  others,  in  Manlius,  and  the  Bush  family  in 
Pompey.  The  first  Germans  to  settle  within  the  present  bounds  of  the 
city  were  John  Jacob  Mang,  Christian  Usenbents,  and  Henry  Philip 
Bent/.,  who  together  settled  in  Salina  in  1804.  Mang  was  a  physician 
in  Wurtemberg,  but  did  not  practice  after  he  arrived  in  Salina.  Bentz 
was  his  nephew  then  aged  sixteen  years.  Maria  Agnes  Bentz,  niece  of 
Mrs.  Mang,  became  acquainted  with  Christian  Usenbents  on  the  voy- 
age over  and  they  were  married  in  Baltimore  soon  after  their  arrival. 
The  party  removed  from  Baltimore  to  Constantia,  Oswego  county. 
Traveling  on  foot  through  the  forest  from  that  place  to  Salina,  they 
arrived  in  the  summer  of  1804, their  wives  following  them  a  little  later. 
Mang  and  Usenbents  engaged  in  the  early  salt  industry  and  the  latter 
became  quite  prominent  in  the  business,  owning  four  blocks  in  1812. 
After  a  few  years  Mang  settled  on  sixty  acres  of  land  between  Salina 
and  Greenpoint.  Mang's  house  stood  on  North  Salina  street  just  west 
of  Wolf  street,  and  there  he  made  bitters  and  wine  which  he  sold  to  his 
friends  His  dwelling  was  a  gathering  place  for  the  many  immigrants 
who  came  in  later.  He  died  December  16,  1842,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
tour  years.  Of  his  two  children,  Eva  Regina  married  Asahel  Alvord, 
Thomas  G.  Alvord,  and  Christina  F.  married  Thomas  Wheeler. 
nbents,  of  whom    little  is  known,  died  January  12,   L832,  aged  sixty- 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  4  1!) 

five  years.  His  son,  Christian,  born  November  13,  1808,  was  the  first 
child  born  of  German  parents  in  what  is  now  Syracuse.  A  few  other 
Germans  came  to  Salina  and  vicinity  during  the  first  quarter  of  the 
century,  but  none  remained  until  1826,  when  John  Graff,  father  of  the 
late  John  Graff,  came  with  his  father  from  Alsace ;  he  removed  to  Erie 
county  four  years  later.  In  1828  Nicholas  Grumbach  came  from  Al- 
sace; he  was  father  of  Col.  Nicholas  Grumbach,  who  won  an  honorable 
military  record.  In  1829  Jacob  Drumma,  long  overseer  of  the  poor  in 
the  First  ward,  and  Martin  Bahrle,  from  Alsace,  settled  in  Salina.  In 
the  same  year  Frederick  Schneider,  from  Wurtemberg,  and  John  M. 
Werner,  from  Baden,  settled  here;  and  in  1831,  Blasi  Schemel  came 
from  Baden.  During  that  year  Christian  Rupprecht,  Joseph  Flick, 
and  George  Ruscher,  with  their  families  came  from  Alsace.  Henr)T 
Herbener,  a  Prussian  musician,  came  about  the  same  time,  and  fur- 
nished music  for  the  German  social  gatherings.  Mr.  Herbener  was 
long  leader  of  the  old  Syracuse  band,  in  which  played  also  J.  F.  Phelps, 
M.  W.  Hanchett,  Joel  Owen,  and  Myron  Jacobs,  and  J.  AY.  Barker, 
L.  W.  Marsh,  Henry  Kellogg,  Parley  Howlett,  Abram  Harris,  H.  W. 
McGowan  and  John  Beckler,  deceased.  By  the  year  1840  the  German 
element  in  the  population  had  become  large  and  important  and  has  so 
continued  to  the  present  time.  In  1833  a  colony,  originally  from  Hesse- 
Darmstadt,  came  from  Cape  Vincent,  Jefferson  county,  and  located 
here.  Among  them  were  Ernst  Hoecher,  Frederick  Schnauber,  John 
Miller,  and  George  Lupp,  with  their  families.  Mr.  Hoecher's  name 
was  afterwards  anglicized  to  "  Hier;"  he  was  father  of  George  P.  and 
John  P.  Hier.  Of  the  1,000  or  a  little  more  Germans  who  were  here 
in  1840,  many  have  had  descendants  living  in  the  city;  among  whom 
are  the  following  Alsatians: 

Nicholas  Shafer,  Gabriel  Blumer,  Jacob  Pfohl,  John  Henesberger,  John  Bauer, 
John  Buch,  Jacob  Klein,  Lorenz  Becker,  Theobald  Schnevelin,  Caspar  Schneider, 
Theobald  Kieffer,  John  Briggs  George  Salladin,  Philip  G.  Kuester,  Joseph  Schnei- 
der, Philip  Dausman,  Christian  Futsch,  Andrew  Lienhardt,  George  and  Jacob  Meier, 
Ignatz  Fiesinger,  and  Philip  Rapp.  The  following  Bavarians:  John  Oertel,  Anton 
Zimmer,  Philip  Schaeffer,  William  Ruebbel,  Peter  Miller,  Fred.  Hess,  Peter  Fissel- 
brandt,  George  Koening.  The  following  Prussians:  Michael  Meizer,  Joseph  Affer- 
dick,  Nicholas  Sharrer,  John  Schwareen,  Jacob  Weiland;  the  following  from  Baden; 
Francis  Bios,  Andrew  Bodemer,  George  Reinschmidt,  Andrew  Fiesenmeyer,  Charles 
Webber,  Joseph  Hakelin,  Charlesand  Jacob  Meebold,  Jacob  Miller;  and  the  following 
from  other  parts  of  Germany;  Adam  Listman,  Ludwig  Pollman,  Henry  Lammert, 
Francis  Middendorf,  Louis  and  John  Yehling,  Philip  Zahn,  Frederick  Strangeman. 
John  and  George  Koehnlein,  Jacob  Heagle,  John  Kagi,  and  John  J.  Lucksinger. 
57 


450  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

All  of  these  settled  in  Syracuse  in  or  before  1838,  and  many  of  them 
and  their  descendants  have  been  prominent  citizens.  Their  churches, 
their  benevolent  organizations,  their  Turn  Verein  and  other  social  and 
fraternal  societies  are  numerous  and  well  sustained,  while  as  a  factor 
in  the  general  up-building  of  the  city,  in  its  political  life,  its  business 
industries  and  public  spirit,  the  Germans  of  Syracuse  as  a  whole  occupy 
a  conspicuous  position. 

As  the  fame  of  Syracuse  spread  abroad,  men  of  means  and  energy 
continued  to  seek  it  as  a  home.  Horace  White  !  settled  in  the  village 
in  1838  and  was  followed  the  next  year  by  his  brother  Hamilton.  •  Their 
career  as  bankers,  railroad  promoters,  and  as  honorable  and  influential 
citizens  is  well  known. 

Dr.  John  M.  Wieting, 3  then  a  civil  engineer  in  the  employ  of  the  Syr- 
acuse and  Utica  Railroad  Company,  became  a  resident  of  Syracuse  in 
1837.     Peter  Burns,4  who  later  became  a  leading  citizen  and  business 

1  Horace  White  was  born  in  Homer,  N.  Y.  April  19,  1802;  his  father  was  Asa  White,  a  native 
of  Massachusetts.  In  his  youth  he  served  as  clerk  in  Auburn,  in  Albany  and  in  Jedediah  Barber's 
store  in  Homer,  where  he  remained  ten  years.  Removing  to  Syracuse  in  1838,  he  established  the 
Bank  of  Syracuse  in  1839,  taking  the  position  of  cashier,  with  John  Wilkinson  as  president.  For 
a  number  of  years  this  was  the  leading  financial  institution  of  the  place.  The  association  of  Mr. 
White  and  Mr.  Wilkinson  brought  them  together  in  the  promotion  of  the  early  railroad  enterprises 
of  the  State,  and  for  twenty  years  he  was  intimately  connected  with  the  various  roads  that  finally 
constituted  the  New  York  Central.  He  was  made  treasurer  of  the  Syracuse  and  Binghamton 
road  in  1851,  and  upon  the  consolidation  which  made  the  New  York  Central,  he  was  chosen  one 
of  the  directors.  He  was  also  prominently  connected  with  the  salt  industry.  His  business  life 
was  governed  by  the  highest  principles  of  integrity  and  honor.  He  was  a  member  of  St.  Paul's 
church  and  generous  to  all  worthy  charities.     He  died  September  5, 1860. 

2  Hamilton  White  was  born  in  Homer,  N.  Y.,  May  0,  1807,  and  at  the  age  age  of  sixteen  years 
began  teaching  school.  Like  his  brother  he  followed  clerking  for  about  ten  years,  at  the  close  of 
which  he  began  trade  in  Lockport,  N.  Y.  In  1839  he  removed  to  Syracuse  where  he  was  appointed 
cashier  of  the  Onondaga  County  Bank,  of  which  Oliver  Teall  was  president.  His  superior  busi- 
ness capacity  and  his  characteristics  as  a  man  soon  placed  him  in  a  foremost  position  in  the  com- 
munity. He  identified  himself  with  the  growth  of  his  adopted  village  in  all  of  its  varied  inter- 
ests; was  one  of  the  incorporators  of  the  Water  Works;  joined  with  his  brother  and  others  in 
forming  the  Geddes  Coarse  Salt  Company;  was  largely  connected  with  railroad  enterprises,  and 
after  1854,  when  the  Onondaga  Bank  closed  its  affairs,  he  began  private  banking.  In  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  Asylum  for  Feeble  Minded  Children,  the  Onondaga  Orphan  Asylum,  the  Old 
Ladies'  Home,  the  County  Agricultural  Society,  the  Oakwood  Cemetery  Association,  and  various 
other  institutions,  Mr.  White  was  a  conspicuous  worker,  and  with  many  of  them  held  official 
positions.  In  1862  he  was  made  president  of  the  Syracuse  National  Bank,  but  his  health  was  im- 
paired and  he  spent  the  next  few  years  in  foreign  travel.  In  1801  he  visited  the  West  Indies,  re- 
turning in  June,  1865.     He  died  in  September  of  that  year. 

4  For  biography  of  Dr.  John  M.  Wieting,  see  Part  II. 

•Peter  I'.urns  was  born  in  Dublin,  Ireland,  July  30,  LSI  I;  came  with  his  father  to  America  in 
1S19,  who  in  1824  settled  in  Ulster  county.  At  the  age  of  twelve  years  he  went  to  Ulster  county 
and  lived  on  a  farm  five  years.  He  then  learned  the  saddler's  trade  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-one 
went  to  New  York  city.  Two  years  later,  in  1836,  he  settled  in  Syracuse.  After  graduating  from 
laga  A  ademy,  he  spent  five  years  as  clerk  in  a  saddlery  store,  and  then  opened  a  store  him- 
self in  the  same  business;  this  he  conducted  until  1853,  when  he  |began  the  manufacture  of  sad- 


NICHOLAS    PETERS. 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CTTT  OF  SYRACUSE. 


451 


man,  settled  in  the  village  in  1836.  Hiram  A.  Deming  built  up  the 
corner  of  James  and  Salina  streets.  This  was  occupied  many  years  by 
George  and  Peter  Waggoner  who  became  successful  business  men  ;  and 
not  long  afterwards  Horace  and  Hamilton  White  erected  the  building 
on  the  corner  of  Washington  and  South  Salina  streets,  where  the  Onon- 


The  Site  of  the  White  Memorial  Building. 

daga  County  Bank  and  the  Bank  of  Syracuse  were  located,  with  the 
American  Express  office  in  the  lower  part  for  many  years.  (See  en- 
graving. )  This  was  removed  to  clear  the  site  for  the  White  Memorial 
Building. 

The  so-called  "patriot  war, "in  which  a  motley  band  of  volunteers 
made  a  foolhardy  attempt  to  free  Canada,  as  they  called  it,  in  the  fall 
of  1838,  created  considerable  excitement  in  Syracuse  and  Salina,  and 
particularly  among  the  German  population.  Of  the  thirty-five  persons 
who  joined  the  movement  from  Onondaga  county,  nine  were  Ger- 
mans from  Syracuse  or  Salina,  and  one  of  them  a  leader  in  the  person 
of  Gen.  S.  Von  Schultz.  The  details  of  the  disastrous  expedition 
are  too  well  known  to  need  repetition  here ;  most  of  the  ' '  patriots  "  were 


dler's  hardware  in  company  with  Kasson  Frazer.  At  the  the  death  o£  the  latter  in  1876  the  indus- 
try had  become  one  of  the  leading  ones  in  this  part  of  the  State.  Two  years  later  the  business 
was  passed  over  to  his  son.  A  Whig  and  Republican  in  politics,  Mr.  Burns  was  elected  to  the 
State  Legislature  for  1871-72,  and  made  an  honorable  record.  He  also  held  the  office  of  super- 
visor, police  commissioner,  and  other  positions.  He  was  one  of  the  nine  persons  to  organize  the 
Reformed  Dutch  church,  and  was  instrumental  in  the  care  of  the  Orphan  Asylum.  Mr.  Burns 
died  June  20,  1895. 


452  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

quickly  overpowered  and  captured  by  the  disciplined  English  troops. 
Von  Schultz  was  tried  by  court  martial  and  executed  at  Kingston,  Ca., 
December  8,  1838.  Martin  Woodruff  and  Chris.  Buckley,  two  subor- 
dinate officers,  were  also  executed,  the  former  on  December  19,  1838, 
and  the  latter  on  January  4,  1839.  Among  the  remaining  eight  who 
were  executed  was  Leman  Leech,  of  Liverpool,  who  was  executed  Feb- 
ruary 11,  1839.  Von  Schultz  was  well  known  in  Syracuse  and  vicinity, 
where  he  resided  two  years  before  he  started  on  his  ill-fated  mission ; 
he  was  highly  educated  and  had  the  respect  of  the  community ;  he  was 
engaged  to  be  married  to  a  woman  in  the  First  ward  at  the  time  he 
joined  the  enterprise  which  cost  him  his  life.  Some  of  the  Onondaga 
county  volunteers  were  exiled  to  Van  Dieman's  Land  and  were  released 
under  the  amnesty  of  1849.  The  others,  who  were  mere  mere  youths, 
were  pardoned  and  returned  home. 

The  second  railroad  into  Syracuse  came  almost  with  the  echo  of  the 
first  locomotive  whistle.  The  Syracuse  and  Utica  Railroad  Company 
was  chartered  in  1836  and  six  of  the  commissioners  named  in  the  "Act 
for  the  construction  of  a  railroad  from  Syracuse  to  Utica,"  were  promi- 
nent citizens  of  Syracuse,  namely :  Vivus  W.  Smith,  Miles  W.  Bennett, 
Horace  Wheaton,  Thomas  J.  Gilbert,  Elihu  L.  Phillips,  and  Aaron  Burt. 
Oliver  Lee,  of  Syracuse,  was  the  engineer  in  charge  of  construction  and 
was  appointed  the  first  superintendent.  The  line  was  opened  in  1839, 
the  same  year  in  which  steam  was  introduced  on  the  road  to  Auburn. 
These  early  railroads  were  quite  primitive  in  methods  of  construction 
and  in  their  equipment.  The  first  engines  were  single  drivers,  with 
small  trail  wheels  under  the  cab,  which  consisted  of  a  roof  hung  around 
with  oil  cloth  during  the  winter.  The  weight  of  the  locomotive  was 
from  four  to  six  tons.  The  first  cars  had  only  four  wheels.  The  con- 
ductor passed  along  on  the  outside  and  collected  the  fares.  As  late  as 
1843  the  cars  had  no  protection  over  the  platform,  and  were  low  and 
ill-ventilated.  For  several  years  the  engines  had  no  pilots;  some  had 
two  splint  brooms  set  in  front  in  such  position  as  to  sweep  each  rail,  and 
others  flat  iron  bars  bent  forward  and  sharpened  at  the  ends;  this  was 
the  "  cow  catcher. "  In  winter  a  large  wooden  plow  was  placed  in  front 
of  the  engine.  The  earliest  track  was  a  flat  rail,  with  the  spikes  driven 
entirely  through  them,  which  sometimes  made  havoc  by  turning  up  at 
the  ends  and  shooting  up  through  the  bottom  of  the  cars — "snake 
heads." 

In  locating  the  depots  and  routes  through  Syracuse,  certain  condi- 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  453 

tions  were  required  of  the  company — providing-  that  they  should  build 
a  sewer  along- the  track  in  Washington  street  from  Yellow  Brook  on 
westward,  and  plant  trees  on  both  sides  of  the  street  as  far  east  as 
Beech  street.  The  trees  now  standing  on  that  street  are  the  ones 
planted  by  the  railroad  company.  Early  passenger  and  freight  rates 
show  the  competition  between  stages,  canal  packets  and  railroads. 
Rates  between  Syracuse  and  New  York  "  for  those  who  travel  in  the 
steerage  of  canal  boats  and  on  barges  towed  by  steamboats,  and  find 
themselves,  $3.50;"  for  first-class  passengers,  "found  by  the  owners  of 
boats,  $0.25."  Packet  fares  were  four  cents  per  mile,  "including 
board."  Freight  rates  from  New  York  to  Syracuse  were  49  cents  per 
100  pounds  for  "heavy  goods,"  and  59  cents  "for  light  goods."  This 
was  in  1835,  when  the  total  length  of  all  railroads  in  the  State  was  100 
miles,  divided  among  seven  companies. 

Early  in  1840  the  city  incorporation  scheme  was  considered  in  a  public 
meeting,  but  it  was  abandoned  for  the  time  as  "not  expedient."  The 
abandonment  of  the  old  cemetery  on  Franklin  street  had  been  often 
discussed  and  in  this  year  the  matter  was  referred  to  John  Wilkinson, 
Lyman  Clary,  and  Samuel  Larned.  The  result  was  the  purchase  of 
the  Rose  Hill  tract  in  December  at  $300  per  acre. 

The  turbulent  element  of  the  population  now  seems  to  have  become 
too  unruly  to  be  controlled  by  the  old  constabulary,  and  a  committee 
consisting  of  the  trustees  of  the  village,  with  T.  T.  Davis,  John  Wilkin- 
son and  David  S.  Colvin,  was  appointed  early  in  1840  "to  report  amend- 
ments to  the  ordinances  that  will  give  the  village  a  more  vigorous 
police."  In  May  it  was  resolved  by  the  trustees  that  "there  shall  here- 
after be  a  police  justice  in  Syracuse,  who  shall  be  appointed  in  the  same 
manner  as  the  judges  of  the  County  Courts,"  and  an  act  of  Legislature 
was  procured  for  this  purpose. 

It  was  in  this  year  also  that  the  Legislature  incorporated  the  Syra- 
cuse Library  and  Reading  Room  Association,  the  executive  committee 
of  which  comprised  John  G.  Forbes,  Moses  D.  Burnet,  L.  L.  Chapman, 
H.  W.  Van  Buren,  Grove  Lawrence,  J.  Watson  Adams,  Stephen  AY. 
Caldwell,  Hiram  Putnam,  Daniel  Dana,  Lyman  Clary,  Daniel  Pratt,  A." 
Howard  Hovey,  and  Philo  D.  Mickles.  It  was  under  the  auspices  of 
this  association  that  some  of  the  early  lectures  and  entertainments  were 
given. 

Referring  again  to  the  local  newspapers  it  is  seen  that  the  volume  of 
business  had  greatly  increased  in  the  village  by  1840,  as  shown   by  the 


454  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

following  summary,  most  of  the  establishments  named  being  in  addi- 
tion to  those  given  on  an  earlier  page : 

Butler  &  Hobby  were  in  dry  goods  trade  on  East  Genesee  street.  Madame  A.  J. 
Raoul  was  conducting  the  "Onondaga  Bookstore  and  Syracuse  Bazaar,"  on  Water 
street,  Hanover  Square.  J.  P.  &  A.  Wind  had  a  music  store  on  the  west  side  of 
Salina  street,  just  north  of  Railroad  street,  where  they  had  "received  two  superior 
iron  harp  Chickering  pianos."  S.  Gardiner,  jr.,  kept  a  music  store  in  the  Franklin 
Buildings,  and  the  "  City  Drug  Store  "  was  conducted  by  E.  Hough,  on  the  west  side 
of  Salina  street  above  Railroad  street.  Lewis  H.  Redfield's  bookstore  was  on  East 
Water  street,  and  Barnet  &  Gurnsey,  boots  and  shoes,  had  then  recently  taken  the 
store  "lately  occupied  as  a  dry  goods  store,  second  door  west  of  the  Mansion  House." 
A.  Root  &  Co.  sold  boots  and  shoes  where  Stevens  &  Adams  have  a  hat  store.  Cook 
&  Fitch  (Volney  Cook  and  George  S.  Fitch)  were  selling  dry  goods  on  East  Water 
street  near  Warren,  and  at  the  same  time  were  members  of  the  grocery  firm  of  Cook, 
Fitch  &  Town  (Ezra  Town).  The  "Syracuse  Crockery  Store"  was  kept  by  Ransom 
Curtis  and  S.  P.  Pierce1  at  No.  2  Slocum  Building;  it  was  located  about  where  the 
Coville  &  Morris  grocery  is  on  East  Water  street.  Charles  Pope  carried  on  a  plating 
business  "fifty  rods  east  of  the  Syracuse  House  on  Genesee  street."  Mr.  Pope  be- 
came a  leading  citizen  of  the  city.  Charles  Rust  sold  furniture  in  the  "  Prison 
Wareroom"  adjoining  W.  &  H.  Raynor,  one  door  west  of  Wright  &  Wheaton,  who 
were  in  the  dry  goods  trade ;  these  latter  stores  were  on  West  Water  street.  Philo 
D.  Mickles,  stoves  and  hardwere,  "  sign  of  the  padlock  ; "  this  store  was  on  the  Wiet- 
ing  block  corner.  Mr.  Mickles  was  a  son  of  Nicholas  Mickles,  the  proprietor  of  the 
early  furnace  between  the  city  and  the  Valley.  The  family  moved  to  Onondaga  Hill 
in  1800,  and  in  1827,  on  the  death  of  his  father,  Philo  D.  removed  to  Salina,  and  a  little 
later  to  Syracuse,  where  he  established  the  first  furnace  in  the  village ;  it  was  situated  on 
Canal  street,  and  there  he  made  plows  and  some  of  the  early  stoves.  Failing  in  the 
crisis  of  1837,  he  afterwards  recovered  and  in  1838  opened  a  "temperance  grocery 
store  "  where  the  McCarthy  &  Redfield  store  was  afterward  located.  He  became  suc- 
cessful and  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  man  in  Syracuse  to  do  a  business  of  $150,000 
a  year.  In  1839  he  engaged  in  hardware  trade  and  in  1849  went  to  California  and 
returned  two  years  later.  He  died  in  1874,  the  19th  of  April.  Barnes  &  Stapley  had 
a  furnace  and  machine  shop  on  the  Oswego  Canal  "  a  little  north  of  the  weigh  lock." 
Jason  C.  Woodruff,  associated  with  J.  Butterfield  &  Co.,  of  Utica,  advertised  their 
stage  lines  in  opposition  to  the  new  railroad.  The  competition  between  these  two 
methods  of  travel  and  the  packet  boats,  became  very  active,  and  for  a  few  years  it 
was  an  open  question  which  was  the  more  desirable — or  even  which  was  the  quickest 
of  the  three.     Runners  from  the  packet  docks  haunted  the  railroad  station  and  used 

1  Sylvester  P.  Pierce  was  a  native  of  Sauquoit,  Oneida  county,  where  he  was  born  September 
19,  181  I.  lie  served  as  clerk  from  an  early  age  in  Rome  and  X'tica,  with  Ransom  Curtis  in  the  lat- 
in is.;1.!  he  settled  in  Syracuse  ami  be^an  business  in  connection  with  his  former  em- 
ployer. In  December  they  took  the  store  No.  10  South  Salina  street,  and  four  years  later  Mr. 
Curtis  went  out  of  the  firm,  and  from  that  time  until  near  his  death  Mr.  Pierce  carried  on  a  sue- 
1  rade.  In  1854  he  purchased  the  store  he  occupied,  and  in  ISli.'l  purchased  the  Clinton  street 
propi  rty  where  in  1869  he  built  stores  for  his  wholesale  trade.  He  was  the  head  of  the  manufac- 
turing firm  of  Pierce,  Butler  &  Pierce,  and  was  associated  with  other  industries.  He  was  a  Re- 
publican in  politii    ;  and  a  member  of  St.  Paul's  church.     Mr.  Pierce  died  on  November  5,  1893. 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  455 

all  their  eloquence  to  persuade  passengers  to  come  on  board  their  safe  and  delightful 
vessels,  which  they  guaranteed  would  make  as  quick  time  on  the  average  as  the  cars, 
while  the  advocates  of  the  stage  lines  taxed  their  imagination  for  counter-arguments 
as  to  the  safety  and  expedition  of  their  elegant  coaches.  Both  the  boats  and  the 
coaches  soon  disappeared.  Hargin  &  Shaw  were  dealers  in  stoves  and  hardware  on 
the  corner  of  Water  and  Warren  streets,  and  the  "New  York  Cheap  Bookstore,"  Louis 
D.  Pomeroy,  proprietor,  was  situated  on  West  Water  street.  H.  W.  I  Hirnford  &  Co. 
were  grocers  on  the  corner  of  East  Water  and  Warren  streets,  opposite  the  site  of 
the  Bastable  block.  Hall,  Rhoades  &  Sherman  did  a  large  hardware  business  on 
the  site  of  the  Everson  Building.  William  H.  Alexander  &  Co.  offered  stoves,  etc., 
at  their  furnace,  corner  of  Water  and  Franklin  streets.  Malcolm  &  Hudson  were  in 
the  hardware  trade  second  door  west  of  the  corner  of  Salinaand  West  Water  streets, 
and  Zaccheus  T.  Newcomb  and  Charles  A.  Baker  had  joined  the  earlier  attorneys. 

The  great  gunpowder  explosion  came  like  a  thunderbolt  upon  the  com- 
munity on  the  20th  of  August,  1841,  by  which  twenty-six  persons  lost 
their  lives  and  many  more  were  injured.  The  story  of  this  calamity  has 
been  often  told,  and  a  brief  account  will,  therefore,  suffice  for  these 
pages. 

About  half  past  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  a  wooden  building  stand- 
ing on  the  Oswego  Canal  towpath,  nearly  in  rear  of  the  old  County 
Clerk's  office,  caught  fire;  it  had  been  occupied  by  Charles  Goings  for 
a  carpenter  shop.  The  alarm  sounded  and  the  fire  engines  were  soon 
throwing  water  upon  the  rapidly  spreading  flames.  At  this  juncture 
some  one  in  the  assembled  crowd  cried  out,  "Gunpowder!  There  is 
gunpowder  in  the  building!  "  At  this  many  of  the  crowd  fell  back,  but 
most  of  those  nearest  the  building  did  not  credit  the  outcry  and  re- 
mained there.  A  tremendous  explosion  followed,  scattering  death  and 
destruction  on  all  sides.  When  the  sound  died  away,  there  was  a 
moment  of  stillness,  after  which  the  air  was  filled  with  shrieks  and 
groans  of  the  injured  and  dying.  Confusion  reigned.  Tearful  cries 
from  the  crowd  for  friends  or  relatives  mingled  with  the  moans  of  the 
injured  and  their  appeals  for  help.  Rapidly  the  bodies  were  taken 
from  the  ruins,  and  everything  possible  was  done  for  the  sufferers;  the 
hotels  were  thrown  open  and  a  train  of  cars  was  sent  to  Auburn  for 
medical  help.1 

1  The  list  of  killed  is  as  follows:  Thomas  Betts.  Elijah  Jones,  Zebina  Dwight,  William  Conklin, 
Benjamin  F.  Johnson,  Elisha  Ladd,  George  W.  Burdick,  Isaac  Stanton,  Hugh  T.  Gibson,  William 
B.  Close,  George   Gorham,  Horace  T.  Goings,  Charles   A.    Moffit,  Horatio  X.  Cheney,   Loren  L. 
Cheney,  John  Durnford,  jr.,  Hanson  Maynard,  Noah  Hoyt,  John  Kohlhamer,  Matthew  Smelt, 
H.  Hough,  James  M.  Barker,  Charles  Miller,  Benjamin  T.  Baker,  and  Charles  Austin. 

These  were  badly  wounded:  David  Myers,  Z.Robinson,  W.  Durant,  a  son  of  John  Thorn. 
Elisha  Austin.  D.  C  Le  Roy,  Luther  Gifford,  S.  W.  Cailweil.  H  -.  Paul   Shaw,  .1    I 


456  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

A  public  meeting  was  held  on  the  23d  and  a  committee  appointed  to 
ask  subscriptions  for  the  sufferers  and  their  families;  the  committee 
consisted  of  Daniel  Dana,  M.  D.  Burnet,  Amos  P.  Granger,  Charles  L. 
Lvnds,  and  Wing  Russell.  The  sum  of  $1,800  was  subscribed  at  the 
meeting,  of  which  the  firm  of  Malcolm  &  Hudson,  to  whom  the  powder 
belonged,  subscribed  $500  and  William  Malcolm  $500  in  person.  The 
verdict  of  the  jury  in  the  coroner's  inquest  closed  as  follows: 

That  Hugh  T.  Gibson  [here  follows  a  list  of  the  dead]  came  to  their  deaths  on  the 
night  of  Friday,  August  20,  1841,  by  the  explosion  of  27  or  28  kegs  of  gunpowder,  in 
a  carpenter's  and  joiner's  shop,  then  on  fire,  in  the  village  of  Syracuse,  and  which 
the  said  deceased  and  others  were  attempting  to  extinguish ;  that  the  said  powder 
was  the  property  of  William  Malcolm  and  Albert  A.  Hudson,  of  Syracuse,  and  was 
secretly  stored  in  said  shop,  with  the  knowledge  and  consent  of  the  said  William 
Malcolm,  contrary  to  the  published  and  known  ordinances  of  the  village  of  Syracuse, 
and  without  the  cognizance  or  consent  of  the  trustees  thereof. 

In  closing  its  account  of  this  terrible  catastrophe  the  Onondaga  Stand- 
ard said: 

Such  is  a  brief  sketch  of  this  awful  calamity — a  calamity  which,  from  the  careless- 
ness, avarice,  or  malignity  of  one,  two,  or  three,  has  sent  or  probably  will  send  not 
less  than  thirty  of  their  fellow  beings  from  time  into  eternity,  and  most  of  them 
without  a  moment's  warning.  What  a  subject  for  reflection  !  Let  those  who  escaped 
feel  grateful  to  that  good  Being,  whose  ways,  though  inscrutable,  are  always  just. 
Mr.  Hudson,  firm  of  Malcolm  &  Hudson,  the  owners  of  the  powder,  in  his  testimony 
before  the  jury,  stated  that  there  were  twenty-three  kegs,  containing  twenty-five 
pounds  each,  and  four  kegs  containing  twelve  and  a  half  pounds  each,  making  in  all, 
six  hundred  and  twenty-five  pounds  deposited  in  the  upper  story  on  or  about  the  12th 
instant. 

Public  feeling  was  long  very  bitter  against  those  who  were  responsi- 
ble for  this  calamity  and  it  was  many  months  before  the  pall  of  gloom 
and  sadness  was  lifted  from  the  community.  Although  Mr.  Malcolm 
was  not  directly  responsible  for  placing  the  powder  in  the  building,  he 
felt  the  shock  of  the  disaster  intensely  and  it  probably  hastened  his 
death.  While  he  lived  he  contributed  generously  to  the  support  of 
many  of  the  sufferers.      Three  survivors  of  those  injured  are  known  to 

rich,   1'.   Balin,  Thomas  R.    Hall,   I':.   Morehouse,  John   McDermot,  Patrick  Denfee,  John  Eliker, 

Paschal  Thurber,  John  Jones, Handwri^ht,  L.  J.  Benton, Lucas,  Jerry  Stevens,  Mrs. 

Appleton,  Miss  Elliston,  Thomas  Roe,  Myron  Jacobs,  a  son  of  Peter  I. do,  Orson  Putnam,  Elisha 
Jones,  li.  I..  Higgins,  E.  Rosebrook,  !..  W,  Bement,  George  B.  Walter,  George  W.  Benedick,  Jona- 

"Iami.  Joim  McCaslin,  Frederick  Strongman,  Lewis  Corbin, Lake. 

The  following  were  slighly  wounded;  William  1'..  Durkee,  Richard  Culvert,  Oliver  Drew, 
i  Spencer,  John  B.Phelps,  Or.  James  Koran,  David  Wheeler,  Robert  Armstrong,  Nelson 
i  Mi.  Martin,  John  Burns,  I).  Brown,  Lewis  Smith,  Luke  Collins,  Henry  Hoag,  Thomas  H. 
der,  P,  I. owe,  John  Conklin,  S.   Packwood,  J.  Grawe,   I.   O.    Lawson,  Samuel   Hurst,  John 

IIS.  Sloan. 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  457 

be  now  living — Samuel  Hurst,  Paul  Shaw,  and  Nelson  Gilbert.   Thomas 
G.  Alvord  is  the  only  survivor  of  the  coroner's  jury. 

Syracuse  at  about  this  time  gained,  justly  or  unjustly,  an  unenviable 
reputation  for  lawlessness.  In  1841  there  were  seventy-five  places 
where  liquor  was  sold;  gambling  places  were  in  existence;  horse -rac- 
ing was  conducted  which  it  was  claimed  brought  disreputable  char- 
acters to  the  village,  and  incendiarism  was  feared.  A  resolution 
adopted  in  August  said : 

We  will  unite  our  best  efforts  with  those  of  the  civil  magistrates,  not  only  in 
bringing  to  punishment  and  driving  out  from  among  us  the  numerous  blacklegs, 
gamblers  and  incendiaries  by  whom  we  are  said  to  be  infested,  but  also  in  uprooting 
the  infamous  dens  and  resorts  in  our  town,  in  which  they  are  made,  sustained  and 
concealed,  whether  existing  as  groceries,  billiard  rooms,  bowling  alleys  or  brothels. 

It  is  possible  that  while  smarting  under  the  recent  awful  sacrifice  of 
life,  this  resolution  exaggerated  the  facts.  However  this  may  have 
been,  the  sum  of  $600  was  appropriated  to  provide  a  night  watch,  the 
members  of  which  were  Nathan  W.  Rose  (captain),  Joseph  Flick, 
Joseph  Mesmer,  James  Burrell,  Charles  A.  Huntoon  and  Thomas 
Griffith.  They  were  paid  each  $1  per  night,  and  after  a  few  months 
were  disbanded. 

The  principal  events  that  took  place  between  the  year  1842  and  the 
incorporation  of  the  city,  were  the  laying  of  the  first  wooden  pipes  for 
supplying  the  village  with  water  in  1842-3;  changing  the  names  of  the 
east  and  west  streets  from  First  North,  First  South,  etc.,  to  their 
present  names;  the  building  of  the  Townsend  block  on  West  Water 
street  in  1842,  and  the  building  of  the  Empire  House  block  in  1844-5, 
which  passed  into  possession  of  Col.  James  L.  Voorhees  in  1850;  the 
erection  of  the  Globe  Hotel  block  in  1846;  the  completion  of  the 
market  (the  old  city  hall)  in  1845;  a  riot  in  the  Cook  Coffee  House  in 
1842,  which  was  precipitated  by  a  party  from  Salina,  and  which  was 
quelled  by  the  Syracuse  Cadets ;  and  the  adoption  of  measures  for  the 
incorporation  of  the  city. 

During  the  year  1846  the  subject  of  a  city  charter  was  conspicuous 
in  the  discussions  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  and  among  citizens.  The 
proposed  change  was  generally  approved,  but  there  were  wide  differ- 
ences of  opinion  as  to  details,  especially  regarding  the  territory  to  be 
included  in  the  city  limits.  Many  good  citizens  of  both  Syracuse  and 
Salina  were  mildly  opposed  to  including  the  latter  village  in  the  new 
city;  the  old  feeling  of  rivalry  was  not  wholly  extinct;  but  the  majority 
58 


458  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

of  the  more  influential  men  approved  of  that  plan.  Active  measures 
toward  accomplishing-  the  desired  end  were  instituted  early  in  184?  in 
both  villages.  A  public  meeting  was  held  in  Market  Hall  on  January 
5,  of  which  E.  W.  Leavenworth  was  chairman  and  John  F.  Wyman 
secretary;  it  was  called  "to  consider  the  expediency  of  applying  to 
the  Legislature  for  a  city  charter."  During  the  proceedings  W.  B. 
Kirk  moved  that  the  application  be  made  and  that  it  embrace  Salina. 
After  animated  discussion,  in  which  the  plan  of  including  Geddes  also, 
and  even  Liverpool,  as  suggested  by  one  person  of  decidedly  advanced 
ideas,  Mr.  Kirk's  motion  was  adopted.  On  the  11th  of  January  a  meet- 
ing was  held  at  the  house  of  James  Scott  in  Salina,  at  which  resolutions 
were  adopted  to  the  effect  that  the  village  unite  with  Syracuse  in  form- 
ing a  city,  provided  Salina  be  made  one  ward;  that  the  Bank  of  Salina 
remain  in  that  ward;  that  the  post-office  be  continued  in  existence  and 
the  salt  and  canal  offices  be  not  removed.  Thomas  McCarthy,1  Noah 
Wood  and  Ira  H.  Williams  were  appointed  a  committee  to  present  the 
resolutions  to  the  Syracuse  authorities.  These  conditions  were  sub- 
stantially satisfactory  to  all  concerned,  and  during  the  same  month  a 
committee  was  appointed  to  draft  and  report  a  charter.  The  members 
of  this  committee  were  John  Wilkinson,  Moses  D.  Burnet,  Hiram  Put- 
nam, George  F.  Comstock,  J.  R.  Lawrence,  Amos  P.  Granger,  Harvey 
Baldwin,  C.  B.  Sedgwick,  Hamilton  White,  Lyman  Clary,  Thomas 
McCarthy,  Noah  Wood,  and  Warren  H.  Porter.  The  act  of  incorpora- 
tion was  passed  under  date  of  December  14,  1847  (chap.  475  session 
laws),  and  the  limits  of  the  city  defined  as  follows: 

The  district  of  country  constituting  a  part  of  the  town  of  Salina,  and  including  the 
villages  of  Syracuse  and  Salina,  in  the  county  of  Onondaga,  within  the  following 
bounds,  that  is  to  say: 

Beginning  on  the  northeasterly  corner  of  Manlius  L,  running  thence  to  the  north- 
easterly corner  of  the  village  of  Salina,  thence  along  the  northerly  line  of  said  village 
of  Salina  to  the  northwesterly  corner  of  the  same,  thence  southwesterly  to  the 
Onondaga  Lake,  thence  along  the  southeasterly  shore  of  said  lake  to  the  center  of 
Onondaga  Creek,  thence  southerly  along  the  center  of  said  creek  to  the  line  of  the 
village  of  Syracuse,  thence  westerly  and  southerly  along  such  line  to  the  south 
bounds  of  the  town  of  Salina,  thence  east  along  the  south  bounds  of  the  town  of 
Salina  to  the  east  bounds  thereof,  thence  northerly  along  the  east  bounds  of  said 
town  to  the  place  of  beginning,  shall  hereafter  be  known  as  the  city  of  Syracuse. 

i  Thomas  McCarthy  settled  in  Salina  in  1808  and  became  the  foremost  merchant  and  salt  man- 
ufacturer. His  early  store  was  situated  on  Free  street.  He  also  attained  prominence  in  public 
affairs;  was  member  of  assembly  one  term;  trustee  of  t lie  village  many  years  and  a  director  in 
the  first  Salina  bank.  He  was  father  of  the  late  Dennis  McCarthy,  the  prominent  merchant  and 
politician  of  Syracuse. 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  459 

Section  2  of  the  act  divided  the  city  into  four  wards  as  follows: 

All  that  part  of  the  city  lying  east  of  Onondaga  Creek  and  north  of  Division  and 
Pond  streets  was  made  the  First  Ward ;  all  the  remainder  of  the  city  lying  north  of 
the  center  of  the  Erie  Canal,  was  made  the  Second  Ward;  the  Third  ward  included 
that  portion  of  the  city  lying  south  of  the  Erie  Canal  and  west  of  Montgomery 
street  as  far  south  as  Burt  street,  thence  west  of  Salina  street  to  the  southern  bound- 
ary of  the  city;,  the  remainder  of  the  city  constituted  the  Fourth  ward. 

And  thus  Syracuse  swallowed  up  its  old  rival.  The  election  on  the 
acceptance  of  the  charter  was  held  on  the  first  Monday  of  January  (the 
3d  day),  1848,  at  which  1,072  votes  were  cast  in  favor,  and  771  against; 
in  Salina,  385  in  favor  and  39  against. 

This  absorption  of  the  village  of  Salina  brought  an  addition  of  about 
3,000  to  the  population  of  the  young  city.  The  early  history  of  Salina 
will  be  found  in  the  history  of  that  town  in  later  pages,  and  is  continued 
as  we  shall  see,  in  the  succeeding  city  history.  At  the  time  of  the  city 
incorporation  the  manufacturing  industries  at  Salina  had  become  very 
extensive  and  were  carried  on  by  men  of  enterprise  and  energy,  whose 
later  operations  contributed  their  full  share  to  the  growth  and  welfare 
of  the  city.  The  spirit  of  local  pride  that  was  abroad  at  this  time  is 
shown  in  the  following  paragraph  from  an  issue  of  the  Syracuse  Jour- 
nal of  August,  1848: 

Syracuse  in  1820  consisted  of  one  house  in  a  swamp,  and  now  it  is  a  fine  little  city 
of  upwards  of  15,000  inhabitants.  It  owes  its  prosperity  to  its  situation  on  the  canal 
and  its  salt  works. 

As  a  point  of  freight  shipment  the  place  had  already  become  of  im- 
portance. During  the  month  of  January.  1848,  the  following  were  the 
shipments  to  Utica  and  intermediate  points : 

Pork,  177,974  lbs.;  poultry,  46,545;  butter,  61,492;  whisky,  23,800;  lard,  21,126; 
cheese,  1,356;  cattle,  78,000;  wool,  16,442;  sheep  pelts,  12,920;  live  sheep,  51,078; 
dried  fruit,  13,713;  beans,  2,433;  ashes,  20,782;  flour,  5,564;  miscellaneous,  30,916. 

It  was  a  period  of  rapid  development.  The  plank  road  era  had 
opened  and  those  useful  thoroughfares  were  successively  extended  to 
many  outlying  villages,  which  thereby  contributed  more  and  more  of 
their  trade  to  the  city.  The  first  plank  road  in  the  United  States  was  ' 
laid  between  Central  Square  and  Syracuse  in  1846,  and  before  1850 
others  reached  out  in  all  directions  from  Syracuse. 

The  first  regular  theater  in  the  city  was  opened  in  the  old  Baptist 
church  in  1846,  under  the  name  of  the  "  National." 

In  the  spring  of  1849  E.  W.  Leavenworth  was  elected  mayor.  A  law- 
was  passed  under  date  of  January  25,  providing  for  the  filling  in  of  the 


460  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

old  mill  pond  and  reclaiming  of  the  State  lands  bordering  on  Onondaga 
Creek  (formerly  covered  with  salt  vats),  at  a  cost  not  to  exceed  $4,000. 
When  General  Leavenworth  assumed  his  office  he  had  a  map  made  of 
this  tract,  with  a  large  park  reserved,  which  he  laid  before  the  commis- 
sioners of  the  land  office,  by  whom  it  was  conditionally  approved.  The 
tract  was  sold  at  auction  in  lots,  and  brought  over  $15,000,  a  far 
greater  sum  than  could  have  been  obtained  for  the  territory  as  a 
whole,  including  the  park  reservation.  This  proceeding  gave  us 
Armory  Park. 

The  decade  from  1850  to  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  war,  while 
characterized  by  rapid  growth  in  Syracuse  and  large  general  public  im- 
provement, with  corresponding  increase  in  all  kinds  of  business  indus- 
tries, was  not  marked  by  any  very  remarkable  event,  if  we  except  the 
Jerry  Rescue,  as  it  is  known,  which  took  place  in  October,  1851.  A 
public  meeting  was  held  in  Market  Hall,  as  one  of  the  details  of  the 
active  Abolition  movement,  at  which  a  series  of  resolutions  was  adopted 
expressive  of  extreme  Abolition  sentiment,  denouncing  the  fugitive 
slave  law,  and  declaring  that  no  fugitive  slave  should  ever  be  returned 
to  bondage  from  Syracuse.  There  neVer  was.  In  the  winter  of  1849- 
50  an  intelligent  slave  arrived  in  the  city  from  Mississippi,  on  his  way 
to  the  promised  land  in  Canada.  Feeling  safe  in  Syracuse,  he  decided 
to  remain  and  found  employment  in  the  cabinet  shop  of  Charles  F4 
Williston.  He  possessed  mechanical  ability  and  soon  opened  a  shop  of 
his  own;  but  the  slave  hunter  was  on  his  track,  and  on  the  1st  of  Octo- 
ber, 1851,  Jerry,  as  he  was  known,  was  taken  into  custody  by  a  South- 
ern officer,  and  lodged  in  the  building  then  standing  on  the  site  of  what 
is  now  known  as  the  Jerry  Rescue  block.  Sylvester  House  was  then 
police  justice,  and  had  his  office  in  that  building.  Henry  W.  Allen 
was  United  States  marshal  and  James  R.  Lawrence  was  attorney  for 
Northern  New  York.  William  H.  Sabine  was  United  States  commis- 
sioner, with  his  office  in  the  Townsend  block.  Before  him  Jerry  was 
taken  by  his  captor.  The  room  was  crowded  and  soon  Jerry,  watching 
his  opportunity,  made  a  break  for  freedom,  running  eastward,  but  he 
was  quickly  pursued,  captured  near  the  railroad  tunnel  and  lodged  in 
the  police  office.  By  this  time  indignation  was  high  and  plans  were 
made  for  the  slave's  rescue,  Democrats  as  well  as  Whigs  joining  in  the 
work.  The  evening  of  October  1  was  a  beautiful  one  and  the  time  was 
ripe  for  operations.  A  rescue  party  gathered,  surrounded  by  a  curious 
crowd,  and  upon  walls  and  doors  fell  the  blows  of  stones,  axes  and  tim- 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  461 

bers  until  the  amazed  officials  inside  began  to  think  more  of  their  own 
safety  than  of  the*  security  of  their  captive.  One  of  them  jumped  from 
a  window  on  the  north  side  of  the  building"  and  broke  his  arm  with  the 
fall.  Finally  the  frightened  official  who  had  immediate  charge  of 
Jerry,  pushed  him  out  into  the  arms  of  the  rescuers,  exclaiming,   it  is 

said:     "Get  out  of  here,  you nigger,  if  you  are  making  all  this 

muss."  Jerry  was  hurried  to  a  place  of  concealment  which  was  so  well 
chosen  that  he  remained  in  it  safely  for  about  ten  days,  although  it  was 
near  the  center  of  the  city.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  was  placed  in 
the  night  in  a  wagon  supplied  by  Jason  C.  Woodruff  (a  Democrat),  and 
was  driven  by  Jason  C.  Hoyt  over  the  first  stage  of  the  flying  trip  to 
Canana,  where  the  hero  found  a  haven  of  safety.'  This  act  was  a  bold 
defiance  of  law  and  its  results  were  heralded  throughout  the  North; 
the  anniversary  was  celebrated  annually  for  several  years  in  Syracuse. 
Of  the  rescuing  party  eighteen  were  indicted;  but  not  one  was  ever 
convicted.  - 

There  was  considerable  depression  in  the  salt  business  at  this  time, 
possibly  an  ominous  shadow  of  the  financial  crisis  soon  to  sweep  over 
the  country;  but  public  confidence  in  Syracuse  was  not  easily  shaken 
as  seen  from  the  following  from  a  local  paper  in  March : 

At  no  time  has  the  growth  and  prosperity  of  the  city  been  more  flattering.  To  all 
appearance  we  are  going  ahead  as  rapidly  as  at  any  former  period,  and  it  is  believed 
by  the  best  judges  that  the  population  and  business  of  Syracuse  are  destined  to  im- 
prove many  years  before  they  reach  a  culminating  point. 

These  pleasant  words  were  supplemented  in  July  of  the  next  year  by 
the  following: 

1  The  above  is  the  generally  accepted  version  of  this  event.  Another  one  differing  somewhat 
in  detail  is  to  the  effect  that  Jerry  was  taken  in  broad  daylighl  from  the  house  oi  a  colored 
woman  where  he  had  been  secreted  and  put  in  the  bottom  of  "  Cale  "  Davis's  butcher's  wagon 
and  covered  with  straw.  Davis  then  drove  into  the  city,  stopped  at  the  Syracuse  House  for  his 
regular  cigar,  as  usual,  and  then  drove  out  into  the  country  ostensibly  on  a  trip  to  get  meat. 
This  authority  gives  Dr.  Stephen  Potter,  who  was  identified  with  the  old  medical  college,  the 
credit  for  arranging  the  details  of  the  flight. 

2  Syracuse  gained  a  wide-spread  notoriety  as  an  abolition  center  and  station  on  the  under- 
ground railroad.  In  May,  1851,  the  American  Anti-Slavery  Societ3  met  in  the  city,  and  among 
those  present  were  such  renowned  Abolitionists  as  William  Lloyd  Garrison,  Gerrit  Smith,  Fred- 
erick Douglass,  Parker  Pillsbury,  Abbey  Kelley  Foster,  and  Samuel  1.  May.  The  opening  sen- 
tence of  Mr.  Garrison's  address  showed  the  bitter  prejudice  then  existing  towards  them  and  the 
cause  which  brought  the  society  to  Syracuse;  he  said:  "  This  society  has  heretofore  met  in  New 
York;  but  we  are  not  permitted  by  a  power  that  is  greater  than  liberty  in  our  land  to  hold  an  an- 
niversary in  that  city  this  year,  as  neither  a  meeting  house  nor  a  hall  could  be  obtained.  If 
driving  this  society  from  New  York  has  covered  that  city  with  hstorical  infamy,  the  receiving 
of  it  in  Syracuse  will  cover  this  city  with  historical  renown."  Thereafter  Syracuse  was  the  meet- 
ing place  of  many  anti-slavery  conventions.  At  the  meeting  oi  the  society  on  this  occasion,  a 
noted  controversy  was  held  between  Charles  B.  Sedgwick  and  George  Thompson,  an  English  M. 
P.     It  will  be  correctly  inferred  that  Mr.  Sedgwick  did  not  come  out  of  it  second  best. 


462  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

The  many  and  varied  improvements  going  on  in  our  city  is  a  matter  of  surprise  to 
strangers  who  visit  us,  and  of  gratulation  and  encouragement  to  our  own  citizens. 
In  a  few  years  Syracuse  has  grown  and  increased  to  a  wonderful  extent.  Four  years 
ago  this  [the  Empire  block]  was  the  building.  But  now,  what  a  difference.  The 
Bastable,  the  Norton,  Dillaye  and  Sheldon  blocks  have  been  built  and  mostly  occu- 
pied, and  recently  the  Wheaton  block  which  bids  fair  to  outstrip  and  surpass  all  the 
rest. 

The  Wheaton  block  mentioned  as  then  building,  was  the  building  on 
the  corner  of  South  Salina  and  Water  streets,  built  by  Horace  and 
Charles  A.  Wheaton,1  and  sold  to  John  M.  Wieting;  it  contained  the 
public  hall  and  was  burned  January  5,  1856 ;  was  immediately  rebuilt 
better  than  before,  and  again  burned  in  1881. 

D.  McCarthy  was  elected  mayor  in  1853  and  promptly  brought  to 
bear  his  energy,  executive  ability  and  sound  judgment  upon  the  con- 
duct of  public  affairs.  The  city  had  a  floating  debt  of  $36,000,  and  on 
June  6  the  mayor  was  requested  to  communicate  with  the  local  repre- 
sentative in  the  Legislature,  asking  him  to  secure  the  passage  of  a  law 
authorizing  the  Council  to  raise  $20,000  to  apply  on  the  city's  floating 
debt.  This  measure  was  probably  not  carried  out,  for  in  April  of  the 
next  year  (1854)  a  law  was  passed  empowering  the  corporation  to  bor- 
row $70,000  on  bonds  of  the  city,  with  which  to  fund  the  public  debt. 
On  the  10th  of  April  the  comptroller  was  authorized  to  advertise  for  a 
loan,  and  $60,000  of  the  amount  was  supplied  by  Rufus  H.  King;  the 
loan  was  to  be  paid  in  annual  instalments  of  $10,000. 

In  1853  the  four  wards  of  the  city  were  subdivided  into  eight,  as 
shown  on  maps. 

On  March  28,  1854,  a  law  was  passed  by  the  Legislature  appointing 
Charles  Tallman,  Stephen  D.  Dilllaye,  and  Harvey  Sheldon  commis- 
sioners to  straighten  Onondaga  Creek  "from  the  point  where  the  south 
line  of  the  city  strikes  the  creek  to  the  intersection  of  the  bend  of  the 
creek  with  the  westerly  point  of  block  160."  (See  map  of  1846.)  This 
was  a  great  improvement  to  the  southern  part  of  the  city. 

A  law  of  April  4,  1854,  authorized  the  commissioners  of  the  land  office 
to  sell  the  lands  of  the  Syracuse  Coarse  Salt  Company  situated  in  the 
Fifth  ward,  comprising  a  little  more  than  ten  acres,  and  to  buy  fifteen 
acres  in  the  Third  ward  at  not  to  exceed  $600  an  acre.      The  removal 

1  Charles  A.  and  Horace  Wheaton  were  prominent  citizens  many  years.  Horace  was  elected 
t<>  the  Assembly  in  1884  and  in  is:,i  was  appointed  mayor  of  the  city  by  the  Common  Council, 
.M;i  i  ■  >  i  Burnel  having  declined  to  qualify.  Charles  A.  was  elected  president  of  the  Board  of  Edu- 
cation in  1853,  and  both  men  were  given  frequent  assurances  of  the  esteem  of  their  fellow  citizens. 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  463 

of  the  salt  vats  from  the   Fifth  to  the  Third  ward   was  ordered   to  be 
made  between  the  1st  of  October,  1854,  and  the  1st  of  March,  1855. 

In  alluding  to  salt  lands  north  of  the  canal.  General  Leavenworth 
wrote  as  follows : 

The  State  owned  that  part  of  the  city  lying  west  of  Plum  street,  north  of  the  Erie 
canal,  east  of  Van  Rensselaer  stieet,  and  south  of  the  salt  water  reservoir,  and  a  por- 
tion of  the  Onondaga  Creek,  which  lands  were  used  for  the  manufacture  of  coarse 
salt.  The  removal  of  the  coarse  salt  works  having  keen  ordered  by  the  Commission- 
ers of  the  Land  Office,  from  those  portions  of  said  tract  lying  on  each  side  of  West 
Genesee  street  sixteen  rods  in  depth,  the  Commissioners  resolved  at  my  suggestion, 
to  survey  and  map  the  whole  tract  and  appointed  me  to  supervise  and  direct  in  re- 
gard to  it.  I  caused  it  to  be  laid  out  substantially  as  it  now  appears  upon  the  maps, 
straightening  Genesee  street,  laying  out  the  lots  on  each  side  100  feet  front  and  16 
rods  deep,  making  the  second  class  streets  eighty  feet  wide,  instead  of  sixty  six,  as 
they  are  in  other  parts  of  the  city;  laying  out  a  park  near  the  center  of  the  tract,  as 
large  as  the  Commissioners  would  sanction,  surrounded  by  ample  lots,  and  with  a 
broad  avenue  120  feet  wide  leading  from  this  park  to  the  vacant  State  lands  near  the 
Pump  house. 

The  Common  Council  honored  General  Leavenworth  by  giving-  his 
name  to  this  park  and  avenue.  The  sale  of  the  salt  lands  in  the  Fifth 
ward  took  place  in  June,  1855,  when  eleven  lots  on  block  241  were  sold 
for  $13,895;  eighteen  on  block  242  for  $11,385;  sixteen  on  block  243 
for  $9,220;  eight  on  block  184  for  $3,890.  These  prices  indicate  the 
value  of  real  estate  in  that  vicinity  at  that  time. 

On  the  5th  of  January,  1856,  the  first  Wieting  block  was  burned. 
On  January  20,  the  building  on  the  site  of  the  present  Jerry  Rescue 
block  was  burned.  On  the  2d  of  February,  the  fine  Dillaye  building  on 
the  site  of  the  McCarthy  retail  stores,  met  a  similar  fate,  and  three  days 
later  the  old  court  house  on  Division  street  was  destroyed  by  fire. 
These  and  other  fires  at  about  that  time  caused  a  storm  of  popular  in- 
dignation, which  was  intensified  by  a  simultaneous  era  of  lawlessness 
and  crime;  a  condition  caused  less  by  general  depravity  among  the 
people  than  by  inadequacy  and  inefficiency  of  the  police  force  and  lack 
of  vigor  in  other  branches  of  city  government.  Moreover,  the  old  vol- 
unteer fire  department  was  then  in  existence,  and  it  was  believed  that 
many  of  the  prevailing  fires  were  instigated  by  the  intense  spirit  of 
rivalry  that  had  grown  up  among  the  fire  companies.  This  state  of 
affairs  led  to  the  prompt  inauguration  of  better  methods.  A  public 
meeting  was  held  at  the  city  hall  in  February,  1856,  for  the  purpose  of 
securing  "the  better  and  more  economical  management  of  the  affairs 
of  the  city. "     Meanwhile  a  committee  had  been  appointed  who  were 


464  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

charged  with  the  duty  of  improving  the  police  system;  their  work  re- 
sulted in  creating  the  office  of  chief  of  police  (abolished  a  few  years  ear- 
lier), and  giving  the  chief  broad  and  well-defined  duties  and  powers, 
retaining  the  eight  policemen  then  constituting  the  force.  At  another 
meeting  held  February  11,  a  committee  was  appointed  consisting  of 
James  L.  Bagg,  Horace  Wheaton,  Rowland  H.  Gardner,  John  J.  Peck, 
Lewis  T.  Hawley,  James  R.  Lawrence,  and  Patrick  Cooney,  who  were 
to  prepare  a  bill  for  the  Legislature  embodying  several  charter  amend- 
ments. Another  meeting  was  held  February  14  to  consider  how  to 
better  protect  the  city  from  incendiaries,  burglars  and  other  criminals; 
it  consisted  of  Lewis  T.  Hawley,  Heman  W.  Stillwell,  Daniel  S.  Gere, 
P.  S.  Stoddard,  and  Dr.  Van  Slyke.  A  petition  was  circulated  asking 
the  Council  for  the  appointment  of  a  night  watch.  Charles  F.  Willis- 
ton  (Democratic),  was  elected  mayor,  with  six  Democrats  and  five 
Know-Nothing  aldermen  out  of  the  sixteen.  Still  another  meeting  was 
held  on  the  17th  of  March  to  consult  upon  the  suppression  "of  rowdy- 
ism and  incendiarism,"  and  the  sum  of  $3,000  was  offered  for  the  "con- 
viction of  the  incendiaries  infesting  the  city."  Meetings  followed  each 
other  with  rapid  succession  and  on  the  27th  of  March  another  was  held 
at  which  charter  amendments  were  approved,  fully  re-establishing  the 
office  of  chief  of  police,  the  officer  to  be  paid  $800  a  year;  increasing 
the  salary  of  the  police  justice  to  $1,200  a  year,  and  policemen's  pay  to 
$600  a  year.  These  and  other  charter  amendments  which  were  soon 
put  in  force,  gave  the  city  a  period  of  greater  peacefulness  and  safety. 
J.  C.  Cuddeback  had  occupied  the  office  of  police  justice,  and  was  now 
succeeded  by  Andrew  Y.  Thompson,  who  served  to  1860,  when  L.  L. 
Alexander  was  elected.  Thomas  Davis  was  appointed  chief  of  police, 
held  the  position  a  short  time  and  was  removed  for  political  reasons. 

In  November,  1856,  a  disastrous  fire  swept  away  $200,000  in  property 
in  the  First  ward,  on  the  block  north  of  Salina  street,  between  Wolf 
and  Exchange  streets.  But  general  prosperity  must  have  reigned,  for 
a  local  paper  said  towards  the  close  of  the  year : 

Ten  years  ago  Salina  street  south  of  Fayette  presented  a  dreary,  cold  and  gloomy 

aspect,  and  not  a  lady  would  promenade  farther  south  than  the  corner  of  Fayette, 

or  if  in  the  evening  would   not  think  of  venturing  farther  south  than  the  Central 

depot.      I  !<>\v  is  it  now?     South  Salina  street  is  crowded  with  promenading  ladies  and 

<  lemen,  and  is  the  most  healthful  and  business-like  part  of  the  city. 

The  year  ixr>;  was  characterized  by  financial  stringency  and  depres- 
sion thai  was  felt  throughout  the  country,  bringing  bankruptcy,  ruin, 
suspension  of  specie  payments  and  other  distress.      It  moreover  awak- 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  465 

ened  many  enterprising  communities  to  the  fact  that  they  had  been  living 
beyond  their  means,  not  only  as  individuals,  perhaps,  but  as  munici- 
palities. In  this  class  was  Syracuse.  Staring  blankly  forward  upon  an 
oncoming  wave  of  financial  disaster,  the  people  began  to  realize  that 
the  management  of  the  affairs  of  the  city  had  been  loose  and  extrav- 
agant. As  noted  of  the  earlier  panic  of  1836-7,  Syracuse  possessed 
resources  and  a  financial  foundation  not  granted  to  many  localities,  but 
in  this  instance  nothing  could  avert  from  the  community  the  distressful 
consequences  of  the  storm.  That  the  business  men  of  the  city  met  the 
calamity  with  courage  and  hopefulness  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  a  large 
public  meeting  was  held  on  the  14th  of  October  to  give  expression  to  the 
views  of  leading  business  men  upon  the  situation.  Remarks  were 
made  by  Harvey  Baldwin,  Dennis  McCarthy,  John  A.  Green,  and 
others,  and  a  series  of  resolutions  was  adopted  pledging  the  support  of 
the  business  community  to  the  crippled  banks  and  approving  of  the 
suspension  of  specie  payment.  In  December  a  previously  appointed 
committee  reported  upon  measures  for  the  relief  of  the  poor  and  un- 
employed, recommending  that  the  Legislature  be  asked  to  pass  a  law 
authorizing  the  city  to  borrow  $10,000  to  be  expended  in  improving-  the 
streets,  the  work  to  be  given  to  the  poor.  Meanwhile  on  the  13th  of 
February,  pursuant  to  a  call,  a  public  meeting  was  held,  its  chief  pur- 
pose being  the  preparation  of  such  charter  amendments  as  would  give 
the  city  a  more  economical  and  less  complicated  administration.  John 
A.  Green  presided  at  this  meeting,  and  Thomas  G.  Alvord  reported 
amendments  providing  for  one  overseer  of  the  poor  instead  of  two ; 
for  four  assessors  instead  of  three ;  creating  the  office  of  treasurer  and 
tax  receiver;  abolishing  the  office  of  ward  collector;  reducing  the  num- 
ber of  aldermen  from  sixteen  to  eight;  making  the  number  of  school 
commissioners  eight.  All  of  these  amendments  were  approved.  Others 
were  adopted  a  little  later  making  the  date  of  charter  election  on  the 
second  Tuesday  in  March,  instead  of  the  first;  providing  that  no  local 
improvement  should  be  made  without  it  was  requested  by  a  majority 
of  the  owners  of  the  property  along  the  line  of  proposed  improvement ; 
that  all  public  work  should  be  done  by  contract,  except  temporary 
repairs;  that  no  debt  should  be  contracted  except  by  authority  of  the 
Council;  that  all  resolutions  of  the  Council  authorizing  the  expendi- 
ture of  money  should  specify  the  amount ;  that  each  new  Council  should 
immediately  examine  the  accounts  of  their  predecessors  and  "com- 
mence and  prosecute  suits  for  recovery  of  any  excess  of  expenditure 
59 


466  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

above  that  authorized  by  the  charter  against  said  aldermen;"  giving 
the  Board  of  Education  power  to  contract  for  lots,  buildings,  etc.,  and 
requiring  the  city  clerk  to  report  monthly  to  the  Council  all  moneys 
authorized  to  be  expended.  These  were  sweeping  and  very  salutary 
changes,  and  immediately  inaugurated  a  radical  improvement.  The 
report  of  the  finance  committee  covering  the  year  185?  closed  with  the 
following : 

For  the  second  time,  and  the  second  time  only,  since  Syracuse  became  a  city,  the 
financial  year  closes  without  leaving  a  burden  of  promiscuous  floating  debt  to  trans- 
mit and  annoy  our  successors.  .  .  No  city  in  the  State  of  New  York  is  to-day  in  as 
healthy  financial  condition  as  Syracuse. 

The  city  debt  was  then  a  little  more  than  $84,000. 

In  1858  William  Winton  (Dem.)  was  elected  mayor  and  the  Council 
was  politically  equally  divided.  An  era  of  rigid  economy  was  intro- 
duced, and  the  mayor  used  his  veto  privilege  frequently  to  limit  ex- 
penditures. 

At  the  charter  election  of  1859  the  city  turned  a  political  somersault 
by  the  election  of  E.  W.  Leavenworth  mayor  by  the  unprecedented 
majority  of  600,  carrying  along  the  whole  Republican  ticket.  The 
newspapers  claimed  that  this  was  a  "revolution  of  principle;"  that  the 
city  had  been  "misgoverned  and  the  masses  would  stand  it  no  longer." 
Provision  was  made  by  charter  amendment  this  year  to  pay  aldermen 
a  salary  of  $100,  that  of  the  mayor  having  been  fixed  at  $500  in  the 
previous  year.  Near  the  close  of  the  year  (December  29)  a  great  and 
significant  political  meeting  was  held  in  the  interest  of  the  Republican 
party,  the  call  for  which  stated  that  it  was  "to  oppose  treason. "  It 
was  the  local  beginning  of  the  great  political  revolution  which  threw 
the  Democrats  out  of  power  in  the  following  year,  lifting  the  curtain 
upon  the  great  drama  of  the  civil  war. 

The  decade  just  closing  had  been  prolific  in  public  expansion  and 
improvement,  especially  in  the  extension  of  streets  and  sidewalks, 
water  mains,  pavements,  bridges,  and  the  erection  of  many  prominent 
buildings.  Among  the  latter  were  the  Dillaye  building,  the  rebuilding 
of  the  Wieting  block,  the  Pike  block,  erected  by  Henry  Pike  and 
Thomas  J.  Keeler  in  1855,  the  old  Medical  College  (now  the  Fry  flats), 
the  block  of  stores  opposite  the  Syracuse  House  on  Salina  street,  Cor- 
inthian Hall  block,  North  Salina  street,  the  new  county  clerk's  office 
on  North  Salina  street,  the  first  Bastable  Arcade,  the  First  Baptist 
church,  and  other  structures. 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  467 

During  the  ten  years  beginning-  with  1860  general  history  was  made 
more  rapidly  than  ever  before,  and  events  of  momentous  magnitude 
followed  each  other  in  such  rapid  succession  as  to  amaze  the  civilized 
world.  The  "irrepressible  conflict,"  long  foreseen  by  sagacious  states- 
men, was  approaching  its  culmination,  and  the  life  or  death  of  slaverv 
in  the  United  States  was  soon  to  be  irrevocably  settled. 

The  city  government  remained  with  the  Republicans  in  1860  through 
the  election  of  Dr.  Amos  Westcott,1  mayor.  Charters  for  two  street 
railways  had  been  granted,  and  in  August,  1860,  the  first  one  was 
opened  with  a  public  demonstration ;  it  extended  from  the  canal  bridge 
through  North  Salina  street  to  the  First  ward.  In  1861  Charles  An- 
drews was  elected  mayor,  and  re-elected  in  1862.  The  national  polit- 
ical campaign  of  1860  had  been  a  heated  one,  resulting  in  the  election 
of  Lincoln  and  Hamlin,  thus  giving  the  Southern  slave  power  their 
excuse  for  attempting  to  destroy  the  Union.  President  Lincoln  passed 
through  Syracuse  on  his  memorable  journey  to  Washington  on  the  9th 
of  February,  and  was  welcomed  by  the  citizens  and  military  com- 
panies. Finally,  on  the  12th  of  April  the  first  gun  was  fired  that 
ushered  in  a  conflict  almost  unparalleled  in  its  consequences  in  the 
history  of  the  world.  The  city  was  instantly  aflame  with  excitement ; 
public  business  and  private  interests  were  neglected;  the  Union  banner 
leaped  from  a  hundred  points;  stirring  strains  of  martial  music  were 
heard;  eloquent  patriotic  speeches  were  made  in  enthusiastic  meetings; 
the  military  spirit  was  abroad.  Measures  were  at  once  inaugurated  to 
offer  troops  to  the  threatened  government,  and  at  a  meeting  held  in 
Syracuse  to  make  provision  for  the  families  of  volunteers,  $10,000  were 
subscribed  at  once.  John  G.  Butler's  company  of  zouaves,  catching 
inspiration  from  the  recent  visit  of  the  famous  Ellsworth  zouaves,  and 
Edwin  S.  Jenney's  battery  of  artillery,  left  the  city  for  Albany  in  April, 
and  the  gallant  "old  Twelfth"  regiment  departed  for  Elmira  on  the  2d 
of  May.  Syracuse  thus  took  her  initiatory  steps  in  her  honorable 
career  during  the  great  struggle. 

The  general  current  of  history  in  Onondaga  county  during  the  war 

1  Dr.  Amos  Westcott  was  born  in  Newport,  Herkimer  county,  X.  V.,  on  the  28th  of  April,  181  I. 
He  graduated  as  civil  engineer  from  the  Rensselaer  Institute  in  Troy,  and  in  1835  receive 
degree  of  Bachelor  of  Science.  In  1836-7  he  taught  in  the  Pompey  Academy,  at  the  same  time 
studying  medicine.  He  then  attended  lectures  at  the  Albany  Medical  College  and  the  Geneva 
College,  graduating  in  Iis40.  In  the  following  year  he  located  in  Syracuse,  where  he  took  up  the 
study  of  dentistry,  in  which  profession  he  was  most  successful.  He  became  a  leader,  was  con- 
nected with  a  dental  college  in  Baltimore,  aided  in  founding  the  New  York  State  Dental  Society, 
and  was  associate  editor  of  Dental  Science.  With  broken  health  he  went  to  Europe  in  1871,  but 
soon  returned  without  improvement,  and  while  in  a  despondent  condition  committed  suicide 
in  1873. 


468  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

period  is  followed  in  an  earlier  chapter  of  this  work,  rendering  it  un- 
necessary here  to  do  more  than  glance  at  conspicuous  events  in  which 
the  city  was  chiefly  interested.  It  may  be  stated  in  general  terms  that 
local  public  improvements  were  almost  at  a  standstill  during  the  war ; 
the  raising  and  equipment  of  troops,  providing  for  the  payment  of 
bounties  and  other  war  expenses,  caring  for  the  families  of  volunteers, 
and  the  prevailing  fever  of  excitement  were  more  than  sufficient  to  fill 
the  public  mind.  During  1862  war  excitement  ran  high;  the  gallant 
122d  Regiment  was  mustered  in  on  the  28th  of  August  and  left  for 
New  York  on  the  31st.  Recruiting  was  still  energetically  pursued, 
and  on  the  23d  of  September  the  149th  left  the  city  for  Washington. 

In  1863  the  Democrats  came  into  power  in  the  city  government  by 
the  election  of  Daniel  Bookstaver,  mayor,  and  six  out  of  the  eight 
aldermen;  the  customary  turning  out  of  old  and  installment  of  new 
officials  took  place.  The  causes  of  this  political  change  at  such  a  time 
were  stated  by  the  Republican  papers  (and  tacitly  admitted  by  the 
Democrats)  to  have  been  the  general  feeling  that  had  grown  up,  not 
alone  in  this  region,  against  the  government  and  its  vigorous  war 
policy,  the  local  prospect  of  a  draft,  and  kindred  sentiments.  On  the 
9th  of  March  a  special  committee  reported  to  the  Council  in  favor  of 
paying  the  Water  Company  $8,000  a  year  for  five  years,  provided  the 
company  built  a  new  reservoir  at  a  minimum  cost  of  $20,000;  this  im- 
provement was  effected.  On  the  21st  of  May  the  12th  Regiment,  its 
numbers  reduced  to  about  275  men,  returned  from  the  seat  of  war  and 
were  given  a  warm  welcome  in  Armory  park  by  the  mayor,  the  mili- 
tary, firemen  and  citizens. 

Considerable  excitement  was  caused  during  the  summer  of  1863  by 
the  draft  under  the  then  recent  call  for  volunteers,  but  it  passed  off 
quietly  and  without  disturbance. 

A  law  was  passed  on  the  4th  of  May  of  this  year  authorizing  Alfred 
Hovey,1  Edward  B.  Wicks,  Harvey  Stewart,  John  W.  Barker,  D.  P. 
Wood,  A.  C.  Powell,2  William  D.  Stewart,3  D.  Bookstaver  and  G.  P. 
Kenyon  to  lay  tracks  for  a  street  railway  in  Furnace  and  Bridge  streets 

1  Archibald  C.  Powell  was  born  in  Schenectady,  July  25,  1813;  was  a  graduate  of  Hobart  Col- 

nd  dei  Lded  to  make  civil  engineering  his  profession.    He  settledin  Syracuse  about  1850  and 

citizen;  was  a  trustee  ol  the  <  tnondaga  County  Savings  Hank,  mayor  of  the  city 

in  1864,  and  long  superintendent  of  the  salt  springs.    He  was  at  one  period  called  to  Austria  in 

connection  with  engineering  for  that  government.    Mr.  Powell  died  September  10,  1884. 

•Alfred  II.  Hovey  was  a  prominent  and  respected  citizen;  was  elected  mayor  in  1850,  and  died 
hi    rth  of  A  ugust,  1865. 
*  William  I).  Stewart   was  a  son  of  David  Stewart,  and  was  born  at  "Salt  Point"  in  1805.    Early 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  OlTY  OF  SYRACUSE.  469 

to  Hemlock,  thence  to  Fayette  and  thence  to  Salina  street.  In  the 
same  month  another  association  was  authorized  to  construct  a  railway 
down  South  Salina  street  to  Oakwood  Cemetery  and  Brighton.  Both 
of  these  lines  were  subsequently  put  in  operation.  The  last-named 
line  began  running  cars  on  the  25th  of  July,  L864,  an  event  that  inaug- 
urated the  period  of  development  which  has  seen  the  rapid  settlement 
of  the  Eleventh  ward. 

The  several  calls  for  troops  that  had  been  made  were  supplemented 
by  another  on  the  18th  of  July,  1864,  for  500,000  men,  necessitating 
such  active  and  engrossing  measures  to  secure  the  various  quotas  that 
public  attention  was  almost  monopolized  by  war  labors.  As  the  con- 
flict progressed  with  untold  slaughter  on  a  hundred  battlefields, 
rapidly  lessening  available  men  at  home,  the  difficulties  of  recruiting 
increased.  Larger  bounties  were  necessarily  paid,  requiring  the  most 
liberal  and  energetic  action  by  the  Board  of  .Supervisors  and  the  vari- 
ous war  committees.  But  county  and  city  labored  harmoniously  to- 
gether for  the  desired  end.  Under  the  stimulus  of  a  bounty  aggre- 
gating about  $1,000  to  each  volunteer,  the  185th  Regiment  was 
recruited  in  the  summer  of  1864  and  left  the  city  for  the  front  on  Sep- 
tember 23.     It  was  the  last  full  regiment  raised  in  the  county. 

William  D.  Stewart  was  elected  mayor  in  the  spring  of  1865,  and  re- 
elected for  the  two  succeeding  years:  he  was  a  Democrat  but  the  ma- 
jority of  the  aldermen  were  Republican.  In  September,  1805,  the 
Genesee  and  Water  Street  Railway  Company  was  organized  with  a 
capital  of  $60,000,  by  George  F.  Comstock,  W.  H.  H.  Smith, i  C.  T. 
Longstreet,  O.  T.  Burt,  and  James  P.  Haskin.3  The  road  was  built 
in  the  summer  of  1866. 

forced  to  obtain  his  own  livelihood,  he  was  employed  by  Philo  D.  Mickles  on  a  heat  running  be- 
tween Syracuse  and  Salina.  Later  he  was  connected  with  the  early  stage  lines,  and  in  1829-30  was 
in  the  salt  manufacture.  With  the  opening  of  the  Erie  Canal  and  the  great  demand  for  transpor- 
tation facilities  thereon,  Mr.  Stewart  took  command  of  a  packet,  which  he  continued  with  su 
and  popularity  seventeen  years.  He  afterwards  conducted  the  Welland  House  in  Oswego  and 
next  the  Syracuse  House,  which  he  made  very  popular  during  ten  years.  Captain  Stewart  was 
elected  mayor  of  the  city  in  1865-0-7'.     He  died  April  '.I,  is;  i. 

1  William  H.  H.  Smith  was  born  in  Litchfield,  Herkimer  county,  June  5,  1814.  After  he  reached 
his  majority  he  for  two  years  carried  on  grocery  business  in  CJtica.     In  December,  1839,  he  took 

the  position  of  conductor  on  the  then  new  railroad  from  Utica  to  Rochester.  Purchasing  a  tract 
of  land  on  the  highlands  in  the  southeastern  part  of  Syracuse,  he  settled  there  in  1852.  A  man  of 
excellent  character  and  sound  practical  ideas,  he  has  been  called  to  positions  on  the  boards  ol 
school  commissioners,  assessors,  trustees,  etc.,  and  has  been  a  generous  helper  ol  the  various  in- 
stitutions of  the  city. 

2  James  P.  Haskin  settled  in  Syracuse  prior  to  1850  and  engaged  in  salt  manufacturing.  In 
the  latter  years  of  his  life  he  was  president  of  the  Morris  Run  Coal  Company,  which  he  was  in- 
strumental in  organizing.  He  was  a  man  of  great  force  of  character,  and  indomitable  persever- 
ance.    He  died  on  January  30,  1873. 


470  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

In  the  winter  of  1864-5  there  was  an  unexampled  fall  of  snow.  When 
it  melted  in  March,  the  resultant  water,  with  the  addition  of  heavy 
rains,  caused  a  disastrous  flood.  Many  bridges  over  the  creek  were 
carried  away;  the  Walton  street  bridge  was  carried  down  to  the  Cen- 
tral Railroad  bridge  and  broken  up,  and  several  bridges  along  the  creek 
were  moved  from  their  foundations.  The  bridge  at  Gifford  street  was 
submerged,  and  a  large  part  of  the  eastern  and  southeastern  parts  of 
the  city  were  flooded.  On  March  1(3  a  public  meeting  was  held  to  con- 
sider the  feasibility  of  further  straightening  Onondaga  Creek,  par- 
ticularly between  the  pump  house  and  the  lake.  A  committee  was 
appointed  to  lay  the  matter  before  the  governor,  consisting  of  Dr.  H. 
D.  Didama,  Garret  Doyle,  and  John  Graff.  An  act  was  passed  by  the 
Legislature  creating  the  Onondaga  Creek  Commission,  which  consisted 
of  Carroll  E.  Smith,  Frank  Hiscock,  J.  W.  Barker,  H.  D.  Didama,  and 
Charles  Andrews.  Under  this  commission  about  $15,000  were  ex- 
pended and  great  improvement  made;  but  the  work  was  unfortunately 
stopped  before  fully  completed  through  the  action  of  the  citizens  who 
voted  in  public  meeting  against  further  contemplated  expenditure.  The 
maps  show  the  improvement  made.  At  another  public  meeting  held 
October  13,  a  resolution  was  passed  requesting  the  Council  to  purchase 
two  steam  fire  engines,  at  a  cost  of  not  more  than  $15,000;  this  was 
done  in  1867.  Another  citizens'  meeting  was  held  December  4,  at 
which  steps  were  taken  leading  to  the  erection  of  the  present  High 
vSchool  building,  which  was  first  occupied  in  1869;  it  cost,  with  the 
ground,  about  $100,000.  The  principal  public  improvement  of  1867 
was  the  building  of  the  Fayette  street  sewer  at  an  expenditure  of 
$36,999,  of  which  the  Central  Railroad  Company  paid  $15,000. 

With  the  beginning  of  the  fiscal  year  1868,  the  city  government 
passed  over  to  the  Republicans,  by  the  election  of  Charles  Andrews, 
mayor,  and  five  of  the  eight  aldermen  were  Republicans.  The  new 
administration  found  little  cause  for  congratulation  in  the  financial 
condition  of  the  city.  There  was  a  funded  debt  of  $153,500,  and  a 
temporary  loan  of  $25,000  for  steam  fire  engines  and  other  current  ex- 
penses. Mayor  Andrews  showed  in  his  inaugural  address  that  during 
the  preceding  year  $30,000  more  than  was  authorized  by  the  charter 
had  beep  used  for  city  expenses  and  the  public  debt;  that  the  city  was 
then  liable  for  temporary  loans  of  $25,190.76,  and  for  $7,000  on  the 
Fayette  street  sewer.  "Take  this,"  said  he,  "from  the  $60,000  author- 
ized to  be  raised,  and  you  have  $28,060  with  which  to  pay  city  expenses 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE. 


471 


and  the  public  debt,  which  last  year  required  $90,000."  He  naturally 
counseled  rigid  economy. 

In  February  (1868)  the  mayor  appointed  B.  L.  Higgins,  R.  \\\  Jones, 
and  Nicholas  Grumbach  a  committee  to  request  the  Central  Railroad 
Company  to  remove  the 
old  depot  from  what  is  now 
Vanderbilt  Square.  The 
company  gave  the  request 
favorable  consideration, 
and  on  Sunday,  February 
28,  1869,  the  old  structure 
built  in  1828-29,  was  pulled 
down  by  the  aid  of  a  loco- 
motive and  cable,  and  be- 
fore Monday  morning  every 
vestige  of  the  historic  "car 
house"  had  disappeared. 
During  1868  and  1869, 
many  prominent  buildings 
were  erected,  among  them 
the      Vanderbilt     House, 

opened  March  16,  1868;  the  Agan  block,  corner  of  Washington  and 
Market  streets;  the  Barton  block,  finished  in  November,  1868;  the 
Larned  Building;  the  Onondaga  Savings  Bank  building,  finished  in 
May,  1869,  and  others. 


The  Old  I)i  pi  >  i 


The  history  of  Syracuse  from  1870  to  the  present  time  is  largely  cm- 
bodied  in  later  pages  descriptive  of  the  various  public  institutions  and 
private  industries.  It  remains  to  only  record  the  periodical  events  and 
proceedings  of  a  public  nature  during  this  period.  The  population  of 
the  city  in  1870  was  43,051,  a  gain  of  more  than  11,000  in  the  preceding 
five  years.  This  number  increased  to  48,255  in  1875,  and  to  51,792  in 
1880.  This  was  legitimate  growth,  and  the  era  of  prosperity  which 
followed  the  war  was  not  yet  ended;  but,  like  all  other  growing 
cities,  Syracuse  continued  to  get  deeper  and  deeper  into  debt.  There 
are  people  living  who  cling  to  the  belief  that  any  thriving  city  can  be 
built  up  and  the  government  so  managed,  its  system  of  taxation  s<> 
regulated,  that  it  would  never  have  a  public  debt.  Possibly  some  of 
these  persons  live,  or  have  lived,  in  Syracuse.     At  any  rate,  on  the  7th 


472  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

of  February,  1870,  previous  to  the  charter  election,  and  at  the  instiga- 
tion of  the  then  existing  administration,  there  was  widely  published  a 
"protest  and  warning"  against  "unusual  and  corrupt  practices  in  the  ad- 
ministration of  public  affairs,"  and  demanding  that  they  must  be 
stopped.  It  was  claimed  that  both  political  parties  were  amenable  to 
the  charge  of  electing  and  appointing  unworthy  men  to  office,  thus 
leading  to  dishonorable  and  corrupt  practices  of  the  various  depart- 
ments of  the  city  government;  that  "there  may  be  a  limit  beyond 
which  good  citizens  cannot  be  bound  by  party  usage."  This  manifesto 
was  numerously  signed  by  good  citizens  and  repeatedly  published  in 
the  local  press.  It  may  have  had  some  slight  salutary  effect,  but  as  a 
serious  and  permanent  effort  towards  reform  it  proved  to  be  too  spas- 
modic. At  the  charter  election  Charles  P.  Clark  (Rep.)  was  elected 
mayor,  but  five  of  the  eight  aldermen  were  Democrats.  City  business 
was  begun  with  a  funded  debt  of  $208,500,  and  no  floating  debt.  A 
number  of  influential  men  had  for  some  years  been  actively  promoting 
the  Northern  Railroad  project,  and  work  was  begun  on  the  line  this 
year.  After  much  agitation  the  city  was  pledged  to  aid  the  company 
in  the  sum  of  $500,000,  for  which  bonds  were  issued.  The  road  was 
opened  November  2,  1871. 

In  the  shuttle  action  of  local  politics  Francis  E.  Carroll  (Dem.)  was 
elected  mayor  in  1871,  but  five  of  the  aldermen  were  Republicans.  The 
bonded  debt  of  the  city  was  now  $800,000  ($500,000  of  which  was  in  aid 
of  the  Chenango  Valley  road),  and  this  amount  was  increased  within  a 
year  by  $100,000  for  the  Syracuse  University.  There  had  "also  sprung 
up  like  a  mushroom  a  floating  debt  of  $58,000.  The  salaries  of  the 
principal  city  officials  were  fixed  this  year  as  follows:  City  treasurer, 
$1,250;  clerk,  $1,000;  street  superintendent,  $1,200;  engineer,  $1,200. 
The  city  tax  levy  had  now  reached  a  little  over  $400,000. 

The  subject  of  a  better  water  supply  had  received  preliminary  atten- 
tion in  1870,  when  a  meeting  was  held  to  consider  the  plan  of  utilizing 
the  Tully  lakes  as  a  source.  An  appropriation  of  $3,000  was  made  for 
a  survey,  which  was  finished  early  in  L871  and  several  public  meetings 
were  held  for  discussion  of  plans,  in  which  Skaneateles  Lake  was  con- 
sidered as  an  available  source  of  supply.  A  citizens'  committee  was 
appointed,  which  reported  in  January,  1871,  favorably  to  the  Tully  lakes 
and  suggested  that  a  bill  be  drawn  and  presented  to  the  Legislature 
providing  for  the  prosecution  of  the  work.  As  public  opinion  on  the 
subject  crystalized,  and  the  heavy  investment  necessary  was  fully  made 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  473 

known  to  the  people,  the  committee  made  a  supplementary  report  in 
February,  advising  that  the  subject  be  abandoned  for  a  time. 

The  incorporation  of  two  street  railway  companies  was  effected  in 
1871,  one  of  which  proposed  to  build  a  road  to  pass  through  North  Sa- 
lina  street,  Church,  Warren,  Willow,  Townsend,  Lodi,  and  Alvord 
streets,  to  Wolf  street;  the  other  (April  15)  to  pass  from  South  Salina 
through  Fayette,  Mulberry  and  Madison  streets  to  University  avenue 
and  the  university.  Neither  of  these  roads  was  constructed  The  loca- 
tion of  the  university  on  the  eastern  highlands  gave  an  impetus  to  set- 
tlement in  that  vicinity  and  led  to  the  building  of  many  fine  residences, 
which  has  continued  until  now  it  constitutes  one  of  the  most  desirable 
parts  of  the  city.  Meanwhile,  the  opening  of  the  street  railroad  to 
Oakwood  Cemetery,  passing  through  the  beautiful  section  in  the  south- 
ern part  of  the  city,  drew  many  home-seekers  in  that  direction.  High 
taxation  was  beginning  to  alarm  the  people,  and  as  Castle  street  was 
the  city  boundary  on  the  south,  many  persons  bought  lots  beyond  the 
line  for  economic  reasons,  as  well  as  to  secure  residence  in  that  beau- 
tiful and  healthful  locality. 

In  1872  Francis  E.  Carroll  (Dem.)  was  re-elected  mayor,  and  with 
him  were  five  aldermen  of  the  same  political  faith  ;  but  in  1 87 o  the  con- 
trol of  the  city  passed  to  the  Republicans  by  the  election  of  William  J. 
Wallace,  mayor,  and  four  Republican  aldermen.  Again  the  nightmare 
of  public  debt  was  agitating  the  community,  and  prudent  citizens  fore- 
saw impending  calamity  in  the  apparent  reckless  manner  in  which  the 
public  funds  were  disbursed,  at  a  time  when  the  whole  country  was 
suffering  from  "hard  times"  caused  by  the  reaction  from  the  inflated 
period  of  the  war.  Each  political  party  charged  the  other,  as  usual, 
with  the  responsibility  for  the  state  of  affairs,  and  each  published  a 
"platform,"  a  rather  uncommon  proceeding  in  a  charter  election.  Both 
parties  pledged  themselves  to  the  needed  reformation,  that  of  the  Dem- 
ocrats being  in  some  respects  unprecedented,  for  it  promised  to  cor- 
rect "abuses  of  which  nearly  every  man  it  elected  a  year  ago  has  been 
guilty."  Mayor  Wallace  found  little  to  commend  in  the  acts  of  some 
of  the  preceding  administrations.  In  his  inaugural  he  condemned  in 
unmeasured  terms  the  creation  of  a  floating  debt,  and  showed  that  in- 
stead of  expending  $25,000  for  paving  in  the  preceding  year,  as  limited 
by  the  charter,  more  than  $38,000  had  been  expended.  He  found  the 
funded  debt  amounting  to  $1,226,000,  with  a  floating  debt  of  $100,000. 
He  saw  little  prospect  of  materially  reducing  taxation,  but  expressed 
60 


474  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

his  determination  to  keep  within  charter  limits  in  expenditures  and  to 
enforce  economy.  A  public  meeting  was  held  on  March  26,  to  make 
arrangements  for  funding  the  great  floating  debt,  which  was  soon  after- 
wards accomplished. 

The  Chenango  Valley  Railroad  was  formally  opened  on  February  12, 
1874,  with  an  excursion  to  Earlville.  Although  this  road  had  been 
largely  aided  by  the  city,  the  benefit  received  was  not  then  commen- 
surate with  the  investment. 

Again  the  political  complexion  of  the  city  government  changed  at  the 
charter  election  (1874),  when  N.  F.  Graves  (Dem.)  was  chosen  mayor, 
with  four  aldermen  of  the  same  faith.  In  his  inaugural  address  the 
mayor  alluded  to  the  large  debt  "hanging  over  the  city  like  a  pall  and 
darkening  the  future."  He  said  there  was  no  doubt  capital  would  flow 
into  Syracuse  if  such  investments  could  be  considered  safe.  The 
clerk's  report  now  showed  a  total  debt  of  $1,353,000,  all  funded. 

This  year  was  marked  with  the  occurrence  of  a  terrible  calamity  in 
the  Central  Baptist  church  on  the  evening  of  June  23.  A  large  assem- 
blage had  gathered  there  to  listen  to  a  concert  in  the  parlors  of  the 
church.  In  the  midst  of  the  festivities  following  the  concert,  the  floor 
gave  way,  precipitating  almost  the  entire  company  to  the  floor  below, 
crushing  them  with  timbers  and  burying  them  in  the  debris.  One  of 
the  first  to  escape  was  the  pastor  of  the  church,  Rev.  George  Thomas 
Dowling,  who  hastened  to  the  engine  house  of  Company  No.  1  and 
gave  the  alarm.  The  fire  bell  was  rung  and  in  a  few  moments  the 
church  was  surrounded  with  an  anxious  crowd  of  people.  The  work 
of  extricating  the  killed  and  wounded  was  pursued  as  rapidly  as  pos- 
sible, and  by  midnight  the  last  victim  was  released.  The  list  of  killed 
numbered  fourteen,  while  one  hundred  and  forty-five  were  more  or  less 
injured.  The  sad  calamity  cast  a  gloom  over  the  entire  city.  Suitable 
commemoration  services  were  held  on  the  following  Sunday  in  many 
of  the  churches,  in  which  words  of  sympathy,  fitting  music  and  offer- 
ings of  flowers  shed  a  hallowed  influence  over  the  assemblages  which  a 
common  sorrow  had  brought  together.  A  memorial  service  was  held 
in  Wieting  Opera  House,  morning  and  evening,  when  the  theater  was 
draped  with  emblems  of  mourning,  and  the  services  were  most  im- 
pressive 

It  was  in  this  year  (1874)  that  steps  were  taken  for  the  organization 
of  a  village  over  the  southern  boundary  of  the  city.  During  the  pre- 
ceding ten  years,  the  territory  south  of  Castle  street  had  been  rapidly 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  475 

built  up  by  an  excellent  class  of  dwellings,  chiefly  owned  by  their  occu- 
pants. A  number  of  the  more  prominent  of  these  citizens  conceived 
the  plan  of  forming  a  separate  village  corporation,  mainly  for  the  pur- 
pose of  securing  better  and  more  convenient  school  advantages,  better 
streets,  and  better  fire  protection.  An  election  was  held  on  December 
21,  to  vote  upon  the  question,  at  which  eighty-five  votes  were  cast  in 
favor  of  the  project  and  fifty-two  against  it.  An  act  of  incorporation 
was  passed  by  the  Legislature  and  at  the  first  regular  village  election 
Edward  Abeel  was  chosen  president.  The  new  village  was  appropri- 
ately named  "Danforth, "  in  honor  of  the  pioneer. 

Mr.  Abeel  held  the  office  of  president  of  the  village  one  year,  when 
Truman  K.  Fuller  was  elected  and  held  the  office  five  years;  he  was 
succeeded  by  Edward  P.  Glass,  who  continued  in  the  office  until  the 
village  was  annexed  to  the  city  in  1887.  The  village  of  Danforth 
gained  the  reputation  of  being  healthful  and  moral,  and  its  growth  was 
rapid. 

George  P.  Hier  (Rep.)  was  elected  mayor  in  1875,  and  was  sup- 
ported by  five  Republican  aldermen.  The  funded  debt  was  reported 
as  $1,339,000  on  the  1st  of  January.  The  subject  of  charter  amend- 
ments had  been  before  the  public  and  in  the  hands  of  a  committee  for 
some  time,  and  in  March  the  committee  reported  favorably  on  several 
important  changes.  Briefly,  they  provided  for  the  division  of  six  of 
the  eight  wards,  thus  creating  six  new  wards,  making  fourteen  in  all, 
the  principal  object  being  a  larger  representation  in  the  Board  of  Su- 
pervisors; the  creation  of  a  Board  of  Public  Works,  consisting  of  one 
member  from  each  wTard,  to  serve  without  compensation ;  creating  a 
Board  of  Fire  Commissioners;  more  clearly  defining  the  duties  and 
powers  of  the  Board  of  Education  and  increasing  its  number  to  four- 
teen. None  of  these  changes  became  operative  at  that  time,  excepting 
the  creation  of  the  Board  of  Fire  Commissioners  in  connection  with  the 
paid  fire  department. 

The  city  suffered  from  a  visitation  of  the  small-pox  in  L875,  and  the 
disease  attracted  sufficient  attention  in  August  to  call  for  a  public  meet- 
ing to  adopt  such  measures  as  would  prevent  an  epidemic.  The  Coun- 
cil had,  in  January,  advertised  for  a  site  for  a  pest  house,  which  re- 
sulted in  the  purchase  of  eight  acres  of  land  on  Beech  street  and  the 
erection  in  August  of  a  pest  house  and  necessary  out  buildings  for 
patients  afflicted  with  contagious  diseases.  Meanwhile,  in  spite  of  all 
effort,   the  disease  increased.     About   September   1    there  were  forty 


476  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

cases  reported,  and  on  the  6th  there  were  six  burials  of  small-pox  vic- 
tims; up  to  that  date  a  total  of  128  cases  had  been  reported,  with 
thirty-six  deaths.  While  the  disease  progressed  until  late  in  the  au- 
tumn, the  public  press  boldly  claimed  that  it  was  on  the  wane  as  early 
as  October  1,  and  on  the  8th  of  that  month  a  manifesto  from  leading 
business  men  was  issued  declaring  that  the  scourge  was  overcome,  and 
that  people  could  visit  the  city  with  impunity.  The  fact  was  that  there 
were  fifty-two  cases  on  the  1st  of  November  and  the  disease  was  not 
wholly  eradicated  until  near  the  close  of  the  year.  On  the  10th  of  No- 
vember the  physicians  reported  that  there  had  been  810  cases  and  182 
deaths,  and  this  number  was  slightly  increased  afterwards.  Business 
suffered  severely  through  loss  of  country  trade,  while  the  epidemic  cost 
the  city  directly  more  than  $60,000.  The  hospital  and  grounds  cost 
about  $12,000. 

John  J.  Crouse  was  elected  mayor  in  the  Centennial  year  with  three 
Republican  aldermen.  The  funded  debt  was  now  $1,216,000,  with  a 
floating  debt  of  $150,000.  The  latter,  the  mayor  advised  in  his  inaug- 
ural, should  be  funded,  and  he  vehemently  protested  against  the  man- 
ner in  which  money  had  been  lavished  on  streets  with  very  meager  re- 
sults. The  floating  debt  was  funded  before  the  close  of  the  year.  In 
March  a  bill  was  sent  to  the  Legislature  giving  the  Council  authority 
to  levy  taxes  as  follows : 

For  highways,  sewers  and  bridges,  not  to  exceed  $150,000;  for  principal  and  inter- 
est on  the  funded  debt,  the  actual  sum  falling  due  in  the  ensuing  year;  for  the  Board 
of  Education,  not  exceeding  $100,000;  for  the  fire  department,  not  exceeding  $35,000; 
for  street  lighting,  not  exceeding  $35,000;  for  water  dues,  $22,500,  or  such  sum  as 
might  be  awarded  by  a  commission  ;  for  interest  on  temporary  loans  not  exceeding 
$10,000;  for  damages  and  costs,  not  exceeding  $5,000.  A  supplemental  act  of  June  2 
reduced  the  aggregate  amount  to  be  expended  annually  to  $425,000,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  Centennial  year,  when  the  city's  share  of  the  cost  of  the  new  Salina  street 
pavement  might  be  added. 

A  contract  with  the  water  company  was  made  this  year  under  which 
the  city  was  to  pay  $25,000  annually  for  water. 

The  reader  of  these  pages  covering  the  ten  or  fifteen  preceding  years 
cannot  have  failed  to  notice  that  Syracuse  was  rapidly  becoming  in- 
volved in  debt  and  that,  aside  from  the  value,  present  or  prospective, 
of  the  railroad  and  university  bonds,  the  city  at  the  beginning  of  1877 
could  not  exhibit  improvement  at  all  commensurate  with  the  expendi- 
tures; and  prudent  men  of  either  political  faith  began  to  view  the  situ- 
ation  with  alarm.     Measures  to  protect  the  city  from  evils  sure  to  fol- 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  477 

low  extravagance  and  corruption  were  freely  discussed.  The  result 
was  a  call  for  a  public  meeting-  on  the  3d  of  January,  at  which  con- 
siderable strong-  speaking  was  heard.  Dr.  Wieting  claimed  that  he  had 
for  years  foretold  the  existing  situation.  Dennis  McCarthy  acknowl- 
edged that  the  subject  of  relief  from  high  taxes  and  all  the  attendant 
evils  presented  a  serious  problem.  He  doubted  if  much  less  than  the 
authorized  sum  of  $425,000  was  sufficient  to  properly  administer  the 
city  government,  and  that  all  talk  of  electing  a  Reform  Council  was 
idle,  for  any  council  would  still  be  constituted  of  erring  human  beings. 
Peter  Burns  counseled  thorough  charter  revision.  A  committee  was 
appointed  at  this  meeting  of  one  from  each  ward  to  investigate  how 
the  public  money  had  been  expended  during  the  previous  year,  com- 
prised of  A.  L.  Johnson,  Thomas  J.  Leach,  A.  A.  Howlett,1  William 
Kirkpatrick,  Obadiah  Seeley,  Charles  Tallman,  Stiles  M.  Rust  and 
Hiram  Kingsley.  A  second  meeting  was  held  on  January  10,  at  which 
a  Committee  on  Plan  of  Action  was  appointed  consisting  of  Robert 
McCarthy,  J.  Barnes,  Peter  Knaul,  W.  B.  Smith,  J.  J.  Greenough, 
John  R.  Whitlock,  Nathan  Cobb  and  Jacob  Crouse.  This  committee 
reported  before  the  close  of  the  meeting.  The  first  clause  of  their  re- 
port was  significant.  "It  is  the  future  that  demands  our  attention,  not 
past  errors,"  they  said  in  substance;  "men  must  be  elected  to  munici- 
pal office  who  are  above  reproach,  and  retrenchment,  retrenchment, 
must  be  the  future  watchword."  Their  Plan  of  Action  was,  briefly, 
the  appointment  of  a  committee  of  twelve  from  each  ward,  who  should 
constitute  a  Committee  of  Ninety-six,  equally  divided  politically,  by 
whom  the  nominations  for  all  city  offices  should  be  made,  their  candi- 
dates to  be  supported  in  the  elections  and  the  nominations  to  be  sub- 
mitted to  approval  in  a  citizens'  meeting.  The  report  was  adopted. 
This  great  Committee  of  Ninety-six  met  on  the  17th  of  January  and 
organized  by  making  Charles  P.  Clark,  president,  and  P.  H.  Agan  and 
R.  A.  Bonta,  secretaries.     A  committee  of  two  from  each  ward  was  ap- 

1  Alfred  A.  Howlett,  son  of  Parley  Howlett,  of  the  town  of  Onondaga,  was  born  February  17, 
1821.  His  father  was  engaged  in  various  kinds  of  business  and  the  son  early  acquired  .1 
knowledge  of  business  affairs.  In  1842  he  purchased  of  his  father  a  large  packing  business  in 
Geddes,  and  in  1843  established  a  similar  one  in  Delphi,  Ind.,  and  soon  afterward  another  in  Os- 
wego, in  all  of  which  he  was  successful.  In  1859  lie  was  electi  Springs 
Hank,  a  position  which  he  still  holds.  In  1868  he  identified  himself  with  the  building  of  tin-  Che- 
nango Valley  Railroad,  and  to  hint  was  due  the  final  completion  of  the  line:  for  a  time  lie  was 
president  of  the  company.  He  lias  been  officially  connected  wit  h  the  gas  and  water  companies, 
the  orphan  asylum,  and  many  other  institutions.  As  a  business  man  he  is  one  of  the  foremost  in 
the  city. 


478  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

pointed  from  the  large  committee  to  report  a  plan  for  making  nomina- 
tions. This  committee  reported  that  the  mayor  should  be  nominated 
from  one  political  party,  the  overseer  of  the  poor  from  the  opposite 
party,  and  so  on  through  all  of  the  elective  offices  in  alternation,  and 
making  the  board  of  aldermen  one-half  Republican  and  one-half  Demo- 
cratic. A  convention  of  the  Committee  of  Ninety-six  was  held  on 
February  1,  at  which  reform  resolutions  were  adopted  and  the  nomina- 
tions made.  John  R.  Whitlock  (Dem.)  was  made  candidate  for 
mayor. 

Difficulties,  which  should  have  been  foreseen,  were  at  hand.  Oil 
and  water  will  not  mix;  neither  do  Democrats  and  Republicans  har- 
monize in  the  mutual  distribution  of  offices.  It  was  not  in  the  nature  of 
things  political  that  Republican  newspapers  or  individual  Republicans 
would  unselfishly  support  a  prominent  Democrat  for  mayor.  The  in- 
evitable "split"  followed,  and  James  J.  Belden  was  nominated  for 
mayor  by  the  Republicans  (much'  against  his  inclination)  and  finally 
accepted.  Mr.  Belden  was,  and  is,  a  clear-headed  business  man.  The 
time  was  ripe.  Under  the  conditions  that  had  so  rapidly  come  into 
existence  there  swept  over  the  public  mind  such  a  political  revulsion 
that  the  Republican  candidate  went  into  the  mayoralty  with  theunprec- 
endented  majority  of  1,745,  and  carried  with  him  the  entire  board  of 
Republican  aldermen.  In  his  inaugural  address  Mayor  Belden  so 
clearly  set  forth  the  financial  conditions  and  their  cause  that  any  one 
could  understand,  and  promised  a  radical  change.  The  funded  debt 
was  given  as  $1,418,000,  and  the  floating  debt  as  $95,763.10.  The 
mayor  showed  that  when  the  payments  which  could  not  be  escaped 
were  made  from  the  city's  income,  there  would  remain  only  about 
$20,000  for  pavements,  sewers,  salaries  and  miscellaneous  expenses — a 
sum  that  was  only  a  mere  tithe  of  what  had  been  annually  expended 
for  those  purposes  for  many  years  Therein  lay  one  of  the  chief  causes 
of  increasing  indebtedness.  To  cure  the  evil  the  mayor  proposed  to 
begin  the  financial  part  of  his  administration  with  a  new  set  of  books, 
and  make  future  years  take  care  of  themselves,  at  the  same  time  sepa- 
rately reducing  accrued  indebtedness.  The  effects  of  these  plain  busi- 
ness methods  were  soon  visible.  A  change  was  made  in  the  city  char- 
ter (May  Id)  providing  that  in  making  out  the  tax  levy  for  any  particu- 
lar year,  all  debts  incurred  in  the  preceding  year,  if  there  were  an3r, 
should  be  included  in  such  levy,  but  the  aggregate  amount  to  be  raised 
should   not  exceed   $425,000,  except  in  the  year  1877,  when  the  city's 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  479 

share  of  the  Burnet  street  sewer  (recently  built)  and  the  West  Onon- 
daga street  sewer  should  be  added.  This  provision  was  intended  to 
prevent  the  pernicious  practice  of  outgoing  Councils  incurring  debts 
for  their  successors  to  pay,  and  the  accumulation  of  a  floating  debt. 
Rigid  economy  was  now  enforced  in  every  department  and  public  im- 
provements were  limited  to  such  as  were  imperatively  needed. 

Mayor  Belden,  early  in  1878,  announced  his  determination  to  decline 
a  renomination,  but  a  published  petition  signed  by  two  or  three  hun- 
dred prominent  citizens  and  other  like  influences  induced  him  to  change 
his  purpose.  In  the  charter  election  he  was  opposed  by  Wilbur  M. 
Brown,  Democrat,  and  a  third  candidate,  Arthur  P.  Yates,  nominated 
by  the  working  men.  The  people  evidently  considered  it  a  poor  time 
to  experiment  and  re-elected  Mr.  Belden  by  a  majority  of  almost  3,000; 
seven  of  the  aldermen  were  Republicans.  The  success  of  the  business 
tactics  of  the  preceding  year  was  shown  in  the  mayor's  inaugural 
address,  wherein  he  demonstrated  that  there  had  been  at  the  beginning 
of  his  administration  a  statement  of  so-called  assets  amounting  to 
$136,587.69,  which  consisted  wholly  of  due  but  uncollected  taxes,  and 
a  floating  debt  of  $141,373.76,  besides  the  unadjusted  suits  and  claims. 
Of  the  first  named  sum  there  had  been  collected  during  the  year  $125,- 
190.36,  besides  $11,399.33  in  liens  on  property.  There  had  been  paid 
on  the  floating  debt  $116,040.48,  and  there  was  cash  on  hand  $!•,  L49.88. 
All  liabilities  for  the  year  had  been  met  at  maturity  and  the  city  owed 
no  debt,  actual  or  contingent,  which  had  been  incurred  (luring  1877. 
All  accounts  of  this  year  had  been  kept  entirely  separate  from  those  of 
previous  years. 

The  paid  fire  department  was  established  in  1877  and  the  first  report 
of  the  Fire  Commissioners  appeared  this  year,  showing  that  there  were 
on  hand  four  Amoskeag  steam  fire  engines,  one  chemical  fire  engine. 
one  hook  and  ladder  truck  and  apparatus,  five  hose  carriages  and  six- 
teen horses,  with  11,000  feet  of  hose.  The  first  annual  report  of  the 
street  superintendent  was  also  made,  showing  that  there  were  expended 
for  street  improvements,  street  cleaning,  and  the  salary  of  the  deputy, 
$30,213.09.  The  first  city  attorney  (Martin  A.  Knapp)  also  made  a 
clear  report  of  the  litigation  in  which  the  city  was  involved,  a  large 
amount  of  which  had  been  cleared  away  during  the  year.  Sonic 
changes  were  made  in  the  salaries  of  officials,  that  of  the  treasurer. 
$3,000;  of  the  clerk,  $2,000,  they  to  pay  their  assistants;  of  the  super- 
intendent of  streets,  $1,200,  and   of  the  overseer  of  the  poor,  $1,500. 


480  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

An  act  of  the  Legislature  of  May  7,  gave  the  appointment  of  city  attor- 
ney to  the  mayor,  made  his  term  two  years,  and  the  salary  to  be  fixed 
by  the  Council. 

We  have  been  thus  particular  in  recording  the  events  of  1877-8,  for 
they  seemed  to  have  marked  the  beginning  of  a  new  and  more  judicious 
and  efficient  era  in  city  government.  It  is  probable  that  changes  then 
wrought  have  exerted  an  influence  to  the  present  time.  A  local  paper 
made  the  announcement  in  the  latter  part  of  1878  that,  "  Go  where  you 
will,  business  men  arc  talking  more  confidently  than  they  have  for  five 
years  of  improvement."     The  hard  times  were  passing  away. 

Irving  G.  Vann  (Rep.)  was  elected  mayor  in  1879,  and  five  Republi- 
can aldermen.  At  the  close  of  Mayor  Belden's  term  of  two  years  he 
reported  the  tax  levies  of  1877-78  all  collected  except  a  trifle  of  $113.71; 
that  the  city  as  far  as  those  years  were  concerned,  did  not  owe  a  dollar; 
the  funded  debt  had  been  reduced  $37,000,  and  there  was  no  unfunded 
debt.  Mayor  Vann's  administration  continued  the  excellent  record  of 
his  predecessor;  the  government  was  administered  both  economically 
and  efficiently  and  the  general  tide  of  public  affairs  was  unruffled. 
The  same  may  be  said  of  the  years  1880-81,  when  Francis  Hendricks 
(Rep. )  and  seven  Republican  aldermen  were  elected  in  the  first  year 
and  Mr.  Hendricks  was  honored  with  a  re-election  in  1881,  with  six 
Republican  aldermen.  Public  improvements  continued  upon  the  same 
conservative  and  restricted  lines  and  financial  conditions  continued  to 
improve.  The  presidential  campaign  of  1880  was  unusually  exciting 
and  many  public  meetings,  processions,  etc.,  were  held.  General 
Grant  visited  the  city  on  the  26th  of  October  and  was  given  a  royal 
welcome.  The  corner  stone  of  the  new  county  clerk's  building  was 
laid  on  the  11th  of  August. 

The  latter  months  of  1880  a  movement  came  to  life  by  which  some 
hopeful  persons  endeavored  to  provide  for  the  future  "  development  of 
the  natural  beauties  of  our  city,  its  site  and  surroundings; "  and  to  pro- 
mote "the  convenience  and  comfort  of  our  citizens,  and  more  fully 
secure  good  government."  This  worthy  purpose  was  to  be  accom- 
plished by  laying  out  streets  in  suburban  tracts,  providing  for  public 
parks,  amending  the  city  charter,  rigid  execution  of  the  laws,  and  the 
general  advancement  of  business  interests.  As  a  result  of  this  move- 
ment the  "City  Improvement  Society"  was  organized  on  the  4th  of 
January,  1881.  A  meeting  was  held  on  February  22,  when  standing 
committees   were   appointed    and    the   various  objects    of   the    society 


*m 


Ow,  'J  I  U 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  481 

placed  in  their  hands.  The  project  had  a  pleasing-  look,  but  from  some 
important  part  of  its  organism  the  vital  spark  seems  to  have  been  left 
out,  and  after  a  few  abortive  meetings  the  society  lapsed  into  oblivion. 

The  West  Shore  Railroad  was  now  in  process  of  construction  and  in 
this  year  (1881)  secured  its  valuable  franchise  through  the  city  with  very 
little  return.  The  proceedings  that  led  up  to  the  granting  of  this  fran- 
chise have  been  severely  criticised  as  unwise,  if  not  dishonorable,  on 
the  part  of  some  of  the  board  of  aldermen  then  in  power. 

On  the  19th  of  July  the  Wieting  block  was  burned  to  the  ground, 
causing  a  loss  of  about  $400,000.  Dr.  Wieting  promptly  rebuilt  it, 
together  with  the  opera  house  which  bears  his  name. 

In  the  charter  election  of  1882  the  city  government  was  wrested  from 
the  Republicans  by  the  election  of  John  Demong,  mayor;  his  majority 
was  only  G9,  and  six  of  the  eight  aldermen  were  Republicans.  The 
out-going  mayor  congratulated  his  co-workers  on  the  work  of  their  ad- 
ministration. There  had  been  seven  and  a  quarter  miles  of  macadam 
pavement  laid,  and  one  and  one-third  miles  of  sandstone,  and  7,000 
tons  of  broken  stone  had  been  used.  A  large  part  of  this  pavement 
and  others  laid  about  this  time,  was  inferior  in  construction,  as  shown  a 
little  further  on. 

On  August  29,  1880,  Mayor  Hendricks  had  removed  the  Board  of 
Police  Commissioners,  by  virtue  of  the  authority  of  an  act  of  Legisla- 
ture passed  June  21  of  that  year,  and  transmitted  his  reasons  for  such 
action  to  the  Council.  His  authority  and  the  status  of  the  new  ap- 
pointees were  questioned  and  the  matter  taken  into  the  courts,  where 
the  opinion  was  rendered  that  the  act  was  legal  and  the  new  board  was 
confirmed.  In  May,  1882,  Mayor  Demong  retaliated  by  removing  the 
board  left  in  office  by  his  predecessor,  and  appointed  a  non-partisan 
board  consisting  of  W.  B.  Kirk,  J.  D.  Ackerman,  Rhoda  M.  Mara,  and 
T.  D.  Brewster. 

The  Democrats  retained  control  of  the  city  government  in  1883  by 
the  election  of  Thomas  Ryan  and  four  aldermen.  How  evenly  the  vote 
of  the  city  was  then  divided  between  the  two  political  parties  is  seen  in 
the  fact  that  John  Demong's  majority  in  L882  was  only  69,  and  that  of 
Mr.  Ryan  was  8G.  Thomas  Ryan  was  re-elected  in  1884-85.  He  found 
public  affairs  and  finances  in  good  condition,  and  in  his  inaugural  ad- 
dress informed  the  Council  that  although  the  city  was  authorized  to 
raise  $450, 000  annually,  it  was  gratifying  to  know  that  their  predecessors 
61 


482  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

had  not  called  for  that  sum  and  hoped  their  good  example  might  be 
followed  in  future.     The  city  budget  for  the  year  was  $376,000. 

In  many  preceding  years  there  had  been  considerable  strife  between 
the  Board  of  Education  and  the  several  Councils  in  relation  to  the 
amount  of  money  to  be  granted  the  board  each  year — a  strife  which  has 
continued  in  some  degree  to  the  present  time.  In  February,  1884,  the 
board  sent  a  request  to  the  Council  for  an  appropriation  of  $8,000  with 
which  to  pay  bills  carried  over  from  the  preceding  year.  To  give  this 
request  additional  force  Superintendent  Edward  Smith  made  a  state- 
ment of  his  financial  relations  with  the  Councils  from  and  including 
1876,  which  is  worthy  of  note.  In  1876,  he  said  the  board  asked  and 
were  awarded  $90,000  and  $6,200  for  the  Prescott  school;  in  1877  they 
asked  $75,000  and  $7,500  for  the  permanent  fund,  the  latter  being 
refused;  in  1878  their  experience  was  the  same;  in  1879  they  asked  for 
$75,000,  which  was  cut  down  $2,500,  and  of  the  $10,000  asked  for  the 
permanent  fund  they  received  $5,000;  in  1880  they  asked  and  were 
awarded  $75,000  and  $7,000  for  the  two  funds;  in  1881,  $86,000  and 
$4,000;  in  1882,  $116,000,  of  which  they  received  $100,000,  with  $10,- 
000  additional  in  June;  in  1883,  $102,109.52,  of  which  they  received 
$93,900,  and  of  $16,500  asked  in  addition  they  received  $14,800.  The 
request  of  the  board  for  the  $8,000  was  refused  for  the  expressed  reason 
that  no  more  money  could  be  given  them  without  violating  the  charter. 
As  a  consequence  about  the  last  of  January,  when  its  funds  were  ex- 
hausted, the  board  took  steps  to  close  the  schools.  This  extreme 
measure  was  rendered  unnecessary  by  an  advance  of  sufficient  money 
to  carry  the  board  through  the  year  by  Mayor  Ryan. 

The  local  political  campaign  of  1884  was  a  heated  one.  It  was  loudlv 
claimed,  chiefly  by  Republicans  and  their  organs  to  be  sure,  that  the 
affairs  of  the  city  were  again  rapidly  becoming  chaotic  and  that  nothing 
short  of  a  wholesale  revolution  would  cure  the  evil.  As  one  means  of 
effecting  this  a  Municipal  Club  was  organized,  from  which  great  ben- 
efits were  hoped  for.  The  fact  that  such  political  organizations  have 
rarely  accomplished  their  purposes  seems  to  have  been  lost  sight  of,  or 
ignored.  But  this  great  club  was  composed  of  excellent  material,  gen- 
erally conservative  and  honorable,  and  Wilbur  S.  Peck  was  placed  in 
nomination  for  mayor.  The  Republicans  refused  to  unite  on  Mr.  Peck 
and  nominated  Willis  B.  Burns  for  the  office,  while  the  Democrats  re- 
nominated Mayor  Ryan,  who  had  gained  considerable  popularity  among 
the  masses.     Ryan  was  elected  by  a  majority  of  1,708  over  Burns,  while 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE. 

Burns  had  a  majority  of  403  over  the  candidate  of  the  club;  this  was 
its  death  blow. 

The  city  debt  had  now  been  reduced  to  $1,222,000,  of  which  the  sum 
of  $111,702.50,  principal  and  interest,  was  to  be  paid  in  1884.  The  fre- 
quently-discussed subject  of  annexation  was  again  agitated  in  this  year 
and  with  substantial  results.  Geddes  and  Danforth  both  contained  a 
large  element  of  population  who  favored  the  object,  but  in  the  first 
named  village  there  were  many  who  opposed  it  on  the  expressed  ground 
of  "the  rotten  system  of  letting  city  contracts. "  The  project  continued 
before  the  public,  but  was  somewhat  obscured  during  1885  by  the  all- 
absorbing  water  question.  In  1886  it  took  definite  shape.  The  princi- 
pal opposition  arose  over  the  question  of  retaining  the  village  govern- 
ment in  Geddes  and  adding  to  it  the  "Sackett  Tract."  An  act  of  the 
Legislature  was  passed  May  17,  1886,  authorizing  the  annexation  of 
Geddes  and  territory  adjacent  thereto. 

Of  this  territory  that  part  lying  easterly  and  northerly  of  the  Erie 
Canal  was  annexed  to  the  Third  ward;  that  westerly  and  southerlv  of 
the  canal  was  divided  into  two  wards  by  a  line  through  the  center  of 
Genesee  street,  the  part  south  of  that  street  forming  the  Ninth  ward, 
and  the  part  north  of  that  street  the  Tenth  ward. 

While  this  matter  was  in  progress  a  petition  was  circulated  in  Dan- 
forth for  the  same  object,  and  an  act  of  the  Legislature  was  passed 
June  15,  1886,  under  which  the  annexation  of  the  beautiful  suburb  was 
effected  on  the  3d  Tuesday  of  February,  1887. 

The  project  of  erecting  a  new  City  Hall  assumed  definite  character  in 
1884,  and  in  conformance  to  the  report  of  a  committee  previously  ap- 
pointed, a  bill  was  drawn  and  brought  before  the  Council  in  April, 
authorizing  the  construction  of  a  new  public  building  at  a  maximum 
cost  of  $150,000,  for  which  bonds  were  to  be  issued.  Another  com- 
mittee was  appointed  which  on  December  3  reported  in  favor  of  placing 
the  new  structure  on  the  site  of  the  old  City  Hall,  and  advising  the  ap- 
pointment of  a  committee  of  three  to  procure  plans  and  specifications 
and  report  previous  to  February  1,  1885.  This  committee  consisted  of 
J.  B.  Brooks,  Thomas  McManus,  and  Frederick  Schwartz.  On  Feb- 
ruary 2  they  reported  that  plans  had  been  received  from  five  architects. 
The  project  was  under  discussion  until  1888,  when  the  structure  was 
finished,  as  described  a  little  further  on. 

In  January,  1864,  a  charter  revision  committee  was  appointed  con- 
sisting of    Martin   A.    Knapp,   Christian   Freeoff,   S.    W.   Sherlock,  J. 


484  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Page  Munroe,  and  A.  H.  Green.  Their  work  was  finished,  approved 
by  the  Legislature,  and  received  the  governor's  signature  on  February 
21,  1885.  The  principal  changes  were  those  giving  the  mayor  the 
power  to  appoint  the  city  engineer  and  the  superintendent  of  streets, 
while  he  retained  all  of  his  former  appointing  power;  he  was  also 
given  a  clerk  at  a  salary  of  $800  a  year,  and  his  term  of  office  made 
two  years  with  a  salary  of  $2,500.  The  term  of  the  police  justice  was 
made  four  years  and  the  annual  salary  $2,200.  The  term  of  the  city 
attorney  was  made  two  years,  the  annual  salary  to  be  fixed  by  the 
Council.  The  assessors'  terms  were  made  four  years,  with  annual  salary 
of  $1,500;  and  at  the  then  succeeding  election  the  aldermen  were 
elected  for  one  year  in  the  odd-numbered  wards,  and  for  two  years  in 
the  even-numbered  wards;  after  that  election  the  aldermanic  term  was 
two  years  with  annual  salary  of  $250.  The  maximum  appropriation 
for  the  fire  department  was  increased  to  $50,000,  and  the  amount  for 
contingent  expenses  to  $125,000;  changes  were  also  made  in  the  per- 
centages allowed  for  tax  collections  after  certain  periods  from  the 
treasurer's  notice  that  they  were  due. 

This  year  (1884)  was  memorable  from  active  and  virulent  condemna- 
tion of  the  methods  that  had  long  prevailed  in  letting  contracts  for 
street  improvements.  It  was  stated  in  the  public  press  that  there  had 
been  expended  on  the  streets  during  three  years  prior  to  May,  1884, 
the  enormous  sum  of  $224,405.41,  for  which  no  adequate  improvement 
was  visible.  Streets  reported  as  macadamized  were  found  to  be  covered 
with  only  a  thin  layer  of  broken  stone  upon  insufficient  foundation ; 
gutters  were  poorly  paved ;  sandstone  pavements  were  constructed  of 
unfit  material  in  direct  violation  of  contracts,  and  a  general  disregard 
of  moral  and  material  obligations  had  prevailed.  The  city  engineer 
and  superintendent  of  streets  were  called  to  account  and  the  removal 
of  the  formal  official  determined  upon,  but  finally  abandoned.  The 
storm  of  protestation  from  outraged  taxpayers  brought  forth  promises 
of  reformation,  and  for  a  time  contractors  were  held  more  strictly  to 
their  obligations;  but  the  change  was  not  permanent. 

During  the  years  1886  and  1887  the  city  was  continually  in  the  throes 
of  agitation  over  a  better  water  supply,  largely  to  the  exclusion  of 
other  public  affairs.  The  question  of  accepting  the  pledges  of  the  old 
company  to  increase  and  improve  their  supply;  the  operations  of  the 
Central  City  Water  Company;  the  appointment  in  the  fall  of  the  former 
of  a  Committee  of  One  Hundred  to  wrestle  with  the  problem;  and 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  ClTY  OF  SYRACUSE.  485 

a  little  later  the  persistent  efforts  of  William  A.  Sweet  to  show  that 
Salmon  River  was  the  best  possible  source,  while  another  faction  just 
as  industriously  labored  in  favor  of  Skaneateles  Lake,  all  conspired  to 
create  intense  interest.  The  details  of  this  matter  are  given  on  a  later 
page  in  an  account  of  the  city  water  works. 

In  the  charter  election  of  1886,  Willis  B.  Burns  was  elected  over 
Thomas  Ryan,  and  held  the  office  two  years  under  the  new  arrange- 
ment; six  of  the  aldermen,  with  the  mayor,  were  of  Republican  poli- 
tics. The  city  debt  was  given  as  $1,165,000.  In  June  of  this  year  the 
city  received  a  splendid  gift  of  a  tract  of  135  acres  of  land  on  the  hills 
west  of  the  city  from  Major  John  B.  Burnet,  for  a  public  park.  The 
only  important  conditions  of  the  gift  were,  that  the  city  should  expend 
$3,000  for  surveying  and  mapping  the  tract  during  the  year ;  $10,000 
annually  during  the  succeeding  four  years,  and  $3,000  annually  there- 
after for  park  improvements.  The  tract  was  formally  accepted  in 
August  and  given  the  name  Burnet  Park. 

Mayor  Burns  held  over  in  the  year  1887,  and  out  of  eleven  wards 
only  the  First  elected  a  Democratic  alderman.  The  mayor's  inaugural 
address  was  congratulatory  in  tone;  $27,500  had  been  paid  on  the  city 
debt  in  the  preceding  year,  reducing  it  to  $1,141,500,  while  in  the 
fiscal  year  1887  only  $1,000  was  to  be  paid  on  account  of  the  admission 
of  Danforth  into  the  city  The  tax  levy  was  $407,872.24.  The  great 
extension  of  the  territorial  limits  of  the  city  necessitated  various 
additions  to  the  several  departments.  The  police  commissioners,  on 
January  10,  asked  for  an  addition  of  twenty- four  men  on  the  police 
force,  and  charter  amendments  made  under  an  act  of  May  is,  estab- 
lished the  boundaries  of  the  enlarged  city  and  the  wards;  provided  for 
the  election  on  a  general  ticket  of  the  mayor,  police  justice,  four  asses- 
sors, six  justices,  and  one  overseer  of  the  poor;  for  the  numbering  of 
the  streets  on  a  clear  and  practical  system,  and  fixing  the  limit  of  ex- 
penditures by  various  departments  as  follows:  Fire  department,  $75,- 
000;  street  lighting,  $50,000;  fixing  the  limit  of  the  tax  levy  at  $500,- 
000,  excepting  in  1887-88,  in  which  years  $25,000  might  be  added  for 
Burnet  Park.  The  salaries  of  city  officers  were  fixed  this  year  as  fol- 
lows: 

City  treasurer,  $2,200;  deputy  city  treasurer,  §1,500;  city  engineer,  $2,200;  assist- 
ant city  engineer,  $1,000;  weigher  of  hay,  $720;  mayor's  clerk,  $800;  city  clerk, 
$2,200;  deputy  city  clerk,  $800 ;  city  attorney,  $2,500;  superintendent  streets.  (2,500 
repairer  of  lamps,  $1,100;  janitor,  $721);  assessors,  $1,800. 


486  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

In  1886-7  a  street  railway  "boom"  was  started.  The  building  and 
extension  of  these  popular  means  of  conveyance  had  remained  sub- 
stantially inactive  for  some  years,  while  the  city  was  growing  rapidly, 
until  the  demand  for  better  facilities  for  reaching  the  various  tracts 
which  had  been  recently  divided  into  lots  and  were  being  rapidly 
covered  with  buildings  became  imperative.  The  lines  in  existence  at 
this  time  were  that  of  the  Central  City  Railway  Company,  built  in  1860 
from  the  canal  to  the  First  ward  and  opened  in  August  of  that  year 
with  a  public  demonstration;  this  line  passed  under  control  of  the  Peo- 
ple's Railroad  Company  (organized  in  1887)  April  4,  1889 ;  the  line  of 
the  Syracuse  and  Geddes  Railway  Company,  built  in  1863;  the  line  of 
the  Syracuse  and  Onondaga  Railway  Company,  opened  July  25,  1864, 
and  transferred  to  the  People's  Railroad  Company ;  the  Genesee  and 
Water  Street  Railway  Company,  with  its  belt  line  built  about  1866,  ex- 
tending through  Genesee,  Beech  and  Water  streets ;  the  Water  street 
track  was  taken  up  in  1878,  and  the  Crouse  avenue  branch  was  built  in 
1873;  this  line  passed  under  control  of  the  Consolidated  Street  Railway 
Company  (chartered  May  22,  1890)  upon  its  organization  on  July  1, 
1890;  the  Fifth  Ward  Railway  Company's  line,  opened  in  1868,  and 
transferred  to  the  Consolidated  Company. 

The  time  for  transition  and  extension  in, street  railroads  in  Syracuse 
had  come.  The  Seventh  Ward  line  was  established  in  1886,  and  in 
1889  the  Eleventh  Ward  line  was  built  by  substantially  the  same  com- 
pany ;  both  extended  southward  into  the  Eleventh  ward  by  different 
routes,  and  both  were  absorbed  by  the  Consolidated  Railway  Company 
upon  its  organization.  The  Third  Ward  Railway  Company  was  organ- 
ized in  1886,  and  its  line  put  in  operation  in  1888  with  electricity;  it 
runs  westwardly  to  the  Solvay  works,  and  passed  into  the  Consolidated 
Company's  hands.  The  Woodlawn  and  Butternut  Street  Railway 
Company,  organized  in  1886,  was  absorbed  by  the  Consolidated.  The 
Burnet  Street  Railway  Company,  organized  in  June,  1886,  passed  to 
the  Consolidated  Company.  As  has  been  indicated,  these  various  old 
and  new  street  railway  enterprises  became  absorbed  in  two  large  or- 
ganizations. Of  these  the  People's  Railroad  Company  was  organized 
in  1887  with  a  capital  of  $300,000,  and  with  its  several  connections  soon 
had  control  of  a  little  over  ten  miles  of  track,  including  through  com- 
munication between  Onondaga  Valley  and  the  lake.  A  large  pier  and 
pavilion  were  erected  at  the  lake  and  made  a  public  resort.  After  1890 
it  extended  its  lines,  put  on  electricity  and  gave  good   service,    and  on 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  1-7 

May  1,  1894,  was  merged  in  the  Syracuse  Street  Railway  Company. 
In  1805  all  the  street  railroad  interests  of  the  city  were  acquired  by 
this  company,  and  improvements  are  in  progress  that  are  destined  to 
give  the  city  a  railway  system  that  will  meet  the  approval  of  the  com- 
munity. 

In  the  charter  election  of  1888  the  Democrats  were  successful,  plac- 
ing in  the  mayor's  chair  William  B.  Kirk;  eight  of  the  eleven  aldermen 
were  Republicans.  The  bonded  debt  at  this  time  was  $1,140,500,  on 
the  principal  of  which  only  $1,000  fell  due  in  this  year;  the  tax  lew 
was  $537,000.  On  the  2d  of  April  the  Council  adopted  a  resolution  re- 
questing the  representatives  in  the  Legislature  to  procure  the  passage 
of  a  bill  authorizing  the  construction  of  a  new  City  Hall.  This  bill  be- 
came a  law  on  the  8th  of  May,  and  authorized  the  city  to  issue  bonds 
for  $300,000  for  the  purpose,  and  gave  the  mayor  power  to  appoint  four 
commissioners  to  take  charge  of  the  work.  The  commission  was  con- 
stituted of  Henry  J.  Mowry,  John  Dunn,  jr.,  August  Falker  and  E.  F. 
Holden.  The  site  of  the  old  City  Hall  was  finally  selected  and  the 
plans  of  Architect  Charles  E.  Colton  adopted.  The  old  structure  was 
demolished  and  the  new  one  begun  in  the  fall  of  1889. 

During  the  winter  of  1888-89  as  a  culmination  of  all  the  preceding 
agitation  of  the  water  question,  a  law  was  passed  giving  the  mayor 
power  to  appoint  a  Board  of  Water  Commissioners  consisting  of  three 
men  from  each*of  the  dominant  political  parties,  to  make  an  exhaustive 
examination  of  the  subject.  He  appointed  E.  B.  Judson,  Alexander 
H.  Davis,  James  B.  Brooks,  William  H.  Warner,  Peter  B.  McLennan 
and  W.  K.  Niver.  This  board  met  and  organized  in  June,  and  subse- 
quently made  an  elaborate  report  in  favor  of  Skaneateles  Lake  as  a 
source  of  water  supply  for  the  city.  Then  began  the  long  and  intensely 
active  campaign  to  carry  out  the  recommendations  of  the  report,  and 
the  special  election  resulting  in  a  majority  in  favor  of  the  report  of 
10,395. 

During  1888  and  a  few  succeeding  years  there  was  an  unexampled 
growth  and  activity  in  real  estate  operations,  particularly  in  suburban 
territory.  Large  tracts  of  land  were  purchased  by  companies  and  in- 
dividuals, sub  divided  into  building  lots  and  large  numbers  sold.  Since 
that  time  there  has  been  a  reaction  in  this  respect,  but  not  to  such  an 
extent  as  to  cause  apprehension,  while  at  the  present  time  there  are 
numerous  evidences  of  a  healthful  activity  in  real  estate  operations  in 
various  parts  of  the  city. 


488  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Several  changes  were  made  in  the  salaries  of  city  officials  again  this 
year;  the  city  treasurer  was  to  be  paid  a  gross  sum  for  himself  and  all 
assistants  of  $4,700.  The  city  clerk  -was  given-  $2,500  instead  of 
$2,200.  The  city  engineer  was  given  $4,500  for  himself  and  all  as- 
sistants. 

Mayor  Kirk  held  the  office  of  mayor  for  his  second  year  in  1889,  and 
aldermen  were  chosen  in  the  odd  numbered  wards  only;  the  First, 
Ninth  and  Eleventh  wards  elected  Republican  aldermen,  and  the 
Third,  Fifth  and  Seventh,  Democratic ;  in  the  full  board  there  were  six 
Republicans.  In  his  inaugural  address  the  mayor  stated  that  the 
bonded  indebtedness  of  the  city  in  this  closing  year  of  the  decade  was 
$1,139,500,  which  was  less  than  three  per  cent,  on  the  assessed  valua- 
tion of  the  city.  Of  this  debt  $1,000,000  were  in  railroad  bonds;  $100,- 
000  in  university  bonds,  and  $37,500  in  1878  bonds  for  funding  floating 
debt,  with  $1,000  in  the  village  of  Danforth  bond.  Several  important 
charter  amendments  were  made  in  this  year  as  follows :  Giving  the 
mayor  the  appointment  of  a  commissioner  of  public  works  with  a  sal- 
ary of  $3,500;  a  corporation  counsel  with  a  term  of  two  years;  fixing 
the  salary  of  the  overseer  of  the  poor  at  $2,000  and  giving  him  an  as- 
sistant; fixing  the  maximum  sum  to  be  paid  for  lighting  streets  at 
$65,000;  for  the  police,  $90,000;  for  bridges,  sewers,  repairing  and 
cleaning  streets,  $60,000;  for  ordinary  expenses,  interest  on  temporary 
loans,  adjustment  of  claims,  Board  of  Health,  salaries,*  etc.,  $125,000. 
Extensive  additions  were  made  this  year  to  the  sewer  system,  notably 
in  Cortland  avenue,  Gifford  street,  Grouse  avenue  and  Mulberry  street. 

The  charter  election  in  1890  turned  largely  on  the  water  question, 
while  at  the  same  time  it  was  considerably  influenced  by  the  heavy 
taxation  of  1889.  William  Cowie  was  elected  mayor  by  the  Republi- 
cans and  they  carried  eight  of  the  wards.  The  city  budget  was  now 
limited  to  $700,000,  the  fire  department  being  allowed  $75,000,  the 
police  department  $90, 000,  lighting  $65, 000,  and  $26, 000  for  water.  The 
total  bonded  debt  was  $1,438,400,  including  city  hall  bonds  of  $300,000. 
Five  and  a  half  miles  of  sewer  had  been  laid  and  over  $100,000  were 
expended  for  paving.  On  the  4th  of  March  a  hearing  was  had  before 
the  Senate  on  the  question  of  using  Skaneateles  water,  and  the  final 
hearing  took  place  on  the  14th  of  that  month;  in  May  the  project  was 
finally  assured.  A  charter  amendment  of  the  preceding  winter  pro- 
vided that  a  local  improvement  could  be  made  upon  obtaining  the  con- 
sent (jf  one  third  of  the  property  owners   on  the  line,  and  street  clean- 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  189 

ing  by  contract  was  abolished  and  garbage  disposal  was  placed  in  charge 
of  the  Board  of  Health.  The  validity  of  the  water  bonds  was  disputed 
by  a  faction  and  taken  into  the  courts,  while  William  A.  Sweet  obtained 
an  injunction  against  the  issue  of  the  bonds;  both  of  these  obstacles 
were  removed  and  the  first  issue  of  bonds  was  sold  in  the  fall.  In  the 
spring  of  this  year  Syracuse  was  chosen  as  the  permanent  home  of  the 
State  fair  and  work  was  begun  on  the  buildings.  Chapter  110  of  the 
laws  of  1890  created  three  new  wards,  making  fourteen,  to  take  effect 
in  the  following  year.  The  question  of  the  title  to  Burnet  Park  having 
been  settled,  work  was  begun  thereon  this  year.  The  need  of  a  more 
complete  and  perfect  sewer  system  for  the  city  had  long  been  apparent, 
and  the  subject  was  agitated  this  year  and  finally  determined  upon.  A 
survey  and  map  has  since  been  made  and  many  new  sewers  laid  in 
accordance  with  it.  The  Women's  and  Children's  Hospital,  projected 
in  1887  and  afterwards  incorporated,  purchased  the  property  at  1214 
West  Genesee  street  this  year  and  made  necessary  changes  to  adapt  it  to 
its  new  uses.  This  institution  has  since  been  removed  to  712  East 
Washington  street.  On  the  night  of  October  15-16  the  Leland  hotel 
was  burned,  causing  the  death  of  six  persons. 

William  Cowie  was  re-elected  mayor  in  1891.  The  bonded  debt  was 
reported  in  February  as  $1,937,500,  comprised  of  university  bonds, 
$100,000;  railroads,  $1,000,000;  floating  debt,  $38,000;  city  hall,  $300,- 
000;  water  bonds  $500,000.  In  March  it  was  resolved  to  make  another 
issue  of  water  bonds  to  the  amount  of  $1,000,000,  and  in  the  same  month 
a  resolution  was  adopted  in  the  Common  Council  in  favor  of  increasing 
the  allowance  to  the  Fire  Department  from  $75,000  to  $110,000.  The 
Kennedy  street  sewer  was  finished  this  year  and  also  the  paving  of 
James,  West  Onondaga,  and  West  Genesee  and  South  Salina  streets. 
The  initiatory  measures  were  also  adopted  for  the  widening  of  North 
Clinton  street,  which  project  has  since  been  carried  to  completion  in 
1895,  to  the  great  improvement  of  that  section.  The  city  hall  building 
was  about  finished  this  year,  the  economical  and  thorough  manner  in 
which  it  was  erected  calling  out  the  hearty  commendation  of  the  com- 
munity. The  commissioners  were  W.  B.  Kirk,  John  Dunn,  jr.,  E.  F. 
Holden,  William  Cowie,  Henry  J.  Mowry,  Aug.  Falker,  and  H.  S. 
H  olden. 

The  year  1892  was  a  busy  one  in  the  city  public  affairs.  About 
$100,000  were  expended  in  paving,  thus  further  advancing  what  the 
city  engineer  has  called  "  the  paving  era  in  Syracuse."  The  principal 
63 


490  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

pieces  of  work  are  on  East  Fayette  street,  Crouse  avenue,  and  Grape 
street.  Something  over  $100,000  were  expended  also  for  sewers.  The 
bonded  debt  of  the  city  had  now  risen  to  $2,437,500,  which  was  in- 
creased during  the  year  by  the  issue  of  $500,000  more  of  water  bonds. 
Work  had  begun  preparatory  to  laying  the  main  water  pipe  from  Skan- 
eateles  Lake  to  the  city,  which  was  completed  and  the  water  turned  on 
July  3,  1894.  The  class  of  public  improvements  thus  mentioned 
were  still  further  advanced  in  1893-4.  In  the  former  year  another 
million  dollars  was  added  to  the  bonded  debt  by  the  issue  of  water  bonds, 
and  the  original  authorized  was  increased  $500,000  by  special  legislation 
in  1895,  for  the  purpose  of  adding  largely  to  the  city  pipes.  The  amount 
expended  in  1893  for  paving  was  about  $223,000;  for  sewers,  about  $87,- 
000;  while  contracts  partly  completed  amounted  to  about  $148,000  more. 
In  addition  to  these  sums,  contracts  were  then  in  existence  amounting  to 
about  $750,000  on  which  no  work  had  been  performed.  In  the  year  1894 
nearly  seven  and  a  half  miles  of  sewer  was  laid  at  a  cost  of  more  than 
$100,000,  and  pavements  were  constructed  costing  over  $330,000.  A 
little  more  than  $15,000  was  expended  on  the  city  parks,  of  which 
almost  $10,000  went  to  Burnet  Park.  The  total  cost  of  all  public  work 
for  the  year  was  almost  $525,000,  while  more  than  $.1,000,000  in  con- 
tracts that  were  either  partly  executed  or  not  begun,  went  over  to  the 
next  year.  The  redivision  of  the  city  into  nineteen  wards  went  into 
effect  in  this  year,  and  charter  amendments  were  made  legalizing  as- 
sessments on  Crouse  avenue,  East  Water  and  Delaware  streets,  and 
legalizing  the  contracts  for  paving  South  Salina,  East  Onondaga, 
Sabine,  West  Genesee,  Montgomery,  North  Clinton,  South  Clinton, 
and  East  Jefferson  streets  and  Cortland  avenue.  A  legislative  enact- 
ment made  Castle  street  the  northern  boundary  of  the  Eleventh  ward. 
Another  bill  provides  that  the  city  election  shall  be  held  in  odd  years 
on  the  Tuesday  succeeding  the  first  Monday  in  November,  and  the  first 
meeting  of  the  Common  Council  be  held  on  the  first  Monday  after  Jan- 
uary 1,  and  the  fiscal  year  begin  February  1.  The  limit  of  the  annual 
tax  levy  is  fixed  by  this  bill  at  $990,000.  The  bill  increases  the  water 
fund  from  $26,000  to  $60,000;  the  highway  fund  from  $65,000  to  $70,- 
000;  the  local  improvement  fund  from  $25,000  to  $30,000;  the  street 
lighting  fund  from  $85,000  to  $90,000,  and  the  contingent  fund  from 
$135,000  to  $150,000. 

Steps   were  taken  in  the  latter  part  of  1894  which  led  the  Central 
Railroad  authorities  to  build  a  new  station   on  or  near  the  site  of  the 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  491 

former  one.     It  was  finished  and  opened  in  October,   1895,  and   is  a 
credit  to  the  city  and  to  the  company. 

The  reader  of  these  brief  statistics  of  the  past  decade  cannot  avoid 
being  impressed  with  the  bright  prospects  of  Syracuse  in  the  future. 
In  numerical  increase  of  population,  in  activity  and  growth  of  manu- 
factures and  trade,  in  improvement  of  streets  and  other  departments  of 
public  affairs,  and  indeed  in  every  element  that  contributes  to  the 
prosperity  of  a  community,  few  cities  in  the  country  stand  higher  to- 
day than  Syracuse.  Beginning  with  the  year  1895,  the  municipal  elec- 
tion is  held  in  the  fall.  Mayor  Amos  was  re-elected  in  the  spring  and 
the  various  improvements  projected  were  pushed  ahead  with  vigor. 
New  charter  amendments  were  made,  the  most  important  of  which  is 
one  permitting  the  Common  Council  to  order  a  mile  of  pavement  each 
year  without  petition,  and  one  establishing  a  frontage  water  tax  of  five 
cents  a  foot.  With  all  the  improvements  that  have  been  noticed  it  is 
imperative  that  the  cost  of  city  government  must  increase.  The  city 
budget  of  1895  reached  nearly  a  million  dollars  as  follows : 

Schools $230,977       Library 10,500 

Teachers'   wages.. 20,375       Parks 15,000 

School  bonds 20,000      Water 40,000 

Fire.. 105,000      City  map 5,000 

City's  share  of   public  improve-  Park  avenue  culvert 3,500 

ments 30, 000      West  Genesee  street  culvert 3, 500 

Highway  fund 70,000      Clinton  streer  bridge 500 

Contingent  fund 149,788       Geddes  street  bridge 500 

Police... 83,000      Sewer  survey... 3,500 

Interest  91,860  

Street  lighting 72,000  $957,000 

Bonds 2, 000 

Changes  were  made  in  the  salary  list  of  city  officers,  that  of  city 
treasurer  being  advanced  $1,000;  corporation  counsel,  $300;  deputy 
city  clerk,  $100;  city  hall  messenger,  $10  per  month;  custodian  and 
assistant  custodian  of  the  city  hall  $5  a  month  each.  This  leaves  the 
salary  list  as  follows : 

City  treasurer  (including  all  assist-  including    horse     keeping     and 

ants) $8,500  horse  hire  to  be  certified  by  the 

City  clerk 2,500  city  engineer  and  to  be  audited 

Assistant  city   clerk 1 ,400  by  the  council  monthly  in  pay  roll 

Corporation  counsel  (including  one  and  paid   by  the   city  treasurer 

assistant) 3,800  from  such  pay  roll,  not  to  exceed 

City  engineer 2,500  in  the  aggregate... 9,500 

City  engineer,  all  other  assistants  Clerk  to  mayor. 800 


492  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

/ 

Weigher  of  hay... 720  Custodian  of  city  hall 1,020 

City  hall  messenger. 840  Assistant  custodian.. 780 

Civil  service  commissioners,    each  Clerk  of  assessors 780 

per  annum  $200 . .  600  Pound  master 300 


Clerk  of  civil  service  board 400 

At  the  same  time  the  assessed  valuation  of  the  city  was  increased  in 
1895  by  about  $16,000,000,  making  the  tax  rate  for  eleven  months 
$14.75.  The  plans  for  a  new  sewer  system,  to  which  reference  has 
been  made,  were  completed  in  March,  1895,  by  Civil  Engineer  Gray, 
of  Providence,  R.  I.  The  plans  provide  for  a  sewer  in  every  street, 
and  the  purpose  is  to  add  to  the  existing  system  every  year  to  some 
extent.  In  the  summer  of  1895  several  prominent  citizens  of  the  city 
applied  to  the  Common  Council  for  a  franchise  for  a  new  gas  company. 
After  much  discussion  the  franchise  was  granted  upon  condition  that 
the  applicants  pay  into  the  city  treasury  $15,000  on  or  before  Septem- 
ber 16.  This  was  done,  and  is  the  first  case  in  which  the  city  has  re- 
ceived money  for  any  grant  of  that  nature. 

Indications  now  point  to  a  still  further  extension  of  the  city  bound- 
aries at  an  early  day.  On  the  3d  of  April  a  committee  representing 
what  is  known  as  the  Huntlej^  Tract,  the  Hunt  and  Duguid  Tract  and 
School  District  No.  8  of  Salina,  and  consisting  of  Herman  Roese, 
Henry  L.  Carter,  George  W.  Ruch,  Jacob  Beacraft,  William  Huntley, 
J.  W.  De  Long,  and  J.  Palmer  Cross,  placed  before  the  city  authorities 
a  proposition  for  annexation  of  the  territory  named.  They  made 
liberal  offers  as  to  payment  of  their  share  of  Salina  bonds  and  city 
taxes.  This  annexation  would  add  to  the  city  population  about  1,500, 
and  increase  the  valuation  by  nearly  $250,000.  It  can  be  only  a  few 
years  at  most  before  Elmwood,  Solvay,  Eastwood  Heights,  and  other 
points  of  settlement  will  join  the  progressive  municipality  and  aid  in 
making  it  the  leading  city  of  the  Empire  State. 
The  mayors  of  the  city  have  been  as  follows: 

1848,  Harvey  Baldwin,  Dem.  ;  1849,  Elias  W.  Leavenworth,  Whig; 
1850,  Alfred  H.  Hovey,  Whig;  1851,  Moses  D.  Burnet,  Locofoco, 
(declined  to  qualify),  Horace  Wheaton  (appointed  by  Common  Council) ; 
1852,  Jason  C.  Woodruff,  Locofoco;  1853,  Dennis  McCarthy,  Locofoco; 
1854,  Allen  Munroe,  Whig;  1855,  Lyman  Stevens,  Republican;  1856-7, 
Charles  F.  Williston,  Dem.  ;  1858,  William  Winton,  Dem. ;  1859,  Elias 
W.  Leavenworth,  Rep.  ;  1860,  Amos  Westcott,  Rep.  ;  1861-2,  Charles 
Andrews,  Rep.  ;  1863,  Daniel  Bookstaver,  Dem. ;  1864,  Archibald  C. 
Powell,   Rep. ;  1865-7,  William  D.  Stewart,  Dem. ;  1868,  Charles  An- 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  493 

drews,  Rep.;  1869-70,  Charles  P.  Clark,  Rep.;  L871-2,  Francis  E. 
Carroll,  Dera. ;  1873,  William  J.  Wallace,  Rep.;  1874,  Nathan  F. 
Graves,  Dem.  ;  1875,  George  P.  Hier,  Rep.  ;  187G,  John  Crouse,  Rep.; 
1877-8,  James  J.  Belden,  Rep.  ;  1879,  Irving  C.  Vann,  Rep. 
Francis  Hendricks,  Rep.  ;  1882,  John  Demong,  Dem.  ;  1883-5,  Thomas 
Ryan,  Dem.  ;  1886-7,  Willis  B.  Burns,  Rep.;  1888-9,  William  B.  Kirk, 
Dem.  ;  1890-1,  William  Cowie,  Rep.  ;  1892-4,  Jacob  Amos. 

The  Fire  Department. — The  reader  has  already  learned  of  the  organ- 
ization of  the  first  fire  company  in  vSyracuse  and  its  primitive  equip- 
ment. This  organization  was  the  result  of  the  following  resolutions; 
the  first  one  was  adopted  on  May  9,  1825,  the  year  of  the  ineorporation 
of  the  village,  thus: 

Resolved,  That  the  safety  of  the  village  requires  that  immediate  measuresbe  taken 
to  procure  a  good  fire  engine,  and  that  M.  D.  Burnet,  on  behalf  of  this  board,  take 
measures  to  ascertain  and  report  as  soon  as  may  be,  on  what  terms  such  engine 
with  necessary  hose  may  be  procured. 

Mr.  Burnet  made  the  necessary  investigation,  and  on  the  7th  of  June 
the  board  adopted  the  following : 

Whereas,  The  Albany  Insurance  Company  has  proposed  to  this  village,  that  the 
said  company  will  loan  the  sum  of  $1,000  to  be  used  in  the  purchase  of  a  good  and 
sufficient  fire  engine,  with  proper  implements,  to  extinguish  fires,  on  the  following 
conditions: — The  village  to  secure  the  payment  of  that  sum  in  four  years,  by  a  bond 
under  the  corporate  seal,  two  years  without  interest,  and  after  that  three  per  cent,  a 
year  for  the  remainder  of  the  time  ;  therefore, 

Resolved,  That  the  trustees  of  the  village  be  authorized  to  effect  the  loan  of  the 
sum  of  §1,000  on  the  terms  aforesaid,  and  that  the  same  be  applied  to  the  purchase 
of  a  good  first-rate  fire  engine,  and  that  they  procure  the  same  under  the  corporate 
seal. 

Resolved,  That  the  sum  of  $150  be  raised  for  the  purpose  of  building  an  engine 
house,  purchasing  necessary  hooks  and  ladders,  which  sum  to  be  assessed  on  said 
village,  pursuant  to  statute. 

It  is  only  seventy  years  ago  that  these  resolutions  were  adopted,  and 
they  clearly  show  what  an  important  matter  seemed  the  raising  of  so 
small  a  sum  of  money  at  that  time.  Joshua  Forman  was  designated  to 
make  the  purchase  of  the  engine,  and  on  the  11th  of  October  of  that 
year  he  reported  the  purchase  in  New  York  of  an  engine  and  hose  at 
a  cost  of  $925.  Fire  Company  No.  1  was  thereupon  organized,  with 
Thomas  B.  Heermans,  captain,  and  thirty- five  members,  the  list  in- 
cluding most  of  the  prominent  citizens  of  the  village,  as  given  on  a 
preceding  page. 

This  engine  and  company,  with  the  addition  of  fire  buckets  provided 


494  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

by  owners  and  occupants  of  dwellings  and  shops,  fire  hooks,  etc., 
served  the  village  until  1832,  when  the  village  authorities  adopted 
measures  for  the  organization  of  a  second  company.  At  a  meeting 
held  January  23,  1832,  it  was  voted  to  levy  a  tax  of  $850  for  this  pur- 
pose, and  in  April  Charles  E.  Leon  was  authorized  to  purchase  the  en- 
gine. A  company  was  immediately  organized  with  the  following 
members:  Parley  Bassett,  William  S.  Campbell,  Alfred  Daumas, 
Henry  Davis,  jr.,  T.  B.  Fitch,  William  M.  Fitch,  Ezra  Foster,  jr.,  I. 
A.  Hall,  L.  P.  Hall,  Solomon  R.  Howlett,  A.  A.  Hudson,  Benjamin  C. 
Lathrop,  Charles  L.  Lyons,  James  Manning,  Horace  Pemberton,  Jacob 
Raynor,  Willet  Raynor,  Charles  T.  Stanton,  Joseph  H.  Starin,  R.  A. 
Yoe,  William  K.  Lathrop,  and  Gardner  Lawrence.  Here  again  we 
find  the  names  of  many  leading  citizens  of  that  day.  A  meeting  to 
make  provision  for  a  second  engine  house  was  held  on  April  26,  1832; 
only  eighteen  persons  attended,  but  the  business  was  dispatched.  John 
Wilkinson  made  a  motion  that  "the  location  of  the  two  engine  houses 
be  fixed  at  the  west  end  of  the  public  square  [Clinton  Square]  in  the 
center  of  said  village,  one  on  each  side  of  the  canal,  immediately  con- 
tiguous to  the  bridge."  Twelve  of  the  eighteen  persons  voted  in  favor 
of  the  motion.  On  the  same  day  the  contract  for  building  the  two 
houses  was  awarded  to  Henry  Gifford  for  $300.  In  1835  a  resolution 
was  adopted  to  appropriate  $595  for  the  purchase  of  two  lots,  and  the 
house  of  No.  1  was  removed  westward  on  Water  street,  where  in  after 
years  it  served  as  a  boiler  house  for  Alexander,  Bradley  &  Dunning; 
and  No.  3  was  removed  to  the  rear  of  the  old  county  clerk's  office.  In 
September,  1836,  a  meeting  was  held  and  measures  adopted  under 
which  a  third  engine  was  purchased  and  a  house  was  built  for  it  a  little 
later.  Within  a  very  few  years  thereafter  Company  No.  4  was  organ- 
ized, but  under  what  conditions  the  records  do  not  indicate.  Company 
No.  5  followed  early  in  1843,  and  the  taxpayers  came  together  to  make 
arrangements  for  building  a  house  for  the  fifth  engine;  it  was  built  in 
June  of  that  year  on  the  old  site  of  No.  1,  at  a  cost  of  $500.  The 
sum  of  $75  was  appropriated  for  the  purchase  of  a  "bucket  wagon," 
and  at  about  the  same  time  a  new  engine  was  purchased  at  an  expense 
of  $750.  In  1844  W.  A.  Cook  was  chief  of  the  department,  and  J.'W. 
Barker  assistant.  Later  in  that  year  Henry  Gifford  was  elected  chief, 
and  Stephen  W.  Cadwell,  assistant,  both  leading  citizens.  At  a  little 
later  period  Mr.  Gifford  held  the  office  of  chief  many  years. 

On   August  4,    1845,    it   was  resolved   by  the  trustees   "that  Bucket 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  495 

Company  No.  1  be  permitted  to  take  Engine  No.  4  and  become  a  fire 
company,  provided  they  give  up  their  warrants  as  bucket  men,  to- 
gether with  their  keys,  and  leave  the  bucket  wagon  and  house  in  good 
order,  so  Engine  Company  No.  4  can  be  filled  up  to  its  full  comple- 
ment." In  the  same  year  Philo  N.  Rust  was  appointed  chief  and 
Hamilton  White  (who  had  come  to  the  village  five  years  previous)  as- 
sistant. At  the  request  of  the  trustees  these  men  made  an  investiga- 
tion and  prepared  a  report  to  the  effect  that  they  found  two  of  the 
companies  with  no  efficient  organization;  that  it  was  difficult  to  induce 
a  sufficient  number  of  "spirited  young  men"  to  join  them,  as  the  mem- 
bership was  a  tax  upon  them  financially  and  otherwise.  They  sug- 
gested that  "the  corporation  appropriate  $100  for  each  of  the  tire 
engine  companies,  one  hook  and  ladder  company  and  one  bucket  com- 
pany, to  be  expended  for  equipage,  to  be  under  direction  of  the  trus- 
tees." These  suggestions  were  carried  out  a  little  later,  and  consti- 
tuted the  first  payment  of  money  as  partial  inducement  for  young  men 
to  become  firemen.  Still  it  was  felt  that  the  department  was  not  com- 
mensurate with  the  importance  of  the  village,  although  it  had.  as  we 
have  shown,  grown  rapidly.  It  was,  therefore,  determined  in  L846 
that  radical  changes  should  be  made.  Notice  was  published  that  the 
Legislature  would  be  asked  to  incorporate  the  Fire  Department  of 
Syracuse,  and  in  the  following  year  a  committee  consisting  of  John 
Wilkinson,  James  R.  Lawrence,  Hamilton  White,  Henry  Gifford  and 
Capt.  Hiram  Putnam  was  appointed  to  reorganize  the  department. 
This  resulted  in  delegating  the  care  of  the  engines  and  apparatus  to  a 
board  of  three  men  who  should  have  broad  powers  and  be  responsible 
only  to  the  trustees  of  the  village.  Oliver  Teall,  Henry  Gifford  and 
John  Wilkinson  were  appointed  on  this  board.  From  that  time  until 
1862  the  department  performed  efficient  service,  and  was  kept  abreast 
of  the  demands  of  the  city  in  the  purchase  of  new  engines,  the  build- 
ing of  engine  houses  and  organization  of  companies.  In  1850,  after 
the  reorganization  had  been  fully  consummated,  the  department  con- 
sisted of  the  following:  Chief  engineer,  Jacob  Smith ;  first  assistant. 
Abraham  Fredendall ;  second  assistant,  Elijah  Clark.  Company  No.  I. 
Salina  Blues,  organized  1825 ;  foreman,  David  Smith.  Company  No. 
2,  Rough  and  Ready,  organized  184*5 ;  foreman,  Edwin  Brown.  Com- 
pany No.  3,  Deluge;  foreman,  Peter  Conrad.  Company  No.  I,  Em- 
pire; foreman,  Peter  Ohneth.  Company  No.  5,  Champion,  organized 
1848;  foreman,    V.    P.   Effner.      Company  No.    6,  Cataract,    organized 


496  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

1845;  foreman,  Benjamin  L.  Higgins.  Company  No.  7,  Eagle,  organ- 
ized 1850;  foreman,  George  Scoville.  These  dates  of  organization,  or 
at  least  part  of  them,  refer,  of  course,  to  the  date  of  second  organiza- 
tion under  the  new  order  above  alluded  to.  In  1853-4  the  following 
were  officers  in  the  department:  Chief.  V.  P.  Effner;  first  assistant,  F. 
X.  Oliver;  second  assistant,  William  Tisdale.  In  1854-5  two  new 
engines  were  purchased,  and  Benjamin  L.  Higgins  was  elected  chief; 
James  Spencer,  first  assistant ;  Francis  Jackson,  second  assistant.  The 
new  engines  were  placed  in  charge  of  Companies  No.  7  and  8.  At  this 
time  the  location  of  the  several  companies  was  as  follows:  No.  1,  First 
ward;  No.  2,  Salt  Springs,  First  ward;  No.  3,  Young  America,  Bank 
alley,  Sixth  ward;  No.  4,  Empire,  Division  street;  No.  5,  Champion, 
Montgomery  street ;  No.  6,  Cataract,  Clinton  street;  No.  7,  Franklin, 
Eighth  ward ;  No.  8,  Eagle,  West  street.  The  chief  was  now  assigned 
duties  as  fire  inspector  and  paid  a  salary  of  $200.  A  bucket  wagon 
with  100  buckets  was  still  in  service  and  a  well  equipped  hook  and 
ladder  company.  Chief  Higgins  remained  in  the  position  until  1862, 
when  he  resigned  and  was  succeeded  by  Walter  Welch,  with  Charles 
L.  Guerber,  first  assistant;  John  Steadman,  second  assistant,  and  Ed- 
mund Schneider,  third  assistant.  One  year  later  Chief  Welch  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Simeon  Luce  to  fill  vacancy  until  1864,  when  Philip  Eckel 
began  his  long  and  very  efficient  term  at  the  head  of  the  department. 
He  remained  in  the  position  until  1877,  when  on  the  2d  of  April  the 
Fire  Department  was  organized  on  the  plan  that  has  ever  since  existed. 
The  first  Board  of  Fire  Commissioners,  appointed  by  Mayor  James  J. 
Belden,  were  Henry  L.  Duguid,  president;  Henry  J.  Mowry,  Francis 
Hendricks  and  Chauncey  B.  Clark.  At  the  first  meeting  of  the  board 
Ira  Wood  was  appointed  chief  engineer,  and  two  weeks  later  Charles  J. 
Miller  was  appointed  clerk  of  the  board;  Philip  Eckel,  assistant  engi- 
neer, attd  Horatio  Kirtland,  superintendent  of  the  Fire  Alarm  Tele- 
graph. The  department  was  placed  on  a  paid  basis,  the  salary  of  the 
chief  being  $1,200;  assistant,  $800;  clerk,  $600;  superintendent,  $800; 
engineers,  $720;  foremen,  $600,  and  the  members  of  companies  $480. 
The  force  and  equipment  at  the  time  of  this  reorganization  consisted 
of  thirty-four  paid  men,  including  officers,  all  properly  uniformed;  four 
Amoskea^  steam  fire  engines,  the  first  one  purchased  in  1865,  two 
others  purchased  in  1867,  and  the  other  in  January,  1872;  one  Cham- 
pion chemical  fire  extinguisher;  one  hook  and  ladder  truck  and  five 
hose  carriages,  with  11,000  feet  of  hose,  sixteen  horses,  and  the  engine 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  497 

houses  all  in  good  repair.  The  Fire  Alarm  Telegraph  was  put  in  oper- 
ation in  1870,  and  at  this  time  had  thirty-four  signal  boxes.  In  1878 
Hamilton  S.  White  was  made  president  of  the  Board  of  Fire  Commis- 
sioners, and  held  the  office  a  total  of  seven  years.  No  other  man  has 
so  unselfishly  devoted  his  time  and  means  to  the  welfare  of  the  depart- 
ment as  Mr.  White.  The  report  of  the  board  for  1878-9  contained  the 
following : 

Chemical  Fire  Extinguisher  No.  2,  bought  and  maintained  by  Commissioner 
White  at  his  own  expense,  has  proved  an  invaluable  aid  to  the  department.  Com- 
missioner White  has  erected  and  furnished  an  engine  house  which  is  a  model  of 
beauty  and  convenience.  It  possesses  every  facility  for  prompt  responses  to  alarms, 
and  is  lacking  in  nothing  which  could  add  to  the  comfort  and  efficiency  of  his  com- 
pany, which  is  composed  of  young  men  well  known  to  this  community,  possessing 
the  confidence  and  respect  of  all,  enthusiastic  and  capable  in  their  work ;  they  add 
greatly  to  the  strength  of  the  department,  giving  their  services  heartily  and 
promptly  without  cost  to  the  city. 

In  October,  1881,  Chief  Ira  Wood  resigned  and  Philip  Eckel  was 
placed  at  the  head  of  the  department,  with  Henry  Reilly  assistant.  In 
April,  1883,  Chemical  Company  No.  1  was  organized,  and  became  a 
valuable  aid  in  the  department.  The  engine  had  been  purchased  by 
Hamilton  S.  White  several  years  earlier  and  placed  in  a  private  engine 
house  on  East  Genesee  street,  built  and  fitted  up  in  the  most  complete 
manner  by  him,  where  he  maintained  a  company  at  his  own  expense. 
In  the  year  named  he  turned  the  apparatus  over  to  the  city.  In  June, 
1885,  a  new  Silsby  steamer  was  purchased  and  the  old  No.  1  engine 
was  placed  in  reserve.  On  the  1st  of  June,  1886,  Chief  Eckel  was 
thrown  from  a  ladder  truck  while  going  to  a  fire  and  fatally  injured. 
This  was  a  severe  loss  to  the  department.  The  vacancy  was  filled  by 
the  promotion  of  First  Assistant  Chief  Henry  Reilly,  who  has  efficiently 
acted  in  that  capacity  to  the  present  time.  Steamer  Engineer  Nicholas 
Eckel  of  Company  No.  2  was  promoted  to  first  assistant  chief,  and  John 
P.  Quigley  of  Company  No.  1  was  made  second  assistant.  A  Hayes 
truck  was  added  to  the  equipment  in  November,  1886,  and  stationed 
at  the  house  of  No.  1,  and  the  old  truck  was  removed  to  the  house  of 
No.  2. 

In  1888  the  equipment  of  the  department  was  strengthened  by  the 
addition  of  Hook  and  Ladder  Company  No.  2,  with  a  Gleason  &  Bailey 
truck,  which  was  located  on  Division  street,  and  a  second  class  Silsby 
engine,  located  at  engine  house  No.  3,  on  Wyoming  street.  A  new  lot 
was  also  purchased  in  the  new  Ninth  ward,  and  an  engine  house  erected 

63 


408  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

for  steamer  No.  5,  at  a  cost  of  $7,785.  In  1888  anew  engine  was  bought, 
which  is  now  in  No.  7,  and  a  supply  wagon  was  purchased  for  the  de- 
partment. 

Following  is  a  list  of  the  various  companies,  the  engines  in  their 
charge  and  dates  when  they  entered  the  service,  and  other  details : 

Engine  Company  No.  1,  located  on  Montgomery  street,  between  Washington  and 
Water  streets,  with  a  first  class  Clapp  &  Jones  engine  which  entered  service  October 
17,  1891. 

Engine  Company  No.  2,  located  on  Division  street  between  North  Salina  and 
Townsend  streets,  with  a  second  class  Amoskeag  engine,  entered  the  service  in  Octo- 
ber, 1867. 

Engine  Company  No.  3,  located  on  Wyoming  street,  near  Fayette,  with  second 
class  Silsby  engine  which  entered  service  in  December,  1887.  This  is  also  the  loca- 
tion of  the  hose  depot.  In  reserve  a  second  class  Amoskeag  engine  which  entered 
service  in  March,  1866. 

Engine  Company  No.  4,  located  on  Wolf  street  between  North  Salina  and  Park 
streets,  second  class  double  pump  Amoskeag  engine,  entered  service  in  November, 
1871. 

Engine  Company  Xo.  5,  located  at  the  corner  of  Hamilton  and  Furnace  streets, 
third  class  Silsby  engine,  entered  service  in  June,  1885;  company  organized  March 
31,  1S88. 

Engine  Company  No.  6,  located  on  South  Clinton  street.  First  class  Clapp  &  Jones 
engine;  entered  service  October  17,  1891. 

Engine  Company  No.  7,  located  on  East  Fayette  street ;  second  class  Silsby  engine, 
entered  service  April  12,  1888. 

Chemical  Company  No.  1,  located  on  East  Genesee  street,  between  Orange  and 
Grape  streets.  Two  Champion  chemical  extinguishers  equipped  with  ladders  and 
hand  extinguishers.     Company  organized  April  24,  1883. 

Hook  and  Ladder  Company  No.  1,  located  on  Montgomery  street,  between  Wash- 
ington and  Water  streets,  Hayes  hook  and  ladder  truck  and  fire  escape;  entered  ser- 
vice November  30,  1886. 

I  look  and  Ladder  Company  No.  'J,  located  on  Division  street,  between  North- 
Salina  and  Townsend  streets;  Babcock  Aerial  hook  and  ladder  truck  ;  organized  May 
30,  1887;  entered  service  1892. 

Water  Tower  Company  No.  1,  located  on  East  Genesee  street,  entered  service 
June,  L892. 

The  fire  alarm  telegraph  now  has   115  signal  boxes,  with  Thomas  Tyrrell,  super- 
Len1 . 

pK   Wagon  located  at  the  hose  depot,  Wyoming  street,  entered  service  March, 
1890. 

Boardi  of  Fire  Commissioners. — 1877-78  to  end  of  fiscal  year;    Hon.  James  J. 

Belden,  mayor;  Henry  L.  Duguid,  president;  Henry  J-  Mowry,  Francis  Hendricks, 

Chauncey  B.  Clark;  Charles  J.  Miller,  clerk.      1878—9 — Henry  L.  Duguid,  president; 

led  July  20,  and   Hamilton  S.  White,  appointed.     Chauncey  B.  Clark,  Henry  J. 

Mowry,  Francis  Hendricks;  Charles  J.  Miller,  clerk.      1879-80— Hamilton  S.  White, 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  499 

president;  Henry  J-  Mowry,  Charles  Listman,  Thomas  McManus;  Charles  J.  Miller, 
clerk.  1880-81 — Hamilton  S.  White,  president;  Henry  J.  Mowry,  Charles  Listman. 
Thomas  McManus;  Charles  J.  Miller,  clerk.  1881-82  Thomas  McManus,  president; 
Archimedes  Russell,  Charles  Deniong,  Charles  Listman;  Matthew  Leahey,  clerk. 
1882-83 — ThomasMcManus,  president:  Archimedes  Russell,  Charles  Uemong,  Charles 
Listman;  Matthew  Leahey,  clerk.  1883-84 — Archimedes  Russell,  president ; Charles 
Demong,  John  Dunfee,  Charles  Listman  ;  Matthew  Leahey,  clerk.  1884-85 — Archi- 
medes Russell,  president;  Charles  Demong,  John  Dunfee,  Peter  Kappeser;  Matthew 
Leahey,  clerk.  1885-86 — Hamilton  S.  White,  president;  M.  L.  Yann,  Peter  Kap- 
peser, John  Dunfee;  Matthew  Leahey,  clerk.  1886-87 — Hamilton  S.  White,  presi- 
dent ;  John  Dunfee,  Peter  Kappeser,  Martin  L.  Yann;  Matthew  Leahey,  clerk. 
1887-88 — Hamilton  S.  White,  president;  John  Dunfee,  Martin  L.  Yann,  Edward  A. 
Powell;  Matthew  Leahey,  clerk.  1888-89 — Oramel  G.  Jones,  president;  John  Dun- 
fee, Martin  L.  Yann,  Clarence  G.  Brown;  Matthew  Leahey,  clerk.  1889-90-  Oramel 
G.  Jones,  president;  John  Dunfee,  Martin  L.  Yann,  Clarence  G.  Brown;  Matthew 
Leahey,  clerk.  1890-91 — Oramel  G.  Jones,  president:  Clarence  G.  Brown.  Edward 
Kanaley,  Martin  L.  Yann;  Patrick  Sullivan,  clerk.  1891-92 — Oramel  G.  Jones,  pres- 
ident; Edward  Kanaley,  Martin  L.  Yann,  Hamilton  S.  White;  Patrick  Sullivan, 
clerk.  1892-93 — Oramel  G.  Jones,  president;  Edward  Kanaley,  Martin  L.  Yann, 
Hamilton  S.  White;  Patrick  Sullivan,  clerk.  1893-94— Hamilton  S.  White,  presi- 
dent; Adolph  H.  Schwarz,  James  W.  Eager,  Edward  Ryan;  James  A.  Allis,  clerk. 
1894-95 — Hamilton  S.  White,  president;  Adolph  H.  Schwarz,  James  W.  Eager, 
Edward  Ryan;  James  A.  Allis,  clerk. 

The  Poliee  Department — During  the  period  between  the  incorporation 
of  the  village  of  Syracuse  (1825)  and  the  change  to  a  city  government 
in  1848,  the  public  peace  was  preserved,  if  at  all,  by  spasmodic,  tran- 
sient and  ineffective  means.  The  village  constables  of  early  days 
doubtless  performed  their  duties  to  the  best  of  their  ability,  and  the 
various  "  watches  "  appointed  may  have  made  some  wholesale  impres- 
sion upon  the  criminal  element ;  but  the  frequent  outbreaks  of  lawless- 
ness, crime  and  incendiarism,  of  which  sufficient  record  has  been  given, 
indicate  the  difficulties  of  preserving  the  peace  in  those  days.  The 
fact  is,  the  village  and  city  grew  so  rapidly  that  it  was  difficult  for  the 
authorities  to  keep  the  governmental  departments  abreast  of  the  times. 
Rivalry  between  contiguous  villages;  a  population  in  both  of  very  di- 
verse elements  and  character  that  was  slow  in  amalgamation;  compe- 
tition for  the  glory  of  rapid  work  and  conquest  among  volunteer  fire 
companies;  celebrations  on  the  4th  of  July,  with  horse  racing,  gam- 
bling, etc.,  all  contributed  to  the  early  difficulties  encountered  by  the 
authorities  in  their  efforts  to  preserve  quiet  and  safety  in  the  commu- 
nity. It  almost  seems  that  the  voting  city  of  L848,  with  a  population 
of  20,000,  was  more  difficult  to  govern  in  this  respect  than  the  city  of 
1895  with  more  than  100,000  inhabitants. 


500  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Henry  W.  Durnford  was  paid  $25  in  March,  1827,  "for  services  as 
police  constable."  This  is  the  first  record  of  the  performance  of  any 
regular  police  duty  in  Syracuse.  In  the  following  year  Charles  Cook 
was  paid  a  like  sum  for  the  same  service.  The  approach  of  July  4, 
1838,  brought  with  it  the  apparent  necessity  for  police  duty,  and  on  the 
2d  of  that  month  six  men  were  engaged  as  a  night  watch  for  six  nights, 
at  $1  each  per  night.  A  little  later  the  number  was  reduced  to  three 
men,  and  the  bill  for  the  whole  was  paid  July  16,  $81.  In  the  summer 
of  1841  a  public  meeting  was  held,  at  which  a  committee  on  night 
watch  was  appointed,  consisting  of  seven  citizens.  This  committee 
made  a  thorough  investigation  as  to  the  causes  of  the  period  of  crime 
and  lawlessness  which  was  then  in  existence,  and  reported  that  they 
found  seventy-five  places  in  the  village  where  liquor  was  sold,  and  that 
the  situation  demanded  ' '  extraordinary  measures  to  protect  citizens 
and  their  property."  The  approaching  horse  races,  the  prevalence  of 
gaming  houses  and  the  numerous  fires  were  alluded  to  in  the  report. 
As  a  consequence  the  sum  of  $600  was  raised  for  support  of  a  night 
watch,  and  Nathan  W.  Rose,  Joseph  Flick,  Joseph  Mesmer,  James  Bur- 
rell,  Charles  Huntoon  and  Thomas  Griffith  were  appointed,  with  Mr. 
Rose  captain ;  their  pay  was  $1  per  night  each.  This  watch  continued 
in  service  until  about  the  1st  of  December  of  that  year.  In  addition 
to  these  Zophar  H.  Adams,  Philo  N.  Rust  and  Joseph  Flick  were  desig- 
nated special  police  constables  for  a  short  period  embracing  the  4th  of 
July. 

With  the  inauguration  of  the  city  government  more  efficient  police 
regulations  were  adopted,  though  nothing  like  a  perfect  system  was  in- 
augurated until  a  few  years  later.  A  public  meeting  was  called  for 
December  22,  1848,  "in  view  of  many  midnight  burglaries  and  other 
crimes,"  to  consider  the  best  means  of  abating  crime  in  the  future.  At 
this  meeting  Sylvester  House  was  recommended  as  a  suitable  person 
for  police  justice.  In  1851  Mayor  Wheat  on  suggested  an  inquiry  into 
the  police  system  to  render  it  more  efficient,  and  proposed  to  furnish 
the  force  a  room  and  provide  a  court  room.  At  about  the  same  time 
the  Council  adopted  a  resolution  that  "  Police  Constables  for  the  ensu- 
ing year  be  required  to  lodge  at  the  Watch  House,  two  each  night, 
without  extra  compensation."  The  names  of  the  police  for  1852  were 
Varnum  C.  James,  Emery  Ormsby,  Harry  Henderson,  Thomas  Davis, 
Joseph  Kinyon,  L.  M.  Hollister,  and  Henry  Shattuck.  Ten  special 
police  constables  were  appointed  for  March  and  April,  because  of  nu- 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  501 

merous  fires.  In  March,  1853,  a  committee  from  the  Council  was  re- 
quested to  report  on  a  better  organization  of  the  police  force.  The 
only  important  recommendation  of  the  committee  was  the  appointment 
of  one  of  the  eight  policemen  as  chief,  with  salary  of  $500  annually  to 
each  member.  In  the  following  year  the  office  of  chief  of  police  was 
abolished  and  the  duties  substantially  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  police 
justice,  while  the  mayor  was  made  responsible  for  the  general  efficiency 
of  the  force. 

In  1855-56  the  numerous  fires'  and  prevailing  lawlessness  and  crime 
created  so  much  public  indignation  that  a  public  meeting  was  called  to 
consider  changes  in  the  charter  "having  for  their  object  the  better  and 
more  economical  management  of  the  affairs  of  the  city. "  Meanwhile 
a  committee  from  the  Common  Council  had  prepared  a  bill  for  the 
Legislature  for  the  improvement  of  the  police  system  of  the  city.  A 
meeting  was  held  February  7, 1856,  at  which  Jason  C.  Woodruff  presided, 
to  consider  proposed  changes  in  the  system.  It  was  there  determined 
to  retain  the  force  as  then  constituted  and  to  re-create  the  office  of 
chief  of  police  with  broad  and  well-defined  powers.  In  the  same  month 
another  public  meeting  was  held  to  devise  a  plan  for  protecting  the 
city  against  incendiaries,  burglaries,  and  robberies;  the  appointment  of 
a  paid  night  watch  for  temporary  service  followed.  Charter  amend- 
ments were  made  in  that  year  fixing  the  salary  of  the  chief  of  police  at 
$800;  of  policemen,  $600,  and  of  police  justice,  $1,200.  Early  in  the 
year  1867  the  chief  reported  the  number  of  places  of  all  kinds  where 
liquors  were  sold  as  by  far  too  many,  and  proclaimed  that  he  should 
enforce  the  laws  against  the  traffic,  and  a  period  of  better  government 
was  inaugurated  which  continued  through  the  war  period. 

In  Mayor  William  D.  Stewart's  inaugural  address  of  1867  he  recom- 
mended doubling  the  number  of  policemen.  Thomas  Davis  was  ap- 
pointed chief  in  1867,  and  the  organization  of  the  police  force  upon  its 
present  basis  took  place  in  1869,  when  an  act  was  passed  by  the  Legis- 
lature providing  for  the  election  in  that  year  of  four  police  commission- 
ers, two  of  whom  should  be  elected  by  ballot,  and  the  two  receiving 
the  next  highest"  number  of  votes  to  those  delared  elected  should  be 
appointed  by  the  Common  Council.  Two  of  these  officers  were  to  hold 
office  until  March,  1871,  and  two  until  March,  1873.  The  term  of  the 
office  after  that  was  made  four  years,  two  to  be  elected  in  each  year. 
This  board  was  authorized  to  appoint  not  to  exceed  thirty  policemen 
to  enter  upon  their  duties  April  1,  1869;  also  to  appoint  such  further 


502  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

number  as  the  Council  might  at  any  time  request,  up  to  thirty  four, 
and  also  such  special  policemen  as  might  be  deemed  necessary,  not 
exceeding  in  number  the  regular  force,  and  to  not  serve  more  than  ten 
days.  Compensation  for  the  regular  force  was  fixed  at  $65  per  month. 
The  appointment  of  a  chief,  a  captain  of  the  night  watch,  and  four  de- 
tectives was  authorized,  and  other  proper  regulations  legalized.  On 
the  15th  of  April,  1870,  the  pay  of  policemen  was  raised  to  $75  per 
month  and  that  of  captain  of  the  night  watch  to  $100  per  month.  On 
May  17,  1879,  the  numerical  limit  of  the  force  was  increased  to  forty- 
two  men  and  the  number  of  detectives  to  seven.  On  June  21,  1881, 
various  amendments  were  made  to  the  law  of  1869,  the  principal  change 
being  the  transfer  to  the  mayor  of  the  appointment  of  Police  Commis- 
sioners and  giving  him  power  of  removal  of  the  members.  In  the  act 
of  1885,  revising  and  consolidating  the  various  acts  relating  to  the  gov- 
ernment of  Syracuse  and  amending  the  charter,  the  maximum  of  the 
salary  paid  to  the  chief  was  fixed  at  $150  per  month  and  making  him 
clerk  to  the  Board  of  Commissioners.  The  members  of  the  force  were 
given  all  of  the  common  law  and  statutory  powers  of  constables,  ex- 
cepting the  serving  of  civil  processes.  In  May,  1890,  a  Police  Electric 
Alarm  system  was  introduced,  at  a  cost  of  $12,450,  which,  with  the 
patrol  wagon,  introduced  in  the  summer  of  1885,  placed  the  department 
on  a  plane  of  efficiency  that  is  not  excelled  in  any  similar  city  in  the 
country. 

The  succession  of  chiefs  of  police  has  been  as  follows:  The  first 
chief  was  Sylvester  House  and  the  second  Robert  Richardson  Davis. 
Thomas  Mulholland  then  held  the  position  under  two  years  of  Charles 
Andrews's  administration  as  mayor  (1861-62),  and  was  succeeded  under 
Mayor  Bookstaver  in  1863  by  Thomas  Davis.  Norman  C.  Otis  was  ap- 
pointed in  1864  under  Mayor  A.  C.  Powell,  and  was  succeeded  by  Fred 
Schug  under  Mayor  Stewart  in  1865;  but  he  was  displaced  in  1867  by 
Thomas  Davis,  who  served  a  year.  Thomas  Mulholland  was  then  ap- 
pointed and  served  until  the  reorganization  in  1869,  when  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Thomas  Davis,  who  served  until  his  death  January  8,  1880. 
On  the  23d  of  that  month  James  Harvey  was  appointed,  but  was  re- 
moved September  '27,  1881,  and  was  succeeded  by  Alexander  McCall. 
II'-  was  removed  May  3,  18s->,  and  was  succeeded  by  Charles  R.  Wright, 
the  present  chief.  Very  much  of  the  present  high  efficiency  of  the  Syr- 
acuse police  force  is  due  to  the  peculiar  genius  of  Mr.  Wright. 

The  succession  of  police  justices  has  been  as  follows:   Richard  Wool- 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE. 

worth  was  the  first  incumbent  of  the  office  and  was  succeeded  by  Will- 
iam A.  Cook  and  he  by Hickok.     Between  his  administration  and 

1860,  Sylvester  House,  J.  C.  Cuddeback  and  Henry  Y.  Thompson  filled 
the  position;  in  1860  L.  L.  Alexander  was  elected  and  served  one  term 
of  four  years,  to  be  succeeded  by  George  Stevens.  In  1868  Henry  Gifford 
was  elected,  and  was  succeeded  by  Patrick  Corbett,  who  served  until 
1872.  His  successor  was  L.  L.  Alexander,  who  served  to  1877,  when 
Thomas  Mulholland  was  elected  and  by  repeated  elections  with  enor- 
mous majorities  he  was  kept  in  the  office  until  his  death  November  27, 
1894.     The  present  justice  (1895)  is  Nathaniel  M.  White. 

The  present  police  force  consists  of  the  chief,  captain  of  the  night 
watch,  four  detectives,  a  sergeant,  an  officeman,  three  roundsmen,  a 
doorman,  and  sixty-two  patrolmen. 

Following  are  the  various  Boards  of  Police  Commissioners:  1869 — Peter  Burns. 
George  P.  Hier,  Garrett  Doyle,  George  A.  Ostrander.  1*71 — Charles  P.  Clark. 
George  P.  Hier,  Garrett  Doyle,  George  A.  Ostrander.  1873 — Charles  P.  Clark,  F. 
W.  Deesz,  Garrett  Doyle,  William  Baumgras.  187o — William  Baumgras,  F.  W. 
Deesz,  Daniel  Gere,  Robert  McCarthy.  1876 — William  Baumgras,  F.  W.  Deesz 
(resigned),  Orrin  Welch  (appointed),  Daniel  Gere,  Robert  McCarthy.  1877 — Robert 
McCarthy,  Orrin  Welch,  Daniel  Gere,  Jacob  Knapp.  1878 — Robert  McCarthy,  John 
Moore  (vice  Orrin  Welch,  deceased),  Daniel  Gere,  Jacob  Knapp.  1879 — Daniel  Gere, 
Charles  R.  Wright,  Jacob  Knapp,  John  Moore.  1881 — Daniel  Gere,  Charles  R. 
Wright,  Jacob  Knapp,  Thomas  Murphy.  1881  (appointed  in  August) — John  R. 
Whitlock,  John  D.  Gray,  Charles  Schlosser,  Edward  D.  Lewis.  May,  1882— J.  D. 
Ackerman,  William  B.  Kirk,  jr.,  Rhody  Mara,  Thurston  W.  Brewster.  March,  1883 
— William  B.  Kirk,  jr.,  Thurston  W.  Brewster,  J.  D.  Ackerman,  Rhody  Mara.  Oc- 
tober, 1884— J.  D.  Ackerman,  Bruce  S.  Aldrich,  T.  D.  Brewster,  Rhody  Mara. 
March,  1885 — T.  W.  Brewster,  Bruce  S.  Aldrich,  Daniel  O'Brien,  Nicholas  Latterner. 
April,  1885— Nicholas  Latterner,  David  K.  McCarthy,  Bruce  S.  Aldrich,  Daniel 
O'Brien.  January,  1886 — Nicholas  Latterner,  James  H.  Doolittle,  Bruce  S.  Aldrich, 
Daniel  O'Brien.  February,  1887 — Darwin  L.  Pickard,  William  B.  Kirk,  jr.,  Charles 
Schlosser,  Patrick  Slattery.  Mr.  Pickard  resigned  in  February  and  the  other  mem- 
bers were  removed.  The  new  board  appointed  was  as  follows:  Dwight  H.  Bruce, 
John  W.  Yale,  Edward  D.  Lewis,  Anton  V.  Altman.  1888 — Same  as  above.  April 
3,  D.  H.  Bruce  resigned,  and  on  May  9  George  E.  Dana  was  appointed  to  fill 
vacancy.  June,  1888 — John  W.  Yale  resigned  and  Philip  S.  Ryder  was  appointed  to 
fill  vacancy,  leaving  the  board  as  follows:  Edward  D.  Lewis,  Anton  V.  Altman, 
Philip  S.  Ryder,  George  E.  Dana.  March,  1889 — Same  as  above.  March,  1891  — 
Henry  Lyon,  George  E.  Dana,  Edward  D.  Lewis,  Charles  Listman.  1892 — George 
E.  Dana,  Charles  Listman,  Henry  Lyon,  Edward  D.  Lewis.  1893-5— Charles  M 
Warner,  Charles  Listman,  Henry  Lyon,  S.  A.  De  Gan. 

Syracuse  City  Water  Works. — The  first  public  measure  having  for  its 
object  a  water  supply  for  Syracuse  was  the  passage  of  an  act  of  the  L< 


504  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

1  at u re  on  March  27,  1821,  entitled,  "An  Act  to  Supply  the  Village  of 
Syracuse  with  Wholesome  Water."  This  act  granted  to  the  people  of 
the  village  the  right  to  use  water  from  any  springs  on  adjacent  lands 
belonging  to  the  State,  and  provided  for  the  election  of  three  trustees, 
at  an  election  to  be  held  at  the  house  of  Sterling  Cossitt,  "innkeeper  in 
said  village,"  on  the  first  Monday  in  May,  1821,  who  should  have 
power  to  transact  all  business  relating  to  a  water  supply.  It  does  not 
appear  on  the  records  that  anything  was  accomplished  under  this  act. 

The  act  incorporating  the  village,  passed  April  13,  1825,  vested  all 
the  rights,  property  and  powers  of  the  trustees  of  the  water  works  in 
the  village  corporation,  and  the  hypothetical  water  works  remained 
under  control  of  the  village  trustees  until  1829.  On  the  23d  of  April 
of  this  year  an  act  was  passed  by  the  Legislature  authorizing  the  trus- 
tees of  the  village  to  convey  to  Oliver  Teall  all  their  water  rights  and 
powers  for  the  term  of  twenty  years,  and  Mr.  Teall  was  invested  with 
all  the  rights  and  powers  granted  in  the  original  act  of  1821.  This  act 
also  prescribed  the  rates  which  Mr.  Teall  should  charge  for  water,  viz.  : 
a  private  family,  not  exceeding  $5  per  year;  a  boarding  house  $10,  and 
a  hotel  $10.  In  case  Mr.  Teall  failed  to  exercise  the  rights  and  powers 
granted  him  within  one  year  from  the  date  of  the  act,  they  were  to  re- 
vert to  the  village,  which  proved  to  be  the  case,  and  they  were  then  re- 
conveyed  to  him  for  a  period  of  thirty-five  years  by  an  act  passed  April 
22,  1834.  Nothing  further  was  accomplished  until  March  29,  1842, 
when  an  amendment  to  former  acts  was  passed,  permitting  Mr.  Teal 
to  charge  $10  per  year  for  supplying  water  to  a  private  family,  $20  to  a 
boarding  house  and  $40  to  a  hotel.  Under  this  amendment  Mr.  Teall 
began  the  construction  of  his  water  works.  The  first  wooden  pipes 
were  laid  in  1842  or  early  in  1843,  and  brought  water  from  springs  sit- 
uated at  the  foot  of  the  hill  above  Lodi  street,  on  blocks  404  and  504. 
Subsequently  Ira  Seymour  and  Aaron  Burt  became  associated  with 
Mr.  Teall  in  the  water  works,  under  the  firm  name  of  Teall,  Seymour 
&  Burt,  which  continued  until  1849. 

On  the  15th  of  April,  1849,  soon  after  the  incorporation  of  the  city,  a 
special  act  of  the  Legislature  incorporated  the  Syracuse  City  Water 
Works  Company.  The  incorporators  were  Oliver  Teall,  Ira  Seymour, 
John  Wilkinson,  Hamilton  White  and  Robert  Furman.  This  act  was 
amended  April  8,  1851,  requiring  the  company  to  supply  water  to  the 
city  on  specified  terms.  Various  amendments  to  the  incorporating  act 
were   passed  down  to    1877,   relating  to  an  increase  of  capital,  to  pro- 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  505 

tecting  the  interests  and  works  of  the  company,  etc.  In  1849  the  com- 
pany constructed  aqueducts  from  springs  in  the  valley  of  Furnace 
Brook,  in  the  town  of  Onondaga,  to  carry  water  to  a  large  stone  well, 
seventeen  feet  deep  and  lined  with  masonry;  this  well  was  on  lot  No. 
89,  Onondaga.  From  the  well  a  main  aqueduct  was  laid  towards  the 
head  of  the  Cinder  road  (West  Onondaga  street),  terminating  on  high 
ground.  The  length  of  this  aqueduct  was  about  a  mile;  it  was  built  of 
masonry  and  was  two  feet  square  on  the  inside.  At  the  northern  ter- 
mination was  an  open  reservoir  holding  3,000,000  gallons,  from  which 
the  water  was  conducted  down  the  hillside  through  brick  aqueducts  to 
a  point  where  a  log  aqueduct  of  nine  inches  bore  began,  which  conveyed 
the  water  through  Onondaga  street  to  Fayette  park,  and  thence  to  the 
railroad  in  Lock  street,  where  it  connected  with  the  wooden  aqueducts 
previously  laid. 

In  1853  extensive  improvements  were  made  in  the  works  of  the  com- 
pany. The  first  iron  pipe  was  laid,  consisting  of  852  rods,  and  a  reser- 
voir of  1,500,000  gallons  capacity  was  constructed.  The  large  reser- 
voir on  Onondaga  Hill  was  built  in  1862-65,  and  in  1865  an  additional 
distributing  reservoir  was  constructed  on  lot  89,  town  of  Onondaga. 
At  a  later  date  an  additional  supply  was  taken  from  Onondaga  Creek 
by  pumping  to  a  reservoir.  These  facilities  gave  the  city  a  reason- 
able supply  of  water  until  recent  years,  but  its  quality  was  not  always 
good. 

The  time  finally  came  when  the  growing  city  imperatively  demanded 
a  more  bountiful  and  purer  water  supply.  The  old  company  had  in- 
sisted from  time  to  time  on  an  increase  of  compensation  from  the  city, 
and  in  1884  entered  into  a  three  years'  contract  at  $26,000  per  annum, 
the  rate  that  prevailed  almost  to  the  present  time.  Since  that  time 
agitation  and  discussion  of  the  "water  question"  has  not  ceased.  At  a 
meeting  of  the  Council  March  9,  1885,  F.  B.  Merrill,  representing  the 
Central  City  Water  Works  Company,  made  a  statement  of  the  com- 
pany's plans  and  their  advantages,  and  asked  for  a  franchise.  At  the 
next  meeting  this  company  and  the  old  one  were  represented,  and  if  the 
rosy  assurances  of  either  of  the  representatives  could  have  been  fulfilled, 
Syracuse  would  long  ago  have  had  an  excellent  supply  of  pure  water. 
At  the  Council  meeting  of  March  23,  the  Central  City  Company  was 
voted  a  franchise  for  twenty  years  on  a  quite  liberal  basis,  provided 
water  was  supplied  from  a  source  that  was  acceptable  to  the  people  of 
the  city.     Now  the  strife  between  the  two  companies  became  more 

64 


50G  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

active  tharfbefore.  The  Central  City  Company  announced  its  intention 
of  beginning  work  in  April,  but  in  the  next  month  the  old  company 
obtained  an  injunction  restraining  the  city  from  taking  further  action 
in  that  direction.  In  the  fall  another  element  came  into  the  field  and 
the  contest  became  a  triangular  one.  On  the  14th  of  November  a 
citizens'  meeting  was  held  at  which  several  speakers  condemned  both 
the  old  and  the  new  companies  and  strongly  advocated  city  ownership 
of  water  works.  A  committee  of  thirty-two  was  appointed  to  investi- 
gate the  subject  of  city  ownership;  and  at  a  second  meeting,  November 
17,  a  committee  of  five  was  appointed  to  draw  a  bill  covering  the  pro- 
posed project,  and  another  committee  of  three  was  appointed  to  receive 
subscriptions  for  preliminary  investigation  ;  $750  was  subscribed  at  the 
meeting.  The  large  committee  was  subsequently  raised  to  one  hun- 
dred members  and  they  visited  Cardiff  in  company  with  Howard  Soule, 
the  experienced  engineer,  and^-were  pleased  with  the  prospect  of  there 
securing  an  excellent  supply.  Although  the  local  press  teemed  with 
communications  on  the  subject  from  scores  of  citizens,  the  Committee 
of  One  Hundred  closed  its  career  with  its  preliminary  work  of  investi- 
gation and  obtaining  information  from  many  other  cities.  In  the  mean 
time  the  old  company  were  active  and  assured  the  Common  Council 
that  if  they  could  be  assured  a  definite  contract  for  a  stipulated  period, 
they  would  immediately  make  a  heavy  investment  and  bring  a  new  and 
perfect  supply  from  the  Tully  lakes  or  elsewhere.  The  source  of  sup- 
ply proposed  by  the  Central  City  Company  was  Oneida  Lake,  which 
was  not  at  all  satisfactory  to  the  people.  In  January,  1886,  the  old 
company  announced  to  the  Council  that  they  were  willing  to  perform 
all  that  was  promised  by  the  new  one,  except  as  to  making  their  source 
of  supply  Oneida  Lake,  and  would  establish  a  scale  of  rates  as  low  as 
those  of  any  city  of  the  same  population  as  Syracuse.  On  the  15th  of 
January  a  citizens'  committee  reported  in  favor  of  municipal  ownership 
of  water  works.  In  the  same  month  104  prominent  citizens  sent  a  com- 
munication to  the  Council  approving  of  the  grant  to  the  Central  City 
Company,  and  in  response  to  a  petition  a  public  meeting  was  called  by 
the  mayor  on  January  23,  to  consider  the  subject.  A  bill  had  already 
been  drawn  providing  for  a  special  election  to  vote  upon  the  question 
of  bonding  the  city  in  the  sum  of  $1,500,000  to  build  its  own  works. 
The  sentiment  of  the  public  meeting  was  against  such  action,  and  a 
committee  was  appointed  to  visit  the  governor  in  opposition  thereto, 
but  the  bill  became  a  law  on  the  17th   of  March.      It  conferred  power 


c^V^dC^^f 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  507 

upon  the  city  to  build  its  own  water  works,  and  named  as  commis- 
sioners, Henry  L.  Duguid,  William  Kirkpatrick,  George  Barnes,  Rilev 
V.  Miller,  William  Kearney,  and  Charles  Schlosser.  On  the  6th  of 
July  City  Attorney  Jenney  reported  to  the  Council  that  the  Central 
City  Company  would  have  grounds  for  an  action  against  the  city,  if  a 
water  supply  was  provided  in  any  other  manner  but  by  that  company. 
The  sentiment  against  bonding  the  city  increased  in  strength.  A  pub- 
lic meeting  was  held  on  April  25,  where  many  leading  citizens  spoke 
against  the  measure.  The  special  election  was  held  April  27,  and 
resulted  in  a  majority  of  4,076  against  bonding. 

While  these  matters  were  progressing  William  A.  Sweet  brought  for- 
ward his  plan  for  utilizing  Salmon  River  as  a  source  of  water  supply — a 
plan  which  he  persistently  advocated  until  it  finally  became  hopeless  of 
success.  One  of  the  results  of  Mr.  Sweet's  enthusiasm  and  persistence 
was  the  appointment  of  a  committee  of  the  Common  Council  consist- 
ing of  Joseph  W.  Young  and  Charles  Listman,  who  reported  that 
Salmon  River  was  the  best  available  source  of  supply  and  that  the 
adoption  of  an  ordinance  granting  a  franchise  to  the  Sweet  Salmon 
River  Company  was  the  only  practical  solution  of  the  whole  problem. 
This  ordinance  was  then  submitted  to  the  city  attorney,  who  advised  its 
rejection,  as  there  were  then  two  bills  before  the  Legislature,  and  com- 
plications and  litigation  would  follow.  The  old  company  continued  to 
make  propositions  to  the  Council,  offering  to  supply  the  city  as  good 
water  on  as  economical  terms  as  proposed  by  any  other  company.  They 
also  inaugurated  well-drilling  on  a  large  scale  in  Onondaga  Valley, 
promising  a  bounteous  supply  from  that  source,  supporting  their  prom- 
ises wutli  the  fact  that  other  cities  were  then  obtaining  ample  water 
from  such  w?lls.  The  plans  of  the  old  company  on  this  line  found 
many  advocates  among  conservative  people. 

The  water  question  was  permitted  to  rest  in  comparative  inactivity 
until  the  election  of  Mayor  William  B.  Kirk,  in  1888,  and  to  his 
progressive  action  and  liberal  support  of  the  project  Syracuse  is  largely 
indebted  for  its  present  magnificent  water  works.  Litigation  had  been 
begun  to  determine  if  the  city  had  the  legal  right,  as  against  the  rights 
of  the  old  company,  to  build  and  own  the  works,  the  end  of  which  was 
in  favor  of  the  city.  On  the  5th  of  March,  1888  the  old  company  sub- 
mitted to  the  Council  a  proposition  binding  the  company  to  give  the 
city  an  adequate  supply  from  their  wells  in  the  valley,  the  principal 
guarantee  asked  being  a  ten  year  contract  at  a  stipulated  price.      At  the 


508  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

same  time  the  Council  expressed  its  approval  of  submitting  the  ques- 
tion of  bonding  to  the  people  and  requested  the  Legislature  to  pass  the 
Salmon  River  water  bill.  During  the  entire  winter  the  culmination  of 
all  preceding  proceedings  on  the  water  subject  was  reached  in  the 
passage  of  a  law  giving  the  mayor  power  to  appoint  a  Board  of  Water 
Commissioners,  consisting  of  three  men  from  each  of  the  dominant 
political  parties,  to  make  an  exhaustive  investigation  of  the  whole  subject. 
The  board  appointed  were  E.  B.  Judson,  Alexander  H.  Davis,  James  B. 
Brooks, William  H.  Warner,  Peter  B.  McLennan,  and  William  K.  Niver. 
These  commissioners  organized  in  June,  and  subsequently  made  an 
elaborate  report  in  favor  of  the  city  building  and  owning  the  water 
works  and  the  adoption  of  Skaneateles  Lake  as  a  source  of  supply. 
Thereupon  began  a  long  and  intensely  active  campaign  to  secure  this 
end,  the  details  of  which  need  not  be  followed  here.  At  the  special 
election  to  vote  on  the  subject  the  majority  in  favor  of  the  project  was 
10,395.  The  city  was  authorized  to  raise  $3,000,000  on  its  bonds 
for  the  work.  This  was  increased  $500,000  in  1895.  A  commission 
was  appointed  to  appraise  the  value  of  the  property  of  the  old  company, 
preparatory  to  its  passing  to  possession  of  the  city,  consisting  of  Wil- 
liam Kernan,  of  Utica;  George  W.  Dunn,  of  Binghamton ;  and  C.  J. 
Ryan,  of  New  York. 

The  details  of  the  construction  of  the  works  as  they  now  exist  need 
not  be  followed,  as  they  are  well  known  to  the  public.  The  city  has 
now  a  water  supply  unlimited  in  quantity  and  superior  in  quality. 

PUBLIC    AND    PRIVATE    INSTITUTIONS  AND    INDUSTRIES  OF 

SYRACUSE. 

It  cannot  be  truthfully  stated  that  the  inhabitants  of  what  is  now 
Syracuse  gave  very  early  effort  towards  the  organization  of  churches 
and  the  early  building  of  houses  of  worship ;  but  it  should  not  be  in- 
ferred on  that  account  that  the  people  in  Salina  and  Syracuse  and  Geddes 
were  less  God-loving  or  more  lax  in  morality  than  those  of  other  similar 
communities.  There  were  other  and  more  commendable  reasons  for 
the  fact,  the  most  important  being  the  existence  on  the  Hill  in  1803,  in 
the  Valley  in  1809,  and  in  Liverpool  at  an  early  day  of  churches  with 
which  many  of  the  families  of  Salina  and  a  still  larger  proportion  of 
the  pioneers  of  Syracuse  had  affiliated ;  many  of  the  inhabitants  of  these 
two  latter  villages  had  removed  from  the  older  ones  named  and  had 
become  members  or  supporters  and  attendants  of  the  churches  there 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  ■     509 

prior  to  their  removal.  It  was,  therefore,  quite  consistent  and  natural 
that  they  should,  for  a  time  at  least,  continue  their  allegiance  to  the 
societies  with  which  they  had  been  identified.      Nor  does  it  argue  that 


The  Original  First  Baptist  Church. 

[Sketched  from  memory  by  M.  \Y.  Hanche 

because  there  was  no  church  organization  in  Syracuse  previous  to  L821, 
the  people  were  not  religiously  inclined,  for  services  were  held  Long 
prior  to  that  date  in  the  old  school  house  in  both  Salina  and  Syracuse,  as 
well  as  in  private  dwellings. 

Baptist  services  had  been  held  in  Syracuse  with  regularity  from  about 


510  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

1819,  and  in  February,  1821,  thirteen  persons  held  a  council  in  the 
school  house,  and  after  consultation  organized  the  First  Baptist  church 
of  Syracuse  on  the  following-  day.  The  thirteen  persons  were  David 
Johnson,  James  Wilson,  Thomas  Spencer,  Alvin  Walker,  Rufus  Cram, 
Benjamin  G.  Avery,  Wyllys  Brown,  Braddock  Dart,  Polly  Walker, 
Rhoda  Wilson,  Eliza  Spencer,  Hannah  Fish  and  Sally  Dart.  Rev.  J. 
G.  Stearns,  a  graduate  of  Hamilton  Baptist  Seminary,  preached  about 
six  months  for  the  new  society,  and  was  succeeded  in  May,  1823,  by 
Rev.  Nathaniel  J.  Gilbert.  In  that  year  the  church  was  begun  on  the 
site  of  the  present  Universalist  church  on  West  Genesee  street.  Mr. 
Gilbert  served  the  church  until  1832,  in  which  year  the  cholera  swept 
over  the  country.  He  held  the  funeral  services  over  the  body  of  a 
laborer  who  was  the  first  victim  of  the  disease  in  the  village,  and  on 
the  following  day  was  stricken  down  and  died.1  The  successive  pastors 
of  the  church,  succeeding  Mr.  Gilbert,  have  been  as  follows: 

Rev.  Orsamus  Allen,  August  20,  1833,  to  October  20,  1834;  Stephen  Wilkins, 
November,  1834,  to  December,  1837,  John  Blain,  1837  to  1841;  Joseph  W.  Taggart, 
December,  1841,  to  August,  1847;  Robert  R.  Raymond,  1847  to  1852;  A.  G.  Palmer, 
1852  to  1855;  J.  S.  Backus,  D.  D.,  1857  to  1862;  E.  W.  Mundy,  to  March,  1864;  John 
J.  Lewis,  1867  to  1869;  E.  A.  Lecompte,  1869  to  1874;  S.  Hartwell  Pratt,  1874  to  1875; 
Charles  E.  Smith,  1877  to  1882;  H.  W.  Sherwood,  March,  1882,  to  October,  1889; 
Cortland  Myers,  May  1,  1890,  who  was  succeeded  by  the  present  pastor,  Rev.  Thomas 
J.  Villiers. 

The  old  church  edifice  was  enlarged  in  1839  and  used  until  1S48,  when 
an  exchange  was  made  for  the  lot  a  little  east  of  it,  where  was  erected 
a  brick  structure  at  a  cost  of  $15,000;  this  was  burned  August  23,  1859, 
and  the  present  church  was  erected  on  the  site  and  dedicated  November 
1,  18G0.  This  church  has  a  mission  school  in  the  Tenth  ward,  and  the 
Christian  Endeavor  society  connected  with  the  church  was  the  first  one 
formed  in  Syracuse. 

Central  Baptist  Church. — This  society  was  organized  by  a  few  mem- 
bers of  the  First  Baptist  church  in  1848,  and  in  the  following  year,  under 
the  pastorate  of  Rev.  A.  Pinney,  a  small  chapel  was  built  on  East  Gen- 
esee street.     This  was  used  through  several  pastorates,  when  Dr.  H.  J. 

1  Nathaniel  j.  Gilbert  was  born  in  Weston,  Conn.,  April  2S,  178(i.     He  removed  early  in  life  to 

Sullivan  county,  X.  Y.;  in  1810  to  Windsor,  N.  V.,  anil  in  ISIS  to  North  Norwich,  N.  Y.    From  there 

Med  in  Syracuse,  where  he  arrived  on  May  22,  1823.     In  the  following  fall  he  brought  on  his 

family.     Besides  his  immediate  service  to  the  Baptist  church,  he  was  employed  in  missionary 

ii  surrounding  towns,  giving  his  time  and  energy  t<>  the  cause  of  his  Master.     In  1«:12,  after 

having  conducted   the  services  on  the  death  of  one  of  t lie  cholera  victims,  he  was  stricken  with 

.ii'i.  <   i  ■   ami  died  on  July  lit.     I T is  children  were  Melinda,  the  eldest;  Milton,  who  died  in 

."  i  ago,  and  Nelson,  who  still  survives. 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  51] 

Eddy  was  called,  and  remained  until  September],  L873.  During  his 
ministration  the  lot  now  occupied  by  the  society  was  bought  and  a 
chapel  built  and  occupied  in  1869.  In  1872  the  main  brick  structure 
was  finished  at  a  cost  of  $75,000.  On  September  1,  1873,  George 
Thomas  Dowling  assumed  the  pastorate,  and  under  his  efforts  the  church 
and  Sunday  school  were  exceptionally  prosperous.  On  the  evening  of 
June  23,  1874,  occurred  the  terrible  calamity  in  the  church  parlors, 
which  has  been  described  on  an  earlier  page,  by  which  fourteen  persons 
were  killed  and  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  wounded,  by  the  falling 
of  the  floors  during  an  entertainment  in  the  evening.  Rev.  Mr.  Dow- 
ling resigned  the  pastorate  in  August,  1877,  and  on  October  1  of  that 
year  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  E.  J.  Goodspeed,  D.  I).  He  remained  un- 
til September,  187!),  and  T.  E.  Clapp  was  called  in  September,  L880. 
He  was  pastor  until  March,  1866,  and  in  September  of  that  year  the 
present  pastor,  Rev.  S.  T.  Ford,1  assumed  the  charge. 

Immanuel  Baptist  Church. — This  society  was  organized  on  the  15th 
of  January,  1886,  and  developed  from  the  Hawley  Street  Mission,  with 
Rev.  R.  A.  Vose  pastor,  and  twenty-three  members.  Mr.  Yose  was 
succeeded  by  Rev.  C.  R.  Storey.  The  church  is  of  wood  and  cost 
about  $3,000. 

Delaware  Street  Baptist  Church. — This  society  was  organized  March  6, 
1889,  with  the  following  officers:  Pastor,  Rev.  R.  E.  Burton  (who  is 
still  in  the  pastorate);  deacons,  D.  F.  Harris,  C.  H.  Smith,  William 
Waring,  sr. ,  S.  B.  Pratt,  John  A.  Mackay;  trustees,  G.  W.  Wisner, 
•George  L.  Ford,  W.  B.  Graves,  Charles  Foreman,  R.  A.  Risley,  F.  L. 
Harris,  E.  A.  Legg,  A.  W.  Smith,  W.  E.  Masten.  The  society  was  a 
remote  outgrowth  of  the  Hope  Chapel  Mission,  organized  in  April,  L860, 
by  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  and  under  control  of  the  First  Baptist  church. 
When  it  was  finally  decided  to  organize  a  society  in  the  Fifth  ward, 
forty-eight  members  of  the  First  and  twenty-two  from  the  Central  Bap- 
tist churches  joined  for  the  purpose.  White's  Hall,  corner  of  Delaware 
and  Geddes  streets,  was  taken  for  services,  which  were  held  by  Rev.  C. 
R.  Storey.  A  lot  was  subsequently  purchased  on  the  corner  of  Dela- 
ware and  Dudley  streets  for  $3,000,  and  Rev.  R.  E.  Burton  called  to  the 

1  Mr.  Ford  is  the  son  of  Rev.  William  Kurd,  one  <>i  the  pioneer  Baptist  preachers  of  Oneida 
county.  He  was  born  in  Camden,  Oneida  county,  in  1851,  ami  graduated  at  Madison  University 
in  1878.  His  first  pastorate  was  at  Waverly  and  his  next  a1  AIK-min  II,'  is  an  earnest,  effective 
speaker,  carefully  prepares  hissermons  and  delivers  them  without  notes.  Ilis  labor  in  this  church 
has  been  rewarded  by  an  era  of  prosperity  in  the  soeiet  y. 


512  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

pastorate.  The  brick  church  edifice  was  erected  and  dedicated  Novem- 
ber 13,  1890,  the  property  costing  about  $12,000. 

Fourth  Baptist  CJutrcJi. — This  society  was  organized  in  1883,  and 
measures  were  promptly  taken  to  build  a  church  edifice.  A  lot  was 
purchased  on  the  corner  of  Orange  and  Sizer  streets  and  a  plain,  wooden 
structure  completed  in  1885.     Rev.  B.  R.  Smith  was  the  first  pastor. 

First  German  Baptist  Church. — This  society  is  located  on  Catharine 
street  and  was  organized  June  28,  1877;  it  was  an  outgrowth  of  the 
German  Mission,  begun  in  1862  under  the  auspices  of  the  First  Baptist 
church.  A  lot  was  purchased  and  a  chapel  erected  on  Lodi  street  near 
Ash.  In  November,  1875,  Rev.  Reinhard  Hoefflin  became  the  mis- 
sionary, and  under  him  the  organization  was  effected.  He  continued 
until  1884,  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  C.  H.  Schmidt,  who  was  suc- 
ceeded in  1888  by  Rev.  H.  W.  Geil.  The  present  pastor  is  Rev.  Louis 
Gebhardt.      In  1885  a  new  church  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $7,000. 

Bethany  Baptist  Church  [Colored). — Located  at  610  East  Washington 
street,  was  organized  on  May  12,  1887,  as  the  Union  Baptist  church. 
The  first  and  present  pastor  is  Rev.  Geo.  E.  Stevens.  The  name  was 
changed  in  1890.      The  church  edifice  was  completed  in   March,  1894. 

Olivet  Baptist  Church. — Situated  on  Lexington  avenue;  was  organ- 
ized in  1891. 

First  Ward  Presbyterian  Church. — The  history  of  this  church  dates 
back  almost  to  the  beginning  of  the  century.  The  first  sermon  in  the 
Presbyterian  faith  was  preached  in  Salina  in  September,  1803,  by  Rev. 
Mr.  Sickles  of  Kinderhook.  He  had  been  sent  out  as  a  missionary  and 
at  Salina  put  up  at  Trask's  tavern.  Not  liking  his  fellow  boarders, 
many  of  whom  were  rough  characters,  he  inquired  next  morning  for  a 
Christian  family,  and  was  directed  to  Isaac  Van  Vleck's,  where  he 
found  a  congenial  welcome.  He  preached  that  day  in  Aaron  Bellows's 
cooper  shop.  During  a  few  years  after  this  no  regular  services  and 
few  of  any  kind  were  held  in  Salina.  In  1810  the  Presbyterian  church 
at  Onondaga  Valley  was  organized  and  among  its  members  were  nine 
persons  who  lived  in  Salina;  the  name  of  the  society  was  "The  United 
Church  of  Onondaga  Hollow  and  Salina."  Rev.  Dirck  C.  Lansing  was 
pastor.  After  the  Salina  school  house  was  built  in  1805  meetings  were 
held  there  and  Mr.  Lansing  preached;  this  continued  until  1814.  After 
that  Rev.  Caleb  Alexander,  who  settled  at  the  Valley  in  1812  as  princi- 
pal of  the  new  academy,  preached  at  Salina,  and  in  1816  organized  a 
Sunday  school.     Mrs.  Mary  A.  Porter  had  taught  a  Sunday  school  still 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  513 

earlier  in  connection  with  her  secular  school.  The  successors  of  Mr. 
Alexander,  prior  to  the  separation  from  the  Valley  society,  were  Rev. 
Samuel  T.  Mills  and  Rev.  James  H.  Mills;  under  the  latter  the  separa- 
tion was  effected  and  the  First  Presbyterian  congregation  of  Salina  was 
organized  January  23,  1822.  In  this  year  the  first  church  building  was 
erected  of  wood  on  the  northwest  corner  of  the  park,  where  it  stood 
until  1855.  In  1851  a  chapel  was  built  on  Salina  street,  which  was 
moved  and  placed  beside  the  brick  church  erected  in  1855. 

The  pastors  after  the  second  Mr.  Mills  were:  Rev.  Hutchins  Taylor,  installed 
March  13,  1822,  continuing  to  September,  1826;  Rev.  Henry  Hotchkiss,  supply,  one 
year;  Rev.  Hiram  H.  Kellogg,  fall  of  1827  to  1829;  Rev.  Joseph  I.  Foot,  soon  elected 
president  of  Washington  College,  and  succeeded  by  Rev.  Hutchins  Taylor  to  De- 
cember, 1839;  Rev.  Joseph  Myers  to  May,  1844;  Rev.  Elias  Clark,  six  months;  Rev. 
Thomas  Castleton,  to  July  23,  1849;  Rev.  J.  J.  Slocum,  one  year;  Rev.  William  W. 
Newell,  D.  D.,  October  20,  1850,  to  January  15,  1860;  Rev.  Dr.  Condit,  supply,  two 
years;  Rev.  Lewis  H.  Reed,  to  May  1,  1868;  Rev.  John  H.  Frazee,  January  7,  1870, 
to  January  20,  1875,  when  the  present  pastor,  Rev.  Alfred  H.  Fahnestock  assumed 
the  charge.  During  his  twenty  years  of  labor  the  society  has  prospered  ex- 
ceedingly. 

First  Presbyterian  Church. — The  first  Presbyterian  church  of  the  vil- 
lage of  Syracuse  was  organized  on  December  14,  18w24,  and  the  follow- 
ing trustees  elected:  Moses  D.  Burnet,  Miles  Seymour,  Rufus  Moss, 
Jonathan  Day,  Heman  Walbridge,  Joshua  Forman  and  Joseph  Slocum. 
The  first  house  of  worship  was  built  in  1825  on  the  site  of  the  Mc- 
Carthy retail  stores.  The  site  was  presented  to  the  society  by  William 
James  and  others.  Rev.  Derrcik  C.  Lansing  dedicated  the  church  on 
the  second  Thursday  in  January,'  1826,  and  on  April  6  of  that  year  the 
First  Presbyterian  church  of  Syracuse  was  organized  with  the  follow- 
ing twenty-six  members: 

Frederick  Phelps,  Edward  Chapman,  Pliny  Dickinson,  Rufus  Morse,  J.  W.  Han- 
chett,  Jonathan  Day,  Archibald  L.  Fellows,  Agrippa  Martin,  Benoni  Stilson,  Sam- 
uel Mead,  Anna  Phelps,  Florilla  Chapman,  Melinda  Kasson,  Harriet  Newton,  Mar- 
garet Hanchett,  Theodosia  Wall,  Deborah  Webb,  Olive  Pease,  Catharine  Marble, 
Nancy  Toogood,  Eliza  Parsons,  Eve  Van  Buren,  Elizabeth  Cummings,  Julia  North- 
am,  Mary  A.  Huntington,  Sarah  Norton.  Frederick  Phelps  and  Edward  Chapman 
were  elected  elders,  and  Pliny  Dickinson  deacon. 

The  building  was  enlarged  in  length  about  1832;  at  that  time  thirty- 
three  feet  additional  land  on  the  north  side  could  have  been  bought  for 
$30  a  foot,  but  the  trustees  thought  the  price  too  high.  Rev.  Dr.  John 
W.  Adams  was  ordained  and  installed  pastor  in  June,  1826.  Dr.  Adams 
was  in  many  respects  a  remarkable  man.  He  was  a  graduate  of  the 
65 


514 


ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 


Auburn  Theological  Seminary,  a  man  of  large  intellectual  powers, 
strong  and  noble  character,  and  industrious  and  persevering  in  all  good 
work.  During  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century  he  was  a  conspicuous 
figure  in  the  history  of  Syracuse  and  drew  to  himself  the  trust  and  af- 
fection of  the  whole  community.     Under  his  faithful  labors  the  church 


The  Original  First  Presbyterian  Church. 
[Sketched  from  memory  by  M.  W.  Hanchett.] 

prospered  beyond  the  anticipations  of  its  founders,  and  soon  became 
wealthy  and  strong  in  members.  The  money  for  building  the  first 
church  was  largely  raised  by  Joshua  Forman,  who  personally  circulated 
a  subscription  paper  and  secured  eighty-three  contributors.1  Dr. 
Adams  served  the  church  until  his  death,  April  4,  1850.      To  meet  the 


1  Iti  1829   :  children  playing  around  the  foundations  of  the  old  church,  looked  through  a 

small  opening  in  the  wall  and  saw  a  string;  this  they  pulled  out  and  found  attached  to  it  a  tin  can 
in  which  were  $700.  A  short  time  previous  several  robberies  had  been  committed  and  the  money 
secreted  under  the  church.     It  was  thus  returned  to  its  owners. 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  515 

necessity  for  a  more  commodious  church  the  lot  now  occupied  by  the 
stone  edifice  was  purchased  a  little  prior  to  1850  for  $10,000,  and  the 
following  building  committee  appointed  :  Henry  Gifford,  E.  W.  Leav- 
enworth, Thomas  B.  Fitch,  Zebulon  Ostrum  and  Albert  A.  Hudson. 
The  services  of  the  celebrated  architect,  Lefever,  were  secured  and 
plans  of  the  beautiful  edifice,  which  has  since  graced  the  corner,  were 
accepted;  it  was  dedicated  November  24,  1850,  and  cost  about  $40.  <i(,o 
The  sum  of  $10,000  has  been  expended  on  it  since.  The  old  church 
was  demolished  in  April,  1850,  and  just  as  the  last  timbers  were  re- 
moved the  venerable  Dr.  Adams  passed  from  earth.  Rev.  Charles  Mc- 
Harg  served  the  church  from  June,  1850,  to  December,  8,  1851,  after 
which  the  church  was  without  a  regular  pastor  about  two  and  a  half 
years.  On  May  1,  1854,  Rev.  Sherman  Bond  Canfield,  D.  D.,  began 
his  pastorate,  which  continued  to  October,  1870.  After  a  year  and  a 
half,  during  which  the  church  was  supplied,  Rev.  Dr.  Nelson  Millard 
assumed  the  pastorate  November  19,  1872,  and  continued  to  October, 
1885,  when  Rev.  Dr.  George  B.  Spaulding  was  called,  and  still  remains 
in  the  pastorate.  A  mission  was  founded  by  this  church  in  1860.  In 
January,  1863,  Edward  Townsend  presented  to  the  society  a  lot  on 
Monroe  street,  on  which  H.  W.  Van  Buren  and  T.  B.  Fitch  soon  after- 
ward erected  a  chapel.      A  new  chapel  has  recently  been  erected. 

Park  Central  Presbyterian  CJiurcJi. — The  Park  Church  was  organized 
December  24,  1846,  with  thirty-nine  members,  and  seventeen  more 
were  added  on  the  6th  of  the  following  February.  The  first  elders  were 
Robert  Furrrian,  John  Stewart,  and  Ralph  R.  Phelps.  At  a  meeting 
held  December  30,  1846,  the  Park  Church  Society  was  organized,  and 
J.  B.  Huntington,  Israel  Smith,  Benjamin  R.  Norton,  John  Stewart, 
Bradley  Carey,  and  George  Barney  were  elected  trustees.  In  January, 
1847,  the  trustees  recommended  the  building  of  a  church  if  it  could  be 
done  at  an  expense  of  $7,000.  The  society  thereupon  purchased  a  lot 
of  Ralph  R.  Phelps  on  Mulberry  street,  opposite  Fayette  Park,  and  the 
church  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  about  $9,000;  it  was  dedicated  Feb- 
ruary 3,  1848.  Rev.  C.  Gold  Lee  supplied  the  church  until  June  22, 
1847,  and  Rev.  William  W.  Newell  was  installed  November  10,  1847, 
continuing  to  October,  1850;  he  was  succeeded  in  August,  1851,  by 
Rev.  Byron  Sunderlin,  who  remained  until  January,  L853,  when  he 
was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Samuel  Hall.  At  this  time  the  society  was  in 
straitened  circumstances  and  in  January,  1855,  the  property  was  sold 
under  mortgage  foreclosure.     A  new  society  was   organized   from   the 


516  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

old  one  under  the  corporate  name  of  the  Park  Presbyterian  Society, 
and  in  May,  1855,  Rev.  S.  H.  Hall  was  installed  pastor.  Resigning  in 
1856,  the  society  was  without  a  pastor  a  few  years.  Rev.  S.  T.  Reeves 
was  supply  in  1857,  and  in  March,  1858,  a  reorganization  was  effected 
and  the  present  name  taken.  The  other  pastors  have  been  Rev.  Isaac 
O.  Fillmore,  June,  1858,  to  1865;  James  E.  Pierce,  supply,  one  year. 
Rev.  Addison  K.  Strong,  1856  to  1870;  Rev  Edward  G.  Thurber,  May, 
1870,  to  February,  1880.  Under  his  ministrations  the  society  prospered 
as  it  had  not  before.  A  lot  was  purchased  on  the  corner  of  East  Fay- 
ette and  Grape  streets,  and  the  corner  stone  of  the  present  handsome 
church  was  laid  September  6,  1872;  the  building  was  dedicated  June 
24,  1875,  and  cost  nearly  $75,000.  On  April  28,  1889,  Rev.  L.  Mason 
Clarke,  the  present  pastor,  was  installed. 

Fourth  Presbyterian  Church. — For  several  years  prior  to  1870,  the 
necessity  for  a  new  Presbyterian  society  in  Syracuse  had  been  acknowl- 
edged; no  church  of  this  denomination  had  been  formed  since  the  or- 
ganization of  the  Park  church  in  1845,  although  the  population  of  the 
city  had  increased  from  13,000  to  42,000.  About  this  time  the  union  of 
the  two  great  branches  of  the  Presbyterian  church  was  consummated 
and  it  seemed  a  favorable  time  for  the  project  of  organizing  a  new 
church.  After  consultation  with  the  pastor  and  others  of  the  First 
church,  a  preliminary  meeting  was  held  in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  rooms  in 
the  fall  of  1869,  and  in  December,  Rev.  Dr.  Canfield  called  a  public 
meeting  in  the  chapel  of  the  First  church  to  consider  the  subject.  A 
resolution  was  adopted  "That  the  time  has  now  arrived  when  a  new 
Presbyterian  church  should  be  organized. "  At  another  meeting  on 
January  27,  1870,  the  preliminary  organization  was  effected  of  "The 
Fourth  Presbyterian  Church  and  Society  of  Syracuse."  Seventy-five 
persons  signed  a  petition  to  the  Presbytery,  asking  for  organization. 
On  February  2,  1870,  the  church  was  fully  organized  by  a  Committee 
of  Presbytery  and  eighty-one  persons  united  in  the  organization.  The 
following  were  the  first  officers  chosen : 

Pastor,  Rev.  John  S.  Bacon;  Elders,  E.  T.  Hayden,  John  Reed,  M.  A.  Shumway, 
H.  C.  Hooker,  Timothy  Hough;  Deacons,  Edwin  Miles  and  Ira  A.  Thurber;  Clerk, 
H.  C.  Hooker;  Treasurer,  Charles  Hubbard;  Trustees,  H.  L.  Duguid,  R.  N.  Gere, 
D.  S.  Hubbard,  Charles  Chadwick,  Charles  Hubbard,  E.  G.  Lathrop,  E.  F.  Rice, 
L.  Brigham,  E.  R.  Sanford;  President,  H.  L.  Duguid;  Secretary,  W.   C.   Anderson. 

Services  were  held  several  months  in  Conservatory  Hall,  when  larger 
accommodations  were  secured  in  Convention  Hall,  which  was  fitted  and 
furnished  for  the  purpose.     Two  years  later  the  lot  on  the  corner  of 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  517 

South  Salina  and  Onondaga  streets  was  purchased.  On  the  following 
Sunday  morning  during  the  service  the  sum  of  $30,000  was  pledged 
for  building  an  edifice.  The  new  church  was  finished  and  dedicated 
February  27,  1873.  Rev.  Mr.  Bacon  resigned  after  five  years  of  service, 
when  the  society  was  supplied  one  year  by  Rev.  Herrick  Johnson,  D. 
D.  Rev.  W.  H.  Gleason  was  then  called,  but  was  forced  to  resign  in 
a  short  time  on  account  of  ill  health.  Dr.  Johnson  again  came  and  re- 
mained pastor  until  September,  1877,  when  Rev.  Dr.  Norman  Seaver 
was  installed  and  remained  eight  years.  Rev.  J.  S.  Riggs  then  occu- 
pied the  pulpit  a  few  months  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  William  A. 
Rice  on  the  first  Sunday  in  December,  1886  He  resigned  September 
15,  1890,  and  in  December  following  Rev.  Allan  D.  Draper,  the  pres- 
ent pastor,  was  called  and  began  his  duties  February  1,  1891. 

Westminster  Presbyterian  Church. — In  1872  Rev.  Ebenezer  Arnold 
who  had  been  identified  with  the  Centenary  and  the  Brown  Memorial 
Methodist  churches  of  Syracuse,  felt  impelled  to  devote  his  energies  to 
the  improvement  of  religious  conditions  in  the  Fourth  ward,  where  the 
population  was  rapidly  increasing  and  were  practically  without  churches. 
From  that  time  to  the  autumn  of  1870,  he  labored  zealously,  often 
preaching  in  the  open  air,  and'almost  without  remuneration  during  the 
whole  period.  He  was  finally  rewarded  by  the  organization  of  the  Rose 
Hill  Methodist  Episcopal  church  in  the  fall  of  1875.  The  disused 
chapel  of  the  Grace  Episcopal  church  was  purchased  and  moved  across 
the  canal  to  the  corner  of  Highland  and  Douglass  streets.  The  new 
organization  was  short-lived ;  the  last  annual  meeting  was  held  in  ( Oc- 
tober, 1880,  and  the  society  soon  disbanded.  In  the  spring  of  1885, 
the  Presbyterian  Association  of  Syracuse  took  the  Rose  Hill  Mission 
under  its  care  and  gave  its  pastoral  charge  and  that  of  Scattergood 
Mission  in  the  Seventh  ward,  to  Rev.  Alfred  E.  Myers.  On  the  15th 
of  November,  1886,  the  Westminster  Presbyterian  church  was  organ- 
ized with  fifty  one  communicants.  The  new  church  edifice  was  occu- 
pied for  the  first  time  in  September,  1887.  Mr.  Myers  now  became 
pastor  of  the  new  church.  In  October,  1889,  a  mission  Sunday  school 
was  established  on  the  corner  of  Butternut  and  Fanner  streets. 

The  Memorial  Presbyterian  C/ntrch. — This  church  is  the  outgrowth  of 
the  first  mission  Sunday  school  in  Syracuse,  which  was  begun  in  the  spring 
of  1859  by  James  Marshall,  then  superintendent  of  the  First  Presby- 
terian Sunday  school,  who  called  a  number  of  young  Sabbath  breakers 
into  the  Second   Evangelical    church,   corner    of   Grape  and   Jackson 


518  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

streets,  and  proposed  to  them  the  establishment  of  a  Sunday  school. 
The  proposition  met  with  favor,  and  the  school  was  named  the  Scatter- 
good  Mission  Sunday  school  and  was  taken  under  the  care  of  the  First 
Presbyterian  church.  In  1861  A.  J.  Northrup  succeeded  Mr.  Marshall 
as  superintendent,  and  not  long  afterward  a  lot  was  given  to  the  school 
by  Edward  Town  send  on  Monroe  street,  and  there  a  chapel  was  built 
by  H.  W.  Van  Buren  and  T.  B.  Fitch;  it  was  dedicated  May  1,  1863. 
In  October,  1864,  Charles  Hubbard  was  made  superintendent  and  was 
succeeded  in  October,  1868,  by  H.  C.  Hooker.  In  1881  the  building 
was  enlarged  to  accommodate  the  increasing  attendance.  Preaching  was 
begun  in  June,  1869,  on  Sunday  evenings,  by  university  students  and 
others,  and  soon  the  need  of  larger  accommodations  was  felt.  Now  the 
First  Presbyterian  church  came  forward,  and  largely  through  the  gen- 
erosity of  Mrs.  H.  W.  Van  Buren,  Mrs.  E.  W.  Leavenworth,  Mrs.  P.  W. 
Fobes  and  Lewis  S.  Phillips,  a  lot  on  Grape  street  was  purchased  and 
the  Memorial  edifice  erected  at  a  gross  cost  of  about  $20,000;  it  was 
dedicated  May  6,  1886.  In  April,  1885,  the  Presbyterian  Association 
delegated  the  pastorate  to  Rev.  Alfred  E.  Myers,  and  on  September  8, 
1887,  the  mission  was  organized  into  the  Memorial  Presbyterian  church, 
with  eighty-seven  members.  The  property  was  soon  afterward  deeded 
to  the  society  by  the  First  church.  Rev.  Albert  J.  Abeel  was  called  to 
the  pastorate  and  began  his  labors  October  16,  1887,  and  still  remains. 
The  First  Congregational  Church. — This  church  was  organized  May 
25,  1838.  The  meeting  for  the  purpose  was  held  in  the  school  house1 
of  Dr.  Mayo,  which  stood  on  Church  street  near  its  junction  with  West 
Genesee  street.  Rev.  John  T.  Avery  was  chosen  its  first  pastor.  Its 
frame  church  building,  which  was  soon  commenced,  stood  on  the  north 
side  of  East  Genesee  street,  near  the  crossing  of  East  Washington 
street.  The  building  was  completed  and  dedicated  Aug.  16,  1838.  The 
Rev.  John  Frost  preached  the  dedicatory  sermon.  It  was  at  a  period 
when  the  question  of  slavery  was  agitating  the  whole  country,  and  a 
pro-slavery  sentiment  was  predominant  even  in  the  State  of  New  York, 
that  this  church  was  organized.  Taking  a  distinctly  anti-slavery  ground, 
it  was  in  hearty  sympathy  with  the  prominent  agitators  of  the  day,  and 
such  leading  speakers,  in  the  discussion  of  the  then  all-absorbing  ques- 
tion, as  Gerrit  Smith,  Frederick  Douglass,  Samuel  Ward,  J.  W.  Loguen, 
Samuel  J.  May  and  others  were  welcome  to  its  platform.  At  the  time 
of  the    "Jerry  Rescue"   the  bell  of  the  church  was  broken  in  ringing 

1  Mr,  M.  \V.  1  [anchel  1.  i.s  probably  the  only  person  living  who  attended  that  meeting. 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE. 


519 


out  the  alarm.  The  church  was  active  from  its  organization,  and  dur- 
ing its  first  year  nearly  one  hundred  were  added  to  its  membership  on 
profession  of  faith,  being  the  fruits  of  a  religious  revival.  Pastor  Avery 
resigned  in  September,  1839,  and  Dr.  Derrick  C.  Lansing  succeeded  for 
a  few  months.  Rev.  Aaron  Judson  was  pastor  from  April,  L840,  to 
February,  1841.  Rev.  Dr. 
Lansing  was  recalled  and 
held  the  pastorate  until  early 
in  1843.  Rev.  Thomas  Cas- 
tleton  succeeded  Dr.  Lans- 
ing as  temporary  supply; 
under  him  about  twenty 
members  withdrew  a  n  d 
formed  a  second  Presbyteri- 
an church.  This  church 
does  not  seem  to  have  con- 
tinued as  a  permanent  or- 
ganization. In  April,  1844, 
Rev.  Charles  Gold  Lee  of 
Rochester  was  called  to  the 
pastorate  and  continued  his 
ministry  until  January,  1846, 
when  he  resigned,  and  about 
forty  members  left  the 
church  with  him  and  later 
formed  the  Park  Presbyte- 
rian church.  In  April,  1846, 
Rev.  Ovid  Miner  became 
minister.  When  he  resign- 
ed in  1849  the  church  was 
without  a  pastor  until  No- 
vember of  the  same  year 
pastor. 

The  records  of  the  church  show  that  up  to  July,  1850,  the  whole  num- 
ber of  members  received  since  the  organization  was  -4 4  <  > ;  excommuni- 
cated, 11;  deaths,  27;  dismissed,  274;  membership  July.   L850,   L28. 

The  first  officers  chosen  were:  John  H.  Lathrop,  Dr.  John  W 
Hanchett,  deacons;  Seth  H.  Mann,  George  Smith,  Charles  A.  VVheaton, 
Ezra  Stiles,  committee  of  elders. 


The  First  CoNGREGATioNA]  Chi  i 

[Sketched  from  memory  by  M.  W.  Hanchett.] 

when   Rev.  Porter   H.    Snow  became   the 


520  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Some  time  after  the  conclusion  of  the  pastorate  of  Mr.  Snow,  various 
adverse  circumstances  bearing  upon  the  progress  and  usefulness  of  the 
church,  and  which  could  not  well  be  surmounted,  led  to  the  suspension 
of  public  services  and  the  church  was  closed ;  the  property  was  soon 
afterward  sold.  In  1853  the  new  Plymouth  church  made  use  of  the  build- 
ing for  religious  services  until  its  own  chapel  building  on  Madison  street 
was  ready  for  occupancy.  The  history  of  this  church,  although  short, 
shows  much  activity  and  earnestness  in  religious  work,  and  in  its  in- 
fluence in  awakening  public  sympathy  for  the  downtrodden  Southern 
slave,  and  in  preparing  the  people  to  stand  by  the  Union  in  the  great 
oncoming  struggle  for  national  unity  under  a  free  flag,  was  perhaps  not 
surpassed,  if  equaled,  by  any  one  church  in  the  State. 

Reformed  Presbyterian  Church. — The  society  of  this  name  is  also 
known  as  the  Covenanter  church,  its  membership  having  been  largely 
constituted  of  members  of  that  church  in  Scotland  and  Ireland  who 
came  to  this  country  in  1840.  After  engaging  preaching  by  supplies 
for  some  years,  the  congregation  was  formally  organized  into  a  church 
in  1849,  with  about  forty  five  members  and  the  following  officers: 
Elders,  John  Service,  John  McChesney,  James  McChesney;  deacons, 
William  Faulkner,  John  Scott,  Joseph  McClure.  John  Newell  was  or- 
dained and  installed  pastor  May  6,  1851,  and  remained  two  years.  Rev. 
J.  M.  Johnson  was  installed  in  1859,  and  remained  about  six  years;  in 
1867  Rev.  J.  M.  Armour  was  installed,  and  was  succeeded  December 
8,  1874,  by  Rev.  S.  R.  Wallace. 

Plymoutli  Congregational  Church. — This  society  was  organized  Sep- 
tember 24,  1853,  with  thirty-one  members,  and  on  November  6,  of  that 
year,  Rev.  M.  E.  Strieby  was  called  as  the  first  pastor.  For  a  time  the 
congregation  worshiped  in  a  building  on  the  site  of  the  Convention 
block,  East  Genesee  street,  and  in  1854  a  chapel  was  built  on  Madison 
street  on  the  site  of  the  present  chapel,  and  dedicated  in  February, 
1855.  Five  years  after  the  formation  of  the  society  the  corner  stone  of 
the  brick  edifice  was  laid,  a  part  of  the  walls  of  which  are  embraced  in 
the  present  church.  Ur.  Strieby  resigned  after  eleven  years  of  faith- 
ful service  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  S.  R.  Dimmock,  who  remained 
four  years.  Rev.  A.  F.  Beard  was  then  called  and  served  the  church 
fourteen  years,  resigning  in  January,  1883,  to  accept  the  pastorate  of 
the  American  church  in  Paris.  Under  his  pastorate  the  church  became 
tin  largest  of  the  Protestant  churches  of  the  city.  Chancellor  Sims 
supplied   the  pulpit  for  a  time  after  Dr.  Beard's  departure,  and  Rev. 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  521 

Edward  A.  Lawrence  became  the  fourth  pastor  October  28,  L883. 
During-  his  pastorate  three  new  Congregational  churches  were  estab- 
lished, taking  forty-nine  members  of  Plymouth  into  their  congrega- 
tions. Rev.  Dr.  J.  C.  Little  succeeded  Dr.  Lawrence  as  supply  until 
September,  1887,  when  the  present  pastor,  Rev.  Edward  X.  Packard 
was  installed.  In  1871  the  church  edifice  was  greatly  enlarged  and 
improved,  and  again  in  1889-90,  about  $18,000  were  expended  in 
building  improvements. 

Good  Will  Congregational  Church. — In  the  fall  of  1871  several  mem- 
bers of  the  Young  Men's  Association  of  Plymouth  church  organized  a 
Sunday  school  which  met  in  a  private  dwelling  on  Oswego  street.  The 
school  prospered  and  during  the  last  six  months  of  its  first  year  occu- 
pied rooms  on  Fabius  street.  Plymouth  church  then  bought  the  lot 
corner  of  Oswego  and  Fabius  streets  and  built  a  chapel.  During  thir- 
teen years  this  school  was  continued  under  H.  A.  Jordan,  John  Dunn, 
jr.,  and  W.  A.  Duncan,  superintendents,  the  latter  serving  ten  years. 
In  1885,  through  the  labors  of  Mr.  Duncan  and  others,  a  church  organ- 
ization was  perfected,  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  J.  C.  Andrus.  The 
first  morning  service  was  held  April  12,  1885.  April  14,  1885,  a  Con- 
gregational Council  met  in  the  chapel  and  the  organization  of  the 
church  was  consummated  with  twenty-eight  members;  already  E.  G. 
Hall,  George  A.  Mosher,  W.  S.  Reed,  W.  A.  Duncan,  Charles  M. 
Grannis,  and  Rev.  E.  A.  Lawrence  had  been  chosen  trustees  of  the 
society.  The  site  of  the  church  was  purchased  and  the  building  of  the 
chapel  portion  of  the  edifice  begun  in  the  spring  of  1886;  the  society 
first  occupied  the  church  on  August  7,  and  it  was  dedicated  September 
24,  1886.  The  church  edifice  as  it  now  stands  was  completed  in  L890 
at  a  cost  of  $20,000,  and  dedicated  January  15,  1891.  Rev.  H.  X. 
Kinney  is  the  present  pastor. 

Danforth  Congregational  Church . — On  the  7th  day  of  January,  1884. 
fifteen  persons,  residents  of  Danforth,  met  at  the  the  house  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Enoch  Mann,  and  after  some  discussion,  adopted  the  follow- 
ing: "Resolved,  That  the  time  has  come  to  organize  a  Congregational 
church  in  Danforth."  Committees  were  appointed,  other  meetings 
held,  and  on  February  1,  three  weeks  after  the  first  meeting,  a  legal 
organization  was  effected.  On  February  3  the  first  religious  meeting 
of  the  new  society  was  held  in  Furman  Street  Methodist  church,  and 
Rev.  E.  A.  Lawrence  preached  to  a  membership  of  thirty-six  persons. 
The  first  officers,  elected  February  12,  were:  Trustees,  Orrin  C. 
66 


522  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Knapp,  Luke  Wells,  Gilbert  S.  Hubbard,  Daniel  E.  Hayden,  Charles 
C.  Hall,  George  F.  Hitchcock,  Enoch  Mann,  James  Hunter,  James  H. 
Rose;  clerk,  Ebenezer  Butler;  treasurer,  E.  C.  Tallcott;  deacons,  S. 
V.  R.  Van  Heusen,  sr. ,  George  F.  Hitchcock,  Nathan  S.  Curtis,  E.  H. 
Abbott.  On  Sunday,  March  30,  the  society  met  at  the  school  house 
and  continued  to  worship  therein  until  their  new  church  was  finished. 
A  large  lot  on  South  Salina  street  was  purchased  March  29,  1884,  and 
the  corner  stone  of  the  handsome  brick  edifice  was  laid  September  5. 
The  building  was  dedicated  June  29,  1885,  and  cost  $15,000.  Rev.  D. 
F.  Harris  served  as  the  first  pastor,  but  was  not  installed ;  he  resigned 
in  February,  1887,  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Ethan  Curtis,  who 
served  until  September,  1889.  In  February,  1890,  the  pastorate  was 
assumed  by  Rev.  H.  A.  Manchester,  who  is  the  present  pastor.  Under 
his  ministrations  the  church  is  very  prosperous. 

Geddes  Congregational  Church. — This  church  was  organized,  Novem- 
ber 15,  1886.  The  pastor,  Rev.  F.  A.  S.  Storer,  made  the  first  call  on 
the  field  on  the  9th  of  September  of  that  year,  and  on  the  date  first 
given  the  church  was  formally  recognized  by  the  council  and  the  pas- 
tor installed.  A  wooden  church  building  was  erected  on  the  corner  of 
Willis  avenue  and  Erie  street,  and  dedicated  on  May  1,  1888.  The 
society  is  steadily  prospering.     The  present  pastor  is  Rev.  F.  L.  Luce. 

South  Avenue  Congregational  Church. — Regularly  organized  in  Octo- 
ber, 1893,  and  Rev.  O.  C.  Crawford  ordained  pastor  He  resigned  in 
June,  1895,  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Morgan  Millar. 

First  Ward  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. — It  is  believed  that  Rev. 
Charles  Giles,1  of  the  old  Genesee  Conference,  preached  the  first 
Methodist  sermon  at  "Salt  Point"  very  early  in  the  present  century. 
Other  itinerant  preachers  held  services  there  at  intervals  down  to 
about  1829,  when  a  class  was  formed  and  a  chapel  erected.  So  poor 
were  the  members  of  the  class  that  even  the  small  chapel  was  several 
years  in  building.  Little  progress  was  made  until  1840,  when  Ezra  C. 
Squires,  a  young  man  holding  a  preacher's  license,  held  services  a 
few  months,  awakening  so  much  interest  that  the  congregation  peti- 
tioned the  Black  River  Conference  to  send  them  a  pastor.  In  response 
to  this  request,  Rev.  Ebenezer  Arnold  (a  man  who  was  to  soon  exer- 
cise a  powerful  influence  upon  Methodism  in  Syracuse)  was  sent  to 
Salina,  with  instructions  to  organize  a  church  including  that  place  and 

1  Mr.  Gilei  di<  'I  A.ugusi  30,  1884,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years,  and  is  buried  in  the  Salina 
burying  ground. 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE. 


523 


Geddes  if  practicable.  He  looked  over  the  ground  and  decided  to  de- 
vote his  whole  time  to  Salina.  A  new  order  of  things  began  and  at  the 
end  of  a  year  Mr.  Arnold  left  the  charge  in  a  prosperous  condition,  and 
steady  growth  has  since  continued.  In  1864  the  corner  stone  of  the 
present  church  was  laid  and  the  building  was  finished  in  the  next  year ; 
its  cost  was  about  $13,000.  In  1887  extensive  repairs  were  made  on 
the  church  and  parsonage. 


The  Original  First  M.   E.  Church. 
[Sketched  from  memory  by  M.  W.  Hanchett.] 

First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  — Methodist  services  were  at  first 
held  in  the  school  house  on  Church  street  in  Syracuse  long  before  the 
building  of  a  house  of  worship.  It  is  believed  that  Rev.  Eben  L.  North 
organized  the  first  class  in  the  village  in  1830,  and  about  this  time  the 
church  occupied  their  one  story  frame  building  standing  on  the  west 
side  of  North  Salina  street  near  the  old  ''Stanton  Stone  Yard,-'  between 
West  Willow  and  Noxon  streets,  and  where  services  were  continued 
until  their  brick  building  was  ready  for  occupation.  Rev.  Vincent 
Coryell  was  preaching  in  1835-6.  The  first  brick  church  edifice 
was  begun  in  1836  and  finished  in  the  following  year.  It  was  sur- 
mounted by  a  high  steeple  at  first,  which  offended  the  sight  of  Father 
Pease,  one  of  the  prominent  members  of  the  church,  and  he  resolved 
to  pray  to  the  Lord  to  remove  it.      Soon  afterwards  the  steeple  was 


524  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

struck  by  lightning  and  destroyed.  It  was  immediately  rebuilt,  but  the 
prayers  of  Father  Pease  were  still  invoked  against  such  an  abomination, 
and  a  high  wind  soon  blew  it  down ;  it  was  not  rebuilt  in  its  former 
style.  The  church  was  extensively  repaired  in  1856,  and  in  1869-70 
was  rebuilt  and  greatly  extended  at  an  expense  of  $25,000. 

Geddes  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. — In  the  year  1839  a  few  Method- 
ist families  began  holding  prayer  meetings  in  Geddes;  some  of  these 
had  been  members  of  the  First  Methodist  Church.  The  meetings  in 
creased  in  interest  and  new  converts  were  added.  In  course  of  time  a 
young  man  named  Cross  settled  in  Geddes  to  teach  school  and  he 
preached  on  Sundays  in  the  school  house.  He  was  succeeded  after  a 
year  by  Elder  Bussing,  a  local  preacher,  who  continued  the  meetings 
another  year.  The  first  regular  pastor  was  Rev.  Mr.  Barber,  who 
served  two  years  and  was  followed  by  Ezra  Squires,  who  also  remained 
two  years.  The  Methodists  and  Episcopalians  used  the  Episcopal 
church,  which  stood  on  the  village  green,  for  some  years  prior  to  1852. 
when  the  Methodists  occupied  the  basement  of  the  school  building, 
with  Rev.  C.  S.  Bragdon,  pastor. 

Centenary  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. — This  society  sprang  up  under 
the  impulse  given  to  this  religious  denomination  by  the  Centenary  of 
American  Methodism,  and  the  founding  of  the  Syracuse  University. 
At  the  Black  River  Conference  in  April,  1866,  Rev.  Ebenezer  Arnold  was 
appointed  to  work  in  the  Fifth  ward  to  make  an  effort  to  found  a  Cen- 
tenary Memorial  church.  After  some  weeks  of  labor,  during-  which 
Mr.  Arnold  preached  in  the  Baptist  Hope  Chapel,  about  half  a  dozen 
families  enlisted  in  the  new  society.  The  Board  of  Missions  granted 
$500  for  the  preachers'  expenses,  and  in  July  a  lot  was  purchased  and 
a  subscription  opened  to  raise  funds.  Five  men  subscribed  $1,000,  $750, 
$200,  $200,  and  $100,  respectively,  and  the  work  went  on  prosperously. 
To  perfect  an  organization  forty  members  of  the  First  church  asked  to 
be  transferred  to  the  new  colony  to  aid  in  forming  the  Centenary 
church.  "  It  was  in  a  moderate  sized  room  in  the  second  story  of  the 
Pike  Block,  January  6,  1867.  The  great  clock  of  American  Methodism 
had  just  struck  One  Hundred,  the  first  Sunday  of  the  year  One  had 
reached  high  noon.  Fifty  persons,  mostly  young  and  middle  aged, 
stood  up  and  covenanted  together  in  holy  church  fellowship — one  in 
name,  one  in  purpose,  and  one  in  heart.  Such  was  the  material  of  the 
Centenary  church,  as  then  organized."  When  the  subscriptions  had 
reached    $13,000,     the   foundations    of    the    present    handsome    brick 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  525 

church  were  begun,  the  corner  stone  was  laid  in  April,  1867,  and  in 
1868  the  church  was  completed;  its  cost  was  about  $37,000. 

University  Avenue  Methodist  Church. — This  society,  like  the  one  just 
described,  was  one  of  the  results  of  the  activity  following  the  Centen- 
ary of  American  Methodism.  It  was  organized  in  1807  with  only  nine 
members  and  the  early  meetings  were  held  in  dwellings.  In  1868  a 
small  chapel  was  built  on  the  corner  of  Chestnut  and  Fayette  streets, 
and  late  in  the  same  year  the  society  was  organized  with  about  thirty 
members.  Rev.  C.  P.  Lyford  was  appointed  pastor  while  he  still 
officiated  in  the  First  M.  E.  church.  A  year  later  he  was  succeeded  bv 
Rev.  T.  B.  Shepherd,  meetings  now  being  held  in  Seager  Hall.  Dur- 
ing this  year  the  present  church  site  was  purchased  for  $7,000,  and 
in  1870  Rev.  Mr.  Lyford  was  again  appointed  pastor.  During  his 
ministration  a  chapel  was  built  and  the  church  building  so  far  ad- 
vanced that  meetings  were  held  in  the  basement.  When  the  structure 
was  finished  its  cost  was  about  $50,000. 

Brown  Memorial  Methodist  Church. — On  the  IGth  of  June,  1872, 
Rev.  Ebenezer  Allen  began  street  preaching  on  the  corner  of  Delaware, 
Geddes,  Davis,  and  Fulton  streets;  he  was  then  also  serving  as  pastor 
of  the  Magnolia  Street  Methodist  church,  organized  in  1869,  on  the  hill 
north  of  the  Idiot  Asylum,  a  few  members  of  which  lived  in  the  vicinity 
where  Mr.  Arnold  was  preaching  in  the  streets.  Mr.  Arnold  hoped  to 
remove  the  old  church  and  reorganize  in  the  west  part  of  the  city, 
uniting  the  old  with  such  new  members  as  could  be  gathered  there. 
The  meetings  were  continued  three  seasons  and  in  the  mean  time  a 
church  site  was  purchased  and  $1,400  paid  on  it.  The  Delaware 
Street  Methodist  Episcopal  church  was  organized  on  this  basis  in  is;:;. 
with  about  forty  members  from  the  old  church.  In  1S7<>  the  brick 
church  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  about  $12,000.  Meanwhile  Alexander 
J.  Brown  had  devoted  much  time  and  means  to  the  welfare  of  the 
society  and  in  his  honor  the  church  was  re-named  the  Brown  Memorial 
church. 

Fur  man-street  Methodist  Church.— Previous  to  the  year  L873,  Meth- 
odist meetings  had  been  held  occasionally  in  dwellings  in  what  was  then 
Danforth  village.  In  180!)  steps  were  taken  to  organize  a  society  and 
in  October  of  that  year  a  board  of  trustees  was  appointed  consisting  of 
George  Raynor,  Selah  Stocking,  Rev.  Curtis  Palmer,  Calvin  Frost, 
and  William  R.  Cleaveland.  In  the  summer  of  1870  Rev.  Ebenezer 
Arnold  began  regular  services  and  in  the  fall  a  lot  was  purchased  which 


526  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

is  a  part  of  the  present  church  site.  A  small  wooden  church  was  built 
and  dedicated  March  9,  1871.  In  1874  Rev.  Elijah  Wood  was  appointed 
the  first  regular  pastor.  The  first  building  soon  became  inadequate 
for  the  rapidly  growing  society,  and  in  1885  the  subject  of  building  a 
larger  edifice  was  discussed.  A  subscription  was  opened  which  soon 
reached  $10,000,  additional  land  was  purchased,  and  on  September  21, 
1886,  the  corner  stone  of  the  handsome  brick  church  was  laid.  The 
building  was  dedicated  in  July,  1887.  The  society  is  now  one  of  the 
most  active  and  prosperous  in  the  city. 

First  Free  Methodist  Church — This  society  was  organized  by  Rev. 
B.  T.  Roberts,  at  the  house  of  Charles  T.  Hicks,  August  5,  1863,  and 
the  following  trustees  were  chosen:  Charles  T.  Hicks,  J.  D.  Osterhout, 
and  William  T.  Gere.  Services  were  first  held  on  the  corner  of  Frank- 
lin and  Church  streets.  In  1874  a  wooden  church  was  built  on  Linden 
street,  which  the  society  has  since  occupied. 

Wesleyan  Methodist  Church.— The  first  meeting  held  for  the  purpose 
of  organizing  this  church  was  on  May  2,  1843,  in  the  First  Meth- 
odist church.  The  organization  was  consummated  the  same  evening, 
with  a  small  membership.  In  1845  the  church  edifice  was  erected  on 
the  corner  of  East  Onondaga  and  Jefferson  streets,  and  it  has  since  been 
enlarged. 

La  Fayette  Avenue  M.E.  Church. — This  society  began  its  existence 
December  22,  1889,  in  the  organization  of  the  Brighton  Mission.  In 
1861  the  mission  was  adopted  by  the  Syracuse  M.  E.  Union.  In  No- 
vember, 1891,  the  property  on  La  Fayette  avenue  which  had  been  oc- 
cupied by  the  Fourth  Baptist  Church  Mission  was  purchased.  In 
October,  1892,  Rev.  W.  H.  Annable  was  appointed  pastor  and  served 
three  years,  and  was  succeeded  in  October,  1894,  by  Rev.  Walter  S. 
Wright. 

Erwin  Memorial  M.  E.  Church. — Corner  Bassett  and  Hawthorne 
streets.  Began  its  work  in  May,  1889,  as  a  mission.  The  site  of  the 
present  church  was  soon  purchased  and  the  building  was  finished  in 
August  of  that  year.  The  regular  organization  took  place  November 
25,  1891.  The  building  has  since  been  enlarged  to  double  its  former 
capacity. 

Nelson  Street  M.  H.  Church. — Corner  of  Nelson  and  Magnolia  streets, 
was  organized  in  1878,  and  the  church  was  erected  in  1880,  at  a  cost  of 
$2,000.      Rev.  N.  E.  Bush  is  pastor. 

Olivet  M.  E.  Church. — Founded  by  a  class  from  Salem  church  as  the 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  527 

Bethany  Evangelical  church.  The  name  was  subsequently  changed. 
The  church  edifice  was  erected  and  first  used  for  worship  in  June,  L893. 
Rev.  George  W.  Rosenberg  is  the  present  pastor. 

Zion  M.  E.  Church  {Colored). — Organized  in  1842  by  Rev.  Thomas 
Jones,  of  Rochester.  The  society  worships  in  a  brick  church  on  Crouse 
avenue  near  Washington  street.      Rev.  W.  H.  Ross  is  the  present  pastor. 

St.  Paul's  Church. — This  society  was  the  second  one  organized  in  the 
village  of  Syracuse,  the  date  being  May  22,  1826.  The  first  wardens 
were  John  Durnford  and  Samuel  Wright ;  the  first  vestrymen,  Amos  P. 
Granger,  Archie  Kasson,  James  Mann,  Matthew  Davis,  Mather  Will- 
iams, Barent  Filkins,  Othniel  Williston,  and  Jabez  Hawley.  In  L825 
the  Syracuse  Company  donated  to  the  society  the  triangular  lot  on 
which  stands  the  Granger  block,  and  in  1828  a  wooden  edifice  was  fin- 
ished facing  the  east  the  rear  standing  close  to  Warren  street.  Prior 
to  the  erection  of  the  church  meetings  were  held  in  the  school  house 
and  in  the  First  Baptist  church.  On  the  12th  of  July,  lsil,  the  corner 
stone  of  a  stone  edifice  was  laid  on  a  new  lot  on  Warren  street,  on  the 
site  of  the  present  Government  building.  The  new  church  was  finished 
in  1842  and  soon  afterward  a  wing  was  added,  in  which  was  kept  a  pa- 
rochial school  by  the  Rector,  Rev.  Henry  Gregory,  D.D.  In  1S44  the 
old  wooden  church  was  sold  to  the  Roman  Catholics,  who  removed  it  to 
the  corner  of  Madison  and  Montgomery  streets  where  it  now  stands 
unoccupied.  In  1858  the  St.  Paul's  church  was  enlarged  by  extending 
the  rear.  In  1883  the  church  property  was  sold  to  the  U.  S.  govern- 
ment for  $70,000  and  measures  were  at  once  adopted  towards  erecting 
the  magnificent  stone  edifice  on  the  corner  of  East  Fayette  and  Mont- 
gomery streets.  Its  cost  including  the  site  was  $150,000.  The  corner 
stone  was  laid  June  25,  1884. 

St .  James's  Church. — The  service  preparatory  to  the  organization  of 
this  society  was  held  January  27,  1848,  in  the  chapel  of  St.  Paul's  church. 
The  parish  was  organized  August  14,  1848;  there  were  twenty-one 
communicants  at  the  first  service.  The  first  church  edifice  was  situated 
on  Lock  street,  and  was  begun  in  1851  and  finished  in  L853;  it  was 
destroyed  by  fire  on  Passion  Sunday,  L891.  A  lot  was  purchased  on 
James  street,  where  the  present  handsome  stone  edifice  was  erected  in 
1881-2.  This  was  the  first  Free  Parish  church  in  the  diocese  of  West- 
ern New  York  and  the  second  in  the  State  of  New  York.  Rev.  Dr. 
Henry  Gregory  was  rector  from  1848  to  1857;  Rev.  C.  C.  Barclay, 
1857-8;  Dr.  Joseph  M.  Clarke,  1858  to  L866,  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev 


528  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Henry  M.  Teller.  Charles  Ferguson  was  the  next  rector  from  L890, 
and  in  March,  1895,  Rev.  Frederick  W.  Webber  was  called  to  the 
church. 

Trinity  Church. — In  July,  1855,  the  Trinity  Mission  School  was 
founded  by  the  society  of  St.  Paul's  church,  from  which  this  church 
grew.  A  congregation  was  gathered  and  a  chapel  erected  on  Seymour 
street,  which  was  consecrated  November  25,  1855;  the  parish  was 
organized  March  '■'>,  \$~>t'>.  Rev.  William  Long  began  the  mission  and 
was  succeeded  in  1850  by  Rev.  David  E.  Barr.  In  1869  the  present 
church  was  built  at  a  cost  of  about  $9,000. 

Calvary  Church. — In  September,  1873,  Bishop  Huntington  opened  a 
Sunday  school  in  a  dwelling  on  Butternut  street;  thence  it  was  trans- 
ferred to  a  barn  near  by,  which  was  fitted  up  for  a  chapel.  This  school 
was  the  forerunner  of  Calvary  Church.  On  the  20th  of  September, 
1877,  the  corner  stone  of  the  existing  church  building  was  laid,  and  the 
first  service  in  the  church  was  held  on  Christmas  morning,  1877. 
Bishop  Huntington  and  Rev.  J.  O.  S.  Huntington,  assistant,  conducted 
the  services  until  1883,  when  Rev.  William  Hubbard  was  called.  He 
was  succeeded  by  Rev.  J.  E.  Johnson,  the  present  pastor. 

Church  of  St.  John  the  Divine. — This  society  was  an  outgrowth  of  a 
Sunday  school  established  March  6,  1870.  A  fund  was  raised  in  1870, 
with  which  was  purchased  the  church  site,  the  old  chapel  was  removed 
thereto  and  an  addition  made.  There  the  first  communion  service  was 
held  on  Easter,  1873,  by  Rev.  Mr.  Schoule.  Two  days  after  the  tenth 
anniversary  the  church  was  burned,  and  the  present  structure  was 
erected  and  opened  in  October,  1882.    Rev.  David  B.  Matthews  is  rector. 

Park  Avenue  Methodist  Protestant  Church — This  society  was  an  out- 
growth of  religious  work  conducted  by  Rev.  Mr.  Winshurst  and  was 
incorporated  in  1866.  The  brick  church  is  situated  on  the  corner  of 
Park  avenue  and  Geddes  street.  Mr.  Winshurst  continued  with  the 
church  more  than  twenty  years,  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  T.  I.  C. 
Warren  and  he  by  Rev.  H.  N.  Becker. 

The  Reformed  {Dutch)  Church. — -The  Reformed  Church  of  Syracuse 
was  organized  by  the  Classis  of  Cayuga,  March  10,  1848,  with  eleven 
members.  Rev.  James  A.  H.  Cornell,  the  first  pastor,  was  installed  in 
August,  ISIS,  the  services  being  held  in  the  old  Unitarian  chapel  on 
East  Genesee  street.  The  site  of  the  church  on  James  street  was  pur- 
chased for  $1,900?  and  the  original  structure  was  erected  at  a  cost  of 
Si  1,000;  the  corner  stone  was  laid  in  the  spring  of  1849,  and  the  struc- 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  529 

tare  was  finished  in  the  summer  of  1850  and  dedicated  on  the  IGth  of 
July.  The  last  sermon  in  the  old  church  was  preached  February  :j, 
1878,  and  on  that  day  in  the  afternoon  the  building  was  burned.  Plans 
were  at  once  adopted  for  rebuilding,  and  the  corner  stone  was  laid  on 
July  23,  1878,  and  the  building  was  dedicated  February  L0,  1881,  the 
rear  part  having  been  used  some  time  prior  to  that  date.  The  new 
church  is  of  stone  and  cost  $43,000. 

Rev.  Mr.  Cornell  was  succeeded  by  the  following  pastors:  Rev.  Dr.  Maltbie, 
supply,  from  September,  1851,  to  May,  1882;  Rev.  J.  Romeyn  Berry,  to  1857;  Rev. 
Dr.  Condit,  supply,  to  1858;  Rev.  T.  De  Witt  Talmadge,  to  1862;  Rev.  Joachim 
Elmendorf,  to  near  the  close  of  1865;  Rev.  Jeremiah  Searle,  two  years,  when  Dr. 
Condit  again  supplied  the  pulpit  to  March,  1869;  Rev.  Martin  Luther  Berger,  to 
1875;  Rev.  W.  P.  Coddington,  supply,  to  November,  1876;  Rev.  Evert  Van  Slyke, 
to  1885;  Rev  R.  Bethune  Welch,  of  Auburn,  and  Rev.  W.  P.  Coddington,  then  sup- 
plied the  pulpit  until  the  installation  of  the  present  pastor,  Rev.  Henry  D'B.  Mulford, 
in  September,  1889. 

Unitarian  {May  Memorial)  Church. — The  Church  of  the  Messiah 
(First  Unitarian  Congregational  society)  was  organized  October-!,  L838, 
with  the  following  trustees:  Elisha  Walter,  Joel  Owen  and  Stephen 
Abbott.  The  few  Unitarian  families  in  the  village  had  listened  to 
preaching  in  their  faith  in  1837  by  Rev.  Samuel  Barrett  of  Boston  and 
Rev.  Mr.  Green  in  the  old  Baptist  church.  In  January,  1839,  a  small 
chapel  was  built  on  the  site  opposite  the  Grand  Opera  House  on  East 
Genesee  street.  Here  Rev.  J.  P.  B.  Storer  began  a  ministry  which 
terminated  with  his  death,  March  17,  1844.  The  society  soon  outgrew 
the  little  chapel,  and  in  August,  1840,  a  committee  was  appointed  to 
purchase  a  site  for  a  new  church.  The  lot  corner  of  Burnet  and  Lock 
streets  was  bought  of  the  Syracuse  Company  for  $550,  to  which  another 
was  subsequently  added  on  the  south  at  a  cost  of  $450.  A  church 
was  built  there  at  a  cost  of  $5,000,  which  was  dedicated  November  23, 
1843.-  In  1845  a  call  was  extended  to  and  accepted  by  Rev.  Samuel  J. 
May.  Mr.  May  was  a  man  of  the  highest  character  and  advanced 
views;  became  very  prominently  identified  with  the  anti-slavery  move- 
ment, and  won  a  place  in  the  esteem  and  affection  of  the  community 
which  it  was  difficult  to  fill  after  his  death.  He  resigned  his  pastorate 
some  time  prior  to  1871,  and  he  died  on  July  2  of  that  year.  During 
this  period  the  society  took  the  name  of  "The  Church  of  the  Messiah." 
In  1852  the  building  was  much  damaged  in  a  gale,  but  was  repaired  at  a 
cost  of  $10,000  and  dedicated  April  11,  1853.  Rev.  Samuel  R.  Calthrop 
accepted  a  call  to  the  church  and  was  installed  April  29,  L868,  and  dur- 

67 


530  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

ing  more  than  twenty-five  years  his  scholarly  sermons  have  been  lis- 
tened to  with  deep  interest.  The  present  handsome  edifice  was  erected 
on  James  street  in  1885  at  a  cost  of  about  $50,000. 

Church  of  Christ — The  Church  of  Christ  (Disciples,  or  Christians,) 
was  organized  in  the  old  City  Hall  on  February  8,  1863,  with  thirty- 
five  members.  The  society  was  legally  organized  under  the  corporate 
name  of  Church  of  Christ,  June  3,  1803,  with  Charles  Tucker,  John 
B.  Garrett  and  James  M.  Clapp,  trustees.  Services  were  held  in  the 
City  Hall  until  1863,  when  the  Court  House  was  used  until  June,  1804. 
Meanwhile  a  lot  was  purchased  on  East  Onondaga  street  and  a  brick 
church  erected  there  at  a  cost  of  $9,000. 

First  Uuivcrsa list  Church. — The  First  Universalist  Society  of  Syra- 
cuse was  organized  by  Rev.  A.  A.  Thayer  in  1859,  and  the  following 
were  chosen  trustees:  Sampson  Jacqueth  (president),  David  Wilcox, 
Wheeler  Truesdell,  Gardner  Woolson,  John  F.  Clark,  B.Austin  Avery, 
E.  K.  Reed;  Harry  Gifford,  clerk.  Rev.  Mr.  Thayer  became  the  first 
regular  pastor  in  1860.  In  1862  the  first  church  edifice  was  built.  This 
was  afterwards  sold  to  the  city  for  the  High  School  site,  and  in  1869 
the  present  church  was  erected  on  the  site  of  the  old  First  Baptist 
church;  it  was  dedicated  in  1870  and  cost  $28,000. 

First  English  Lutheran  Church. — This  society  was  organized  July  6, 
1879,  by  the  present  pastor,  Rev.  Jeremiah  Zimmerman,  of  Manchester, 
Md.  During  the  first  fifteen  months  of  the  organization  services  were 
held  in  the  Court  House  on  Sundays  and  on  Wednesday  evenings.  The 
brick  church  on  South  Salina  street,  which  had  been  erected  by  an  in- 
dependent society,  was  then  purchased,  and  it  was  improved  and  re- 
dedicated  on  the  1st  of  October,  1880,  under  its  present  name.  The 
congregation  is  connected  with  the  New  York  and  New  Jersey  Synod. 

St.  John's  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  (German). — This  church  was 
incorporated  under  the  name  of  "  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  of  St. 
John,  in  the  village  of  Syracuse,"  January  1,  1840,  with  about  forty 
families  as  members.  Mission  services  had  been  held  about  two  years 
earlier  in  the  First  Presbyterian  church.  The  following  were  chosen 
trustees:  Louis  Yehling,  Frederick  Strangeman,  Henry  Lammert  and 
George  Koenig;  the  elders  and  deacons  were  George  Lupp,  John  Mil- 
ler, Mr.  Schneider,  Frederick  Hess,  John  Yehling  and  Philip  Zahn. 
The  first  church  edifice  was  erected  in  1841  on  the  site  of  the  present 
church;  this  was  burned  December  28,  1856,  and  was  rebuilt  in  the 
next  year  at  a  cost  of  about  $12,000.     Trouble  arose  in  this  church  dur- 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  531 

ing  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  Mr.  Rechenberg-  over  his  refusal  to  confirm 
a  certain  boy,  and  ten  families  seceded  and  with  others  organized  the 
vSt.  Peter's  Evangelical  church  in  the  fall  of  1843.  On  the  death  of 
Rev.  Mr.  Weiskotten  in  1863,  Rev.  Charles  Steinhauer  was  elected 
pastor,  but  was  refused  admittance  to  the  church  by  the  trustees.  Mr. 
Steinhauer  preached  the  next  Sunday  from  the  church  steps,  and  a  week 
later,  with  about  eighty  families,  seceded  and  organized  the  Evangelical 
Lutheran  Zion's  church.  In  1879  Rev.  Mr.  Koenig  introduced  the 
liturgy  of  the  Lutheran  Church  after  some  difficulty,  which  had  not 
theretofore  been  observed  in  the  churches  of  that  denomination  in  the 
city.  This,  with  other  minor  difficulties,  caused  the  withdrawal  of 
about  twenty-five  families.  Trouble  again  arose  in  1883,  under  the 
pastorate  of  Rev.  Mr.  Nicum,  which  ended  with  calling  the  police  into 
the  building  to  preserve  order  at  the  annual  election  on  December  18. 
This  election  was  followed  by  long  litigation,  which  resulted  favorably 
to  the  faction  who  supported  pastor  Nicum,  and  as  a  consequence  about 
sixty  families  seceded  from  the  church  and  organized  St.  Mark'schurch, 
January  1,  1885. 

German  Evangelical  St.  Peter's  Church. — This  society  was  incorpo- 
rated August  6,  1843,  with  about  thirty-eight  families.  The  following 
were  chosen  trustees:  Henry  Lammert,  president;  Henry  Seifker,  sec- 
retary; Harrison  H.  Rolf,  treasurer;  Henry  Gieselman,  Adam  List- 
man,  Michael  Dick,  Philip  Dick,  Peter  Eurig,  Lewis  von  Hagin  and 
Christopher  Wilker.  Meetings  were  first  held  in  a  small  frame  church, 
corner  of  Butternut  street  and  Prospect  avenue,  opposite  the  site  of  the 
present  church.  This  building  was  subsequently  removed  across  the 
street  and  was  burned  in  the  fall  of  1860.  The  present  church  was 
built  in  1860-61,  and  cost  about  $12,000;  it  was  remodeled  in  L880, 
towers  were  erected  and  chimes  put  in  at  a  large  expense. 

Salon's  Church  of  the  Evangelical  Society  of  Syracuse. — This  society 
was  incorporated  September  9,  1844,  with  John  J.  Lucksinger,  Gabriel 
Blutner,  and  Frederick  Sprenger,  trustees.  The  first  church  was  built 
about  1845  on  the  southeast  corner  of  Cedar  and  Grape  streets,  and  was 
removed  in  1850  to  the  west  side  of  Lock  street  near  Kelden  avenue, 
and  an  addition  built  on  the  rear.  The  present  beautiful  brick  church 
was  erected  in  1869,  at  a  cost, of  about  $25,000. 

Grace  Church. — The  first  service  which  led  to  the  formation  of  this 
church  was  held  in  a  wooden  chapel  on  the  site  of  the  present  church, 
corner  of  Universitv  avenue  and   Madison  street.      Rev.  Tin  mi  as   E. 


532  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Pattison  was  the  originator  of  the  movement  and  early  in  1871  the 
parish  was  organized.  John  V.  Needham  and  Wells  B.  Hatch  were 
the  first  wardens,  and  Arthur  Crittenden,  John  R.  Hawkins,  Henry  A. 
Leggett  and  John  C.  White,  the  first  vestrymen.  The  corner  stone 
of  the  handsome  stone  church  was  laid  in  June,  1876,  and  the  building 
was  consecrated  in  February,  1877.  Rev.  Mr.  Pattison  continued  rec- 
tor about  seventeen  years,  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Mr.  Gates,  who 
remained  only  six  months  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  John  T.  Rose  on 
January  1,  1888;  on  January  25,  1891,  the  present  rector,  Rev.  Herbert 
G.  Coddington,  assumed  the  position. 

St.  Mark's  Church. — The  mission  which  was  the  forerunner  of  this 
church  was  organized  in  1883,  and  the  society  was  organized  in  the 
next  year;  in  the  same  year  a  stone  church  edifice  was  erected  on  the 
corner  of  Bridge  and  School  streets.  Rev.  E.  W.  Mundy  was  rector 
from  the  first  until  the  present  pastor,  Rev.  W.  De  L.  Wilson,  suc- 
ceeded him. 

The  Second  Branch  of  the  Evangelical  Association  of  the  City  of  Syra- 
cuse.— The  removal  of  Salem's  church  to  the  north  side  of  the  canal  in 
1859,  caused  considerable  dissatisfaction  on  the  south  side  and  led  to 
the  formation  of  this  society  in  1857 ;  it  was  not  incorporated,  how- 
ever, until  November  8,  1859,  by  the  following  trustees:  Charles  Matt, 
Jacob  Schneider,  and  Michael  Blaich.  The  brick  church  was  built 
about  this  time  on  the  corner  of  Grape  and  Jackson  streets.  The  pas- 
tors of  Salem's  church  ministered  to  the  congregation  until  1870,  since 
which  time  the  following  have  occupied  the  pulpit:  Frederick  Hehr, 
John  Schaaf,  Levi  Jacoby,  John  Reeber,  Mr.  Boiler,  Daniel  Miller,  J. 
E.  Herman,  W.  J.  Marley,  F.  J.  Holzwarth,  C.  Hardel,  D.  J.  Ebert. 

The  German  Evangelical  Lutheran  Zion's  Church. — Organized  with 
about  ninety  families  by  Rev.  Charles  Steinhauer  in  1863;  incorporated 
December  1,  1863.  In  1864  a  frame  church  was  built  on  the  site  of  the 
present  church,  corner  of  Prospect  avenue  and  Butternut  streets,  which 
cost  $12,000;  prior  to  this  time  services  were  held  in  Ackerman's  and 
Pfhol's  halls.  In  1867  the  church  was  burned  and  the  site  was  rebuilt 
with  the  present  brick  structure,  which  cost  $24,000.  The  first  trustees 
were  Nicholas  Morganstern,  Charles  L.  Hamerle,  William  Gehm,  C. 
Frederick  Lindemer,  Andrew  Speich,  and  Jacob  Walter.  Rev.  Mr. 
Steinhauer  served  the  church  six  years  to  1869,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Rev.  Alexander  Oberlander,  who  ministered  to  the  church  more  than 
twenty  years  with  great  acceptance.  The  present  pastor  is  Rev.  H.  G. 
Dattan. 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  533 

St.  Paul's  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church. — This  society  was  incor- 
porated April  17,  1882,  with  Charles  Seybold,  Charles  Schramm,  and 
Henry  Williams,  trustees.  The  first  services  were  held  in  Good  Will 
Chapel,  Fabius  and  Oswego  streets,  until  1883,  when  the  frame  church 
on  the  corner  of  Oswego  and  Shonnard  streets  was  finished.  The  first 
pastor  was  Rev.  Charles  E.  Raymond. 

Evangelical  Lutheran  St.  Mark's  Church. — This  church  was  organ- 
ized through  a  secession  from  St.  John's  church,  before  described,  with 
about  sixty  families  and  the  following  trustees:  Ludwig  Trage,  sr., 
August  Fandrich,  Gottfried  Wells,  Carl  Schlosser,  sr. ,  Nicholas  Huber, 
Heinrich  Bruns,  William  Rhode,  Carl  Kreischer,  and  Herman  Un- 
gerathen.  The  brick  church,  corner  of  Lock  and  Burnet  streets,  was 
purchased  of  the  Church  of  Messiah  Society  soon  after  the  organiza- 
tion.    The  first  pastor  was  Rev.  Theophilus  C.  Maas. 

Woodlawn  Evangelical  Church. — Organized  in  1891,  rebuilt  its  wood 
edifice  in  1892.      The  only  pastor  has  been  Rev.  H.  P.  Merle. 

Evangelical  Church  of  the  Redeemer.- — This  society  was  organized  in 
1892,  and  placed  in  pastoral  charge  of  Rev.  U.  J.  Klingsmith,  who  still 
remains.     The  society  is  composed  principally  of  young  Germans. 

Church  of  the  Assumption  (Roman  Catholic). — This  society  was  origin- 
ally called  St.  Mary's,  and  in  1844  John  B.  Lange,  George  Miller,  and  I. 
Afferdick  were  chosen  trustees  and  purchased  the  church  site  on  North 
vSalina  street  and  erected  a  frame  edifice.  The  first  pastor  was  Rev. 
Adelbert  Inama,  who  was  appointed  in  1843;  he  was  succeeded  by 
Rev.  Theodore  Noethen,  Rev.  P.  Flarian  Schweninger,  O.  S.  B.,  Rev. 
P.  Simon  Sanderl,  and  he  by  Rev.  Joseph  Raffeiner,  under  whose  ad- 
ministration the  church  was  enlarged  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  grow- 
ing congregation.  In  1861  began  the  administration  of  that  branch  of 
the  Franciscan  Fathers  known  as  Minor  Conventuals;  they  built  the 
new  church  in  1865  at  a  cost  of  about  $125,000,  which  was  consecrated 
May  3,  1867,  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  John  C.  Conroy,  then  Bishop  of  Albany 
diocese.  The  two  towers  were  finished  in  1872,  when  V.  R.  P.  Fidelis 
Dehm  was  pastor.  He  remained  in  the  church  until  1S?S  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Father  Joseph  as  superior  of  the  Franciscans,  who  appointed 
Rev.  Father  Leonard  Erich  pastor.  He  remained  until  L880,  in  July 
of  which  year  Father  Alexis  Rossbauer  was  elected  superior  and 
pastor;  he  remained  until  1883  and  during  his  pastorate  he  erected  a 
school  building  and  introduced  steam  heat  in  the  buildings  at  a  cost  of 
$40,000.      Father  Lou.  Rich  was  elected  pastor  in  1883,  and  continued 


534  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

to  May,  1888,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Dr.  Louis  Miller;  the 
latter  acted  until  1889,  when  Rev.  Francis  Neubauer,  D.  D.,  was  elected 
provincial  of  the  order  and  Rev.  Father  Bonaventura  Zoller  was  ap- 
pointed pastor.  The  church  has  a  school  on  Townsend  street  which 
was  built  at  a  cost  of  $40,000.     The  society  is  a  very  large  one. 

St.  Mary's  Church  (Roman  Catholic). — Prior  to  1842  there  were  very 
few  Catholic  families  in  Syracuse,  but  their  need  of  religious  instruction 
led  to  the  organization  of  a  church  society  in  that  year.  In  1844  the 
society  purchased  the  frame  church  built  by  St.  Paul's  church  on  the 
site  of  the  Granger  block  and  removed  it  to  the  corner  of  Madison  and 
Montgomery  streets,  where  a  lot  had  been  purchased.  In  1848  the 
building  was  enlarged  and  improved.  Rev.  Michael  Haes  was  the  first 
pastor  and  continued  until  his  death  in  1850.  On  the  4th  of  July  in 
that  year  he  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  James  A.  O'Hara,  who  labored 
faithfully  and  successfully  for  the  congregation  more  than  thirty  years, 
until  his  death  on  December  6,  1880.  During  the  administration  of 
Father  Haes  the  congregation  grew  rapidly  and  by  1852  had  become 
very  numerous,  leading  in  that  year  to  the  organization  of  the  Church 
of  St.  John  the  Evangelist,  the  church  edifice  for  which  society  was 
erected  in  1854.  Father  Haes  also  brought  the  first  Sisters  of  Charity 
to  Syracuse,  and  three  of  them  opened  a  school  in  the  basement  of  St. 
Mary's  church.  The  Sisters  have  now  three  schools  under  their  charge — 
the  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  Orphan  Asylum  and  School,  on  Madison  street, 
in  possession  of  a  brick  building  which  cost  $125,000;  the  Orphan 
Asylum  for  Boys,  and  Home  for  Old  and  Infirm  People,  situated  on  the 
Split  Rock  road,  town  of  Geddes,  under  the  name  of  the  House  of 
Providence  The  site  for  the  latter  was  purchased  by  Andrew 
Lynch  for  Rev.  Dr.  O'Hara,  in  18t>7,  who  organized  an  Industrial 
vSchool  for  Boys,  under  management  of  the  Christian  Brothers;  two 
years  later  this  undertaking  was  abandoned.  In  1872  Thomas  Mc- 
Carthy, Patrick  Phelan  and  Timothy  Sullivan,  of  the  General  Confer- 
ence of  the  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  Society,  re-established  the  institution 
under  the  management  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity,  as  a  home  for  old  and 
feeble  of  both  sexes  and  an  orphan  asylum  for  boys.  A  large  building 
has  been  erected  at  a  cost  of  $50,000,  to  take  the  place  of  the  old  one, 
and  fitted  up  with  all  modern  improvements.  In  course  of  time  the 
growth  of  St.  Mary's  congregation  made  a  larger  church  necessary  and 
Dr.  <  )'Hara  purchased  the  site  on  the  corner  of  Montgomery  and  Jef- 
ferson streets,  consisting  of  four  lots.     Here  during  the  succeeding  ten 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  535 

years  was  erected  the  costliest  church  structure  in  the  city;  it  is  now 
complete  with  exception  of  the  towers  and  cost  $250,000. 

St.  John's  Cathedral  (formerly  Church  of  St.  John  the  Evangelist). — 
This  church  is  an  outgrowth  of  St.  Mary's,  which  in  L852  had  surpassed 
its  accommodations.  Bishop  McClosky  delegated  Rev.  John  Mc- 
Menony,  assistant  pastor  of  St.  Mary's,  to  begin  the  erection  of  the 
Church  of  St.  John  the  Evangelist,  on  the  corner  of  Lock  and  Willow- 
streets.  The  building  was  finished  and  opened  in  1854.  Rev.  Mc- 
Menony  officiated  as  pastor  until  1868,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Rev. 
Father  Guerdet.  He  continued  in  the  office  until  tss->,  when  the  parish 
passed  under  charge  of  Rev.  Thomas  W.  Reilly.  During  his  adminis- 
tration the  new  school  house,  corner  of  Lock  and  Hickory  streets,  was 
erected  and  the  Parochial  School  for  Girls  was  opened  by  the  Sisters  of 
St.  Joseph  in  September,  1883;  the  boys'  department  continued  under 
charge  of  the  Christian  Brothers.  Father  Reilly  was  succeeded  by 
Rev.  J.  J.  Moriarity,  LL.D.,  in  December,  1883,  who  remained  until 
May  1, 188T.  In  this  year  Syracuse  became  the  seat  of  anew  Episcopal  See 
and  on  May  1  Rt.  Rev.  P.  A.  Ludden,  D.  D.,  was  consecrated  the  first 
bishop  of  the  Diocese  of  Syracuse.  He  selected  this  church  for  his 
cathedral,  and  Rev.  J.  S.  M.  Lynch,  D.  D.,  was  made  vicar-general 
and  rector  of  St.  John's  Cathedral ;  Rev.  P.  F.  McEvoy  was  appointed 
chancellor  and  secretary  of  the  new  diocese.  To  meet  the  require- 
ments of  these  changes  the  church  was  enlarged  and  improved. 

St.  John's  Catholic  Academy  was  founded  in  August,  1887,  as  a  Cath- 
olic High  School,  and  was  chartered  by  the  Regents  of  the  State  of 
New  York.  A  building  was  purchased  in  1889  by  St.  Vincent  de  Paul 
Society,  corner  of  Greenway  avenue  and  Vann  street,  where  Sunday 
school  is  held  for  the  convenience  of  children  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 
parish. 

The  Church  of  St.  John  the  Baptist. — This  church  was  built  in  L866, 
on  the  corner  of  Park  and  Court  streets,  by  Rev.  James  Duff}-.  Prior 
to  that  time  the  Catholics  of  Salina  and  surrounding  country  worshiped 
in  the  old  frame  church  on  North  Salina  street,  opposite  the  site  of  the 
Academy  of  the  Sacred  Heart ;  this  old  church  was  built  in  L829  :!". 
Thomas  McCarthy  and  James  Lynch  greatly  aiding  the  work.  It  was 
dedicated  early  in  1830.  The  congregation  being  small  it  was  visited 
only  once  a  month  by  clergymen.  The  first  regular  pastor  was  Rex- 
Francis  O'Donohue,  who  remained  about  six  years,  and  was  followed 
by  Fathers  Balfe  and  Drummond,    and  they   by  James   O'Donnell;    he 


536  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

remained  four  or  five  years,  after  which  Fathers  Radigan  and  Cartier 
had  charge  of  the  parish  for  a  time  and  were  followed  by  Father  Michael 
Haes.  Under  his  supervision  the  church  was  enlarged.  He  remained 
in  charge  about  fifteen  years,  was  transferred  to  St.  Mary's  and  was 
succeeded  in  this  parish  successively  by  Revs.  Philip  Gillick,  Joseph 
Guerdet,  T.  A.  Mullany,  Michael  Hackett,  Maurice  Sheehan,  James  A. 
Duffy  (under  whose  administration  the  present  brick  edifice  was  built 
at  a  cost  of  $125,000),  Father  Brown,  William  J.  Bourke,  and  Rev.  John 
F.  Mullany,  the  present  pastor.  Since  Father  Mullany  took  charge  of 
the  parish  he  has  erected  the  Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart  in  the  town 
of  Cicero,  and  St.  Joseph's  church  in  Liverpool. 

St.  Patrick's  Church. — This  church  is  situated  in  Geddes  on  the  cor- 
ner of  Schuyler  street  and  Lowell  avenue.  The  society  was  organized 
in  1871,  with  Rev.  Hugh  Shields,  pastor;  he  remained  only  a  short 
time  and  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Lynch,  afterwards  vicar- 
general,  who  completed  the  basement  of  the  church.  In  July,  1871, 
Rev.  Patrick  F.  Smith  was  appointed  pastor  and  continued  work  on 
the  church  until  its  completion.  He  was  succeeded  in  1875  by  Rev. 
James  P.  Magee.      The  church  edifice  is  of  brick  and  cost  $50,000. 

St.  Joseph's  Church  ((hi- man  Catholic). — This  society  was  organized 
November  19,  1881,  and  in  the  next  year  the  corner  stone  of  the  house 
of  worship  was  laid ;  the  building  was  dedicated  November  21,  1882. 
A  school  building  was  erected  in  connection  with  the  church  in  1883, 
the  cost  of  both  being  about  $25,000.  Rev.  Joseph  Pickl  was  the  first 
pastor  in  charge  and  was  succeeded  by  the  present  incumbent,  Rev. 
S.  A.  Preisser. 

St.  Lucy's  Church. — The  organization  of  this  church  was  due  mainly 
to  the  need  of  religious  accommodations  in  the  Fifth  ward.  Meetings 
were  held  about  1870-71  in  the  Cook  block,  the  society  grew  in  num- 
bers and  early  in  1872  steps  were  taken  towards  building  a  house  of 
worship,  and  the  site  was  purchased.  Work  was  begun  on  the  building 
in  August,  1872,  and  the  excavation  was  completed  in  September,  at 
which  time  Rev.  John  J.  Kennedy  was  appointed  pastor  of  the  congre- 
gation, and  the  society  was  incorporated.  The  building  was  vigorously 
prosecuted  and  the  corner  stone  laid  June  22,  1873;  the  basement  of 
the  building  was  first  occupied  for  worship  November  1,  1873.  The 
structure  was  finished  and  dedicated  December  23,  1875,  by  Rt.  Rev. 
Francis  McNierny.  Rev.  Dr.  Kennedy  succeeded  Rev.  Dr.  Lynch  as 
vicar-general.      He  also  bears  the  title  of  Monsignor. 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  537 

St.  Joseph 's  Church  {French  Catholic}. — This  society  was  organized 
in  1869  by  Rev.  Joseph  Guerdet,  with  nearly  200  members.  In  the 
same  year  the  church  building  of  the  Central  Baptist  society  was  pur- 
chased, on  East  Genesee  street.  The  first  pastor  was  Rev.  Joseph 
Quevillon,  who  was  succeeded  in  1870  by  Rev.  J.  J.  Robillard.  He 
was  followed  by  Rev.  Mr.  Brouillet,  and  he  by  Rev.  B.  C.  Thibault. 
The  society  is  prosperous  and  increases  with  the  growth  of  the  French 
population  of  the  city. 

Holy  Trinity  Church. — This  church  was  organized  in  1890,  and  in 
the  following  year  a  frame  building  was  erected  at  a  cost  including  lot 
of  about  $12,000.  It  was  dedicated  November  15,  1891.  Rev.  John 
Rowland  has  been  in  charge  from  the  first. 

Besides  the  foregoing  Roman  Catholic  churches,  there  is  a  Polish 
church  located  on  Apple  street,  organized  in  1892,  and  five  chapels  con- 
nected with  the  several  Catholic  institutions  of  the  city. 

Seventh  Day  Adventists. — A  society  of  this  denomination  was  formed 
in  Kirkville  in  1861,  and  removed  to  Syracuse  in  1882,  for  a  more  cen- 
tral locality.  After  occupying  various  mission  rooms  the  property  at 
109  Harrison  Place  was  purchased  for  a  permanent  place  of  worship. 
Earnest  work  has  brought  the  membership  to  nearly  100.  Services  are 
conducted  chiefly  by  missionaries. 

Hebrew  Churches  and  Institutions. — In  the  population  of  Syracuse 
there  is  a  very  large  Hebrew  element,  which  includes  many  most  en- 
terprising business  men  and  respected  citizens.  Their  religious  and 
social  institutions  are  liberally  supported  and  their  children  are  com- 
pelled to  almost  universal  attendance  in  the  public  schools.  Most  of 
the  families  of  this  nationality  have  settled  in  Syracuse  since  1835. 

The  Society  of  Concord. — In  the  year  1841  the  wholesale  notion  store 
of  Bernheim  &  Block,  on  the  site  of  the  Bastable  block,  was  a  popular 
meeting  place  for  Jewish  citizens  and  there  was  made  the  first  proposi- 
tion for  founding  a  house  of  worship  in  their  faith  in  the  village.  (  >n 
September  26,  1841,  in  New  York  city,  twelve  men  met  at  the  house  of 
H.  Weiksheimer  and  decided  to  remove  to  Syracuse,  which  they  did. 
They  were  the  founders  of  the  Society  of  Concord.  The  first  meeting 
was  held  on  November  21,  1841,  at  the  house  of  Jacob  Garson,  on  Mul- 
berry street,  and  the  following  trustees  chosen:  Max  Thalheimer, 
president;  Joseph  Schloss,  treasurer;  H.  Rosenbach,  S.  Manheimer, 
E.  Rothschild,  secretary;  all  of  these  are  deceased.  The  Rev.  A. 
Gunzenhauser  was  engaged  as  minister  and  reader,  and  was  succeeded 
68 


538  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

in  August,  1846,  by  Rev.  Joseph  Goodman.  Services  were  held  in 
dwellings  and  in  the  Townsend  block,  until  1850,  when  the  synagogue 
on  the  corner  of  Mulberry  and  Madison  streets  was  purchased ;  the 
building  had  previously  been  a  dwelling  and  was  transformed  for 
church  purposes  and  dedicated  by  Rev.  Dr.  Isaac  Wise,  of  Cincinnati.  At 
that  time  I.  H.  Bronner  was  president  of  the  congregation  and  a  few 
years  later  was  succeeded  by  Aaron  Henocksberg.  When  the  building 
became  too  small  for  the  growing  congregation  measures  were  adopted 
which  resulted  in  locating  the  synagogue  now  in  use  on  the  corner  of 
Mulberry  and  Harrison  streets;  it  was  finished  in  1850.  The  Rev. 
Joseph  Goodman  having  resigned,  Rev.  Jacob  Levi  was  chosen  in  his 
place.  During  his  administration  two  factions,  one  called  the  Reform 
and  the  other  the  Orthodox  party,  sprang  up  in  the  congregation.  The 
Reform  party  was  headed  by  Joseph  Falker,  who  was  elected  president 
of  the  society  in  March,  1801.  During  Mr.  Falker's  administration, 
organ  playing,  choir  singing,  and  family  pews  were  introduced,  the 
custom  of  men  worshiping  with  covered  heads  was  abolished  and 
other  alterations  made.  These  reforms  meant  the  essential  reconciling 
of  the  old  spirit  of  Judaism  with  the  newer  light  and  the  later  require- 
ments of  this  age.  The  majority  of  the  congregation  felt  that  they 
wanted  a  broad,  enlightened  Judaism,  a  Judaism  appealing  to  the 
heart  as  well  as  to  reason,  and  congenial  to  American  soil.  These  in- 
novations stirred  up  violent  opposition,  and  the  minority,  finding  they 
could  not  reconcile  their  consciences  to  the  acts  of  the  majority,  finally 
seceded  in  a  body  and  established  themselves  in  an  Orthodox  society, 
which  is  still  in  existence.  After  the  division  Rev.  Dr.  Deutsch,  a 
cultured  divine,  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  spiritual  interests  of  the 
congregation.  On  Mr.  Falker's  retirement  from  the  presidency  he 
was  succeeded  by  others  equally  advanced  in  their  ideas,  such  as  Simon 
and  Isaac  Lowenthal,  L.  Leiter,  David  Hamburger,  Moritz  Marx,  and 
William  Henocksburg.  Since  1882  Rev.  Dr.  A.  Guttman  has  had  charge 
of  the  congregation,  and  a  new  and  vigorous  spirit  was  infused  into 
the  society.  The  Society  of  Concord  has  been  very  active  in  philan- 
thropic work  through  mission  schools  and  various  societies  and  associa- 
tions. 

New  Beth  Israel. — This  congregation  was  organized  August  7;  1854. 
The  first  services  were  held  at  the  house  of  Moses  Hart  on  Adams 
street.  The  following  were  the  first  officers  of  the  society:  Joshua 
Jacobs,   president;  Henry  Lazarus,  vice-president;  P.    Lee,  secretary; 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  539 

Moses  Hart,  J.  Samson,  E.  Labischinsky,  X.  Marks.  The  synagogue 
was  built  in  1856  and  remodeled  in  1887.  The  society  owns  a  ceme- 
tery in  the  southern  part  of  the  city. 

Adath  Jeshwmn  {Gathering  of  Religious  People). — This  church  was 
organized  June  6,  L864,  and  was  chartered  March  3,  L866.  Joseph 
Swartz  was  the  first  president;  Joseph  Wiseman,  vice-president; 
Moses  Bronner,  treasurer.  The  first  place  of  worship  was  in  a  build- 
ing on  Harrison  street  between  Mulberry  and  Montgomery.  In  1874  a 
hall  in  a  building  on  the  corner  of  Mulberry  and  Madison  streets,  was 
rented  and  occupied  until  the  church  was  finished.  In  1887  Solomon 
Rosenbloom  purchased  a  lot  on  Orange  street  and  insisted  that  the 
congregation  should  now  have  a  home  of  its  own;  through  his  efforts, 
assisted  by  Morris  Thalheimer,  Daniel  Rosenbloom,  and  K.  A.  Wolf,  a 
gothic  building  was  erected  and  dedicated  in  August,  L887.  Other 
successive  presidents  of  the  church  have  been  Solomon  Rosenbloom, 
Morris  Thalheimer,  and  Abraham  Light.  The  first  leader  of  the 
religious  service  was  Rev.  W.  B.  Newcity,  who  continued  until  1875, 
when  he  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Jacob  Levi.  Rev.  Leopold  Herman  is 
in  charge  in  1895.  Rural  Cemetery,  south  of  Oakwood,  is  the  prop- 
erty of  this  society. 

Adath  Israel. — This  congregation  was  organized  at  the  house  of 
Jacob  Groginsky,  June  1,  1882,  and  the  following  officers  chosen: 
James  B.  Harrison,  president;  Nathan  Levi,  vice-president;  Philip 
Kaufman,  secretary;  Moses  Jacobs,  treasurer.  The  society  met  in  the 
Wolf  block,  corner  of  Mulberry  and  Adams  street  a  short  time,  when 
their  present  brick  synagogue  was  erected  in  the  latter  part  of  1882. 
Daily  meetings  are  held.  ■ 

Adath  Yeshurun. — In  1870  thirty-five  young  men  left  the  society  of 
New  Beth  Israel  and  began  holding  meetings  in  Tabor's  Hall.  Their 
first  minister  was  Marcus  Radin,  and  Elias  Labischinsky  was  presi- 
dent. In  1872  they  were  chartered  under  the  above  name  and  the  fol- 
lowing officers  were  chosen:  Solomon  Harrison,  president;  Jacob 
Tumim,  vice-president;  Samuel  Solomon,  secretary.  In  the  next  year 
the  society  bought  a  house  and  lot,  No.  75  Mulberry  street,  where  in 
1X77  they  built  their  present  church.  In  188*2  the  society  purchased 
a  cemetery  on  the  plank  road. 

Congregational  Poily  Zedeck. — This  church  was  organized  in  L888, 
chiefly  through  efforts  of  Joseph  Wall  en,  Marks  Baliban,  Moses  Kline, 
David   L     Cohen,    and   Abraham   Moses.       The  society   was  chartered 


540  ONONDAG-A'S  CENTENNIAL. 

September  23,  1888,  with  the  following  trustees:  Herman  Wolfson, 
Ruben  Rubenstein,  Samuel  Berman,  Isaac  Heitner,  and  Philip  Kauf- 
man; the  first  president  was  Alexander  Cohn;  secretary,  Joseph 
Honig.  The  first  meeting  was  in  Sugarman's  Hall,  corner  of  Grape 
and  Harrison  streets.  Rev.  Mr.  Finburg  was  the  first  minister.  In 
1889  the  society  rented  a  building  on  Mulberry  street  for  worship. 

TJie  Rescue  Mission. — This  mission  was  established  in  1887  for  the 
purpose  of  reaching  classes  who  would  not  be  likely  to  attend  church 
and  give  them  the  blessings  of  the  gospel.  The  experienced  services  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  B.  Gibbud  of  New  York  city  were  secured  and  under 
their  advice  mission  rooms  were  opened  on  Washington  street,  near  Mul- 
berry, on  Sunday  evening,  September  4,  1887.  The  work  of  the  mission 
attracted  public  attention  through  its  immediate  success  in  drawing  to 
its  doors  many  who  would  otherwise  have  been  wholly  without  relig- 
ious instruction.  The  rooms  soon  proved  inadequate,  and  when  the 
necessity  for  larger  quarters  became  very  pressing,  H.  B.  Andrews, 
who  has  been  a  liberal  and  indefatigable  supporter  of  the  work  from 
the  first,  purchased  the  premises  No.  115  Mulberry  street,  enlarged 
and  fitted  up  the  building  and  rented  it  to  the  mission  for  a  merely 
nominal  price.  The  new  rooms  were  occupied  first  in  1890.  Since 
that  time  the  mission  has  done  incalculable  good,  through  its  religious 
services  in  the  rooms,  in  the  streets  and  on  canal  boats. 

The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association. — This  Christian  and  philan- 
thropic institution  was  first  founded  in  England  in  1844,  and  in  America 
in  1851,  since  which  date  it  has  become  one  of  the  most  powerful  fac- 
tors in  the  country  in  spreading  Christianity,  especially  among  young 
men.  The  association  in  Syracuse  was  founded  on  September  30,  1858; 
at  that  time  there  were  only  five  associations  in  this  State  and  only 
sixty  in  the  United  States  and  the  British  provinces.  During  the  first 
few  months  of  its  existence  meetings  of  the  association  were  held  in  the 
churches.  In  March,  1859,  rooms  were  secured  in  the  Pike  block,  and 
later  on  upper  floors  at  No.  16  South  Salina  street.  The  association 
was  incorporated  in  1862.  During  several  years  most  of  the  work  of 
the  association  was  devoted  to  the  establishment  of  mission  schools,  but 
later  it  adopted  its  legitimate  sphere  of  labor — "a  work  for  young  men 
by  young  men."  In  1866  it  returned  to  more  desirable  apartments  in 
the  Pike  block,  and  in  1873  when  its  lease  expired,  it  again  moved  to  its 
former  rooms  on  Salina  street.  In  1875  its  first  general  secretary  was 
chosen  in  the  person  of  E.  D.  Ingersol,  the  work  having  been  previously 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  541 

carried  on  by  a  city  missionary.  In  1871  new  life  was  inspired  in  the 
association  and  a  commodious  hall  taken  and  fitted  up  in  the  Conven- 
tion block  on  East  Genesee  street.  In  1882  the  Woman's  Auxiliary  was 
organized,  with  Mrs.  H.  L.  Duguid,  president.  Another  offshoot  of 
the  association  is  the  Railroad  Branch,  established  in  1879,  and  in  L880 
a  similar  branch  was  founded  at  East  Syracuse. 

The  parent  association  long  felt  the  need  of  a  building  of  its  own. 
On  May  30,  1883,  at  a  conference  held  at  the  residence  of  E.  W. 
Leavenworth,  the  project  of  securing  such  a  building  assumed  definite 
shape.  Those  present  who  discussed  the  advisability  of  attempting  a 
building  were  State  Secretary  George  Hall,  H.  B.  Chamberlain, 
W.  W.  Brown,  R.  N.  Gere,  A.  C.  Chase,  H.  L.  Duguid,  Peter 
Burns  and  others.  No  definite  steps  were  taken  until  November  <>(' 
that  year,  when  a  committee  was  appointed  from  the  board  of  mana- 
gers, consisting  of  W.  S.  Peck,  James  A.  Skinner,  George  C.  Sawyer,  |. 
B.  Brooks,  and  A.  S.  Durston  to  procure  a  site.  The  result  was  the 
purchase  of  the  rectory  of  St.  Paul's  church  on  Warren  street.  After  a 
careful  canvass  sufficient  funds  were  pledged  by  citizens  to  erect  the 
proposed  building,  ground  for  which  was  broken  October  T,  1884.  On 
the  loth  of  November  of  that  year  the  corner  stone  was  laid  by  Pres- 
ident William  A.  Duncan,  and  on  January  16,  1886,  the  fine  structure 
was  dedicated.      Its  cost  was  $62,000. 

BENEVOLENT    INSTITUTIONS. 

In  caring  for  the  poor  and  unfortunate  Syracuse  has  always  occupied 
an  advanced  position.  Her  citizens  may  not  be  more  generous,  liberal, 
or  sympathetic  than  those  of  other  cities,  but  they  have  at  least  realized 
that,  outside  of  the  dictates  of  humanity,  the  proper  protection  and 
support  of  the  poor  is  one  of  the  elements  of  prosperity  in  any  commu- 
nity. The  numerous  and  ever-increasing  calls  upon  the  charity  of  the 
well-to-do  have  been  always  promptly  and  generously  met,  and  the 
most  cordial  support  given  to  the  establishment  of  the  various  insti- 
tutions having  for  their  object  the  amelioration  of  the  condition  of  the 
poor. 

Previous  to  the  incorporation  of  the  city  the  care  of  the  poor  had 
been  provided  for  through  the  common  channels  of  the  Board  of 
Supervisors  and  the  overseer  of  the  poor  (see  earlier  account  of  the 
County  Poorhouse)  and  no  institution  had  then  been  founded  in  Syra- 
cuse, outside  of  the  Orphan   Asylum  for  this   purpose.      In  L852,  after 


542  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

some  agitation,  a  City  Poor  and  Workhouse  was  established,  and  $16,000 
were  appropriated  by  the  Common  Council  for  the  erection  of  a  proper 
building-.  This  action  resulted  in  the  erection  of  the  structure  now  used 
by  the  House  of  Providence,  on  the  Split  Rock  road.  It  was  used  for 
its  intended  purpose  only  about  ten  years,  when  it  was  ordered  sold  to 
the  Catholics  in  18P7.  The  principal  reason  for  its  abandonment  ap- 
pears to  have  been  the  expense  of  maintaining  it  as  a  separate  institu- 
tion. The  immediate  care  of  the  poor  of  the  city  is  now  under  charge 
of  the  overseer  of  the  poor,  whose  task  is  much  lightened  by  various 
philanthropic  and  charitable  organizations. 

The  Bureau  of  Labor  and  Charities  has  been  of  almost  incalculable 
usefulness  in  the  city,  particularly  in  discriminating  between  the  worthy 
and  the  unworthy  poor  and  in  the  proper  distribution  of  alms.  The 
bureau  was  organized  December  20,  1878,  and  incorporated  March  7, 
1881,  with  the  following  charter  members:  Edward  A.  Powell, 
Timothy  Sullivan,  Elias  T.  Talbot,  Austin  C.  Chase,  James  L.  Bagg, 
Lawrence  T.  Jones,  and  John  M.  Strong.  The  objects  of  the  bureau 
are  thus  stated :  (1)  To  investigate  the  condition  of  indigent  persons 
in  Syracuse,  and  so  far  as  practicable  to  cause  them  to  be  properly  pro- 
vided for,  so  as  to  prevent  them  from  becoming  or  remaining  paupers 
or  criminals;  (2)  To  look  after  the  welfare  of  children  in  Syracuse 
found  to  be  wayward,  neglected,  or  improperly  treated,  and  so  far  as 
practicable  to  procure  suitable  employment  in  homes  for  them  in  the 
country  or  elsewhere.  It  will  be  seen  that  this  field  is  a  broad  one,  and 
one  in  which  a  vast  amount  of  good  may  be  accomplished.  The  num- 
ber of  directors  of  the  bureau  is  thirty-two,  and  E.  A.  Powell  was  the 
first  president,  with  Charles  R.  Sherlock,  secretary. 

In  1881  the  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Children,  which  is 
a  branch  of  the  foregoing  institution,  was  organized  and  incorporated 
by  the  following  persons:  Timothy  Sullivan,  James  O.  S.  Huntington, 
Mabel  T.  White,  Harriet  T.  Dunlap,  Lawrence  T.  Jones,  and  Rich- 
mond Fisk.  The  object  of  the  society  is  sufficiently  expressed  in  its 
name.  The  funds  and  other  means  of  charity  for  these  two  institutions 
arc  supplied  by  solicited  subscriptions  and  voluntary  contributions. 

Syracuse  Home  Association. — This  Home  was  founded  to  provide  a 
retreat  for  women,  especially  the  aged,  and  women  without  employ- 
ment, without  homes,  and  destitute  of  means.  The  work  was  in- 
augurated by  about  thirty  prominent  women  of  the  city,  whose  efforts 
weir  substantially   aided   by  several   men  who  foresaw  the  good  that 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  543 

might  be  accomplished  by  such  an  institution.  The  act  of  incorpora- 
tion was  passed  in  1853,  and  the  Home  was  opened  in  a  dwelling  on 
South  Salina  street ;  but  more  commodious  quarters  were  soon  needed 
and  it  was  removed  to  a  residence  on  East  Fayette  street,  where  it  re- 
mained thirteen  years.  In  November,  1867,  the  building  was  burned 
and  the  inmates  turned  out  upon  the  charity  of  citizens.  They  were 
temporarily  sheltered  in  a  building  at  the  corner  of  Salina  and  Onon- 
daga streets,  and  when  it  became  apparent  that  larger  apartments 
must  be  provided,  Moses  D.  Burnet  presented  a  site  on  the  corner  of 
Townsend  and  Hawley  streets  to  the  association,  on  condition  that 
citizens  would  subscribe  a  sufficient  sum  to  build  a  suitable  house.  Bv 
persistent  work  of  the  managers,  among  whom  were  Hamilton  White, 
Horace  White,  Charles  Pope,  Ira  Cobb,  E.  B.  Wicks,  David  French, 
Lyman  Clary,  and  Ira  Williams,  and  the  ready  response  of  generous 
citizens,  the  necessary  amount  was  pledged  and  the  corner  stone  of  the 
new  structure  was  laid  in  June,  1869.  On  the  22d  of  Februarv,  1870, 
the  building  was  dedicated.  The  following  persons  have  served  as 
matrons  of  the  institution:  Mary  A.  Reynolds,  Rhoda  Ann  Kincaid, 
Elizabeth  Morris,  Agnes  Williams,  Mrs.  Holdridge,  Julia  M.  Willitte, 
Mary  Sherman,  Mary  W.  Curtis  (nine  years),  Ada  Felton,  Caroline 
Stevens,  Charlotte  A.  Clark,  Mary  E.  Cook. 

St.  Joseph's  Hospital. — This  institution  was  founded  in  1869  bv  the 
Sisters  of  the  Third  Franciscan  Order,  St.  Anthony's  Convent,  of  this 
city.  Property  was  bought  on  Prospect  Hill  on  the  12th  of  April, 
L869,  consisting  of  an  old  saloon  and  dancing  hall,  for  which  the  sum 
of  $12,000  was  paid.  A  brick  structure  was  built  to  connect  the  two 
older  buildings,  rooms  were  partitioned  off  and  the  hospital  was 
formally  opened  on  the  7th  of  May,  1869.  Sister  Dominic  was  placed 
in  charge  with  Sisters  Mechtildes,  Veronica,  Tohanna,  and  Haycinthe, 
assistants.  To  raise  funds  to  pay  for  the  property  the  Sisters  solicited 
alms  and  received  substantial  aid.  Citizens  of  the  city  also  took  a 
deep  interest  in  the  founding  of  the  institution  and  aided  in  raising 
funds.  During  the  first  year  123  patients  were  treated.  In  1870 
Mother  Marianne  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  hospital  and  held  the 
position  seven  years.  On  the  23d  of  Februarv,  1870,  the  hospital  was 
incorporated.  In  1ST:)  Mother  Bernardine  was  placed  in  charge  and 
remained  three  and  one  half  years.  Sister  Dominic  was  then  appointed 
for  one  year,  when  Mother  Bernardine  was  reappointed  and  remained 
to  I<s89.     In  1882  the  hospital  was  enlarged  by  an  addition  on  the  south 


544  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

and  west  sides,  and  in  1888  another  addition  was  built  on  the  north  and 
east  sides,  making  the  building-  122  feet  by  8o}4  feet,  and  capable  of 
accommodating-  120  patients.  In  September,  1889,  Sister  Genevieve 
was  placed  in  charge.  The  board  of  trustees  comprises  five  citizens  of 
Syracuse,  the  Mother  Provincial  acting  as  president.  From  the 
first  organization  of  the  hospital  Drs.  R.  W.  Pease  and  H.  D.  Didama 
took  an  active  interest  in  the  work,  the  former  as  attending  surgeon, 
and  the  latter  as  visiting  physician.  Dr.  Henry  Crouse  was  selected 
as  house  physician  and  acted  in  that  capacity  for  seven  years.  Dr.  J 
O.  Burt  and  Dr.  J.  W.  Lawton  were  also  connected  with  the  hospital 
in  its  early  dayc.  Upon  the  retirement  of  Dr.  Crouse,  Dr.  D.  M. 
Totman  became  house  physician  and  served  five  years.  In  1882  the 
staff  was  reorganized  with  Dr.  R.  W.  Pease,  surgeon-in-chief;  Dr.  H. 
D.  Didama,  physician-in-chief,  and  the  following  visiting  staff:  Medi- 
cal, Drs.  Henry  L.  Eisner,  John  L.  Heffron,  Gaylord  P.  Clark,  and 
Margaret  Stanton;  surgical,  Drs.  Nathan  Jacobson,  D.  M.  Totman, 
and  Scott  Owen;  oculist,  Dr.  U.  H.  Brown.  Dr.  Pease  remained  at 
the  head  of  the  surgical  staff  until  his  death  in  May,  1886.  To  his 
great  skiil  and  untiring  zeal  much  of  the  success  of  the  hospital  is  due. 
Upon  his  death  Dr.  H.  D.  Didama  accepted  the  post.  St.  Joseph's 
Hospital  is  one  of  the  most  beneficent  institutions  in  Onondaga  county. 
House  of  the  Good  Shepherd. — About  the  year  1871-2  two  Canadian 
women,  members  of  the  Episcopal  church,  came  to  Syracuse  sick  with 
fever  and  were  taken  to  St.  Joseph's  Hospital.  On  the  following  Sun- 
day, Bishop  Huntington,  in  St.  Paul's  church,  alluded  to  the  incident, 
dwelling  upon  and  regretting  the  fact  that  the  church  people  had  no 
hospital  in  the  city.  At  the  close  of  the  service  a  gentleman  offered  a 
house  in  East  Fayette  street  for  this  purpose,  rent  free,  if  others 
would  furnish  it.  The  offer  was  promptly  accepted  and  the  hospital 
was  immediately  opened.  Later  it  was  removed  to  Hawley  street. 
Outgrowing  that  institution,  George  F.  Comstock  in  July,  1874,  offered 
to  the  board  the  present  site  on  Marshall  street,  and  measures  were  in- 
augurated for  erecting  a  suitable  building.  This  building  is  a  wooden 
structure  three  stories  high  and  was  finished  in  December,  1875.  The 
name,  "House  of  the  Good  Shepherd,"  was  given  to  the  institution 
previous  to  its  removal  from  Hawley  street  The  first  officers  were: 
President,  Rt.  Rev.  F.  D.  Huntington,  S.  T.  D. ;  secretary,  Rev. 
Thomas  E.  Pattison ;  treasurer,  D.  O.  Salmon;  executive  committee, 
A.  C.   Powell,    D.  O.   Salmon,    D.  W.  Marvin.     The  first  medical  staff 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CiTY  OF  SYRACUSE.  545 

consisted  of  Drs.  Dunlap,  Benedict,  Didama,  Plant,  and  Rhoades,  and 
the  first  surgical  staff  were  Drs.  Van  Duyn,  Mercer,  and  Pease.  The 
doors  of  the  institution  are  open  to  all  who  need  its  care,  regardless  of 
their  belief,  race  or  color.  The  number  of  beds  is  nearly  sixty,  and 
they  are  usually  full.  There  are  two  memorial  rooms,  one  furnished 
by  Mrs.  D.  P.  Wood,  in  memory  of  her  daughter,  and  the  other  by 
Mrs.  W.  G.  Hibbard,  of  Chicago,  in  memory  of  her  mother,  Mrs.  Peter 
Van  Schaack.  There  are  also  three  free  beds,  one  supported  by  the 
British  American  Association;  one  by  Mrs.  Thayer-Webb,  of  Skane- 
ateles;  and  the  Van  Schaack  memorial  bed.  The  sum  necessary  to 
support  a  bed  for  one  year  is  $250  and  any  one  may  have  the  privilege. 
In  1885  a  department  was  established  for  the  training  of  nurses  in 
connection  with  the  hospital.  Miss  L.  B.  Mills,  a  graduate  from  Belle- 
vue  Hospital,  of  New  York,  was  made  superintendent  of  this  school 
and  hospital.  In  1887  a  building  was  erected  adjoining  the  hospital  for 
the  accommodation  of  the  school.  The  training  covers  a  course  of  two 
years,  and  the  discipline  is  strict. 

EDUCATIONAL    INSTITUTIONS. 

The  schools  of  early  Syracuse  were  primitive  in  character,  limited  in 
number,  and  very  little  record  is  left  of  their  existence.  The  first 
school  taught  within  the  present  limits  of  the  city  was  by  Capt.  Edward 
O'Connor,  probably  in  1797,  in  Salina  or  Liverpool,  or  both.  Capt. 
O'Connor  settled  in  Oswego  in  1796,  having  been  attracted  thither  by 
what  he  saw  while  serving  as  a  Revolutionary  soldier  in  Col.  Marinus 
Willett's  hapless  band  who  made  a  winter  expedition  in  1783  to  cap- 
ture the  Oswego  forts,  and  came  near  perishing  in  the  frost.  Capt. 
O'Connor  returned  to  Salt  Point  before  the  winter  of  1796-7.  He  was 
a  well  educated  Irishman,  and  his  daughter,  born  in  Salina  in  1797, 
married  Alvin  Bronson,  one  of  the  foremost  citizens  of  Oswego. 

Besides  O'Connor's  Salina  school,  others  were  undoubtedly  taught  dur- 
ing the  first  quarter  of  a  century  in  Salina,  in  Geddes,  and  possibly  in 
Syracuse;  but  there  is  no  record  of  the  fact.  Education  was  not  neg- 
lected, but  it  was  mainly  fostered  in  private  or  select  schools.  Begin- 
ning in  1826,  Welthy  Ann  Lathrop,  a  widow,  taught  a  select  school  in  a 
building  supplied  her  by  Capt.  Joel  Cody,  in  rear  of  the  First  Baptist 
church;  this  school  continued  many  years.  In  1828  a  school  was  taught 
in  a  house  on  East  Genesee  street,  within  the  bounds  of  the  then  vil- 
lage of  Lodi,  which  became  merged  in  the  later  school  on  East  Fayette 
69 


546  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

street.  This  became  known  as  the  "cold  water  school,"  through  the 
temperance  advocacy  and  influence  of  Oliver  Teall  In  1830  Miss 
Guthrie  taught  a  private  school  in  a  building  called  "The  Wheeler 
House,"  on  the  corner  of  Salina  and  Center  streets,  in  what  is  now 
the  First  ward.  During  six  months  of  the  year  1835  George  F.  Corn- 
stock  taught  a  select  school  in  the  upper  story  of  a  building  then  stand- 
ing on  the  site  of  the  Bastable  block.  He  was  elected  inspector  of 
schools  for  the  town  of  Salina  in  1837.  In  early  years  there  was  in 
existence  the  Salina  Institute  on  Turtle  street,  between  Park  and  Salina 
streets.  D.  C.  Leroy  and  Dr.  James  Foran  were  at  different  times 
teachers  in  this  institution.  Dr.  Mather  Williams  erected  a  building 
of  temporary  character  on  Water  street  near  Clinton,  for  the  Misses 
Chamberlain  in  which  they  taught  a  select  school  for  girls.  The  build- 
ing was  neither  ceiled  nor  plastered,  and  on  the  approach  of  cold 
weather  the  school  was  removed  to  a  room  fitted  up  by  Capt.  Hiram 
Putnam,  in  the  upper  part  of  his  dwelling  on  Montgomery  street.  This 
school  was  soon  given  the  name  of  the  Montgomery  Institute,  thus 
making  up  in  name,  perhaps,  what  it  lacked  in  other  respects.  Among 
the  teachers  of  this  "  Institute"  were  Miss  Richardson,  Miss  Alexander, 
the  Misses  Newton,  Miss  Fitch,  Miss  Collins,  Miss  Laurie,  and  Miss 
Gould ;  some  of  these  teachers  were  from  distant  places.  It  is  prob- 
able that  Miss  Amelia  Bradbury  also  taught  in  this  institution,  or  its 
successor  on  the  same  street,  and  the  standard  of  education  was  well 
advanced.  French,  Latin,  drawing,  music,  and  later  the  sciences  were 
taught,  and  Miss  Bradbury  numbered  among  her  pupils  many  who 
afterwards  became  heads  of  the  leading  families  of  the  village  and 
city. 

Miss  Emily  Chubbuck,  afterwards  the  wife  of  Adoniram  Judson,  a 
famous  missionary  to  Burmah,  taught  a  select  school  at  one  period  in 
a  small  building  on  the  site  of  the  McCarthy  wholesale  stores,  corner 
of  Clinton  and  Water  streets.  From  September,  1847,  to  June,  1861, 
Madame  A.  J.  Raoul  taught  a  select  school  in  the  city,  which  gained  an 
enviable  reputation.  She  was  an  accomplished  teacher  of  French  and 
music  and  continued  teaching  the  language  to  a  few  pupils  until  1872 
(she  died  in  1875),  when  growing  infirmities  brought  her  labors  to  a 
close. 

Besides  these  there  was  a  high  school  taught  for  several  years  after 
;il)(iut  1840,  which  has  not  been  noticed  in  any  publication  bearing  upon 
the  subject,  as   far   as  known.     A  catalogue  is  at  hand  printed  upon  a 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  547 

single  sheet  about  nine  by  twelve  in  size,  headed  "Catalogue  of  the 
Church  Street  High  School,  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  winter  term,  1841-2.  J. 
L.  Mayo,  Principal.  J.  Mayo  and  Marietta  Dean,  Assistants."  J.  L. 
Mayo  was  father  of  Levi  S.  Mayo,  now  of  Syracuse,  and  J.  Mayo  was 
brother  of  J.  L.  The  former  lived  very  near  the  site  of  the  present. 
Hier  flats  and  on  his  house  lot  built  a  school  house,  where  this  high 
school  was  taught  a  number  of  years  with  a  good  degree  of  success,  as 
will  be  seen  by  the  appended  list  of  pupils  for  the  term  mentioned.  It 
is  given  space  here  for  its  historical  value  and  for  reference : 

Males — D.  L.  Alvord,  De  Witt  C.  Adams,  Spencer  Ballou,  Charles  Baker,  Nicholas 
Bush,  Mark  Bush,  D.  C.  Bradley,  Orson  Barnes,  Hiram  Brower,  Joseph  Behn,  John 
Conklin,  John  Carroll,  J.  S.  Collins,  Silas  Church,  Henry  Case,  Ira  Clark,  George 
Dickinson,  Henry  D.  Dennison,  Christopher  Dillanback,  Alexander  Dillanback, 
Richard  Driscoll,  Hartwel  E.  Farrar,  H.  P.  Fellows,  Frederic  Foreman,  George 
Gillaspie,  Martin  Gillaspie,  J.  Henry  Hess,  T.  J.  Hall,  Mark  Hulin,  James  Hunt,  B. 
F.  Hickcox,  S.  R.  Killmor,  Edward  Leverich,  Alonzo  R.  Morgan,  Charles  P.  Morse, 
D.  L.  Moffitt,  George  McBride,  Wm.  McDougall,  Alexander  R.  Mackley,  J.  M.  Mc- 
Gowan,  Alexander  McKinstry,  William  McKinstry,  John  McQuaid,  J.  H.  Mayo,  Levi 
Snow  Mayo,  Henry  Noxon,  Francis  Olds,  W.  H.  Peabody,  Henry  Pearson,  I.  Mer- 
ritt  Reynolds,  Joseph  L.  Rhoades,  A.  G.  Spencer,  W.  H.  Stephens,  A.  H.  Taylor,  J. 
H.  Walrath,  Collins  Wood,  Stephen  Whiston,  John  Wynkoop,  Charles  Wellington, 
De  Witt  C.  Wieting,  Dernier  Whittaker.  Females — Nancy  A.  Cook,  Mary  Collins, 
Harriet  Collins,  Caroline  Gardner,  Sarah  Haggerty,  Elizabeth  Kelley,  Rebecca  E. 
Lowell,  Sarah  C.  Mayo,  Sophronia  T.  Mayo,  Rosette  Pryne,  Sarah  Sweet,  Lucinda 
Wales,  Anna  Waggoner. 

The  "Conditions"  attached  to  this  circular  were  "two  to  five  dollars 
per  term  of  11  weeks."  Very  few  of  this  list  of  students  are  living  in 
this  vicinity ;  those  who  are  have  pleasant  memories  of  the  school. 

In  1835  a  charter  was  obtained  for  the  Syracuse  Academy,  chiefly 
through  the  efforts  of  Aaron  Burt,  Harvey  Baldwin,  and  Oliver  Teall, 
who  owned  lands  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  city.  Mr.  Baldwin  donated 
a  lot,  and  under  many  discouragements  a  brick  building  was  finally 
erected  on  "Lodi  Hill,"  East  Fayette  street,  which  was  supplied  with 
competent  teachers  and  supported  by  the  benefactions  of  its  founders. 
The  first  principal  was  a  Mr.  Kellogg,  of  New  York,  who  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Orrin  Root,  many  later  years  a  professor  in  Hamilton  Col- 
lege. During  one  period  A.  G.  Salisbury,  who  was  the  first  clerk  of 
the  Board  of  Education  in  Syracuse,  was  its  principal.  At  later  periods 
the  academy  was  conducted  by  Joseph  A.  Allen  and  Oliver  T.  Burt. 
But  the  institution  did  not  prosper.  Jealousies  in  reference  to  it  were 
awakened,  interest  in  the  public  schools  became  more  active,  and  dis- 


548  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

trict  school  houses  multiplied  and  to  them  was  drawn  much  of  the  sym- 
pathy and  patronage  of  the  public.  While  the  cause  of  education  at 
large  profited  by  the  establishment  of  the  academy,  its  founders  lost  in 
money  and  time,  became  discouraged,  and  the  institution  was  aban- 
doned, to  eventually  become  the  home  of  the  helpless  orphan  and  the 
abode  of  charity — the  Onondaga  County  Orphan  Asylum. 

Public  Village  Schools. — The  public  schools  existing  prior  to  the  city 
incorporation  were  all  maintained  as  district  schools  of  the  town  of 
Salina  and  under  the  general  school  law.  Neither  the  charter  of  the 
village  of  Salina,  adopted  in  1824,  nor  that  of  the  village  of  Syracuse, 
adopted  in  1825,  made  any  change  in  the  status  of  the  schools  then 
within  their  limits;  they  were  from  the  first,  and  continued  to  be  down 
to  1848,  common  schools  of  the  town  of  Salina. 

The  first  public  school  within  the  present  limits  of  the  city  was  Dis- 
trict No.  1,  Salina,  situated  in  the  First  ward,  near  the  site  of  the  pres- 
ent Jefferson  school.  The  school  house  was  built  in  1805  and  was 
commonly  known  as  "the  old  red  school  house."  It  stood  on  what 
was  later  the  southeast  corner  of  Washington  Park,  and  in  it  were  held 
many  of  the  old  time  spirited  elections.  In  1839  this  district  was 
divided,  the  old  building  having  been  demolished  by  the  Salina  boys 
as  unfit  for  further  use,  and  two  one-story  brick  buildings  were  erected 
on  Wolf  street  three  blocks  apart,  and  known  as  No.  1  and  No.  8.  Isaac 
Van  Tassel  taught  the  first  school  while  fitting  himself  for  the  min- 
istry; he  died  about  1847  while  serving  among  the  Maumee  Indians. 
Among  the  teachers  in  the  new  No.  1  were  David  Parsons,  U.  H.  Van 
Seest,  and  Lewis  Cornell,  and  in  No.  8  were  Thomas  Wheeler,  a  Mr. 
Whitney,  David  Parsons,  Elijah  Devoe,  and  Edward  Smith,1  who  be- 
gan in  May,  1845,  and  is  still  in  the  profession  as  principal  of  Prescott 
School.  Another  division  in  Salina  created  districts  15  and  16,  the  first 
under  charge  of  the  late  J.  B.  Brigham  and  the  other  of  Miss  Delia  N. 
Earl.     In  the  mean  time  the  first  school  house  in  the  village   of   Syra- 

1  Edward  Smith  is  a  native  of  Skaneateles,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  born  in  1817.  He  obtained  his 
education  in  the  public  schools  of  Cattaraugus  county,  and  on  May  1,  1845,  he  took  a  position  as 
teacher  in  old  No.  8  school  in  Salina,  where  he  continued  twenty-one  years.  He  was  then  made 
superintendent  of  the  public  schools  of  Syracuse,  and  held  the  office  twenty-three  years,  resigning 
in  1889,  to  become  principal  of  Prescott  School,  which  position  he  now  holds.  There  are  few  if 
any  educators  in  this  State,  and  none  in  this  county,  who  have  been  so  long  and  honorably  con- 
I  witli  teaching.  Mr.  Smith  was  tendered  a  complimentary  dinner  at  the  Vanderbilt  House 
on  May  17,  (895,  upon  the  completion  of  his  fiftieth  year  in  connection  with  the  schools  of  Syracuse. 
Mr.  Smith  was  succeeded  as  superintendent  in  March,  1889,  by  Prof.  A.  15.  Blodgett,  whose  sketch 
appears  .jn  another  page  of  this  work. 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  549 

cuse  was  erected  in  about  the  year  1826,  the  exact  date  not  being  known. 
It  stood  on  ground  on  what  is  now  West  Willow  street,  now  occupied 
by  Young's  stables.  It  was  a  square,  hip-roofed  structure,  shown  in  the 
engraving,  and  for  a  considerable  period  was  used  for  various  public- 
gatherings.  Among  the  teachers  in  the  old  school  house  were  William 
K.    Blair,   Hiram  A.  Deming,  Mr.  Williams,  Mr.  Evans  and  Mr.  May. 


The  Old  School  House. 

[Sketched  from  memory  by  M.W.  Hanchett.] 

District  No.  5  was  organized  January  ],  1839,  on  Lock  street.  A  lot 
was  purchased  fronting  on  Lock  and  Salt  streets  and  a  contract  let  for 
a  building  to  cost  $1,600.  Efforts  were  made  to  collect  $2,000  by  tax, 
but  they  failed  and  the  building  was  not  finished.  Within  the  succeed- 
ing two  years,  however,  it  was  completed  by  the  erection  of  a  two  story 
front  with  four  more  rooms.  District  No.  6  had  a  one  story  brick 
building  near  the  old  mill  pond;  this  was  used  until  1872,  when  Mad- 
ison school  was  built,  when  it  was  abandoned.  The  first  school  house 
in  District  No.  7  was  of  brick  and  only  one  story.  It  was  built  in  1839, 
on  the  old  Putnam  school  site  which  was  abandoned  for  school  purposes 
in  1888.  In  1843,  after  considerable  strife,  the  old  building  was  supple- 
mented with  a  two  story  front,  making  the  finest  school  building  then 
in  the  county.  Of  this  school  A.  G.  Salisbury  was  principal  until  he 
was  elected  the  first  clerk  of  the  Board  of  Education  in  1848.  District 
No.  9  had  a  small  wood  building  on  West  street.  District  No.  10,  in 
the  village  of  Lodi,  had  a  small   house  on    East   Genesee   street,    built 


550  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

probably  in  1828.  It  was  replaced  in  1840  by  a  two  story  brick  build- 
ing on  East  Fayette  street,  which  became  known  as  the  "cold  water 
school,"  through  the  temperance  work  carried  on  in  that  vicinity  by 
Oliver  Teall. 

This  includes  all  of  the  schools  in  the  limits  of  the  city  when  it  was 
organized  in  1848.  The  first  branch  of  old  No.  3,  in  Geddes,1  was  or- 
ganized in  1867  and  a  school  house  built  on  Magnolia  street  and  named 
Noble  school,  from  W.  Noble,  who  had  taken  a  deep  interest  in  educa- 
tional matters.  Some  years  later  the  name  was  changed  to  Magnolia 
school.  Previous  to  1874  the  village  school  house,  had  been  rebuilt  and 
in  that  year  the  older  pupils  who  had  attended  Magnolia  School  were 
transferred  to  the  new  building.  Delaware  school  was  completed  in 
1890,  and  Magnolia  was  abandoned.  The  Frazer  School  (the  second 
branch  of  the  Porter  School  of  Geddes)  was  organized  in  1879.  The 
wooden  house  stood  on  the  site  of  the  present  brick  building  and  was 
burned  in  1885 ;  the  new  structure  was  finished  in  1887.  The  Rock 
School  was  organized  in  Geddes  in  1872  and  opened  in  a  building  at  92 
Geddes  street.  Two  years  later  the  district  purchased  the  Brown 
Memorial  chapel,  removed  it  to  Rock  street  and  converted  it  into  a 
school  building. 

The  origin  of  the  Brighton  School  was  District  No.  44  of  Onondaga, 
organized  in  1842.  The  first  school  house  was  of  stone,  and  was  used 
until  1860,  when  a  two  story  brick  structure  was  erected;  this  was 
occupied  until  the  present  handsome  building  was  finished  in  1891. 
The  district  was  taken  into  the  city  in  1887.  In  1883  the  district  was 
changed  to  Union  Free  School  District  No.  2,  and  in  June,  1878,  from 
the  north  part  of  this  district  was  formed  School  District  No.  29,  of 
Onondaga;  it  included  the  territory  of  the  village  of  Danforth,  and 
was  called  the  Union  Free  School  of  that  village.  Danforth  was  an- 
nexed to  the  city  in  February,  1887,  and  the  name  was  changed  to 
Danforth  School. 

What  has  always  been  known  as  Rose  School  was  organized  very 
early  in  the  century  and  was  one  of  the  first  in  that  part  of  the  county. 
The  school  house  which  succeeded  the  first  one  stood  where  the  Rose 
School  was  located  when  the  district  was  taken  into  the  city. 

On  the  10th  of  April,  1848,  a  public  meeting  was  held  in  Market 
Hall,  over  which  Alexander  McKinstry  presided,  to  devise  a  system  of 

1   I'm  curlier  schools  in  Geddes,  see  history  of  that  town. 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  551 

common  schools  for  the  city.  A  series  of  resolutions  prepared  by  the 
Rev.  Samuel  J.  May,  referring  to  the  organization  of  the  city  and 
the  resulting-  benefits,  with  need  of  taking  early  and  efficient  steps  to 
provide  for  the  education  of  the  young,  was  adopted.  The  following 
resolutions  were  adopted : 

That  it  is  fitting  and  proper  that  a  complete  system  of  schools,  free  to  all  the  chil- 
dren of  the  city,  should  be  amply  sustained  at  the  public  expense,  as  that  of  our 
city  government,  or  fire  department,  or  highways,  and  should  be  so  supported. 

Resolved,  That  the  noble  example  set  by  many  cities  in  our  State  and  country  in 
respect  to  common  schools,   should  be  generously  emulated  by  the  city  of  Syracuse. 

Resolved,  That  a  committee  of  five  from  each  ward  be  appointed  to  consider  the 
plan  of  public  instruction  originally  proposed  by  those  who  drafted  the  charter  of  our 
city  and  compare  it  with  the  plan  in  operation  in  Philadelphia,  New  York,  Boston, 
Providence,  Rochester,  and  Buffalo,  and  report  to  an  adjourned  meeting,  in  detail, 
such  a  plan  of  public  schools  as  they  shall  deem  best  adapted  to  the  circumstances 
and  wants  of  Syracuse. 

The  chair  then  appointed  the  following  as  the  committee  contem- 
plated in  the  second  resolution : 

First  Ward. — William  Clarke,  Michael  Lynch,  I.  R.  Ouereau,  Miles  W.  Bennett, 
Noah  Wood. 

Second  Ward. — John  Wilkinson,  Dennis  McCarthy,  L.  W.  Hall,  Henrv  J.  Sedg- 
wick, Alexander  McKinstry. 

Third  Ward. — Hiram  Putnam,  Theodore  Ashley,  Rev.  Mr.  Raymond,  Phares 
Gould,  P.  S.  Stoddard. 

Fourth  Ward.— Hamilton  White,  David  Bonta,  W.  W.  Newell,  A.  (i.  Salisbury, 
E.  T.  Hayden. 

It  was  resolved  "that  the  committee  be  requested  to  meet  at  the 
trustees' room  on  »Saturday  evening  next."  Also  "  that  this  meeting 
adjourn  to  meet  again  at  the  call  of  the  committee." 

It  will  be  observed  by  the  reader  of  the  foregoing  pages  of  city  his- 
tory that  the  men  composing  the  committee  just  described  were  leading- 
citizens,  and  men  who  would  at  once  adopt  liberal  measures  for  the 
establishment  of  a  more  efficient  and  comprehensive  system  of  schools. 
That  they  did  do  this  is  clearly  shown. 

"  An  Act  in  Relation  to  the  Public  Schools  of  Syracuse"  was  passed 
by  the  Legislature  on  April  11,  1848,  the  result  of  the  committee's 
work,  which,  with  some  amendments,  forms  the  basis  of  the  present 
school  system  of  the  city.  It  provided  for  the  appointment  by  the 
mayor  and  Common  Council  of  two  classes  of  school  commissioners, 
one  of  which  should  hold  office  one  year  and  the  other  two  years  from 
the  date  of  the  first  appointment,  and  that  thereafter  one  commissioner 


552  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

should  be  elected  from  each  ward  annually.  These  constitute  the 
Board  of  Education  and  substantially  have  full  control  of  every  matter 
relating  to  the  public  schools.  The  act  was  amended  March  11,  1865, 
and  March  27,  18G8.  One  commissioner  is  now  elected  by  the  people 
from  each  ward  for  two  years  and  it  is  so  arranged  that  the  "even" 
wards  elect  one  year  and  the  "  odd"  wards  the  next  year.  In  pursu- 
ance of  the  act  eight  commissioners  were  appointed  by  the  mayor  and 
Common  Council,  and  they  met  in  Market  Hall,  April  21,  1848,  and 
after  choosing  Hiram  Putnam  and  R.  A.  Yoe,  president  and  secretary 
pro  tan.,  proceeded  to  draw  for  their  respective  terms  as  follows: 
First  ward,  William  Clark,  two  years;  J.  P.  Babcock,  one  year.  Second 
ward,  James  Noxon,  two  years;  C.  M.  Brosnan,  one  year.  Third  ward, 
Hiram  Putnam,  two  years;  Daniel  Bradley,  one  year.  Fourth  ward, 
Oliver  Teall,  two  years;  C.  A.  Wheaton,  one  year.  Oliver  Teall 
resigned  the  office  and  the  vacancy  was  filled  by  T.  B.  Fitch.  William 
Clark  was  chosen  president  of  the  board,  but  declined  the  honor,  and 
Hiram  Putnam  was  given  the  place.  At  the  next  meeting  of  the 
board,  on  April  26,  1848,  A.  G.  Salisbury,  1  who  had  been  principal 
of  the  Putnam  School  previous  to  the  city  organization,  was  chosen 
clerk,  and  upon  him  devolved  also  the  duties  of  superintendent  of 
schools,  at  a  salary  of  $600  per  year.  Upon  its  organization  the  board 
adopted  the  following  resolutions : 

Resolved,  That  the  Board  of  Education  will  not  employ  any  teacher  in  any  of  the 
public  schools  of  the  city  who  uses  intoxicating  liquors  as  a  beverage,  or  who  is  ad- 
dicted to  the  use  of  tobacco. 

Resolved,  That  the  President  of  the  Board  give  public  notice  that  the  common 
schools  of  the  city  will  be  opened  free  to  all  children  of  the  city. 

Following  is  a  list  of  the  teachers  first  appointed  by  the  Board  for 
the  four  wards : 

1  Albert  Gleason  Salisbury  was  born  in  August,  1813,  at  Seneca  Castle,  Ontario  county,  X.  V.. 
and  received  his  education  in  Whitesboro  and  Pompey  Academies.    In  1833-9  he  opened  a  school 
in  the  session  room  of  the  First  Presbyterian  church  in  Syracuse,  and  later  taught  in  a  building 
on  Eas1  Genesee  street.     From  there  he  went  to  Putnam  School  as  principal  in  1840.    One  of  his 
assistants  was  Miss  Sarah    Tallman,  whom  he  afterwards  married.     During  the  enlargement  of 
No.  ;,  a  few  years  later,  .Mr.   Salisbury  taught  a  select  school  over  where  Grant  &  Dunn's  hard- 
ware store  is  sitviated.     When  the  enlargement  of    No.  7  was  completed  he  went  back  to  it  as 
pal  and  so  continued   until    elected  the  first  clerk  of  the  Board  of  Education  of  the  city, 
gned  in  1850  to  again  become  principal  of  No.  7.     He  was  again  elected  clerk  in  June 
year,  and  again  resigned  to  take  his  former  place  in  1851.     In  1854  he  opened  a  private 
school   in   tin-   Myers  block,  which  he  made  very  successful.     In  1857  he  returned  to  his  former 
position   while   he  continued    until    1864,   when  he  was  made  paymaster  in  the  army.     In  1867  he 
was  appointed  a  warden  of  Auburn  prison,  where  he  remained  a  little  more  than  a  year.     He  died 
in  is;  i. 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  553 

First  Ward — No.  1,  Lewis  Cornell,  principal,  monthly  salary,  §35.  No.  8,  Edward 
Smith,  principal,  §35.  No.  15,  J.  B.  Brigham,  principal,  $50.  No.  16,  James  Johon- 
not,  principal,  $35 ;  Miss  Delia  Earl,  assistant,  §15. 

Second  Ward — No.  4,  N.  P.  Stanton,  principal,  §48;  Mrs.  N.  P.  Stanton,  assistant, 
$18;  Miss  Palmer,  assistant,  $15.  No.  5,  R.  R.  Stetson,  principal,  $45;  Mrs.  R.  R. 
Stetson,  assistant,  §16;  Miss  M.  A.  Clapp,  assistant,  $18;  Miss  J.  A.  Van  Denberg, 
assistant,  $18. 

Third  Ward — No.  6,  J.  B.  Beal,  principal,  $35 ;  Miss  Hannah  Burnet,  assistant, 
§15.     No.  20,  Miss  A.  Bennett,  principal,  $18. 

Fourth  Ward — No.  7,  W.  W.Newman,  principal,  $50;  Miss  E.  E.  Williams,  as- 
sistant, $18;  Miss  S.  M.  Cox,  assistant,  $18;  Mrs.  R.  C.  Newman,  assistant,  $18, 
No.  12.  J.  M.  Winchell,  principal,  $35;  Miss  A.  Barker,  assistant,  $15;  Miss  H. 
Kingsley,  assistant,  $18, 

As  the  population  of  the  city  increased,  new  schools  and  build- 
ings were  added,  as  shown  in  the  subsequent  list.  In  1854  a  High 
School  department  was  organized  in  the  old  Prescott  School  on  Lock 
street,  with  Charles  C.  Roundy,  principal.  This  department  was  re- 
moved to  No.  4,  on  Church  street,  in  1855,  and  was  afterwards  contin- 
ued in  rooms  in  the  Pike  block  and  in  others  over  the  lower  floor  of 
what  was  then  Sherman's  grocery,  on  the  southeast  corner  of  Warren 
and  East  Fayette  streets,  until  1869,  when  it  was  established  in  the 
present  building  on  West  Genesee  street,  which  was  erected  at  a  cost, 
including  the  site,  of  $100,000.  The  principals  of  the  High  School 
since  Professor  Roundy  have  been  W.  A.  Browned,  A.  M.,  Ph.  D., 
Samuel  Thurber,  A.  M.,  George  A.  Bacon,  A.  M.,  Ph.  D.,  and  Will- 
iam K.  Wickes,  A.  M. 

The  first  annual  report  after  the  incorporation  of  the  city  gives  the 
total  amount  of  money  received  by  the  Board  of  Education  as  $12,531.- 
60;  the  number  of  children  taught  during  the  year,  3,250.  In  Sep- 
tember, 1850,  it  was  resolved  to  call  for  proposals  for  building  three 
new  school  houses,  one  near  the  old  court  house  on  North  Salina  street, 
one  south  of  No.  7,  and  one  in  district  No.  9.  The  latter  was  aban- 
doned and  the  one  on  the  north  side  was  located  on  Ash  street,  corner 
of  Townsend,  and  the  other  on  Montgomery  street  between  Adams 
and  Jackson  streets.  The  buildings  were  to  cost  $3, 200  each.  In  1851 
the  small  school  lot  on  West  street  (No.  9)  was  exchanged  for  a  lot 
eight  rods  square  on  Seymour  street,  which  was  afterwards  increased 
to  a  frontage  of  ten  rods.  Later  in  the  same  year  the  lot  of  No.  3  was 
also  enlarged  by  a  purchase  of  4  by  11  rods.  Early  in  1852  a  contract 
was  let  to  Amos  L.  Mason  for  enlarging  No.  8  building  and  for  a  new 
house  in  No.  9.  Evening  schools  were  first  opened  in  this  year.  In 
70 


554  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

1856  the  property  known  as  the  "hemlock  church"  was  purchased  and 
put  in  use,  thus  relieving  the  crowded  schools  in  the  Fourth,  Seventh 
and  Eighth  wards.  In  1857  the  Fayette  School  house  (now  Irving) 
was  so  nearly  completed  that  one  room  was  finished  off  and  a  school 
opened  by  pupils  transferred  from  No.  7.  At  the  beginning  of  the 
second  decade  of  the  city  schools,  fifty-six  teachers  were  employed, 
against  twenty-four  ten  years  earlier.  In  February,  1859,  the  Common 
Council  authorized  the  sale  of  Nos.  1,  2  and  8,  and  the  purchase  of  what 
was  called  the  Richmond  property  in  the  First  ward  at  $2,400.  On  that 
lot  in  that  and  the  following  years  Salina  School  was  built.  In  the 
same  year  contracts  were  let  for  building  a  school  house  in  the  Fourth 
ward,  Lodi  street,  which  was  finished  in  the  spring  of  1860.  In  1859 
the  designation  of  the  schools  by  numbers  was  changed  to  names  as 
follows:  Nos.  1,  2  and  8  were  dropped  and  they  were  represented  by 
Salina  School;  No.  3,  Jefferson  School;  No.  4,  Genesee  School;  No.  5, 
Prescott  vSchool;  No.  6,  Fayette  School  (now  abandoned;)  No.  7,  Put- 
nam School;  No.  9,  Seymour  School;  No.  10,  Lodi  School  (now  aban- 
doned and  Madison  school  takes  its  place ;)  No.  11,  Montgomery  School ; 
No.  12,  Townsend  School;  No.  13,  Irving  School;  the  new  school  on 
Lodi  street  was  named  Clinton  School.  The  Salina  School  was  com- 
pleted in  May,  1860,  and  in  June  the  New  York  State  Teachers'  Asso- 
ciation held  its  session  in  the  city.  In  the  same  year  a  lot  on  West 
Genesee  street,  opposite  the  High  School,  was  purchased  for  $3,000, 
and  has  been  used  for  Genesee  School.  It  was  first  used  as  a  school  in 
May,  1863.  In  March,  1867,  corporal  punishment  was  abolished  in  the 
city  schools.  While  this  action  caused  temporary  consternation  among 
the  teachers,  the  general  discipline  was  improved.  In  that  year  the 
High  School  lot  was  purchased  and  plans  for  the  building  adopted.  Two 
other  lots  were  also  purchased,  one  on  Butternut  street  and  one  between 
Otisco  and  Tully  streets,  costing  $4,250  and  $4,700  respectively.  In 
1868  May  School  building  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $15,875,  unfurnished. 
In  the  fall  of  1869  a  contract  was  let  for  building  Franklin  School  and 
finishing  the  lower  floor  at  a  cost  of  $13,400,  and  in  the  spring  of  1871 
the  Genesee  building  was  raised  one  story.  In  the  same  year  a  lot  was 
purchased  for  Madison  School  at  a  cost  of  $6,000,  and  the  old  Franklin 
School  on  Lodi  street  was  sold.  Madison  School  building  was  erected, 
costing  $17,500.  Putnam  School  was  partly  burned  in  October,  and 
immediately  repaired.  In  1874  lots  were  purchased  and  wooden  build- 
ings erected  in  the  Fifth    and    Seventh    wards,    costing    respectively 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  555 

$7,019.15  and  $8,891.41.  These  are  known  as  Grace  and  Adams  Schools. 
On  April  1,  1875,  Salina  wSchool  building  was  wholly  burned  and  a  new 
structure  was  at  once  erected  costing  $15,256.  In  1878  Charles  R. 
Wells  was  employed  to  teach  penmanship  in  all  the  schools,  a  position 
which  he  filled  with  great  acceptance  until  the  close  of  the  year  1891-2, 
when  he  was  succeeded  by  William  H.  Covert.  In  1S80  contracts  were 
let  for  Prescott  School  building  for  $19,170,  and  for  the  Seymour  School 
addition  for  $2,529.75.  The  latter  building  was  abandoned  in  1881  as 
unsafe  and  the  present  structure  was  erected.  In  18£6,  on  account  of 
the  crowded  condition  of  the  Fifth  ward  school,  a  branch  was  opened 
in  the  southern  part  of  the  ward  and  called  the  Merrick  School.  Rooms 
were  fitted  up  in  the  basement  of  a  church  for  temporary  use  until  a  new 
building  was  erected.  In  1887  Frazer  School  in  the  Third  ward  was 
erected  at  a  cost  of  nearly  $20,000;  a  lot  was  purchased  for  a  new 
building  in  the  Putnam  district  on  the  corner  of  Madison  and  Mulberry 
streets  at  a  cost  of  $15,000;  the  present  structure  on  this  lot  was  finished 
in  the  next  year,  the  contract  price  being  $33,390.  In  this  year  the 
villages  of  Geddes  and  Danforth_were  annexed  to  the  city  bringing  in 
the  Porter,  the  Gere,  the  Brighton,  the  Danforth  and  the  Rock  Schools. 
In  1 886  also  a  lot  was  purchased  in  the  Fourth  ward,  where  a  school  had 
been  kept  in  rented  rooms,  and  a  four  room  wooden  building  erected. 
In  1889  new  schools  were  recommended  for  the  Ninth  and  Twelfth 
wards,  and  a  new  building  was  ordered  to  relieve  the  Fifth  and  Ninth 
wards  and  another  for  the  relief  of  Madison  School.  For  these  pur- 
poses $30,000  were  appropriated,  lots  were  purchased,  and  the  buildings 
were  erected.  In  February,  1890,  the  new  school  building  in  the  Ninth 
ward  was  finished  and  occupied,  which  cost  including  lot  $23,900.  In 
the  same  year  plans  were  adopted  for  a  new  building  in  the  Eleventh 
ward,  which  resulted  in  building  the  commodious  structure  on  the  cor- 
ner of  South  Salina  and  Colvin  streets.  In  1892-3  new  buildings  were 
erected  for  Montogmery  and  Grace  Schools,  and  in  1891  Townsend 
School  building  was  erected.  The  vast  number  of  extensions  and  other 
improvements  on  the  various  school  buildings  that  have  been  made 
since  the  city  incorporation  cannot,  of  course,  be  mentioned  in  these 
pages. 1 

Statistics  of  School  Buildings. — Jefferson   School  (No.    3),   built   1848,   enlarged 
1874. 

1  For  further  details  of  school  history  the  reader  is  referred  to  Edward  Smith's  very  complete 
work  on  the  subject,  published  in  1S!I2  by  C.  W.  Bardeen,  from  which  many  of  the  foregoing  facts 
have  been  gleaned. 


556  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Montgomery  School  (No.  11),  built  1851,  enlarged  1857,  rebuilt  1892. 

Townsend  School  (No.  12);  built  1851,  enlarged  1861,  enlarged  1881,  rebuilt  1894. 

Seymour  School  (No.  9),  built  1852,  enlarged  1862,  1865,  1881,  and  rebuilt  1882. 

Salina  School  (No.  8),  enlarged  1852,  1858,  abandoned  and  new  house  built  1859- 
60,  enlarged  1871,  burned  and  rebuilt  1873,  remodeled  1890. 

Irving  School  (No.  13)  built  1857,  enlarged  1866,  enlarged  1881. 

Putnam  School  (No.  7)  enlarged  1857,  1863,  burned  and  rebuilt  1871,  enlarged  1881, 
new  house  on  new  lot  built  1888. 

Clinton  School,  built  1859,  enlarged  1861,  1866,  1870;  rebuilt  1895. 

Genesee  School  (No.  4),  built  1862,  enlarged  1870. 

High  School,  built  1867-8. 

May  School,  built  1867,  remodeled  1885. 

Franklin  School,  built  1869-70,  remodeled  1886. 

Fayette  School  (No.  5)  and  Lodi  School  (No.  10),  abandoned  1871 . 

Madison  School,  built  1871. 

Grace  School,  built  1874,  rebuilt  1892. 

Adams  School,  built  1874. 

Prescott  School,  enlarged  1867,  abandoned  and  new  building  erected  1881 ;  enlarged 
1894. 

Frazer  School,  burned  and  rebuilt  1887. 

Vine  School,  built  1887. 

Bassett  School,  built  1890. 

Merrick  School,  built  1890. 

Delaware  School,  built  1890. 

Brighton  School,  built  1891. 

Croton  School,  built  1895. 

Tompkins  School,  built  1895. 

Garfield  School,  built  1895. 

A  Truant  School  was  opened  in  September,  1895,  at  No.  824  South 
vSalina  street,  Eighteenth  ward,  under  an  act  entitled,  "An  act  to  Pro- 
vide for  the  Compulsory  Education  of  Children, "passed  by  the  Legisla- 
ture May  12,  1891.     The  first  custodian  was  Charles  Schwartz. 

The  report  of  Superintendent  Blodgett  for  1895  showed  that  there 
were  at  the  close  of  the  year  336  teachers  in  the  schools,  and  the  aver- 
age daily  attendance  of  scholars  was  12,578,  an  increase  of  518  over 
1894.  The  number  of  pupils  in  the  average  attendance  to  each  teacher 
was  37.43.  The  number  of  reported  pupils  in  private  and  parochial 
schools  was  3,200.  The  cost  per  pupil  of  public  schools  was  $15.69,  an 
increase  of  $0. 18. 

Superintendent  Blodgett  recommended  manual  training  and  kinder- 
gartens. He  also  made  some  pertinent  remarks  as  to  the  qualifications 
of  the  principals  of  schools  and  teachers.  He  was  very  strenuous  in  his 
argument  for  a  new  High  School  or  schools,  and  urged,  also,  the  adop- 


RT.  REV.  FREDERIC  D.  HUNTINGTON, 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  557 

tion  of  a  four  years'  course.  He  showed  the  wisdom  of  placing  the 
High  School  under  the  Board  of  Regents. 

Keble  School. — This  old  and  flourishing  educational  institution  was 
founded  in  1871,  and  was  the  outgrowth  of  a  day  school  opened  by  Miss 
Jackson  in  September,  1866.  In  1871  a  boarding  department  was 
added  and  the  school  was  removed  to  its  present  location  on  the  corner 
of  James  and  Burnet  streets.  It  was  placed  under  the  general  super- 
vision of  Rt.  Rev.  F.  D.  Huntington,  and  received  its  name  in  honor  of 
the  English  poet,  Keble.  At  the  opening  in  1871,  the  principal,  hav- 
ing become  impressed  with  the  advantages  of  kindergarten  teaching, 
introduced  it  in  this  school,  the  first  effort  of  the  kind  in  the  city ;  it 
was  continued  three  years,  when  through  lack  of  room  and  of  knowl- 
edge of  the  benefits  of  the  system,  it  was  closed  for  the  time  being. 
In  1878  Keble  School  was  incorporated  and  a  board  of  trustees  chosen, 
of  which  Bishop  Huntington  was  president.  Since  that  date  the  build- 
ings have  been  twice  enlarged  to  meet  the  demand  for  additional 
students.  The  kindergarten  department  was  again  opened  in  1889, 
commodious  rooms  having  been  added  for  the  purpose.  There  have 
been  in  this  school  since  the  opening  nearly  1,000  pupils,  of  which 
number  nearly  250  have  been  members  of  the  school  family.  There 
have  been  131  graduates,  and  there  are  now  in  the  school  150  pupils 
and  fifteen  teachers  are  employed. 

Syracuse  University. — The  Syracuse  University  had  its  inception  in 
the  Centennial  of  Methodism  in  1866.  The  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
had  resolved  to  raise  in  that  year  $2,000,000  and  to  make  its  educa- 
tional institutions  the  chief  object  of  its  benefactions.  There  were  at 
that  time  under  the  care  of  the  Methodist  denomination  several  sem- 
inaries in  the  State  of  New  York,  but  only  one  college.  This  was 
Genesee  College  located  at  Lima,  a  small  village  distant  from  a  railroad 
station.  It  had  been  in  operation  since  1851,  doing  excellent  work,  but 
because  of  the  disadvantage  of  its  location  had  not  prospered  as  much 
as  had  been  anticipated.  When  efforts  were  to  be  made  for  centennial 
educational  collections  in  New  York,  the  question  of  a  new  university 
site  at  once  became  prominent.  After  much  discussion  it  was  resolved 
to  seek  a  central  location  to  which  the  Genesee  College  might  be  re- 
moved. All  the  trustees  of  the  latter  institution  save  one  favored  the 
removal.  Of  course  the  citizens  of  Lima  violently  opposed  such  action, 
and  secured  an  injunction  against  the  trustees,  prohibiting  it.  The 
work,  however,  of  founding  the  new  university  did  not  halt.     In   1867 


558  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

the  city  of  Syracuse  voted  an  appropriation  of  $100,000  to  the  uni- 
versity, conditioned  upon  the  raising  of  $400,000  additional  for  endow- 
ment. On  the  22d  of  February,  1870,  a  Methodist  Episcopal  conven- 
tion for  the  State  of  New  York  was  held  in  Syracuse,  at  which  it  was 
determined  to  establish  the  university  in  that  city  and  recommended 
immediate  action  to  raise  at  least  $500,000  for  its  endowment.  Sub- 
scriptions were  asked  for  and  $181,000  were  subscribed  there.  This, 
with  previous  valid  subscriptions  and  the  pledge  of  the  city,  made  the 
amount  of  the  fund  for  the  new  institution  $385,000.  A  provisional 
board  of  trustees  was  elected  and  steps  taken  to  secure  a  charter.  In 
January,  1871,  the  valid  pledges  to  the  enterprise  reached  $425,000, 
and  on  the  24th  of  April  following  the  city  issued  bonds  to  the  univer- 
sity amounting  to  $100,000.  In  May  Eliphalet  Remington  gave  to  the 
university  an  interest  in  a  block  in  Syracuse  worth  $80,000.  During 
the  same  month  a  site  of  fifty  acres  in  the  southeast  part  of  the  city 
was  presented  by  George  F.  Comstock,  and  plans  for  building  the  Hall 
of  Languages  were  adopted.  On  September  1,  1871,  the  College  of 
Liberal  Arts  opened  its  first  session  in  the  Myers  block  with  forty-one 
students  and  five  professors.  It  continued  to  occupy  that  building  until 
the  Hall  of  Languages  was  completed  and  dedicated  in  May,  1873.  In 
December,  1871,  the  Medical  College  was  established  and  began  its 
work  in  the  autumn  of  1872.  The  College  of  Fine  Arts  was  established 
in  June,  1873,  and  opened  on  September  18,  following.  Thus  was 
Syracuse  University  founded. 

In  the  autumn  of  1880  E.  F.  Holden,  of  Syracuse,  determined  to 
erect  a  working  observatory  as  a  memorial  to  his  son,  Charles  Demarest 
Holden,  who  graduated  in  the  class  of  1877,  and  died  in  Syracuse  in 
February,  1883.  This  observatory  is  built  of  rock-faced  gray  lime- 
stone and  is  about  40  by  40  feet  in  extreme  dimensions.  It  is  equipped 
with  an  eight-inch  Alvan  Clark  telescope,  four-inch  reversible  transit, 
micrometer,  chronograph,  chronometer,  astronomical  clock  and  other 
needed  apparatus. 

In  April,  1887,  Mrs.  John  Reid,  of  New  York  city,  purchased  the 
great  library  of  Leopold  Yon  Ranke,  of  Berlin,  Germany,  and  offered 
it  to  Syracuse  University  on  condition  that  a  suitable  building  be 
erected  to  contain  it.  Accordingly  in  the  following  September  a 
library  building  80  by  90  feet,  with  a  capacity  of  130,000  volumes,  was 
begun,  which  was  finished  in  June,  1889. 

One  of  the  most  magnificent  gifts  ever  received  by  the  university  is 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  559 

the  Memorial  College  for  Women,  erected  by  the  late  John  Crouse,  of 
Syracuse,  and  finished  by  his  son,  D.  Edgar  Crouse.  This  structure  is 
of  Long-Meadow  red  sandstone,  162  by  190ffeet  extreme  measure- 
ments, and  is  one  of  the  most  imposing  of  buildings.  It  contains  a 
magnificent  music  hall,  a  large  organ,  and  has  been  amply  and  ele- 
gantly furnished  by  its  donors. 

The  university  has  at  present  four  colleges.  The  College  of  Liberal 
Arts,  the  College  of  Fine  Arts,  the  College  of  Medicine,  and  the  College 
of  Law,  the  latter  having  begun  work  in  September,  1895.  A  new 
medical  college  is  in  course  of  erection  (1895)  at  a  cost  of  about  $1011,000. 

Among  the  notable  gifts  to  the  university  have  been  the  following:  Philo  Rem- 
ington, $100,000;  John  D.  Slayback,  $20,000;  "A  Friend,"  for  library,  8100,000; 
Milton  S.  Price,  $10,000;  Mrs.  Lydia  Morehouse,  $30,000;  Eliphalet  Remington, 
$80,000;  Bishop  Jesse  T.  Peck,  $50,000;  J.  Dorman  Steele,  $50,000;  George  F.  Corn- 
stock,  $50,000;  Rev.  H,  R.  Robinson,  $15,000;  Rev.  William  Griffin,  I).  D.,  $40,000; 
Hon.  David  Decker,  $10,000;  Mrs.  W.  P.  Abbott,  $10,000;  Mrs.  Harriet  T.  Leaven- 
worth, Wolf  Collection  of  Engravings;  E.  F.  Holden,  the  Conservatory  ;  John  Crouse 
and  D.  Edgar  Crouse,  John  Crouse  Memorial  College;  Mrs.  J.  M.  Reid,  Von  Ranke 
Library;  Mrs.  J.  Dorman  Steele,  support  of  Professorship  of  Theistic  Science, 
($2,500  per  year)  and  the  equipment  of  the  Department  of  Physics,  810,000;  and  main- 
other  gifts  of  various  amounts. 

The  university  opens  all  of  its  courses  of  study  on  equal  terms  to 
students  of  both  sexes. 

The  chancellors  of  the  university  have  been  as  follows:  Rev.  Daniel 
Steele,  D.  D.  (president  of  the  College  of  Liberal  Arts),  1871-72; 
Alexander  Winchell,  LL.  D.,  1872-74;  E.  O.  Haven,  D.  D.,  LL.  D., 
1874-80;  Charles  N.  Sims,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  1881-93;  Rev.  James  S.  Day, 
D.D.,  LL.D.,  present  chancellor.  In  point  of  registration  the  univer- 
sity now  ranks  fifth  among  the  universities  and  colleges  of  the  country, 
and  its  faculty  is  proportionately  large. 

Libraries. — The  first  circulating  library  in  Syracuse  was  called  the 
"Parish  Library,"  and  was  established  chiefly  through  the  efforts  of 
Rev.  Palmer  Dyer,  then  rector  of  St.  Paul's  church.  Mr.  Dyer  took  a  deep 
interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  village,  particularly  in  its  moral  and 
educational  advancement.  This  small  library  was  accommodated,  dur- 
ing at  least  a  part  of  its  existence,  in  a  room  provided  by  L.  H.  Red- 
fied ;  it  was  subsequently  removed  to  the  old  academy  and  consolidated 
with  a  library  belonging  to  that  institution.  Madame  A.  J.  Raoul,  a 
lady  who  manifested  deep  interest  in  educational  and  intellectual  affairs, 
had  a  circulating  library  at  one  period,  previous  to  the  incorporation  of 
the  city,  which  accomplished  much  good. 


560  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

A  building  which  once  stood  on  the  northeast  corner  of  South  Salina 
and  Washington  streets  was  known  as  "  Library  Hall,"  from  the  fact 
that  therein  was  a  public  hall  and  also  a  library  which  was  the  offspring 
of  the  "Syracuse  Library  and  Reading  Room  Association."  The  hall 
was  used  for  public  lectures  and  entertainments,  among  those  given  in 
it  being  a  performance  by  Ole  Bull,  the  celebrated  violinist,  readings 
by  Fannie  Kemble-Butler,  with  many  others  by  lesser  lights.  The 
library  never  reached  more  than  1,200  volumes  and  the  association  was 
not  long-lived ;  it  closed  its  affairs  under  a  burden  of  debt,  and  the 
books  were  purchased  by  E.  W.  Leavenworth,  Capt.  Hiram  Putnam, 
Dr.  Lyman  Clary,  and  others,  and  placed  as  a  library  in  Dr.  Clary's 
office.  At  a  later  date  the  books  were  presented  to  the  "Franklin  Li- 
brary and  Institute, "  an  institution  that  enjoyed  a  long  period  of  prosper- 
ity, increasing  its  library  and  giving  public  entertainments  and  lectures 
which  were  very  popular.  One  of  the  first  librarians  of  this  institute 
was  Dr.  Henry  Gregory,  then  rector  of  St.  Paul's  church,  and  his 
zealous  and  untiring  efforts  contributed  much  to  the  success  of  the  in- 
stitution. The  library  was  for  many  years  kept  in  commodious  apart- 
ments in  the  Wieting  block.  But  brilliant  as  were  its  prospects  during 
one  period,  it  finally  fell  into  decline  and  its  affairs  were  closed  up  and 
effects  sold.  Many  of  the  books  found  their  way  into  other  local 
libraries. 

About  the  year  1844  the  Society  for  Mutual  Instruction  was  founded, 
the  plan  of  which  bore  a  close  relationship  to  library  work.  The 
officers  and  members  were  each  assigned  a  branch  of  natural  science, 
and  in  rotation  each  furnished  an  essay  at  the  weekly  meetings,  using 
natural  specimens  for  illustration;  these  essays  were  supplemented  by 
remarks  from  the  assembled  members  on  the  subject  in  hand.  In  the 
first  year  the  members  met  in  the  school  house  on  Church  street,  and 
the  last  year  in  A.  G.  Salisbury's  school  room,  in  rear  of  the  old  Con- 
gregational church  (site  of  the  Convention  block)  on  East  Genesee 
street.     This  society  accomplished  much  good  to  its  members. 

Small  circulating  libraries  were  connected  with  the  district  schools 
from  almost  the  date  of  their  existence,  and  were  continued  a  few  years 
under  the  city  organization.  The  superintendent's  report  for  1857 
said : 

No  equal  amount  of  public  money  is  doing-  more  good  to  the  community  than  that 
expended  in  the  purchase  of  books  for  the  district  libraries.  There  are  nine  of 
these  libraries,  so  distributed  over  the  city  as  to  be  conveniently  accessible  to  every 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  561 

one.  The  aggregate  number  of  volumes  is  4,620.  During  the  year  20,000  volumes 
have  been  drawn.  This  extensive  reading,  principally  by  the  pupils  attending  the 
schools,  but  largely  by  others,  cannot  fail  to  have  an  important  influence  in  forming 
the  tastes  and  habits  of  those  who  thus  devote  their  leisure  hours. 

These  libraries  continued  until  after  the  adoption  of  the  plan  of  a 
Central  Library,  when  many  of  the  less  valuable  and  important  books 
were  sold  and  the  standard  and  valuable  works  were  turned  over  to  the 
Central. 

The  Central  Library  was  begun  in  1857  by  the  bringing-  of  various 
school  libraries  together  in  the  City  Hall  and  putting  them  in  charge 
of  the  superintendent  of  schools.  In  1862  John  Strachan  was  made 
librarian.  In  1863  he  was  followed  by  Patrick  McCarthy.  Mr.  Mc- 
Carthy was  a  most  able  and  careful  librarian  and  many  of  the  good 
books  in  the  library  were  purchased  by  him. 

In  1869  the  library  was  moved  with  the  superintendent's  office  from 
the  City  Hall  to  the  new  High  School  building.  Mr.  McCarthy  died 
in  1870  and  was  followed  by  his  son,  William  McCarthy,  who  served 
for  one  year.  After  him  came  John.S.  Clark,  who  was  librarian  for 
three  years.  In  1876  Mrs.  Gambia  was  appointed  librarian  and  served 
three  years.  In  1880  Ezekiel  W.  Mundy  was  appointed  librarian,  and 
he  has  remained  at  his  post  to  the  present  time. 

The  library  remained  under  the  direction  of  the  Board  of  Education 
until  February,  1893,  when  that  body,  by  reason  of  a  change  in  the 
laws  of  the  State  concerning  libraries,  recommended  that  the  library 
be  placed  under  the  supervision  of  the  Board  of  Regents,  and  appointed 
President  Stilwell,  of  the  Board  of  Education,  to  lay  the  matter  before 
the  Common  Council.  The  result  was  that  the  charter  of  the  city  was 
amended  and  a  commission  was  appointed  by  the  mayor  to  take  the 
matter  in  hand.  This  commission  consisted  of.  Giles  H.  Stilwell,  presi- 
dent of  the  Board  of  Education;  Seckel  Bronner,  James  K.  McGuire, 
Nicholas  Peters,  jr.,  Horace  White.  Afterward  Hon.  Jacob  Amos, 
mayor  of  the  city,  and  Andrew  B.  Blodgett,  superintendent  of  public 
schools,  were  added  to  the  commission  by  the  Board  of  Regents. 

The  commission  met  August  23,  1893,  agreed  upon  a  name  for  the 
library — Syracuse  Central  Library — and  signed  an  application  to  the 
Board  of  Regents  asking  for  a  charter.  A  charter  was  granted  dated 
December  13,  1893,  appointing  Jacob  Amos,  mayor;  Andrew  B. 
Blodgett,  superintendent  of  schools;  Giles  H.  Stilwell,  James  K.  Mc- 
Guire, Seckel  Bronner,  Nicholas  Peters,  jr.,  and  Horace  White,  trustees, 
71 


')62 


ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 


the  mayor  and  superintendent  of  schools  to  hold  their  places  ex-officio. 
The  Board  of  Education  at  once  delivered  to  this  Board  of  Trustees  the 
entire  books,  furniture,  funds  and  other  property  pertaining  to  the 
library,  and  generously  offered  to  continue  to  the  library  for  one  year 
the  use  of  its  rooms  in  the  High  School,  with  all  the  service  and  priv- 
ileges hitherto  enjoyed. 

Soon  thereafter,  however,  the  Common  Council  set  apart  the  old 
Putnam  School  building,  then  unused,  to  the  service  of  the  library, 
and  voted  a  sum  sufficient  to  put  the  building  in  repair,  to  move  the 
library  and  to  recatalogue  it.  The  building  committee  was  able  to 
put  the  building  into  the  hands  of  the  trustees  for  use  July  15,  1894, 
and  on  that  day  the  moving  was  begun.  On  December  1  the  book 
committee  was  able  to  announce  the  library  ready  for  the  distribution 
of  books  and  the  library  was  opened,  and  since  then  the  work  has  been 
going  on  daily  with  excellent  results. 

STATISTICAL    TABLE. 


1870 

1871 

1872 
1873 
1874 
1875 
1876 
1877 
1878 
1879 
1880 
1881 
1882 
1883 
1884 
L885 
1886 
1887 
1888 
1889 
1890 
ism 
1892 
1893 

I  S!l| 
is!).", 


187 
308 
304 
267 
264 
301 
308 
307 
,  198 
307 
294 
275 
305 
307 
307 
307 
306 
308 
308 
308 
306 
306 
307 
306 
306 
177 


;o 


In 

O 


130 
129 
128 
135 
137 
138 
133 
153 
175 
165 
138 
137 
130 
123 
114 
135 
146 
129 
131 
143 
145 
145 
134 
108 
165 
252 


24,310 
39,694 
38,956 
36,010 
36,272 
41,623 
41,057 
47,218 
35,616 
47,760 
40,525 
36,878 
39,785 
37,906 
34,926 
41,443 
44,686 
39,823 
40,542 
43,416 
14,303 
44,238 
41,403 
33,149 
50,659 
44,585 


m 

aj_' 

<o  u 

S  <u 

e  cs 

3-d 

P& 

>< 

2,659 

10,000 

664 

10,592 

11,423 

1,148 

12,423 

1,006 

13,300 

491 

13,791 

501 

14,070 

602 

14,442 

633 

14,829 

376 

13,344 

105 

13,423 

434 

13,692  i 

995 

14,603 

917 

15,494  j 

1,993 

15,899 

318 

17,107 

761 

17,182 

745 

18,062 

790 

18,687 

2,336 

20,518  ; 

1,466 

21,541  I 

1,074 

22,274  : 

861 

23,023 

866 

23,608  : 

2,296 

25,600 

1,993 

27,253 

wo 
a  g 
o  a> 


$7,090.50 
4,671.92 

3,778.41 
3,634.75 
4,086.36 
3,162.75 
3,240.50 
2,566.30 
3,308.95 
1,773.05 
2,079.77 
2,653.51 
2,738.32 
3,126.87 
4,000.16 
3,100.71 
3.107.09 
3,057.31 
5,487.16 
5,298.65 
3,500.00 
3,850.00 
3,700.00 
4,948.00 
15,077.48 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  563 

The  Press  of  Syracuse. — In  compiling  a  brief  record  of  the  various 
publications  that  have  come  into  being  in  Syracuse,  only  a  few  of  which 
remain  as  permanent  factors  in  the  life  of  the  city,  we  first  describe 
those  that  are  now  in  existence,  with  their  direct  ancestors,  leaving 
those  that  ran  their  brief  careers  and  joined  the  majority  in  oblivion 
for  later  consideration. 

The  Syracuse  Standard  may  properly  claim  the  longest  life  of  any 
newspaper  in  this  city.  In  the  year  1816  Evander  Morse,  a  prominent 
citizen  of  Onondaga  Hill,  published  the  first  number  of  the  Onondaga 
Gazette,  which  he  continued  about  five  years.  The  village  on  the  Hill 
was  then  contending  for  supremacy  with  the  Valley,  and  this  early 
newspaper  was  one  of  the  evidences  that  the  former  was  gaining  the 
ascendency  through  its  possession  of  the  county  seat.  The  paper 
passed  into  the  possession  of  Cephas  S.  McConnell  in  1821,  who  changed 
its  name  to  the  Onondaga  Journal.  In  1827  Vivus  W.  Smith  became 
the  proprietor  and  two  years  later,  following  the  tide  of  migration 
towards  Syracuse,  he  removed  the  establishment  to  the  village.  There 
was  then  in  existence  in  Syracuse  a  newspaper  called  the  Syracuse 
Advertiser,  which  was  started  as  the  second  journal  in  the  village 
(preceded  in  1823  by  the  Onondaga  Gazette)  by  John  F.  Wyman  and 
Thomas  P.  Barnum.  Norman  Rawson  was  also  connected  with  it  for 
a  time,  but  Mr.  Wyman  soon  assumed  entire  control,  which  he  con- 
tinued until  1829,  at  which  time  the  Onondaga  Journal  was  brought  in, 
as  stated,  and  the  two  papers  were  consolidated  under  the  name  of  the 
Onondaga  Standard,  the  firm  being  Wyman  &  Smith,  with  the  latter 
as  editor.  John  F.  Wyman  was  a  man  of  ability  and  considerable 
prominence  in  the  early  history  of  Syracuse,  his  name  often  appearing 
as  secretary  of  public  meetings  and  in  other  relations.  The  partner- 
ship of  Mr.  Smith  and  Mr.  Wyman  was  dissolved  in  January,  1832,  Mr. 
Wyman  retiring.  Thomas  A.  and  Silas  F.  Smith  had  been  learning 
the  practical  part  of  the  printing  business  in  the  office,  and  soon  after- 
ward they  assumed  proprietorship  of  the  paper,  Vivus  W.  Smith  con- 
tinuing as  editor.  He  soon  withdrew,  however,  and  the  Journal  was 
transferred  to  Asahel  L.  Smith,  brother  of  Vivus  W.,  and  William 
L.  Crandall.  Mr.  Crandall  was  an  able  and  vigorous  writer  and  his 
columns  exercised  a  powerful  political  influence.  He  remained  on  the 
paper  until  the  close  of  the  exciting  campaign  of  1840,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded January  1,  1841,  by  Marcellus  Farmer  as  editor  and  part  owner 
of  the  establishment.      The  firm  was  Smith  &  Farmer  and  under  their 


564  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

management  the  paper  flourished  as  an  independent  Democratic  organ. 
Mr.  Farmer  retired  at  the  end  of  four  years,  went  to  California,  and 
while  on  the  return  voyage  in   1852  was  lost  at  sea.     Mr.    Crandall 
came  back  as  editor  of  the  paper  for  Mr.  Smith  and  continued  until 
January  1,  1846,  when  Patrick  H.  Agan  purchased  a  half  interest  and 
assumed  the  editorial   chair.      This  he  continued  twenty  years,  until 
May,  1866,  when,  owing  to  political  changes,  he  withdrew.      Mr.  Agan, 
who  is  still  living,  was  a  fearless  and  independent  writer,  and  under  his 
editorial  guidance  the  Standard  gained  the   respect  and  confidence  of 
its  constituency.      In  1847  the  Syracuse  Democrat,  started  in  1846  by 
Clark  &  West  and  sold  the  next  year  to  John  Abbott,  was  absorbed  by 
the  Standard.    Various  political  changes  culminated  in  1848  in  the  rejec- 
tion of  the  regular  delegation  to  the  Baltimore  convention  of  Demo- 
crats, and  left  the  "  Barnburners,"  as  they  were  termed,  no  part  in  the 
choice  of  a  presidential  candidate  and  at  liberty  to  bolt,  which  they  did, 
and  the  Standard  supported  the  act  and  advocated  Van  Buren.     The 
paper  suffered  loss  of  patronage  on  this  account,  and  soon  afterward  Mr. 
Smith  sold  his  interest  to  Moses  Summers,  who  had  been  foreman  of 
the  establishment,   and  the   firm   became   Agan   &   Summers.      Eight 
years  later  Mr.  Agan  sold  his  interest  to  William  Summers,  brother  of 
Moses,  and  the  firm  style  became  Summers  &  Brother.     The  Demo- 
cratic party  had  meanwhile  been  united  and  the  Standard  continued  in 
support  of  the  party  until  1856,  when  it  refused  to  support  Buchanan, 
accepted  more  liberal  ideas  and  hoisted  the  Fremont  colors.      In  1850 
the  Standard  absorbed  the  Syracuse  Reveille,  started  in  1848  by  Will- 
iam L.  Palmer  and  William  Summers.      In  May,  1846,   a  daily  issue 
was  published,  but  suspended  three  months  later.     It  was  resumed  in 
January,  1850,  and  continued  as  a  five-column  sheet  two  years,  when  it 
was  enlarged  two  columns,  in  which  form  it  was  issued  until  its  change 
to  a  quarto,  as  noted  further  on. 

With  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  war  Moses  Summers  joined  the 
army.  He  had  become  an  active  Abolitionist  and  was  one  of  the  prime 
movers  in  the  Jerry  Rescue,  which  occurred  on  the  3d  of  October,  1851, 
and  the  Standard  supported  the  government  during  the  war  in  the  most 
unqualified  manner.  Mr.  Summers  returned  home  in  1865  and  con- 
tinued  at  the  head  of  the  paper  until  May  9,  1866,  when  Charles  E. 
Fitch,  a  gifted  writer,  acquired  an  interest  in  the  establishment.  On 
July  •.':!  of  tlie  same  year  the  firm  of  Summers  &  Company  was  formed, 
consisting  of  the  Summers  Brothers,  Charles  E.   Fitch  and  Henry  A. 


TEI  v 

Barnum.     Mr  summers,  and  F.  A.  1 

ing  as  city  editor)  acted  as  editors  of  the  paper.  "illiam   S 

was  business  manager.     A  more  vigorous  and  aggressive  j 

adopted,  the  paper  was  made  a  nine-column  sheet  and  it  soon  ad- 
vanced to  a  leading  position  among  the  journals  of  the  S 
the  death  of  President  Lincoln  the  Standard  opposed  the  Johnson  ad- 
ministration and  supported  Horace  Greeley  for  presides t  th  his 
defeat  and  the  election  of  General  Grant  the  Standard  adopted  an  inde- 
pendent policy,  but  within  a  year  again  fell  into  the  straight  Republican 
ranks,  where  it  has  ever  since  continued. 

In  September,  1  7  :ch  sold  his  interest  to  his  partners  and 

not  long  afterward  took  the  editorial  chair  of  the  Rochester  Chronicle. 

summers  again  put  on  the  editorial  harness  and  in  the  same 
T.  D.  Curtis,  C.  H.  Lyman,  and  George  W.  Edwards  acquired  a  por- 
tion of  the  prope  .is  and  3  ards  joining  the  editorial 
staff.  A  little  later  a  controlling  interest  passed  to  Charles  E.  Hubbell, 
who  engaged  Chester  A.  Lord,  now  of  the  New  7  5  - ,  to  act  as  editor- 
in-chief.  This  connection  continued  on  when  Hug 
Dowell,  a  graduate  of  Syracuse  University,  became  the  principal  ov 

5     r.mers  continuing  as  political  editor.     A  few  years 
Summers  permanently  retired  from  the  profession  and  was  made  warden 
of  the  Porte:  rk,  where  he  was  killed  by  a  fall  on  June 

In  August,  1880.  Dowell  sold  out  to  J.  F.  Durston  and  E.  B. 

Alvord.  and  the  stock  company  which  had  been  formed  turned 
the  whole  property  to  the  next  rord  soon  withe 

Under  Mr.  Durston's  editorial  management  the  Standard  maintained 
its  former  excellence.     On  the  25th  of  Decern  the  form  of  the 

paper  was  changed  to  a  quarto  and  has  so  remained.     In  the  winter  of 
-  -     J.  F.  Durston  took  as  partners  Howard  G  jeorge  E.  Dana. 

W.  W.  Cox,  and  Forbes  Heermans,  as  directors  of  the  business  affairs 
of  the  establishment.     Soon  afterwar:'  >ought  out  the  whole 

concern,  but  Mr.  Durston  remained  editor  until  Apr  sn  the 

present  managing  editor.  Charles  R.  Sherlock,  was  installed.     On  the 
11th  of  October.  1887,  the  plant  was  removed  to  its  own  building  on 

Genesee  street,  where  is  now  located  a  moc  .-class  estab- 

lishment. 

The  Syracuse  Journal  is  the  oldest  daily  newspaper       S         use  and 
Onondaga  county,  and  its  weekly  edition  is  one  of  the  old.  ntral 

York.     The  ancestor  of  this  paper  was  the  Western  State  Journal, 


566 


ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 


started  March  20,  1837,  by  Vivus  W.  and  Silas  F.  Smith.  In  1844  the 
name  was  made  the  Weekly  Journal  and  on  July  4  of  that  year  Silas  F. 
Smith  began  publishing  the  Daily  Journal.  These  papers  have  had 
various  owners:  In  1847  Barnes,  Smith  &  Cooper;  in  1849,  Vivus  W. 
Smith;  in   1853,    Seth  Haight    and  D.    Merrick;  in  1854,    Thomas   S. 

Truair;  in  1855,  John  G.  K. 
^gr^  Truair;    in    1860,    Truair, 

.^'  Cv  Smith    &    Miles;   in    1872, 

*   \  Truair,   Smith    &    Co. ;   in 

1  1874,     Truair,      Smith     & 

Bruce  in  1884,  Smith  & 
Bruce;  in  1885,  the  Syra- 
cuse Journal  Company. 

The  Journal  has  had  va- 
rious editors  during  its 
long  life.  Its  most  distin- 
guished editorial  conduc- 
tor was  Vivus  W.  Smith, 
who  was  justly  esteemed 
one  of  the  foremost  politi- 
cal writers  of  this  State. 
His  son,  Carroll  E.  Smith, 
has  been  editor  of  the  paper 
since  1862  and  continues 
in  the  chair  at  the  present 
time.  Anson  G.  Chester, 
Andrew  Shuman,  Silas  F. 
Smith,  D.  \V.  Fiske,  Dwight  H.  Bruce,  Edward  Cooper,  James  Ter- 
williger,  Thomas  S.  Truair,  and  George  G.  Truair  have  held  edito- 
rial relations  with  this  journal.  Three  times  the  establishment  has 
been  destroyed  by  fire,  and  the  present  plant  embraces  all  modern 
facilities  of  a  first  class  newspaper  concern.  The  Journal  has  always 
been  a  straight  Whig  and  Republican  organ,  conservative  and  elevated 
in  tone  and  wields  a  powerful  influence  throughout  the  State. 

The  Syracuse  Daily  Courier  was  started  October  1,  1856,  during  the 
presidential  campaign  which  resulted  in  the  election  of  James  Buchanan. 
Its  founder  was  F.  L.  Hagadorn,  and  subsequently  it  passed  to  posses- 
sion of  II.  S.  McCullom.  In  the  campaign  of  1860  the  Courier  sup- 
ported Breckinridge  for  president.     The  friends  of  Douglass,  therefore. 


Vivus  W.   Smith. 


J^JP.dZr-. 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  567 

started  another  paper,  which  they  called  the  Union,  with  Daniel  J. 
Halstead  proprietor.  At  the  close  of  the  campaign  the  two  papers  were 
consolidated  under-  the  name  of  the  Syracuse  Courier  and  Union,  with 
D.  J.  Halstead  sole  proprietor.  The  last  name  was  dropped  about  1872 
and  the  Syracuse  Daily  Courier  has  been  the  name  ever  since.  On  the 
1st  of  January,  1876,  Mr.  Halstead  took  as  partners  Milton  H.  Northrup 
and  S.  Gurney  Lapham,  under  the  firm  name  of  D.  J.  Halstead  &  Co., 
each  of  the  partners  owning  one-third.  William  H.  Green,  who  had 
been  editor  of  the  paper  more  than  ten  years,  was  succeeded  by  Milton 
H.  Northrup,  and  Mr.  Lapham  became  associate  editor.  In  May,  1873, 
D.  J.  Halstead  &  Co.  were  succeeded  by  the  Courier  Printing  Company, 
the  bulk  of  the  stock  being  held  by  the  late  proprietors.  Daniel  Pratt 
was  president  of  the  company,  S.  G.  Lapham,  secretary,  and  Mr. 
Halstead.  business  manager.  Mr.  Northrup  continued  in  the  editorial 
chair.  In  1879  William  C.  Ruger  was  made  president  of  the  company 
and  Mr.  Northrup  secretary,  treasurer,  and  manager.  This  arrange- 
ment continued  until  February  o,  1894,  when  the  property  was  sold  to 
the  Syracuse  Courier  Co.,  composed  of  John  F.  Nash,  president; 
Herbert  F.  Prescott,  vice-president;  Austin  N.  Liecty,  secretary  and 
treasurer;  and  Melville  A.  Sheldon  and  F.  H.  Johnson.  These  officers 
and  members  continue  the  same  connection.  The  editor  in-chief  is 
John  F.  Nash;  managing  editor,  Herbert  F.  Prescott;  city  editor, 
Joseph  Tebeau. 

Connected  with  the  publication  of  the  Daily  Courier  was  issued  the 
Semi-Weekly  Courier,  the  successor  of  the  Weekly  Onondaga  Courier. 
In  1874  the  publication  of  the  Sunday  Courier  was  begun,  which  was 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  Sunday  journalism  in  this  State.  The  Sunday 
edition  was  discontinued  in  1884.  The  Courier  is  the  exponent  of 
staunch  Democratic  doctrines  and  is  ably  conducted. 

The  Syracuse  Evening  Herald  was  founded  by  Arthur  Jenkins,  and  the 
first  issue  made  its  appearance  on  the  loth  of  January,  1877,  from  a  job 
printing  office  on  West  Fayette  street.  The  paper  was  started  under 
the  humblest  auspices,  the  founder  being  almost  wholly  without  capital. 
The  first  list  of  employees  consisted  of  five  journeymen  printers,  one 
apprentice,  and  one  editor,  besides  Mr.  Jenkins,  who  divided  his  time 
between  reporting,  managing  the  business,  and  as  foreman  of  the  com- 
posing room.  In  spite  of  these  untoward  circumstances,  there  seems 
to  have  been  a  place  waiting  for  the  little  journal,  for  on  the  thirtieth 
day  of  its  publication  its  sales  reached  3,000  copies.     The  obstacles 


568  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

encountered  by  Mr.  Jenkins  in  his  efforts  to  place  the  paper  on  a  firm 
foundation  were  of  the  most  trying-  description.  The  very  meager 
capital  with  which  he  began  soon  gave  out,  but  the  employees,  who 
shared  his  own  confidence  in  ultimate  success,  generously  came  to  his 
assistance  and  accepted  part  payment  for  their  labor,  leaving  the  re- 
mainder for  future  payment.  Gradually  the  prospects  of  the  paper 
grew  brighter  until  finally  it  was  possible  to  pay  off  the  hands  regu- 
larly on  Saturday  nights.  Down  to  this  time  the  proprietor  owned 
neither  type  nor  press,  and  in  order  to  more  fully  control  the  mechanical 
work  of  making  the  paper  a  small  plant  was  purchased;  but  the  pay- 
ment for  it  brought  new  trials,  and  at  times  it  was  a  grave  question 
whether  the  paper  would  live  or  die.  At  the  right  time,  however,  a 
few  citizens  of  whom  the  Herald  had  made  friends  by  its  course,  made 
it  several  small  loans,  and  one  man  who  believed  in  the  future  of  the 
journal,  lent  liberally  of  his  means  to  transfer  the  institution  from 
individual  to  corporate  control  A  stock  company  was  formed,  a  faster 
press  was  bought,  and  in  August,  1878,  the  establishment  was  removed 
to  commodious  quarters  at  No.  41  West  Water  street,  the  size  of  the 
paper  being  at  the  same  time  increased  to  seven  columns.  The  growth 
of  the  circulation  was  steady  and  soon  reached  6,000  copies.  The 
printing  facilities  again  became  inadequate,  and  on.January  15,  1880, 
the  first  four  cylinder  press  between  Albany  and  Rochester  was  pur- 
chased for  the  Herald.  On  the  16th  of  May  following,  the  Sunday 
edition  was  first  issued  and  has  since  continued  with  a  large  circulation. 
Again  the  Herald  outgrew  its  publication  facilities  and  on  the  1st  of  May, 
1883,  the  office  was  removed  to  the  Grouse  building  on  Warren  street, 
and  in  1893  removed  a  few  doors  north  where  spacious  quarters 
were  prepared  for  it  in  the  Herald  building. 

Upon  the  organization  of  the  Herald  Company  in  1888,  Mr.  Jenkins 
was  elected  president,  a  position  he  has  ever  since  filled.  Francis  E. 
Leupp  acquired  an  interest  in  the  company  soon  after  its  formation  and 
was  its  first  vice-president  when  the  office  was  created  on  June  24,  1885. 
Mr.  Leupp,  from  the  time  of  his  connection  with  the  paper,  was  its 
managing  editor  until  the  opening  of  the  presidential  campaign  of  1884, 
when  in  order  to  devote  his  whole  attention  to  editorial  work,  he 
yielded  that  desk  to  Benjamin  E.  Wells,  who,  except  for  the  interval 
in  1892  L893,  has  filled  the  position  to  the  present  time.  Mr.  Leupp's 
connection  with  the  Herald  ceased  in  the  spring  of  1885,  James  E. 
Baily  securing  his  interest  in  the  company,  and  succeeding  him  in  the 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  569 

vice-presidency.  Mr.  Baily  died  on  May  1,  1891.  In  July,  1892,  Mr. 
Baily's  stock  was  purchased  by  James  S.  Gordon  and  Burt  E.  McKevett. 
In  1895  Mr.  Gordon  was  elected  vice-president  of  the  company,  which 
position  he  continues  to  hold. 

The  Evening  News,  a  Democratic  daily,  was  started  by  the  News 
Publishing  Company  on  the  8th  day  of  February,  1892.  It  was  the 
first  attempt  to  publish  a  daily  paper  in  Syracuse  to  be  sold  for  one 
cent.  Mason  C.  Hutchins  was  the  first  editor-in-chief,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Milton  H.  Northrup,  September  17,  1894.  J.  C.  Knauber  is 
city  editor.  This  paper  is  ably  edited  and  has  proved  successful  in  all 
respects. 

The  Syracuse  Post,  a  Republican  morning  newspaper,  was  established 
in  the  summer  of  1894.  The  first  copy  of  the  paper  was  issued  July 
10,  1894.  The  certificate  of  incorporation  of  the  Syracuse  Post  Com- 
pany was  filed  in  the  office  of  the  secretary  of  state  at  Albany  on  the 
5th  day  of  June,  1894,  with  the  following  named  persons  as  incorpora- 
tors: Frank  W.  Palmer,  John  W.  Truesdell,  Charles-W.  Snow,  Thomas 
Merriam  and  Anson  N.  Palmer,  all  of  the  city  of  Syracuse.  The  first 
board  of  directors  was  composed  of  the  following :  Frank  W.  Palmer, 
John  W.  Truesdell,  Charles W.  Snow,  John  Dunn,  jr.,  Jacob  M.  Mertens, 
Martin  A.  Knapp,  Theodore  E.  Hancock,  Hendrick  S.  Holden,  Thomas 
Merriam,  Anson  N.  Palmer,  and  Willis  B.  Burns,  all  of  Syracuse.  The 
company  was  organized  by  the  election  of  Anson  N.  Palmer  as  presi- 
dent; Charles  W.  Snow  as  vice-president;  and  James  J.  Farrell  as  sec- 
retary and  treasurer.  Hon.  Frank  W.  Palmer,  late  public  printer  at 
Washington,  was  the  editor-in-chief  and  manager  of  the  paper,  and 
William  A.  Jones  of  this  city  was  managing  editor.  Mr.  Palmer  re- 
mained with  the  paper  through  the  year  1894,  and  was  succeeded  as 
editor  by  William  A.  Jones,  James  J.  Farrell  being  appointed  business 
manager.  The  Syracuse  Post  Company  purchased  The  Weekly  Express 
in  July,  1894,  and  now  issues  it  under  the  name,  The  Syracuse  Post-Ex- 
press, as  the  weekly  edition  of  the  daily  Post.  The  editorial  depart- 
ment of  the  Post  is  now  in  charge  of  William  A.  Jones  and  the  business 
department  in  charge  of  A.  T.  McCargar.  The  Post  is  a  member  of 
the  Associated  Press  and  is  issued  every  week  day  morning,  and  is  at 
this  time  the  official  Republican  paper  in  the  city  of  Syracuse. 

The  Syracuse  Catholic  Publishing  Company  was  organized   in    May, 
1892,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $20,000.     J.    M.    Mertens  was  president; 
John  J.  Cummings,  vice-president;  James  K.  McGuire,    secretary   and 
72 


570  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

treasurer;  with  these  and  the  following,  directors:  Edward  Joy,  Will- 
iam P.  Gannon,  Nicholas  C.  McKeever,  Francis  Baumer,  Arthur  Hamel, 
and  John  G.  Dunn.  The  publication  of  the  Catholic  Sun  was  com- 
menced and  has  since  continued.  Its  character  is  indicated  by  its  name, 
and  the  paper  has  become  a  recognized  authority  and  a  welcome  visitor 
in  Catholic  circles.  A  job  printing  business  is  carried  on  in  connection 
with  the  paper.  The  first  editor  of  the  paper  was  Jacob  Knauber.  The 
present  editor  is  George  McDonald,  an  able  writer,  a  graduate  of  Niag- 
ara University  and  of  a  leading  educational  institution  in  Ireland. 
William  Muench  is  now  president  of  the  company,  and  Mr.  McGuire 
remains  secretary  and  treasurer. 

The  Sunday  Morning  Times  was  established  in  November,  1876,  by 
Fralick,  Hitchcock  &  Weed.  Mr.  Fralick  withdrew  at  the  end  of  about 
a  year  and  the  paper  was  continued  by  Hitchcock  &  Weed  until  the 
death  of  the  former,  when  A.  M.  Knickerbocker  acquired  an  interest. 
The  establishment  was  bought  in  1888  by  A.  M.  Knickerbocker  and 
M.  B.  Robbins.  The  Times  was  edited  during  the  first  seven  years  of 
its  existence  by  H.  P.  Smith.  Mr.  Knickerbocker  is  the  present  editor, 
assisted  by  Gurney  S.  Strong,  city  editor.  The  paper  has  always  en- 
joyed an  extensive  circulation,  and  is  ably  conducted. 

The  Weekly  Express  was  established  in  1887  by  Stephen  Stedman. 
The  paper  gained  a  large  circulation  throughout  Onondaga  county. 
Mr.  Stedman  sold  the  paper  to  the  Post  Publishing  Company,  who  con- 
tinued it  as  their  weekly  edition. 

The  Northern  Christian  Advocate  (organ  of  the  M.  E.  Church)  is  a 
weekly  journal  which  was  founded  in  Auburn  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Robie 
in  1840.  In  1844  he  sold  the  paper  to  the  General  Conference  and  from 
that  time  until  1862  it  was  published  under  the  supervision  of  a  pub- 
lishing committee,  the  Conference  appointing  the  editors.  In  the  last 
named  year  the  Conference  placed  the  paper  in  the  hands  of  the  Meth- 
odist Book  Concern,  of  New  York  city.  In  1872  they  transferred  it  to 
Syracuse  and  its  publication  continued  here  by  Nelson  &  Phillips,  as 
agents  of  the  Book  Concern  until -it  passed  to  the  present  firm  of  Hunt 
&  Eaton.  The  present  editor  of  the  paper  is  Rev.  J.  E.  S.  Sawyer, 
D.I). 

The  American  Wesleyan  (now  Wesleyan  Methodist),  organ  of  the 
Wesleyan  Methodist  Church,  was  removed  from  New  York  to  Syracuse 
January  J,  1848,  by  L.  C.  Matlock.  In  October,  1868,  Cyrus  Prindle 
became  the  editor  and  he  was  succeeded  by  Adam   Crooks.     He  was 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  ClTY  OF  SYRACUSE.  571 

followed  by  Rev.  D.  S.  Kinney,  who  continued  until  his  death  in  L889. 
Nathan  Wardner  then  accepted  the  chair,  and  was  succeeded  in  I  892 
by  A.  T.  Jennings.  In  1887  a  handsome  brick  block  was  erected 
on  Onondaga  street,  in  which  the  paper  is  published,  books  printed 
and  sold,  etc. 

The  School  Bulletin  is  an  educational  journal  published  monthly. 
It  was  started  September  1,  1874,  and  in  April,  1875,  was  consolidated 
with  the  New  York  State  Educational  Journal  and  was  published  by 
Davis,  Bardeen  &  Co.,  until  1880,  when  it  passed  under  sole  ownership 
of  C.  W.  Bardeen,  who  has  since  been  the  editor  and  publisher.  The 
Bulletin  is  an  acknowledged  authority  on  all  educational  topics. 

The  first  German  newspaper  published  in  Syracuse  was  the  Onondaga 
Demokrat,  the  initial  number  of  which  appeared  September  4,  185*?. 
It  was  in  the  autumn  of  that  year  that  the  city  was  visited  by  Kossuth, 
the  Hungarian  patriot.  The  Germans  of  the  place  had  raised  a  fund  of 
more  than  $300  which  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  George  Saul  to  present 
to  the  visitor.  It  had  been  announced  that  Kossuth  would  address,  the 
Germans  in  the  City  Hall,  but  he  plead  indisposition  and  sent  word  that 
if  the  Germans  would  call  at  his  hotel  he  would  briefly  address  them. 
This  course  angered  the  Germans,  and  the  fund  was  turned  over  to 
Mr.  Saul  and  used  in  founding  the  Demokrat.  Although  much  of  the 
money  had  been  contributed  by  Whigs,  the  politics  of  the  paper  were 
made  Democratic.  It  was  first  issued  from  a  building  on  the  corner  of 
North  Salina  and  James  streets.  In  1857  the  paper  came  out  for  the 
Free  Soil  party,  supporting  Fremont,  and  has  ever  since  adhered  to 
Republican  principles.  In  January,  1863,  the  Demokrat  was  purchased 
by  John  L.  Roehner,  a  practical  printer.  His  first  editorial  in  support 
of  the  Union  so  pleased  Andrew  D.  White,  that  he  presented  Mr.  Roeh- 
ner with  a  new  outfit  of  type.  In  August,  1880,  Mr.  Roehner  sold  the 
paper  (the  name  of  which  had  been  changed  to  the  Union)  to  John 
Ziegler,  who  in  the  following  December  transferred  it  to  Alexander 
von  Landberg.  He  was  succeeded  in  July,  1895,  by  its  present  owner 
and  editor,  J.  Peter  Pinzer.  In  1860  the  office  was  removed  to  its 
present  location  in  the  Ackerman  block,  on  North  Salina  street.  In  the 
fall  of  1863  it  was  again  removed  to  the  next  block  north,  where  it 
was  burned  out  within  a  few  months,  and  then  returned  to  its  former 
quarters. 

The  desertion  of  the  Democracy  by  the  Onondaga  Demokrat  in  1856 
left  the  Democratic  party  without  a  German  organ  in  Syracuse.    A  com- 


572  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

pany  calling  itself  "The  Independent  Democratic  Society,"  with  Jacob 
Pfohl  at  its  head,  was  organized,  and  on  July  1;  1858,  issued  the  first 
number  of  the  Central  Demokrat,  with  William  Mueller,  editor,  and 
Julius  Schwarz,  business  manager.  The  paper  was  issued  from  the 
Star  Building  on  the  site  of  the  Syracuse  Savings  Bank.  The  paper 
was  well  edited,  but  the  management  was  not  so  successful,  and  on  the 
12th  of  November,  1858,  it  was  turned  over  to  Joseph  A.  Hofmann 
with  a  burden  of  debt.  The  Demokrat,  under  its  new  management, 
entered  upon  a  career  of  prosperity  and  influence,  which  has  continued 
to  the  present  time.  Soon  after  Mr.  Hofmann  took  charge  of  the 
paper  the  establishment  was  removed  to  the  Davis  Block  on  East 
Water  street  just  east  of  the  site  of  the  Bastable  Block;  from  there, 
in  1864,  it  was  transferred  to  the  present  No.  728  North  Salina  street, 
whence  it  was  removed  to  its  present  handsome  quarters  in  the 
Hofmann  Block,  corner  of  North  Salina  and  Catawba  streets.  In  1888, 
after  a  successful  career  of  thirty  years,  Mr.  Hofmann  turned  the  edi- 
torial and  business  management  of  the  establishment  over  to  his  son, 
Louis  C.  Hofmann,  a  young  man  of  exceptional  ability  and  natural  fit- 
ness for  his  work.  He  died  Nov.  16,  1890.  Frank  J.  Kuntz  is  now 
the  business  manager  and  J.  A.  Hofmann,  editor. 

In  1874-5  the  Zion's  Aue  was  published  by  Rev.  Alexander  Ober- 
lander.  Although  self-supporting,  the  paper  was  discontinued  at  the 
end  of  one  year. 

In  May,  1875,  two  young  printers,  Frederick  G.  Kaufman  and  J. 
Peter  Pinzer,  began  the  publication  of  Das  Sontagsblatt,  first  as  a 
weekly,  and  later  as  a  semi-weekly  under  the  name  of  Die  Freie  Presse. 
(alius  Jaixen  was  editor.  The  paper  was  independent  in  politics,  and 
was  successful.  In  the  summer  of  1876  the  Freie  Presse  was  purchased 
by  Alex,  von  Landberg  and  merged  with  the  Union.  This  was  the 
final  German  newspaper  venture  in  Syracuse. 

The  mortuary  list  of  newspapers  in  Syracuse  is  a  long  one,  as  it  is  in 
all  similar  places,  and  need  only  be  briefly  described  here.  In  1814 
Lewis  H.  Redfield  began  the  publication  at  Onondaga  Valley  of  the 
Onondaga  Register.  Mr.  Redfield  was  a  practical  printer  and  a  writer 
of  ability.  He  continued  the  paper  at  the  Valley  until  1829,  when  he 
removed  it  to  Syracuse  and  consolidated  it  with  the  Gazette,  the  first 
paper  issued  in  the  village,  under  the  name  Syracuse  Gazette  and  On- 
ondaga Register.  In  1832  the  establishment  was  transferred  to  Sher- 
ui.iii  &  Clark,  who  changed  the  name  of  the  paper  to  the  Syracuse  Ar- 
gus, and  suspended  the  publication  about  two  years  later. 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  573 

In  October,  1826,  the  Salina  wSentinel  was  started  in  the  village  of  Salina 
by  Reuben  St.  John.  The  name  was  changed  in  the  next  year  to  the 
Salina  Herald,  and  continued  a  short  time  under  the  management  of 
Fred  Prince,  when  the  name  was  changed  to  the  Salina  Courier  and 
Enquirer.     It  was  soon  afterward  suspended. 

The  Onondaga  Republican  was  started  in  Syracuse  in  1830  by  W.  S. 
Campbell.  In  1834  it  passed  to  J.  B.  Clark  &  Co.,  who  changed  its 
name  to  the  Constitutionalist.  In  1835  L.  A.  Miller  became  the  pro- 
prietor and  changed  the  name  to  the  Onondaga  Chief.  He  sold  out  in 
1837  to  J.  M.  Patterson,  who  issued  the  paper  as  the  Syracuse  Whig. 
In  1838  it  passed  to  J.  K.  Barlow,  who  continued  it  about  one  year. 

The  Syracuse  American  was  started  in  1825  by  John  Adams,  and  lived 
about  a  year.  Under  the  pretentious  title  of  the  Empire  State  Demo- 
crat and  United  States  Review  a  paper  was  issued  in  1840  by  Hiram 
Cummings  and  continued  about  three  years.  The  Onondaga  Messenger 
was  started  in  1841  by  Joseph  Barber.  In  1842  the  name  was  changed 
to  the  Statesman,  and  the  paper  lived  about  another  year.  The  first 
daily  newspaper  in  Syracuse  was  the  Evening  Mail,  which  was  pub- 
lished about  three  months  in  1833  by  Vivus  W.  Smith.  The  Morning 
Sentinel  (daily)  was  started  in  January,  1843,  by  N.  M.  D.  Lathrop,  and 
continued  about  a  year,  when  the  name  was  changed  to  the  Onondaga 
Sentinel,  and  the  paper  was  issued  weekly,  except  in  brief  intervals, 
until  1850. 

In  1844  J.  N.  T.  Tucker,  editor,  and  James  Kinney,  publisher,  started 
the  Democratic  Freeman.  It  continued  thus  a  short  time,  when  the 
name  was  changed  to  the  Syracuse  Star.  In  1840  Kinney,  Marsh  & 
Barnes  were  the  publishers;  in  1847-48,  Kinney  &  Marsh;  in  1849-51, 
Kinney  &  Masters.  It  soon  afterwards  passed  into  the  hands  of  George 
F.  Comstock,  as  publisher,  and  Winslow  N.  Watson,  editor.  In  L852 
S.  Corning  Judd  became  editor  and  proprietor.  In  October,  L853,  it 
passed  to  Edward  Hoagland,  who  changed  the  name  of  the  paper  to 
the  Syracuse  Republican  and  continued  it  about  one  year.  From  the 
same  office  was  issued  in  1846  the  Syracuse  Daily  Star,  which  continued 
until  the  Weekly  Star  was  changed  to  the  Republican  and  the  journal 
took  the  name  of  the  Syracuse  Daily  Republican,  and  was  discontinued 
simultaneously  with  the  weekly. 

Other  ephemeral  newspapers  were  the  Bugle  Blast  and  Young  Iliek- 
ory,  campaign  papers,  published  about  three  months  in  18-44,  the  for- 
mer by  S.  F.  Smith  and  the  latter  by  Smith  &  Farmer.     The  Liberty 


574  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Intelligencer,  started  in  1845  by  Silas  Hawley,  and  continued  one  year. 
The  Free  Soil  Campaigner  and  the  Clay  Banner,  campaign  papers, 
published  in  1848  by  Agan  &  Summers.  The  Impartial  Citizen,  started 
in  1848,  by  Samuel  Ward,  a  colored  man  of  ability,  and  continued  one 
year.  The  Crystal  Fountain,  published  about  three  months  in  1848  by 
A.  B.  F.  Ormsby.  The  Adventist,  published  three  months  in  1849,  by 
De  Los  Mansfield.  The  Literary  Union,  begun  April  7,  1849,  by  W. 
W.  Newman,  J.  M.  Winchell  and  James  Johonnot,  was  issued  about  a 
year  and  a  half.  The  Liberty  Party  Paper  was  started  July  4,  1849, 
by  John  Thomas,  and  lived  two  years.  The  Central  City  (daily)  was 
published  a  short  time  in  1849  by  Henry  Barnes.  The  Syracusan 
(monthly)  was  established  in  1850  by  William  Mosely;  in  1851  the  name 
was  changed  to  the  Syracusan  and  the  United  States  Review.  It  con- 
tinued thus  until  1856,  a  part  of  the  time  under  the  name  of  the  Syra- 
cusan and  Onondaga  County  Review.  The  Syracuse  Independent, 
published  about  three  months  in  1850,  and  the  Evening  Transcript 
(daily)  started  in  the  same  year  by  Washington  Van  Zandt.  The  Arch- 
imedian,  started  in  1850  with  B.  F.  Sleeper,  publisher,  and  John  Ab- 
bott, editor,  was  discontinued  in  the  following  year.  The  Central  New 
Yorker,  published  in  1850  a  short  time  by  L.  P.  Rising,  and  the  Fam- 
ily Companion  (monthly)  issued  during  a  part  of  the  same  year.  The 
Temperance  Protector  (semi-monthly)  started  in  1850  by  William  H. 
Burleigh,  continued  about  two  years.  The  Carson  League,  another 
temperance  organ,  begun  in  1851  by  Thomas  L.  Carson,  publisher,  and 
James  Thomas,  editor,  lived  a  number  of  years,  and  was  published  a 
part  of  the  time  in  Albany.  The  American  Medical  and  Surgical  Jour- 
nal (monthly)  started  January  1,  1851,  by  Potter  &  Russell,  continued 
about  five  years.  The  Journal  of  Health,  published  about  six  months 
in  1851,  by  S.  H.  Potter.  A  monthly  called  the  Unionist  and  another 
called  the  Union  Herald,  and  the  Reformer,  were  three  papers  that 
had  a  short  existence  at  the  period  in  question.  A  French  paper 
named  La  Ruche,  started  in  1852  by  A.  L.  Walliath,  lived  only  a  few 
months.  The  Home  Circle,  published  about  a  year  in  1855  by  L.  W. 
Hall.  The  American  Organ  (daily)  began  in  1855  by  Way  &  Miner, 
soon  passed  to  H.  P.  Winsor,  who  suspended  it  a  year  later.  The  On- 
ondaga Hardshell  started  October  26,  1855,  lived  through  its  second 
number.  In  1856C.  B.  Gould  started  the  Syracuse  Daily  News,  which 
lived  only  a  short  time.  The  American  Citoyen  (French)  was  pub- 
lished  less   than  a  year  in    1868  by   Dr.  Cadeaux.     The  Sunday  News 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  575 

(weekly),  the  first  Sunday  journal  in  the  city,  started  by  an  association 
of  practical  printers  in  August,  1872,  suspended  in  1877,  after  several 
changes  in  proprietorship.  The  Sunday  Herald,  established  in  the 
seventies  by  J.  W.  Gait,  lived  several  years,  and  was  edited  a  part  of 
the  time  by  Charles  E.  Fitch.  The  Temperance  Union  (monthly)  started 
in  June,  1877,  afterwards  changed  to  a  weekly,  published  and  edited  by 
Samuel  Gaylord.  The  Constitutionalist  and  State  Free  Trader  was 
started  in  1862  as  an  organ  of  the  Liquor  Dealers  Association,  to  defeat 
the  prohibitory  law,  and  lived  to  December,  1863. 

Post-Office. — John  Wilkinson  was  appointed  the  first  postmaster  of 
Syracuse  on  the  24th  of  February,  1820,  and  had  his  office  in  Gen.  A. 
P.  Granger's  store,  but  in  1824  removed  it  to  John  Durnford's  store  in 
a  building  on  the  site  of  the  Onondaga  County  Savings  Bank.  Mr. 
Wilkinson  was  reappointed  July  9,  1836,  and  served  to  1848,  when  he 
was  succeeded  by  Jonas  Earll,  jr  From  Mr.  Durnford's  store  the 
post-office  was  removed  to  the  east  wing  of  the  Syracuse  House,  but 
the  date  of  removal  is  lost.  Between  1842  and  1853,  the  office  was  at 
different  intervals  in  charge  of  Henry  Raynor,  William  W.  Teall,  Will- 
iam Jackson,  and  in  1853  of  Henry  J.  Sedgwick,  who  removed  the 
office  into  the  old  Granger  block,  in  the  west  end  of  the  building. 
Among  the  assistants  in  the  office  in  old  times  were  Dudley  P.  Phelps, 
John  L.  V.  Yates,  John  R.  Lambert,  Robert  D.  Phillips,  and  James  A. 
Partridge.  Mr.  Phelps  left  the  office  in  1838  and  was  succeeded  by 
James  L  Bagg,  then  a  law  student  in  the  office  of  Wilkinson  &  Out- 
water.  In  the  settlement  of  the  postal  books  with  the  government  at 
the  close  of  Mr.  Wilkinson's  term  it  was  shown  that  during  the  early 
part  of  his  official  tenure  the  quarterly  receipts  were  less  than  $10, 
while  in  the  last  quarter  they  were  $2,000.  Mr.  Sedgwick  was  post- 
master about  eight  years  from  May  4,  1853,  and  at  one  time  toward  the 
close  of  his  term  a  question  was  raised  as  to  the  stability  of  the  finances 
of  the  office.  The  bondsmen,  John  M.  Jaycox,  John  A.  Green,  J.  W. 
Barker,  Thomas  G.  Alvord  and  Dennis  McCarthy,  had  the  office  placed 
in  the  hands  of  a  receiver  in  the  person  of  J.  S.  Plumb.  In  the  final 
settlement  with  the  government  the  office  was  found  to  be  indebted  to 
the  department  in  the  sum  of  about  $3,000;  the  bail  was  sued  for  the 
amount.  The  matter  was  not  settled  until  1879,  when  the  government 
suffered  the  loss,  owing  to  the  difficulty  of  proving  the  payment  of  cer- 
tain drafts.  At  that  time  a  "penny  postman"  delivered  all  foreign 
letters  and  collected  the  postage  on  them  with  the  additional  one  penny 


576  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

for  carriage.  The  first  postman  was  W.  B.  Hubbard,  and  the  second 
Thomas  Connelly,  who  was  retained  in  the  corps  when  the  free  delivery 
system  was  introduced. 

On  August  27,  1861,  Patrick  H.  Agan  was  appointed  postmaster  and 
appointed  as  his  assistant  George  J.  Gardner.  In  18G3  consent  was 
obtained  from  the  department  to  remove  the  office  to  the  Bastable 
block,  provided  Mr.  Bastable  would  assume  the  rent  of  the  old  rooms 
during  the  life  of  the  existing  lease.  Mr.  Sedgwick  was  part  owner  of 
the  Granger  block  and  emphatically  opposed  the  change;  but  being 
called  away  on  a  Saturday  and  detained  unexpectedly  over  Sunday, 
Mr.  Agan,  Mr.  Gardner  and  the  office  employees  hurried  the  establish- 
ment into  the  new  location,  where  Mr.  Sedgwick's  opposition  could  no 
Longer  affect  it.  A  contest  and  litigation  followed  between  Mr.  Bastable 
and  the  owners  of  the  Granger  block  which  was  not  ended  until  the 
burning  of  the  last  named  building. 

In  1864  the  Post- Office  Department  issued  an  order  establishing  the 
free  delivery  system  in  Syracuse.  The  city  was  divided  into  nine  dis- 
tricts and  one  carrier  was  appointed  for  each  district.  At  that  time 
Thomas  Connelly  and  Henry  Stroh  were  delivering  the  foreign  mail 
and  both  were  retained  as  carriers,  the  other  appointees  being  Herman 
Mueller,  Martin  Mara,  Henry  P.  Shove,  Thomas  Clary,  William  Olm- 
stead,  John  S.  Larrabee,  and  James  H.  Luther.  These  men  carried 
the  mails  twice  each  day  in  the  outlying  districts  and  five  times  in  the 
business  district.  Strange  as  it  may  seem  at  this  day,  bitter  opposition 
was  made  to  the  new  arrangement.  Finlay  M.  King,  a  local  politician, 
was  the  leader  in  the  opposition,  and  by  his  plausible  arguments  suc- 
ceeded in  swaying  a  considerable  portion  of  the  people  into  sympathy 
with  him.  The  dissatisfied  ones  circulated  a  petition  and  obtained 
various  signatures,  calling  a  meeting  at  the  City  Hall  for  January  14, 
1st;."),  for  consultation  on  the  subject.  Among  the  signers  were  many 
of  the  leading  men  of  the  city,  and  in  all  they  numbered  about  500 :  of 
these  470  remained  away  from  the  meeting  and  an  adjournment  was 
taken  until  the  8th  of  the  month,  on  which  occasion  only  fifty  of  the 
signers  were  present  and  the  opposition  ceased.  One  of  the  arguments 
urged  against  the  system  was  that  the  mails  would  be  placed  in  the 
hands  of  irresponsible  persons  for  delivery;  another  was  to  the  effect 
that  a  knowledge  of  private  and  business  affairs  would  be  spread  over 
the  city ;  lovers'  letters  would  be  desecrated,  and  other  like  nonsense. 

The  post-office  was  removed  to  the  new  Government  building  in  1889. 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  577 

Following  is  a  list  of  the  postmasters  with  the  dates  of  their  appoint- 
ment: 

John  Wilkinson,  appointed  February  24,  1820;  John  Wilkinson,  July  9,  1836;  Jonas 
Earll,  jr.,  June  26,  1840;  Henry  Raynor,  March  10,  1842;  William  W.  Teall,  July  23, 
1845;  William  Jackson,  April  14,  1849;  Henry  J.  Sedgwick,  May  4,  1853;  Patrick  H. 
Agan,  August  27,  1861;  George  L.  Maynard,  April  1,  1863;  Dwight  II.  Bruce,  April 
10,  1871;  Austin  C.  Chase,  January  1,  1876;  James  M.  Gilbert,  February  23,  1884; 
Milton  H.  Northrup,  1887  to  May  1,  1889;  Carroll  E.  Smith  to  June  1,  1893;  Milton 
H.  Northrup,  incumbent. 

Financial  and  Industrial  Affairs. — For  many  years  past  Syracuse  has 
been  renowned  for  its  determination  to. became  a  controlling  business 
center  and  its  ambition  to  be  classed  among  the  most  enterprising  cities 
of  the  country.  The  energy  and  sagacity  of  its  business  men  are  clearly 
shown  in  what  they  have  accomplished  in  the  rapid  development  of  the 
place.  There  has  not  been  a  single  year  of  its  existence  which  did  not 
bring  addition  to  the  population,  combined  with  business  growth  and 
prosperity  in  the  village  and  city.  This  can  be  said  of  but  compara- 
tively few  cities  and  of  itself  speaks  eloquently  of  the  industry,  perse- 
verance and  enterprise  of  the  inhabitants.  The  following  figures  show 
the  number  of  inhabitants  from  about  the  time  of  the  incorporation  of 
the  village  at  intervals  to  the  present  time,  as  given  in  the  city  directories. 
This  compilation  exceeds  by  a  few  hundred  the  count  of  the  census, 
but  is  believed  to  be  nearly  correct : 

In  1825,  600;  1830,6,829;  1840,11,014;  1845,  15,804;  1850,  22,271;  1855,25,107; 
1860,  28,119;  1865,  31,784;  1870,  44,796;  1875,  54,099;  1880,  55,563;  1885,  66,935;  1890, 
88,143;  1895,  116,564,  exclusive  of  suburbs. 

The  early  construction  of  the  Erie  and  Oswego  Canals,  both  touch- 
ing Syracuse,  and  the  construction  through  the  village  of  some  of  the 
earliest  railroads  in  the  State,  gave  the  place  excellent  shipping  facili- 
ties, which  have  since  been  enormously  increased  and  have  constituted 
an  important  factor  in  the  prosperity  of  the  place.  Nine  railroads  reach 
out  into  every  part  of  the  surrounding  country  from  this  geographical 
center,  facilitating  the  creation  of  a  great  wholesale  business  which  has 
gradually  swept  within  its  grasp  the  trade  of  retailers  to  a  distance  of 
hundreds  of  miles. 

In  manufactures,  which  are  always  a  corner  stone  in  the  prosperity 
of  any  community,  Syracuse  has  taken  wonderful  strides  since  the  close 
of  the  civil  war,  and  it  is  almost  a  certainty  that  there  will  in  the  future 
be  no  retrogression  in  this  respect.  Beginning  with  the  salt  industry, 
which  for  so  many  years  was  a  very  tower  of  financial  strength  to  the 
73 


578  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

community,  there  have  followed  scores  of  others,  some  of  them  of 
national  importance,  and  the  decline  in  recent  years  of  the  once  great 
salt  trade  has  consequently  been  powerless  to  seriously  affect  the  gen- 
eral prosperity  of  the  city. 

The  banks  of  Syracuse  have,  as  a  rule,  liberally  employed  their  cap- 
ital in  aiding  merchants  and  manufacturers,  and  have  passed  through 
the  several  periods  of  financial  stringency  with  their  doors  open  for 
business.  The  solid  monetary  foundation  of  this  locality  created  in 
early  years  by  the  unfailing  income  from  salt,  combined  with  what  is 
believed  to  have  been  an  exceptionally  high  degree  of  financial  ability 
among  leading  business  men,  past  and  present,  have  given  to  Syracuse 
the  capacity  and  power  to  outride  financial  panics  that  have  wrought 
ruin  in  many  cities.  In  the  great  panic  of  1836-7,  caused  largely  by 
real  estate  speculation  and  expansion,  following  a  period  of  rapid 
growth  of  villages  and  cities,  Syracuse  suffered  with  others.  The 
people  became  inspired  with  the  fancy  that  there  would  be  no  end 
to  the  advance  in  real  estate  values,  and  many  acted  upon  the  pre- 
sumption that  money  could  actually  be  created  by  exchanging  village 
lots.  Strange  as  it  may  now  read,  real  estate  in  portions  of  Syracuse, 
and  in  some  instances  far  out  into  the  suburbs,  changed  hands  at  prices 
that  it  would  not  bring  to-day,  even  under  the  influence  of  recent  great 
advances  in  values.  But  in  spite  of  all  the  conditions  brought  about 
by  that  period  of  "hard  times,"  Syracuse  passed  through  it  with  far  less 
suffering  than  most  similar  places,  for  reasons  already  given.  The 
same  is  true  of  the  panic  of  1857,  when  disaster  was  wide-spread  and 
destructive,  through  the  depreciation  of  the  bank  bills  then  in  use. 
Many  staunch  business  houses  succumbed  and  a  period  of  monetary 
weakness  and  distrust  ensued,  the  effects  of  which  were  felt  down  to  the 
outbreak  of  the  civil  war.  In  Syracuse  money  was  very  scarce  and 
difficult  to  obtain  and  the  channels  of  trade  were  greatly  obstructed ; 
but  the  foundation  of  financial  prosperity  resting  upon  the  great  salt 
industry,  then  in  its  glory,  was  too  secure  to  be  easily  undermined;  it 
was  a  creator  of  wealth  and  carried  the  village  and  city  through  troubled 
times. 

The  most  notable  feature  of  the  active  life  of  Syracuse  since  the  close 
of  the  war  has  been  the  steady  and  comparatively  rapid  growth  in  pop- 
ulation, and  the  steady  and  healthful  advances  in  prices  and  sales  of 
real  estate.  This  latter  point  is  one  upon  which  the  citizens  of  any 
community  may  safely  congratulate  themselves.      When  the  number 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  579 

of  inhabitants  of  any  city  increases  by  thousands  annually  and  a  major- 
ity either  bring  with  them  a  little  capital  to  invest  in  a  home,  or  find 
ready  work  in  great  manufactories  whereby  they  earn  money  to  buy  a 
home,  and  these  homes  are  built  for  them,  that  community  is  in  a  tide 
of  prosperity  that  will  flow  unchecked. 

The  old  Bank  of  Salina  was  organized  in  1832,  and  for  some  years 
was  of  great  assistance  to  early  merchants  and  manufacturers.  With 
the  growth  of  Syracuse  this  bank  was  removed  and  located  on  South 
Salina  street,  where  its  affairs  were  subsequently  closed  up. 

The  Bank  of  Syracuse  (not  the  one  at  present  in  existence)  was  or- 
ganized in  1839  under  the  general  State  banking  law,  with  John  Wil- 
kinson, president,  and  Horace  White,  cashier.  Its  capital  was  $200,000 
and  the  institution  was  prosperous.  On  the  death  of  Mr.  Wilkinson, 
September  19,  1862,  Hamilton  White  succeeded  to  the  presidency,  and 
was  followed  for  a  short  period  by  John  H.  Chedell,  and  he  by  Andrew 
D.  White.  In  1856  Horace  White  was  succeeded  by  Orrin  Ballard  as 
cashier.  The  bank  continued  business  under  the  State  law  until  1865, 
when  it  reorganized  as  the  Syracuse  National  Bank  and  continued 
until  1877  when  it  closed  its  affairs  and  retired  from  business. 

The  Merchants'  National  Bank  was  organized  in  1850  as  the  Mer- 
chants' Bank  with  the  following  officers:  John  D.  Norton,  president; 
Edward  B.  Judson,  vice-president;  Eli  H.  Sherman,  cashier;  these 
with  Herrick  Allen,  Marcus  Cone,  Peter  Outwater,  jr.,  Charles  C. 
Richardson,  Joseph  F.  Sabin,  James  M.  Baker,  Lucius  D.  Cowan, 
Harvey  Loomis,  Simon  C.  Hitchcock,  and  Joseph  M.  Cook  constituted 
the  board  of  directors.  All  of  these  are  dead  excepting  E.  B.  Judson, 
now  president  of  the  First  National  Bank.  In  the  fall  of  1851  the  cap- 
ital of  the  bank  was  increased  from  $135,000  to  $160,000,  and  later  was 
again  increased  to  $180,000.  At  this  time  Jefferson  Freeman  was  pres- 
ident and  the  office  has  since  been  held  by  George  Stevens,  R.  N. 
Gere,  and  George  N.  Kennedy.  Previous  to  1864  Peter  Outwater,  jr., 
was  cashier  of  this  bank,  and  upon  his  death  in  that  year  E.  R.  Plumb 
was  placed  in  the  position,  which  he  still  occupies. 

The  Salt  Springs  National  Bank  was  organized  as  the  Salt  Springs 
Bank  in  1852,  with  a  capital  of  $125,000,  which  has  been  increased  to 
$200,000.  The  first  board  of  directors  were  David  Munro,  Thomas 
G.  Alvord,  George  H.  Waggoner,  James  E.  Herring,  Henry  S.  Candee, 
Matthew  Murphy,  Cornelius  Lynch,  Dennis  McCarthy,  E.  B.  Judson, 
George  Geddes,  William  Clark,  Orla  F.  Whitney,  S.  N.  Kenyon,   John 


580  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

D.  Norton,  and  B.  Davis  Noxon.  Alfred  A.  Howlett  was  made  a 
director  in  1854.  Thomas G.  Alvord  was  first  president;  was  succeeded 
by  William  Clark,  and  he  by  Alfred  A.  Howlett  in  1859.  Cornelius 
Alvord  succeeded  Mr.  Judson  as  cashier,  and  Thomas  J.  Leach  was 
chosen  to  the  office  in  1859.  In  1865  the  institution  was  chartered  as 
a  National  bank. 

The  New  York  State  Banking  Company  originated  in  the  old  Burnet 
Bank,  which  was  incorporated  under  the  State  law  in  1852.  It  contin- 
ued under  that  plan  until  the  adoption  of  the  National  banking  system, 
when  it  was  made  the  "Fourth  National  Bank  of  Syracuse."  In  1872 
its  charter  under  this  name  was  resigned  and  the  present  title  adopted. 
Nathan  F.  Graves  has  been  president  of  this  bank  from  the  date  of  its 
incorporation  in  1852,  a  period  of  more  than  forty  years.  In  1856  R.  A. 
Bonta  entered  the  bank  as  clerk.  From  this  post  he  was  promoted 
through  the  offices  of  bookkeeper  and  teller  to  that  of  cashier,  which 
he  assumed  in  1864  and  still  holds. 

The  First  National  Bank  was  organized  in  1863  by  E.  B.  Judson,  soon 
after  a  visit  to  Washington  for  consultation  with  the  secretary  of  the 
treasury  and  others  upon  the  finances  of  the  country ;  it  was  the  first 
National  bank  in  Syracuse  and  the  sixth  in  the  United  States.  The 
capital  was  originally  $100,000,  which  has  since  been  increased  to$>2o0,- 
000.  Mr.  Judson  was  chosen  president  and  George  B.  Leonard  cashier 
of  this  bank,  and  both  have  held  their  offices  ever  since ;  the  insti- 
tution occupies  quarters  in  the  Onondaga  County  Savings  Bank  build- 
ing, which  were  fitted  up  for  it  when  the  building  was  erected. 

The  Third  National  Bank  was  organized  in  1863,  but  did  not  begin 
business  until  January  1,  1864.  The  capital  has  been  increased  from 
$150,000  to  $200,000  in  1864.  and  subsequently  to  $300,000.  The  first 
board  of  directors  were  John  W.  Barker,  James  M.  Munroe,  Charles 
Pope,  Allen  Munroe,  Timothy  R.  Porter,  H.  W.  Van  Buren,  Lucius 
Gleason,  Frank  Hiscock  and  James  Munroe,  the  latter  being  chosen  the 
first  president;  he  was  succeeded  by  Allen  Munroe,  and  in  January,  1871, 
Lucius  Gleason  was  elected  and  served  until  his  death.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Henry  Lacy.  The  first  cashier  was  Francis  H.  Williams, 
who  retained  the  position  until  February,  1873,  when  George  S.  Leon- 
ard was  appointed;  he  was  succeeded  by  Henry  Lacy,  and  he  by  L.  H. 
'iroesbeck.  The  bank  was  situated  in  the  White  Memorial  Building 
until  L887,  when  it  occupied  its  own  handsome  building  on  the  corner 
of  North  Salina  and  James  streets. 


<r\ 


A.   CADWELL   BELDEN, 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  581 

The  State  Bank  of  Syracuse  was  org-anized  under  the  State  law  and 
began  business  on  the  1st  of  February,  1873,  with  a  capital  of  $100,000. 
The  active  management  of  the  affairs  of  this  bank  are  in  charge  of 
Jonathan  C.  Chase,  cashier,  under  counsel  of  an  executive  committee 
consisting  of  Francis  Hendricks,  Frank  Hiscock  and  James  Barnes. 
Mr.  Chase  was  elected  to  the  position  of  cashier  in  1881.  Francis  Hen- 
dricks has  been  president  from  the  first. 

The  Robert  Gere  Bank  was  established  on  May  8,  1880,  with  James 
J.  Belden  president;  A.  Cadwell  Belden,  vice-president;  Frederick  W. 
Barker,  cashier.  The  first  board  of  directors  were  James  J.  Belden, 
A.  C.  Belden,  Alvin  J.  Belden,  Martin  A.  Knapp,  Samuel  B.  Larned, 
William  H.  H.  Gere  and  N.  Stanton  Gere.  The  bank  was  situated  in 
the  Larned  Building  until  June,  1888,  when  it  was  removed  to  better 
quarters  in  the  new  Snow  building.  Early  in  January,  1895,  its  own 
handsome  and  substantial  building  was  completed  on  East  Water  street, 
where  the  institution  has  now  the  finest  banking  offices  in  the  city. 

The  Bank  of  Syracuse  was  organized  under  the  banking  laws  of  this 
vState  in  the  spring  of  1884,  and  began  business  on  the  first  of  May, 
with  a  capital  of  $125,000,  and  authorized  capital  of  $500,000.  The  first 
officers  were  as  follows:  Directors,  Manning  C.  Palmer,  Alva  W. 
Palmer,  John  Dunn,  jr.,  Lyman  C.  Smith,  J.  William  Wilson,  Wilber 
S.  Peck,  Charles  P.  Clark,  Theodore  L.  Poole,  Charles  M.  Crouse, 
Salem  Hyde  and  Henry  C.  Clark.  Manning  C.  Palmer  was  chosen 
president;  John  Dunn,  jr.,  vice-president;  F.  C.  Eddy,  cashier.  The 
present  officers  are  John  Dunn,  jr.,  president;  L.  C.  Smith,  vice-presi- 
dent ;  F.  C.  Eddy,  cashier. 

The  Onondaga  County  Savings  Bank  was  organized  under  special 
charter  of  the  Legislature  in  1855  by  Allen  Munroe,  James  L.  Bagg, 
Robert  G.  Wynkoop,  George  Barnes,  Perry  Burdick,  James  Foran,  John 
W.  Barker,  Daniel  P.  Wood,  William  E .  Abbott,  Harlow  W.  Chitten- 
den, Isaac  H.  Bronner,  Charles  F.  Williston,  Edward  S.  Dawson,  John 
Yorkey,  Levi  W.  Hall,  Cornelius  L.  Alvord  and  John  Fitzgerald. 
Allen  Munroe  was  the  first  president  and  was  succeeded  in  1S7G  by 
D.  P.  Wood.  He  was  succeeded  by  Edward  S.  Dawson.  The  first 
treasurer  was  S.  H.  Slosson,  who  was  succeeded  by  Dudley  P.  Phelps, 
and  the  latter  by  E.  S.  Dawson,  he  by  C.  T.  Rose. 

The  Syracuse  Savings  Bank  was  incorporated  on  March  30,  1849,  by 
the  following  persons:  Harvey  Baldwin,  Moses  D.  Burnet,  James 
Lynch,  George  Saul,  John  H.  Burnet,  Johnson  Hall,  Harvey  Rhoades, 


582  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Philander  W.  Fobes,  John  B.  Wicks,  William  W.  Teall,  Thomas  B. 
Fitch,  Thomas  T.  Davis,  James  G.  Tracy,  Elias  W.  Leavenworth, 
George  F.  Comstock,  Henry  Gifford,  Thomas  Bennet  and  William 
Clarke.  Harvey  Baldwin  was  elected  the  first  president  of  the  bank, 
and  James  Lynch  and  E.  W.  Leavenworth  vice-presidents.  On  the  5th 
of  June,  1849,  the  bank  was  temporarily  located  in  the  office  of  W.-W. 
Teall,  corner  of  Fayette  and  Grape  streets,  and  on  the  20th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1850,  the  corner  room  of  the  old  Bastable  block  was  leased  until 
the  following  May;  in  the  spring  of  1851  it  was  removed  to  the  south- 
west corner  of  this  block.  In  the  spring  of  1854  Mr.  Bastable  demanded 
possession  of  these  rooms,  and  the  bank  was  removed  to  the  Noxon 
block  on  North  Salina  street.  In  April,  1862,  the  trustees  purchased 
the  old  Star  Building,  a  four-story  brick  structure  which  stood  on  the 
site  of  the  present  bank  building,  at  a  cost  of  $15,500,  and  the  north 
half  of  the  first  floor  was  fitted  up  for  the  bank.  In  1871  the  deposits 
of  the  bank  had  reached  nearly  $1,500,000,  and  it  became  apparent  that 
larger  quarters  and  safer  vaults  were  imperatively  needed.  Accord- 
ingly two  lots  on  the  east  of  the  bank  property  were  purchased  for 
$20,000  in  1871,  and  still  another  lot  was  bought  a  little  later  in  the 
same  year  for  $10,000.  A  building  committee  consisting  of"  E.  W. 
Leavenworth  (then  president),  T.  B.  Fitch,  N.  F.  Graves,  E.  P.  Glass 
and  Lyman  Clary,  was  appointed.  In  the  spring  of  1874  the  lot  and 
building  still  farther  east  on  James  street  were  purchased  at  a  cost  of 
$14,000,  and  in  the  spring  of  1875  the  plans  of  J.  L.  Silsbee  were 
accepted  and  the  building  begun.  The  bank  in  the  mean  time  was 
placed  in  the  corner  store  of  the  Empire  House.  It  occupied  the  new 
building  in  June,  1876.  The  structure  cost  $350,000.  Harvey  Bald- 
win resigned  the  presidency  of  the  bank  in  January,  1859,  and  James 
Lynch  was  elected.  In  January,  1862,  Mr.  Lynch  declined  re-election 
and  E.  W.  Leavenworth  was  chosen.  He  held  the  office  until  Feb- 
ruary, 1883,  when  he  resigned,  and  Charles  P.  Clark,  the  present  incum- 
bent, was  elected. 

The  Trust  and  Deposit  Company  is  a  financial  institution  that  has  a 
sphere  of  business  somewhat  peculiar.  It  is  authorized  by  its  charter 
to  act  as  agent,  receiver,  executor,  administrator,  guardian,  treasurer, 
assignee  or  trustee,  either  by  power  of  attorney  or  decree  of  court.  In 
some  of  these  capacities  it  has  done  an  extensive  business.  Having  all 
the  rights  and  privileges  of  a  savings  bank,  it  designs  to  go  farther  and 
provide  safe  receptacles  for  money,  bonds   and  other  valuables.      This 


CHARLES  P.   CLARK. 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE,  583 

company  was  organized  in  1869,  with  Dudley  P.  Phelps,  president; 
Daniel  P.  Wood  and  E.  B.  Judson,  vice-presidents;  Matthew  J.  Myers, 
secretary.  In  addition  to  its  vaults  and  safes  for  the  care  of  valuables, 
the  company  has  a  savings  bank,  receives  deposits,  etc. 

The  Commercial  Bank  was  organized  in  1801  with  a  capital  of  $250,- 
000.  Henry  J.  Mowry  was  elected  president  and  H.  S.  Holden  vice- 
president,  both  of  whom  still  hold  their  positions.  Anthony  Lamb  is 
cashier. 

Besides  the  foregoing  banking  institutions  of  Syracuse  there  have 
been  only  two  others,  which  met  with  disaster.  These  were  the  Wil- 
kinson Bank,  which  failed  on  the  10th  of  December,  1884,  with  pre- 
ferred creditors  whose  claims  were  more  than  $100,000  and  an  enor- 
mous indebtedness  besides.  This  was  followed  by  the  failure  of  West- 
cott  &  Co.,  brokers,  for  more  than  $50,000.  The  Wilkinsons'  assign- 
ment was  subsequently  declared  fraudulent  after  extended  litigation, 
and  many  of  the  depositors  received  a  large  percentage  of  their  money. 
The  other  institution  that  went  down  was  the  People's  Bank,  which 
failed  in  1872  and  paid  only  about  sixty-five  cents  on  the  dollar  to  its 
depositors. 

Any  consistent  account  of  the  manufactures  of  Syracuse,  must,  of 
course,  begin  with  salt,  although  that  once  great  industry  is  now  in  its 
decline  as  far  as  relates  to  this  locality.  The  discovery  of  the  Onon- 
daga salt  springs  by  the  Jesuits  and  the  beginning  of  salt  making  by 
Asa  Danforth  and  Comfort  Tyler  has  been  sufficiently  alluded  to  in 
earlier  pages.  This  was  in  1788.  In  1792  Isaac  Van  Vleck  came  up 
from  Kinderhook  and  settled  at  Salina,  bringing  with  him  a  potash  or 
salt  kettle,  which  was  the  first  one  set  in  an  arch  and  used  for  salt  boil- 
ing. James  Geddes  settled  here  in  1794  and  established  himself  as  ;i 
salt  manufacturer  on  the  southwest  corner  of  the  head  of  the  lake  un- 
der the  bluff  (the  site  of  Geddes  village),  but  the  Indians  took  umbrage 
at  this  and  claimed  that  under  the  treaty  of  1788  the  "  common  right  " 
had  given  to  the  white  men  the  southeastern  and  to  the  Indians  the 
southwestern  end  of  the  head  of  the  lake,  the  division  line  being  Onon- 
daga Creek.  The  difficulty  was  settled  by  admitting  Mr.  Geddes  as  a 
member  of  the  tribe,  but  this  occurrence  was  undoubtedly  the  cause  of 
the  release  by  the  Indians  and  the  assumption  by  the  State  of  full  con- 
trol of  the  salt  lands  under  the  treaty  of  1795.  In  laying  out  the  Mili- 
tary Tract  the  surveyor-general  was  ordered  to  reserve  and  lay  out  a 
sufficient  area  to  secure  all  the  salt  springs  around  Onondaga  Lake 
in  accordance  with  the  treaty  with  the  Indians  made  in  1788. 


584 


ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 


a 


,  *H» 


During  the  remainder  of  the  eighteenth  and  the  beginning  of  the 
nineteenth  century,  Thomas  Orman,  Simon  Pharis,  William  Gilchrist, 
Elisha  and  Dioclesian  Alvord,  Fisher  Curtis,  Davenport  Morey,  Ichabod 
Brackett,  Benajah  Byington,  Thomas  Wheeler,  Thomas  McCarthy,  and 
others  began  making  salt,  and  many  of  them  became  local  merchants, 
and  shippers.  The  State  did  not  take  formal  possession  of  the  lands 
and  springs  until  1797.  Prior  to  that  time  salt  was  made  under  rude 
shanties    covered   with  bark    or   hewn  slabs,   until    Elisha  Alvord,   as 

one  of    the    Federal   Com 
pany  and    its  superintend- 
ent, erected  a  large  frame 
4.  building     in    which     were 

placed  eight  blocks,  each 
containing  four  sixty-gallon 
kettles,  set  in  double  arches, 
two  kettles  on  a  side. 
From  that  time  all  salt- 
boiling  erections  have  been 
called  "salt  blocks."  The 
Federal  Company  was  com- 
posed of  the  following  men  : 
Asa  Danforth,  Jedediah 
Sanger,  Daniel  Keeler, 
Thomas  Hart,  Ebenezer 
Butler,  Hezekiah  Olcott, 
and  Elisha  Alvord.  Within 
a  short  time  they  sold  out 
to  Dioclesian  and  Elisha 
Alvord,  who  remained  in  partnership  until  1813,  and  both  manufac- 
tured   salt  many  years  thereafter. 

Prior  to  1797  each  person  was  a  "squatter,"  planting  his  kettles  at 
the  point  most  convenient  to  the  shallow  hole  from  which  he  dipped  or 
pumped  his  salt  water.  The  kettles  held  from  twenty  to  forty  gallons, 
until  about  the  close  of  the  century,  when  a  furnace  at  Taberg,  Oneida 
county,  was  established  and  cast  them  of  larger  capacity.  After  dipping 
the  brine  from  shallow  holes  or  pits  for  a  considerable  time,  these  were 
made  larger  and  deeper  as  the  demand  for  water  increased,  and  pumps 
look  the  place  of  pail  and  dipper.  The  establishment  of  permanent 
blocks  and   the  necessity  for  larger  supplies  of  water  led  the  persons 


Thomas  G.  Alvord. 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  585 

engaged  in  the  business  to  combine  and  dig  a  well.  It  was  situated 
opposite  the  present  State  pump  house  in  the  First  ward,  just  across  the 
canal  north  of  it,  and  was  fourteen  feet  long,  ten  feet  wide,  and  twenty- 
five  feet  deep.  In  it  was  placed  a  pump  which  reached  about  twenty 
feet  into  the  air  and  around  this  was  a  platform  on  which  to  stand  and 
work  the  pump.  From  this  platform  to  each  of  the  blocks  ran  Y-shaped 
troughs,  which  were  attached  to  the  pump  spout  as  needed.  By  the 
side  of  the  kettles  in  each  block  was  a  reservoir,  or  cistern,  made  In- 
digging  out  a  huge  whitewood  tree,  like  a  great  canoe.  These  methods 
prevailed  to  about  1817.  when  horse  power  was  introduced  to  work  the 
pump. 

The  early  settlers  at  the  salt  springs  were  mostly  New  Englanders, 
and  many  of  them  from  Connecticut.  They  were  either  Revolutionary 
soldiers  or  the  sons  of  such,  and  brought  here  endurance,  strength,  per- 
severance and  industry.  In  spite  of  prevailing  sickness  and  death 
caused  by  the  exhalations  from  the  marshes  about  them,  fearless  of 
physical  impediments,  they  laid  the  foundations  of  this  great  source  of 
wealth.  In  the  further  development  of  methods  for  drawing  the  salt 
water  from  the  ground,  wooden  tubes,  and  for  a  period  a  little  later, 
cast  iron  pipes  were  forced  as  far  as  possible  into  the  ground  from 
which  the  water  was  pumped.  Sand  pumps  were  used  to  lift  from  the 
interior  the  loose  sand  and  dirt  or  the  broken  stone  chips  made  by  the 
drill  chisel.  In  later  years  wrought  iron  pipes  were  used  in  sections  of 
from  twelve  to  sixteen  feet.  The  further  history  of  the  rise  and 
progress  of  the  water  production  is  seen  in  the  number  of  wells  which 
have  been  and  are  now  on  the  reservation,  beginning  with  the  single 
hole  in  the  ground  in  1792,  until  now  there  are  more  than  twenty  wells 
averaging  a  little  less  than  400  feet  in  depth. 

Prior  to  the  purchase  by  the  State  in  1825  of  all  the  means  of  pro- 
curing and  distributing  the  brine,  it  permitted  the  diversion  of  the 
Yellow  Brook,  before  described,  from  its  natural  course,  for  propelling 
the  pumps  at  Salina,  and  a  little  later  had  authorized  the  canal  commis- 
sioners to  divert  a  portion  of  the  water  of  the  canal  to  the  same  pur- 
pose. Under  the  supervision  of  Simon  Ford  the  State  then  undertook 
the  business  of  supplying  brine,  and  from  time  to  time  large  reservoirs 
were  built,  and  pump  houses,  in  addition  to  the  one  at  Salina,  were 
established  at  Syracuse,  Geddes,  and  Liverpool.  The  machinery  in 
the  first  three  was  driven  by  water  and  that  at  Liverpool  by  steam. 

From  the  very  beginning  of  the  use  of  the  salt  springs  there  had  been 
74 


586  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

a  strife  and  contention  about  "  prior  rights."  The  State  had  endeavored 
to  settle  the  controversy  by  both  statute  and  arbitration;  but  the  com- 
parative failure  of  wells  put  down  in  Geddes  and  Liverpool,  after 
costly  investments  had  been  made  there,  and  the  creation  by  the  State 
of  additional  fine  salt  blocks  at  Salina  and  Syracuse,  with  the  growing 
demand  of  the  coarse  salt  fields,  had  far  outstripped  the  efforts 
to  supply  the  demands  by  means  of  new  wells.  In  1825,  under  a 
law,  the  aggrieved  parties  appealed  from  the  decision  of  the 
superintendent  and  inspector  to  the  judge  of  the  Seventh  Judi- 
cial District,  Enos  T.  Throop.  He  made  a  decision  dividing  all  the 
then  salt  erections  into  twenty-three  classes,  each  entitled  as  numbered 
in  the  order,  to  its  needed  quota  of  salt  water,  to  the  exclusion  cf  all 
classes  behind  it,  and  future  erections  to  take  the  surplus,  if  any,  in 
the  order  of  the  time  of  their  erection.  Under  this  decision,  while 
there  was  frequent  complaint  and  contention,  the  efforts  of  the  State 
officers  and  their  general  siiccess  in  increasing  the  supply  of  brine, 
gradually  settled  strife,  and  when  the  codified  law  of  1859  was  passed, 
putting  all  the  erections  then  in  existence  on  an  equal  footing,  with 
power  to  the  superintendent  to  discriminate  in  the  months  of  July  and 
August  in  favor  of  the  coarse  salt  fields,  it  was  with  some  reluctance 
acquiesced  in.  Since  that  time,  while  the  supply  has  not  always  been 
all  that  could  be  desired,  there  has  been  sufficient  for  the  manufacturers 
to  produce  salt  enough,  and  more,  than  has  been  needed  for  the  legi- 
timate markets. 

The  prevailing  belief  that  the  strength  of  these  salt  springs  indicates 
the  near  proximity  of  an  underlying  bed  of  salt,  has  in  the  past  led  to 
many  fruitless  efforts  to  bore  into  it.  Benajah  Byington,  influenced 
by  the  frequent  bowl-shaped  depressions  on  the  hills  in  the  eastern 
part  of  what  is  now  the  Second  ward,  thought  that  the  dissolving  of 
the  underlying  salt  had  caused  the  depressions.  Acting  on  that  theory, 
he  obtained  in  1820  the  enactment  of  a  law  securing  to  himself  valuable 
rights  in  case  he  could  reach  the  bed  of  salt.  He  began  and  continued 
drilling  for  ten  or  twelve  years,  until  forced  to  abandon  the  work  by 
lack  of  means  and  his  age.  In  1836-7  under  a  State  law,  a  shaft  was 
sunk  on  the  north  side  of  Free  street  near  the  present  pump 
house  and  under  the  Jerry  Barnes  block,  but  it  was  stopped  at  600  feet 
as  required  by  law,  and  without  reaching  salt.  In  1867  the  Salt  Com- 
pany of  Onondaga  caused  a  well  to  be  bored  near  Liverpool,  715  feet 
deep,   but  neither  stronger  brine  nor  salt  in  place  was  reached.     In 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  ClTY  OF  SYRACUSE.  587 

1883  Thomas  Gale  sank  a  well  on  the  highlands  near  the  Liverpool  road 
to  a  depth  of  1,600  feet,  and  succeeded  only  in  obtaining  a  brackish 
water  which  was  highly  charged  with  the  chlorides  of  calcium  and 
magnesium.  In  1884  the  superintendent  sank  a  shaft  in  an  abandoned 
well  on  the  west  bank  of  Onondaga  Creek  near  the  road  across  the 
marsh  from  Geddes  to  the  First  ward,  to  a  depth  of  1,960  feet,  with  no 
satisfactory  results. 

William.  Stevens  was  appointed  superintendent  of  the  salt  springs 
June  20,  1797,  and  remained  such  until  his  death  in  1801.  The  State 
sent  with  their  superintendent  a  surveyor  who  laid  out  the  land  contig- 
uous to  the  springs,  into  fifteen-acre  marsh  lots,  and  to  each  manufac- 
turer was  given  a  lease  of  one  of  these  lots.  The  first  lease  was  for 
three  years,  expiring  in  1801,  after  which  the  leases  were  for  seven 
years  and  were  renewed  in  1808  for  twenty-one  years  up  to  and  includ- 
ing 1829,  when  the  term  was  extended  to  thirty  years.  In  1859  the 
leases  were  executed  for  another  thirty  years,  expiring  June  20,  1889, 
since  which  there  have  been  no  renewals.  At  the  present  time  step^ 
are  in  progress  which  may  lead  to  the  sale  of  all  the  State  salt  lands. 
These  leases  have  reference  to  the  fine  salt  lots  only,  the  coarse  salt 
lands  being  held  under  a  different  tenure,  as  we  shall  see.  The  lessees 
were  given  permission  to  dig  for  and  use  salt  water  and  to  take  from 
the  reservation  timber  for  their  various  purposes  on  the  reservation; 
the  State  charged  for  its  remuneration  a  duty  of  four  cents  a  bushel  of 
fifty-six  pounds  for  all  salt  made.  Each  manufacturer  was  to  make  at 
least  ten  bushels  annually  for  each  kettle,  and  each  person  having  m 
his  spring  or  water  pit  more  than  sufficient  water  for  his  own  use,  was 
compelled  to  allow  his  neighbor  to  use  the  surplus.  The  State  sup- 
plied storehouses  for  the  salt,  which  were  under  custody  of  the  super- 
intendent, for  the  use  of  which  one  cent  a  bushel  was  charged.  If  a 
person  stored  his  own  salt,  he  was  exempt  from  this  latter  charge,  but 
the  keys  of  his  storehouse  must  remain  with  the  superintendent.  The 
superintendent  could  sell  salt  at  sixty  cents  a  bushel,  fifty-five  of  which 
was  paid  to  the  owner.  This  power  of  sale  was  subsequentlv  with- 
drawn, and  the  superintendent  then  issued  certificates  of  the  quantity 
stored  to  each  person  storing  the  same,  and  these  passed  from  hand  to 
hand  in  place  of  money.  The  two  State  storehouses  were  the  old  block 
house  (which  has  been  described),  and  another  built  on  the  bluff  near 
the  angle  made  by  the  tow-path  of  the  canal  and  the  Liverpool  road. 
The  State  also  built  a  wharf  to  aid  in  shipments  and  no  salt  was  allowed 


588  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

to  go  by  water  except  from  this  wharf.  All  barrels  used  were  under 
approval  of  the  superintendent,  and  were  made  of  white  oak  staves ;  as 
the  oak  disappeared  pine  and  hemlock  came  into  use,  and  for  many 
years  the  manufacture  of  these  barrels  gave  employment  to  hundreds 
of  people  over  a  wide  extent  of  territory  in  this  region.  To  facilitate 
early  shipment  by  water,  canals  were  authorized  to  be  dug  from  the 
various  blocks  to  Mud  Creek,  then  a  considerable  stream,  in  which  to 
carry  their  product  to  the  State  wharf.  But  none  of  these  canals  was 
dug,  and  the  stone  boat  and  oxen,  the  only  vehicles  that  could  be  used 
on  the  marshy  ground,  carried  the  salt  to  the  landing  where  it  was 
placed  on  bateaux  carrying  from  twenty-five  to  forty  barrels  at  a  load, 
and  started  for  market.  One  route  was  through  the  lake  to  the  outlet 
up  Seneca  River  and  through  Cayuga  and  Seneca  Lakes,  whence  it 
reached  the  southern  counties  and  the  Susquehanna  and  Ohio  regions. 
For  the  region  of  the  great  lakes,  the  bateaux  descended  the  Oswego 
River  to  Lake  Ontario  and  the  cargoes  were  taken  westward  in  small 
schooners.  Syracuse  salt  was  sold  in  Detroit  by  Elisha  Alvordin  1799, 
while  that  place  was  stockaded  and  in  the  hands  of  the  British.  A 
large  portion  of  the  salt  sold  in  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio  was  exchanged 
for  cattle,  which  were  again  sold  in  Philadelphia  or  driven  hither  to 
fatten  on  the  rich  fields  of  Onondaga.  Settlers  in  the  counties  of  Cen- 
tral New  York  generally  came  for  their  salt  in  winter,  when  the  roads 
were  far  better  than  in  summer. 

In  1797,  the  first  year  of  the  State  control,  the  manufacture  of  salt 
reached  25,474  bushels,  and  during  the  next  three  years  the  product 
was  a  little  over  50,000  bushels  annually.  William  Stevens,  the  first 
superintendent,  was  succeeded  by  Asa  Danforth  who  held  the  office  four 
years,  during  which  the  annual  product  reached  about  100,000  bushels. 
In  1806-7  William  Kirkpatrick  was  superintendent,  and  the  annual  pro- 
duction was  about  144,000  bushels.  Then  for  one  year  each,  T.  H. 
Rawson,  Nathan  Stewart,  and  John  Richardson  held  the  office,  and 
the  annual  average  product  was  a  little  less  than  300,000  bushels. 
Next,  for  an  unbroken  period  of  twenty  years,  William  Kirkpatrick  was 
superintendent,  and  during  that  period  from  200,000  bushels  in  1811 
the  quantity  made  had  swelled  to  1,435,446  bushels  in  1830,  or  an  an- 
nual average  production  of  nearly  625,000  bushels  for  the  twenty  years. 
Nehemiah  Earll  was  the  next  superintendent  and  held  the  office  five 
years.  In  his  first  year  the  yield  was  1,514,031  bushels,  and  in  the  last 
(1835)  was  ^,209,86'J   bushels.     The  average   for  the  five  years  was  a 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  589 

trifle  over  1,830,500  bushels.  He  was  followed  by  Rial  Wright  under 
whose  first  term  of  four  years  the  aggregate  product  was  9,519,896 
bushels.  Next  came  Thomas  Spencer,  with  a  term  of  three  years  and 
a  production  of  8,254,977  bushels.  Rial  Wright  again  took  the  office 
two  years  and  saw  the  manufacture  of  7,131,054  bushels.  Enoch 
Marks's  administration  of  three  years  followed  with  11,552,564  bush- 
els. Robert  Gere  succeeded  for  four  years,  with  a  yield  of  18,703,531 
bushels.  Harvey  Rhoades  next  filled  the  office  three  years  with  a 
product  of  16,130,404  bushels.  Vivus  W.  Smith  was  the  next  super- 
intendent and  held  the  office  from  1855  to  and  including  1864,  during 
which  period  the  enormous  quanity  of  67,458,212  bushels  of  salt  were 
made.  It  was  during  this  period,  in  1862,  that  the  greatest  yield  for 
any  one  year  was  made,  viz.  :  9,053,874  bushels.  George  Geddes  was 
the  next  superintendent  for  six  years,  reporting  47,216,966  bushels. 
Next  came  John  M.  Strong,  three  years,  with  a  yield  of  23,766,238 
bushels.  Archibald  C.  Powell  succeeded  for  six  years  (except  a  tem- 
porary occupancy  of  four  months  by  Calvin  G.  Hinckley)  with  a  yield 
of  40,527,755  bushels.  N.  Stanton  Gere  held  the  position  next  for  three 
years  with  a  yield  of  24,256,156  bushels.  Peter  J.  Brumelkamp,  the 
present  superintendent,  assumed  the  office  in  1883,  and  for  the  period 
down  to  and  including  1894  reports  a  yield  of  64,075,190  bushels.  It 
appears  from  th-ese  figures  that  the  salt  springs  have  produced  since 
and  including  1797  up  to  January  1,  1895,  the  enormous  aggregate  of 
about  362,008,917  bushels  of  salt;  have  paid  into  the  State  treasury 
more  than  $7,000,000,  leaving  there,  after  deducting  every  expense, 
more  than  $5,000,000;  while  his  "  common  right  "  has  given  out  of  this 
to  the  Indian  the  enormous  ( ! )  annual  income  of  $700  and  an  aggregate  of 
about  15,000  bushels  of  salt. 

This  great  industry,  while  it  has  been  a  source  of  wealth  to  some 
and  has  given  in  the  past  a  solid  foundation  to  the  financial  affairs  of 
Syracuse  and  Onondaga  county,  has  not  been  all  tranquillity  and  ease. 
The  operators  were  early  and  enthusiastic  advocates  of  canals  and  were 
for  a  time  largely  benefited  by  their  construction,  through  increased 
demand  and  more  remunerative  return  for  their  salt ;  but  they  soon 
met  the  foreign  article  coming  up  the  artificial  waterway  largely 
built  with  their  money,  right  into  the  heart  of  their  markets.  Early 
after  the  completion  of  the  canals  attempts  were  made  at  combination 
to  restrict  production  and  regulate  prices,  but  this  was  found  imprac- 
ticable; the  building  of  salt  blocks  and  production  of  salt  by  men  out- 


590  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

side  of  the  combination  was  too  simple  a  problem,  when  higher  prices 
were  anticipated.  In  1857  a  Buying'  Company  was  organized  and  a 
limited  output  of  salt  was  agreed  upon,  but  the  financial  storm  of  that 
year  overwhelmed  the  project.  Mostly  men  of  comparatively  small 
means,  the  manufacturers  were  forced  to  seek  a  market  near  home, 
selling  their  salt  to  large  houses  in  Oswego  and  Buffalo,  on  long  time; 
these  vessel  owners  used  the  salt  as  ballast  on  trips  up  the  lakes.  If  a 
round  voyage  was  successful,  the  salt  makers  received  their  pay;  if  not,' 
they  were  the  first  to  lose  their  money.  The  manufacturers  made  an 
effort  to  remedy  this  condition,  and  in  1860  entered  into  an  agreement 
based  upon  these  fundamental  propositions :  All  interests,  fine,  coarse 
and  dairy  salt  were  embraced ;  the  property  of  each  individual  and  cor- 
poration, and  salt  erection  was  appraised;  each  establishment  was 
entitled  to  and  bound  to  take  its  pro  rata  share,  based  upon  the  appraisal, 
in  a  paid  up  money  capital ;  all  property  was  entitled  to  and  should 
receive  an  annual  rental  on  its  shares  of  the  joint  appraisal ;  no  restric- 
tion was  to  be  made  on  the  quantity  of  salt  to  be  produced,  except  from 
the  want  of  salt  water  or  the  absence  of  a  market ;  salt  was  to  be  sold 
to  consumers  in  the  State  at  a  low  fixed  margin  of  profit,  and  was  not 
to  be  sold  to  speculators,  or  to  buyers  who  would,  for  that  purpose, 
withhold  it  from  sale  at  fair  rates.  It  will  be  correctly  inferred  that 
the  beginning  of  the  civil  war  contributed  to  make  this  arrangement  a 
great  success,  and  during  a  few  years  the  monetary  return  was  far  in 
excess  of  that  of  any  previous  year;  but  soon  the  opening  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi River,  the  redemption  of  the  salt  fields  of  the  Kanawha  and  the 
Ohio,  with  the  discovery  and  development  of  the  salt  fields  of  Saginaw, 
warned  the  manufacturers  that  their  day  of  great  ascendency  in  this 
industry  would  soon  expire. 

For  some  years  prior  to  1863  Onondaga  had  supplied  Upper  Canada 
with  her  salt  to  the  extent  of  about  600,000  bushels  annually.  This 
market  was  lost  by  the  discovery  of  brine  in  1867  on  the  Canadian 
shore  of  Lake  Huron.  It  has  in  recent  years  become  well  known  that 
supplies  of  brine  exist  in  numerous  localities,  and  the  great  domestic 
necessity  is  produced  in  such  numerous  regions  that  no  monopoly  in  it 
can  ever  again  survive.  Our  brethren  in  Wyoming,  Genesee,  Living- 
ston, Tompkins  and  Cayuga  counties  have  discovered  and  developed 
great  salt  sources,  and  thus  Onondaga's  outposts  in  this  industry  are 
attacked  on  every  side.  A  ray  of  light  has,  however,  appeared  within 
the  past  few  years,  through  the  explorations  of  William  B.  Cogswell  in 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE.  591 

quest  of  a  brine  supply  for  the  great  Solvay  Works  for  the  manufacture 
of  soda  ash.  He  believed  that  to  the  southward  of  Syracuse,  and  within 
Onondaga  county,  a  bed  of  rock  salt  existed  deep  in  the  earth,  and  he 
boldly  began  drilling  for  it.  He  was  amply  rewarded,  and  now  about 
a  dozen  wells,  through  which  the  waters  of  one  of  the  Tully  lakes  flow 
to  become  fully  saturated  with  the  exhaustless  deposit  into  which  the 
drills  penetrated,  are  sending  brine  to  the  works  through  an  iron  con- 
duit, which  may  also  be  made  a  factor  in  profitably  continuing  the  man- 
ufacture of  salt  at  our  doors.  The  tax  of  twelve  and  one-half  cents  per 
bushel  on  salt,  imposed  in  1817,  was  solemnly  dedicated  to  the  building 
of  canals  in  this  State;  following  this,  in  1821,  the  Constitution  of  the 
State  declared  the  duty  unalterable  until  the  last  dollar  of  the  cost  of 
the  Erie  and  the  Champlain  Canals  was  paid.  Steadily  thereafter  the 
golden  .stream  flowed  through  the  State  treasury  into  the  pockets  of  the 
canal  debt  owners,  until  in  1846,  $3,500,000,  more  than  half  the  cost  of 
the  whole  undertaking,  paid  into  the  coffers  of  the  State,  canceled  the 
obligation  of  the  Salt  Pointers. 

With  the  decline  of  the  salt  industry  the  progressive  men  of  Svracuse 
determined  that  manufacturing  in  the  city  should  take  other  directions 
and  thus  continue  the  noble  business  structure,  the  foundations  of  which 
had  been  so  well  laid  by  the  product  of  the  salt  wells.  Aside  from  its 
lack  of  water  power  (which  is  of  comparatively  small  moment  in  these 
days)  no  city  could  be  better  situated  for  successful  manufacturing  opera- 
tions than  Syracuse.  This  fact  has  constituted  a  sufficient  attraction  to 
capital,  and  there  has  gradually  and  surely  grown  Up  a  vast  industrial 
interest,  employing  a  great  army  of  men  and  women  and  turning  out 
an  annual  product  of  immense  value.  The  briefest  mention  of  some  of 
the  more  important  of  these  industries  is  all  that  can  be  attempted  in 
these  pages. 

The  Sweet  Manufacturing  Company,  first  established  in  1858,  passed 
through  various  changes,  and  now  stands  with  a  capital  of  $200,000 and 
employs  about  500  hands.  Sanderson  Brothers'  Steel  Company,  organ- 
ized in  1876,  a  branch  of  an  English  company,  has  a  capital  of  $450,000 
and  employs  about  250  hands.  The  Whitman  &  Barnes  Manufacturing- 
Company,  with  parent  establishments  in  Syracuse  and  in  Akron,  Ohio, 
and  various  branches,  is  a  very  successful  industry.  The  Syracuse 
Chilled  Plow  Company,  organized  in  1876,  with  a  capital  of  $100,000, 
since  increased  to  $300,000,  employs  about  250  hands.  The  old  Alex- 
ander Iron  Works,  the  beginning  of  which  dates  back  to  1833,  now  em- 


592  .  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

ploys  about  100  hands.  The  Frazer  &  Jones  Company,  first  founded 
by  Olmsted  &  Jones  in  1856,  are  extensive  makers  of  saddlery  hard- 
ware, etc.,  and  employs  more  than  500  hands.  The  Duguid  Saddlery 
Company,  successor  of  Charles  Pope  &  Co.,  who  began  business  in  1847, 
employs  about  fifty  hands.  The  Straight  Line  Engine  Company,  in- 
corporated in  1880,  has  a  capital  stock  of  $100,000,  and  manufactures  a 
large  output  of  the  splendid  engines  designed  by  Prof.  John  E.  Sweet. 
[See  biography  of  Professor  Sweet,  Part  II.  J  The  Mover  Wagon  Works 
began  in  Syracuse  in  1880,  now  employs  nearly  300  men,  and  is  one  of 
the  most  successful  wagon  industries  in  this  State.  The  J.  F.  Pease 
Furnace  Company,  manufacturers  of  the  celebrated  Pease  furnaces, 
finds  a  market  for  its  goods  that  extends  throughout  the  country.  The 
Pierce,  Butler  &  Pierce  Manufacturing  Company  manufactures  the  well- 
known  Florida  heater,  lead  and  tin  pipe,  and  employs  about  250  hands. 
The  Howard  Furnace  Company,  established  in  1887,  manufactures  the 
furnace  patented  by  Charles  Howard,  the  demand  for  which  is  con- 
stantly increasing.  The  Syracuse  Tube  Works,  formed  in  1883,  em- 
ploys over  400  hands  and  turns  out  an  immense  product  of  all  kinds  of 
iron  tubing.  The  great  Solvay  Process  Company,  the  organization  of 
which  in  1881  was  due  to  the  efforts  of  William  B.  Cogswell,  now  has  a 
capital  of  $1,500,000  and  employs  about  2,500  hands.  The  Onondaga 
Pottery  Company,  incorporated  in  1871  with  a  capital  of  $50,000,  has 
more  than  200  operatives  and  finds  an  extended  market  for  the  fine  ware 
turned  out.  The  Adamant  Manufacturing  Company,  the  originator  of 
the  durable  prepared  plasters  now  in  the  market,  was  organized  in  1887 
with  a  capital  of  $150,000,  and  ships  an  immense  quantity  of  plaster  to 
all  parts  of  the  United  States  and  Canada.  Another  company  in  the 
same  line  is  the  Paragon  Plaster  Company,  organized  in  1888.  Francis 
Baumer's  Wax  Candle  Works  are  well  known  throughout  the  country 
and  employ  more  than  sixty  workmen.  The  Syracuse  Malleable  Iron 
Works  were  started  by  Willis  B.  Burns  in  1882,  and  now  employ  nearly 
250  workmen.  The  Butler  Manufacturing  Company  was  incorporated 
in  1883  and  has  built  up  a  large  business  in  the  manufacture  of  the 
finest  furniture.  The  Syracuse  Pressed  Brick  Company  was  organized 
in  1872,  and  owns  a  tract  of  valuable  clay  land  where  more  than  5,000,- 
000  brick  are  made  annually.  The  brewing  interest  in  the  city  is  very 
extensive,  embracing  the  Greenway  Brewing  Company,  founded  in 
1850;  the  Haberle  Brewing  Company,  founded  in  1855;  Zett's  brewery, 
established   in    1858;    Moore,    Ouinn  &  Co.,   established  in  1881;   the 


THE  VILLAGE  AND  THE  CITY  OF  SYRACUSE. 


593 


Crystal  Spring  Brewing  Co.,  incorporated  in  1887;  the  National  Brew- 
ing Company,  incorporated  in  1888;  William  Kearney's  brewery,  estab- 
lished in  1869,  and  several  others  of  less  prominence.  Clothing  is  also 
manufactured  in  large  quantities. 

The  foregoing  is  a  mere  glimpse  of  some  of  the  leading  manufac- 
tures of  Syracuse ;  but  it  will  suffice  to  show  that  the  growth  of  the 
place  in  this  respect  has  been  more  than  proportionate  with  the  increase 
of  population. 


East  Side  of  South  Salina  Street  about  1855. 
[Reproduced  from  an  old  engraving  in  possession  of  the  publishers.] 


594  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 
THE  TOWN  OF  POMPEY.1 

The  old  military  township  of  Pompey,  known  as  No.  10  and  formed 
in  January,  1789,  embraced  the  present  civil  town  of  the  same  name 
together  with  nearly  all  of  La  Fayette  and  three  lots  in  what  is  now 
Otisco.  In  length  east  and  west  it  would  have  formed  a  parallelogram 
had  not  the  Onondaga  Indian  Reservation  cut  out  the  northwest  cor- 
ner. Upon  the  organization  of  the  county  on  March  5,  1794,  the  civil 
town  of  Pompey  as  then  erected  was  made  to  include  the  present  towns 
of  Pompey,  Fabius,  Tully,  Preble,  and  Scott,  and  parts  of  Spafford, 
( )tisco,  La  Fayette,  Onondaga,  Truxton,  and  Cuyler.  As  thus  con- 
stituted Pompey  was  the  largest  subdivision  of  the  original  county  of 
( )nondaga.  On  March,  1798,  it  was  materially  reduced  in  size — first 
by  the  formation  of  Fabius,  which  included  the  present  towns  of  Fa- 
bius, Tully,  Scott,  and  Preble,  nearly  all  of  Truxton  and  Cuyler,  and 
portions  of  Otisco  and  Spafford;  and  second,  by  the  erection  of  Onon- 
daga, which  derived  a  large  tract  of  its  territory  from  the  then  town  of 
Pompey.  In  1817  and  again  in  1822  tracts  lying  to  the  east  and  south 
of  the  Reservation  were  purchased  from  the  Indians  by  the  State  and 
annexed  to  this  town,  and  on  April  15,  1825,  these  and  adjoining  lands 
were  set  off  to  form  the  present  town  of  La  Fayette.  This  last  reduc- 
tion left  Pompey  with  its  present  limits — an  almost  perfect  square. 

Of  the  100  military  lots  in  the  original  township  of  Pompey,  only  64 
are  now  left  in  the  present  town.  These  were  drawn  by  the  following 
persons : 

4,  Thomas  Dixon;  5,  Titus  Underdunck;  6,  Michael  Leaster;  7,  Jeremiah  Mc- 
Gowen ;  8,  Lieut.  Nanning  Vanderheyden ;  9,  John  Wells ;  10,   George  Springsteen ; 

1  In  departing  from  chronological  and  from  alphabetical  arrangement  of  the  town  histories  in 
olume,  it  is  believed  that  several  advantages  are  gained.  In  most  instances,  as  will  be  seen, 
the  history  of  one  of  the  oldest  towns  is  given,  which  is  immediately  followed  by  those  towns 
which  were  formed  from  the  original  territory  of  the  first,  giving  the  reader  a  better  understand- 
ing of  the  neighborhood  relations  of  ntany  families,  and  of  the  new  town  to  the  older  one.  By 
consulting  Parts  II  and  III  readers  will  find  biographical  notes  of  many  persons  and  families  in 
ious  towns 


THE  TOWN  OP  POMPEY.  595 

11,  Thomas  Nellson ;  12,  Martin  Waller ;  16,  Joseph  Kitcham  ;  17,  Stephen  Powell; 
18,  Joseph  Morgan;  19,  John  Ransier;  20,  Maj.  Stephen  McDougall ;  21,  Matthew 
Colford;  22,  John  Chevalier;  23,  Israel  Coleman;  26,  John  Brown;  27,  William 
Murray;  28,  John  Lambert ;  29,  John  Wagonman  ;  30,  Joseph  Maroney;  31,  Reserved 
for  gospel  and  schools ;  32,  Christopher  Medler;  33,  Benjamin  Kelso  (or  Kely);  37, 
Lieut.  Isaac  Bogert;  38,  Col.  William  Malcom;  39,  Henry  Miller;  40,  Matthew  Gee- 
son;  41,  Christian  Brandt;  42,  Capt.  Cornelius  T.  Jansen;  43,  Cornelius  Van  Tassel , 
44,  Lieut.  John  Bateman ;  47,  Conradt  Bush;  48,  William  Stocker;  49,  John  Neilson  ; 
50,  Charles  Kinney ;  51,  Abner  Prior,  surgeon's  mate;  52,  Watt  Smith;  53,  Capt. 
Charles  Parsons ;  54,  Samuel  Torrey ;  63,  John  Shaw ;  64,  John  Brown ;  65,  Hanjost 
Deymont ;  66,  Edward  Curvin  ;  67,  Reserved  for  gospels  and  schools ;  68,  John  Ryan  ; 
69,  Christian  Shantze;  70,  John' Ackler ;  78,  Samuel  Fletcher;  79,  Conradt  Hyle;  80, 
Ashbel  Dean;  81,  John  Tilliday;  82,  John  H.  Devrance;  83,  John  George  Reamer; 
84,  Samuel  Lewis;  85,  Daniel  Loder;  93,  Lieut.  John  Williams;  94,  James  Purdv; 
95,  Lieut.  Jeremiah  Van  Rensselaer;  96,  Reserved  for  gospel  and  schools;  97,  Hanyer 
Tewahangaraghkan  (an  Indian  captain);  98,  Christopher  Codwise;  96,  Barnardus 
Swartwout ;  100,  James  McCoy. 

Pompey  is  situated  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  county  on  the 
great  dividing  ridge  from  which  flow  the  waters  of  the  St.  Lawrence 
northward  and  of  Chesapeake  Bay  southward.  Within  the  limits  of  the 
original  town  this  ridge  is  divided  by  four  valleys,  the  easternmost  on 
the  east  line  of  the  town  and  extending  entirely  across ;  through  this 
flows  the  east  branch  of  Limestone  Creek.  This  branch  has  few  mill 
sites.  The  second  valley  lies  about  three  miles  west  and  nearly  paral- 
lel with  the  other  and  with  a  greater  inclination.  A  part  of  the  water 
in  this  valley  flows  south,  and  the  stream  which  flows  north  has  upon 
it  the  celebrated  Pratt's  Falls,  137  feet  high,  while  numerous  excellent 
mill  sites  exist.  The  third  valley  is  that  of  Butternut  Creek,  which 
has  only  slight  fall.  The  fourth  is  Onondaga  Valley.  The  greater 
part  of  the  town  lies  on  four  hills  or  ridges  whose  axis  is  north  and 
south.  One  of  these  is  Pompey  Hill  1,743  feet  above  tide,  and  the 
other  is  Bear  Mountain  which  is  only  a  little  less  in  altitude.  Carpen- 
ter's Pond,  in  the  second  valley,  is  the  only  natural  body  of  water.  The 
soil  is  chiefly  a  strong  clayey  loam  and  almost  the  whole  area  is  sus- 
ceptible of  cultivation.  In  natural  scenery  the  town  is  unrivaled  in  the 
county,  and  from  Pompey  Hill  parts  of  seven  counties  are  visible.  The 
town  has  accmired  a  deserved  reputation  for  healthfulness.  Pompey 
is  rich  in  Indian  history,  which  has  been  adequately  detailed  in  early 
chapters  of  this  work. 

In  the  preparation  of  town  histories  it  is  often  claimed  for  some 
given  locality  that  it  has  given  to  the  world  more  men  of  eminence  in 
the  professions  or  industries   than  any   other.     These  statements  are 


596  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

often  made  somewhat  at  random  and  are  scarcely  warranted  by  the 
facts.  But  such  a  claim  may  be  made  in  unqualified  terms  in  regard 
to  Pompey.  It  is  well  attested,  as  the  reader  may  learn,  that  no  town 
in  Central  New  York,  and  few  perhaps  in  this  State,  have  sent  out  so 
large  a  number  of  men  of  real  greatness,  men  whose  names  became 
familiar  throughout  the  State  or  country,  as  Pompey,  while  the  host 
who  were  either  born  or  at  some  period  dwelt  within  her  borders  and 
who  achieved  success  far  above  the  average  in  some  fields  of  labor,  is 
almost  numberless. 

Clark  and  others  credit  John  Wilcox  with  being  the  first  white  settler 
in  Pompey,  which  is  true  as  regards  the  original  township;  but  his  set- 
tlement was  made  in  what  is  now  La  Fafayette,  and  hence  will  be  left 
for  consideration  in  the  history  of  that  town.  The  first  settlement 
within  the  limits  of  the  present  town  was  made  by  Ebenezer  Butler, 
originally  from  Connecticut,  and  later  from  Oneida  county,  who  re- 
moved to  Pompey  in  1788  or  1789,  and  in  1791  located  on  lot  65  in 
Pompey.  Tradition  says  he  bought  this  lot  of  a  soldier  "for  a  horse, 
saddle  and  bridle."  He  built  a  log  house  near  the  site  of  the  "  stone 
blacksmith  shop,"  and  in  the  same  year  brought  in  his  family  of  wife 
and  four  children,  his  father  and  a  maiden  sister.  It  will  be  borne  in 
mind  that  this  was  only  three  years  after  Asa  Danforth,  the  first  settler 
in  the  county,  located  at  Onondaga  Hollow.  The  elder  Butler's  name 
was  Ebenezer  also,  who  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution,  a  quiet,  retir- 
ing man  of  religious  tendencies.  He  was  a  farmer  and  took  an  active 
part  in  organizing  the  first  church  in  Pompey,  of  which  he  was  one  of 
the  first  trustees.  He  died  in  1829.  The  son  also  served  in  the  Revo- 
lutionary war,  where  he  was  taken  prisoner  and  suffered  great  hardship 
on  a  prison  ship.  After  his  settlement  he  purchased  lot  6,  and  in  1791 
built  the  first  frame  building  in  that  vicinity;  it  stood  on  the  site  of 
Manoah  Pratt's  subsequent  residence.  There  he  kept  a  tavern  several 
years,  the  first  in  the  town,  beginning  in  1792.  He  dealt  largely  in 
real  estate  and  in  stock  which  he  drove  to  Philadelphia.  He  held 
various  town  offices,  as  noted  in  Chapter  XXV.  He  removed  to  Manlius 
in  1801  or  1802,  and  in  1811  to  Ohio,  where  he  died  in  1829  at  the  age 
of  68  years. 

In  1792,  Jesse  Butler,  brother  of  Ebenezer,  came  on  from  Connecticut 
and  bought  100  acres  of  Ebenezer,  made  a  clearing  and  built  a  log  house 
a  little  north  of  the  site  of  the  M.  E.  church.  He  returned  to  Con- 
necticut and  in  the  spring  of  1793  came  back  with  George  Catlin  and 


THE  TOWN  OF  POMPEY.  597 

their  families  on  an  ox  sled.  Catlin  was  brother-in-law  of  Ebenezer 
Butler,  jr.,  and  bought  of  him  100  acres  and  kept  a  tavern  a  little  south 
of  the  site  of  the  subsequent  residence  of  Asa  Wells. 

Jacob  Hoar  settled  on  lot  48,  removing  from  Onondaga  in  the  spring 
of  1793.  At  the  four  corners  near  him  was  a  little  hamlet  about  1800, 
where  ultimately  was  a  store,  an  ashery,  a  shoe  shop,  a  tannery,  and  a 
turning  lathe,  with  school  house,  and  a  number  of  dwellings.  It  was 
called  "  Log  City,"  and  for  a  few  years  was  a  rival  of  Pompey  Hill. 

In  1794  Messrs.  John,  Jerome,  and  Joseph  Smith,  from  Massachusetts, 
settled  on  lot  85.      Both  of  these  families  became  prominent  in  the  town. 

Besides  the  foregoing  the  following  settlers  located  in  the  vicinity  of 
Pompey  Hill  previous  to  1800,  as  their  names  appear  in  the  book  on 
the  Pompey  reunion,  published  in  18".">: 

Truman  Lewis  kept  a  tavern  in  a  small  frame  house  on  the  corner  where  the  public 
house  now  stands,  and  from  that  day  to  the  present  time  the  same  corner  has  been 
occupied  by  a  public  house.  North  of  the  village,  on  the  Pompey  and  Manlius  road, 
Nathan  Davis  settled ;  his  farm  passed  to  Victory  Birdseye,  thence  to  Ansel  Jones, 
thence  to  George  Wells,  and  from  him  to  David  King.  North  of  Davis  lived  a  man 
named  Mills,  who  was  a  tailor.  Next  north  settled  John  Bars,  a  Hessian,  who  was 
one  of  the  thousand  prisoners  taken  by  Washington  in  Trenton  in  1776.  Bars  did 
not  remain  permanently,  and  sold  to  a  Mr.  Anger,  from  whom  the  place  came  down 
through  several  owners,  to  David  King.  The  next  farm  north  was  owned  by  the 
Lilly  family,  who  were  the  first  blacksmiths  in  that  locality.  Orsemus  Bowers,  as 
early  as  1800,  settled  on  the  farm  owned  in  1871  by  Randolph  Beard.  A  man  named  Bond 
owned  a  place  still  earlier,  and  worked  at  blacksmithing.  The  first  carpenter  in  the 
place  was  named  Orsborn,  who  settled  where  Augustus  W.  Chappell  lived  at  the  time 
of  the  reunion.  North  of  this  lived  a  man  named  Foster,  and  at  the  four  corners 
beyond  James  and  Samuel  Curry  settled.  Abel  and  Thomas  Orcutt,  brothers,  settled 
where  Cramer  Johnson  lived  in  recent  years,  and  Daniel  Webster,  on  the  Hiram 
Butts  farm.  The  farm  of  Ira  Anderson  was  bought  by  his  grandfather  of  Obed 
Handy.  Timothy  Cossitt,  sr.,  lived  on  the  farm  long  owned  by  his  son  Calvin. 
Benjamin  Butler  and  his  son  Salmon  settled  opposite  the  farm  long  owned  by 
Rensselaer  Johnson ;  previous  to  that  they  owned  the  farm  of  Mr.  Johnson  and  sold 
it  to  his  father,  Rufus  Johnson.  The  Butlers  sold  to  Ami  Butler,  son  of  Benjamin, 
a  farm  which  formed  a  part  of  that  afterwards  owned  by  Mr.  Doolett.  Across  from 
Butler's,  Deacon  Ezra  Hart  settled.  His  house  burned,  and  he  built  another,  occu- 
pied it  a  few  years,  and  sold  it  to  Jesse  Butler,  who  resided  there  to  about  1847. 
Dr.  Walton  Colton  was  the  first  resident  physician,  and  settled  on  the  farm  a  little 
north  of  the  one  owned  by  George  Wells  at  the  time  of  the  reunion.  He  sold  to  Edward 
Boylston,  a  silversmith,  who  carried  on  his  business  there.  Daniel  Gillett  settled 
and  built  a  log  house  near  where  Shubal  Knight  lived  in  1875,  and  Samuel  Johnson 
bought  and  made  a  clearing  where  Daniel  Marsh  lived  at  the  time  of  his  death.  In 
1805  he  sold  to  Asa  Wells,  who  exchanged  with  Judge  Butler  for  100  acres  at  the  foot 
of  the  hill  east  of  the  village.     William  Lathrop  resided  where  Frank  Porter  lived 


598  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

at  the  time  of  the  reunion.  Mr.  Lathrop  drew  the  plans  for  and  framed  the  old 
academy  building.  Opposite  Mr.  Lathrop  lived  Titus  Rust,  a  shoemaker,  who  sold 
to  Marovia  Marsh.  Farther  south,  where  Calvin  Dean  lived,  was  Nathaniel  Brace, 
and  nearly  opposite  lived  Gad  Loveland.  Further  south  lived  Maj.  George  Catlin, 
already  mentioned  as  keeper  of  the  first  public  house.  James  Cravatt  settled  where 
Robert  Ellis  lived  in  recent  years,  and  soon  sold  to  Chauncey  Jerome,  who  lived  on 
the  lot  until  his  death.  Next  south  lived  James  Lankland,  and  where  Ira  Ellis 
lived  in  recent  years,  Capt.  Sely  Castle*  made  a  clearing  and  built  a  house.  Gen. 
Jabez  Castle  settled  where  Eli  Pratt  lived  in  recent  years,  and  Godfrey  Williston 
settled  where  Mr.  Guynn  lived.  Mr.  Williston  bought  of  a  Mr.  Doty,  who  was  the 
first  settler  on  that  farm.  Urial  Wilson  was  on  the  farm  afterwards  occupied  by  his 
son-in-lawT,  Truman  Woodford,  and  next  came  John  Jerome  and  Joseph  Smith,  who 
as  before  stated,  settled  in  1794.  Those  lands  remained  long  in  the  possession  of . 
the  Jerome  family.  On  the  road  running  east  from  the  cemetery,  where  Elizur 
Seymour  lived  in  recent  years,  Sylvanus  Bishop  bought  of  Cravatt  and  settled. 
Farther  east,  on  the  "  Bliss  place,"  Benjamin  Hopkins  settled.  He  bought  of  a  Mr. 
Whitney,  who  had  built  a  house  there.  Isaac  Frost  settled  where  Major  Barry  lived, 
and  beyond  the  four  corners,  east  of  Frost's,  Mr.  Curtis  located,  on  the  farm  on 
which  was  located  No.  8  school  house ;  this  farm  was  owned  in  recent  years  by  John 
Van  Brocklin.  Nearly  opposite  the  Curtis  home  was  the  Van  Brocklin  residence, 
where  Nicholas  Van  Brocklin  lived  more  than  fifty  years,  of  whose  family  details 
are  given  a  little  further  on.  At  and  near  the  four  corners,  east  of  Isaac  Frost's 
place,  were  located  Deodatus,  Hezekiah,  and  Thaddeus  Clark.  The  first  two  were 
physicians.  The  last  was  located  on  the  farm  next  west  of  Van  Brocklin's  and  was 
father  of  Grace  Greenwood,  the  celebrated  writer.  There  were  also  in  the  same 
locality  south,  Berry  Davis,  the  Judd  family,  Samuel  Dunham,  Aimer  Pratt,  Reuben 
Billings,  and  the  Hanchett  family.  Farther  east,  at  Wood's  Corners,  was  the  Wood 
family,  and  near  by  were  James,  Noadiah,  and  Epaphras  Olcott.  North  from  Dr.  Clark's 
residence  was  Rev.  Mr.  Gilbert,  on  what  was  afterwards  Timothy  Butterfield's place; 
then  followed  Samuel  Flint,  Elijah  Wells,  and  Artemus  Bishop.  At  the  foot  of  the 
hill,  on  the  Cazenovia  road,  and  near  the  Pratt  saw  mill,  lived  Hooper  Bishop,  who 
removed  to  Michigan,  and  lived  to  more  than  100  years.  West  of  the  mills  lived  a 
Mr.  Ackley,  who  afterwards  built  a  house  subsequently  occupied  by  Lewis  Pratt. 
On  the  Marshall  R.  Dyer  farm  first  lived  Edward  Hoar,  who  there  built  a  substantial 
log  house,  the  logs  of  which  were  hewn  square,  a  somewhat  unusual  circumstance  in 
the  very  early  days.  This  farm  passed  from  Mr.  Hoar  through  the  hands  of  Allen 
Ilayden,  Miles  Dunbar,  Elijah  Howard,  John  Todd,  to  Pitt  Dyer,  and  from  him  to 
the  present  owner.  At  Pratt's  Falls.  Manoah  Pratt  and  Jared  and  Roderick  Smith 
took  up  a  lot  of  land  one  mile  square  and  built  the  mills  already  mentioned  in  1797-98. 

Several  pioneers  at  the  Hill  who  came  in  later  than  the  beginning  of 
the  century  were  Morton  Bostwick,  who  located  on  the  corner  opposite 
the  Augustus  Wheaton  place;  Sandiman  Culver,  who  settled  on  the 
place  owned  in  recent  years  by  James  Van  Brocklin,  the  place  passing 
through  the  hands  of  Mr.  Jakway,  Jasper  Bennett  and  Isaac  Wicks. 

Within  the  next  few  years  settlers  came  into  the  town  quite  rapidly, 


THE  TOWN  OF  POMPEY.  599 

and  a  thriving'  community  gathered  at  what  was  then  known  as  But- 
ler's Hill,  now  Pompey  Hill.  Beside  those  already  named,  were  Clark, 
mentioned  among  the  early  settlers,  Trueworthy  and  Selah  Cook,  and 
the  Holbrook,  Hibbard,  Hinsdale,  Messenger,  Western,  Allen  and  Burr 
families. 

The  pioneers  lived  under  adverse  conditions  in  many  respects.  Very 
many  of  them  came  from  Massachusetts  and  Connecticut,  making  jour- 
neys with  primitive  conveyances  that  were  much  more  trying  and 
arduous  than  is  a  trip  to  the  Pacific  coast  at  the  present  time.  Thev 
were  generally  God-fearing  men  and  women,  who  had  been  reared  amid 
religious  and  educational  influences.  In  their  new  home  they  at  first 
had  neither,  but  they  were  not  long  without  them.  The  earliest  of  the 
settlers  were  compelled  to  travel  forty  miles  to  Whitestown  to  reach  a 
grist  mill.  It  may  therefore  reasonably  be  inferred  that  the  building 
of  Jackson's  Mills,  near  Jamesville,  in  1794,  was  to  them  an  important 
and  welcome  event.  Four  years  later  the  Pratt  and  Smith  mills,  just 
mentioned,  were  put  in  operation  at  Pratt's  Falls.  The  materials  for 
this  grist  mill,  excepting  the  timbers,  were  brought  by  Mr.  Pratt  from 
Connecticut.  Early  marketing,  and  trading  also,  were  for  a  few  of  the 
early  years  done  at  Whitestown  or  at  old  Fort  Schuyler,  or  at  Herki- 
mer. Ox  teams  were  used  almost  exclusively,  there  being  only  one  or 
two  horses  in  town,  and  there  were  no  wagons  at  all.  The  first  chaise 
was  brought  into  the  town  by  Judge  Butler  from  Philadelphia,  where 
he  had  taken  it  in  exchange  for  cattle.  By  the  year  1800  stores  had 
been  established  at  Manlius  Square,  one  of  the  first  being  that  of  John 
Meeker,  which  was  presided  over  by  Azariah  Smith,  as  described  in  the 
history  of  Manlius. 

At  about  the  same  time  Truman  Lewis,  who  has  been  mentioned  as 
a  tavern  keeper  at  the  Hill,  put  a  few  goods  on  sale,  and  about  the 
year  1803  Meeker  opened  one  of  his  numerous  stores  at  the  same  place. 

In  order  to  give  their  children  such  educational  opportunities  as  were 
possible,  a  school  was  opened  in  a  log  house  near  where  Daniel  Kellogg 
lived  in  1875.  The  first  teacher  was  probably  Lucy  Jerome,  who  after- 
wards married  James  Geddes,  the  distinguished  judge  and  engineer. 
The  first  building  erected  for  school  purposes  was  a  frame  structure 
built  in  1796  in  the  forks  of  the  road  on  the  village  green;  in  its  rear 
was  the  first  primitive  graveyard.  The  school  house  was  afterwards 
moved  farther  north,  and  school  was  continued  in  it  until  the  erection 
of  the  academy  building.  Among  the  early  teachers  were  Miss  Hepsabah 
Beebe,  Lyman  Pitcher  and  James  Robinson. 


600  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Our  forefathers  generally  believed  that  religion  and  education  should 
go  hand  in  hand.  It  was  a  distinguishing  characteristic  of  the  pioneers, 
whatever  may  have  been  said  to  the  contrary,  to  look  well  after  the 
morals  of  the  various  communities.  The  first  church  organization  in 
the  town  bore  the  title,  "  The  First  Congregational  Church  of  Pompey," 
which  afterwards  became  known  as  the  First  Presbyterian  church.  The 
organization  was  effected  October  19,  1796,  by  Ameni  R.  Robbins,  pas- 
tor of  a  church  in  Norfolk,  Conn.  The  first  membership  comprised 
twenty-two  persons,  named  as  follows : 

Ebenezer  Butler,  Desire  Butler,  Dorothy  Butler,  Benjamin  Butler,  James  Olcott, 
Molly  Jerome,  Joseph  Shattuck,  Trueworthy  Cook,  Selah  Cook,  Lucy  Cook,  Freelove 
Cook,  Ichabod  Lathrop,  John  Jerome,  Amarilla  Jerome,  Lucy  Jerome,  Susannah 
Carol,  Levi  Jerome,  Hannah  Griffis,  Moses  Lilly,  Zeruiah  Catlin,  Daniel  McKeys  and 
Louisa  Butler. 

Here  we  find  the  names  of  many  of  the  pioneers,  men  and  women. 
The  early  meetings  were  held  in  the  school  house  on  the  green,  and 
later  in  a  room  in  the  academy  building.  When  the  congregation  be- 
came too  large  for  such  quarters,  the  present  church  was  built  in  1817-18 
and  dedicated  in  the  following  year. 

Asa  Barnes  migrated  from  Stockbridge,  Mass.,  in  1793  to  Pompey, 
where  he  purchased  the  farm  on  which  he  spent  his  life,  and  where  his 
son,  Elias  Barnes,  was  born  in  1796.  Asa's  brothers,  Phineas  and  Ros- 
well,  came  on  at  the  same  time.  Early  in  1794  they  brought  their  fam- 
ilies. The  land  on  which  they  settled  is  on  lot  eleven,  the  site  of  Oran 
village.  Job  Bartholomew  settled  on  the  west  part  of  the  same  lot  in 
1793,  and  Daniel  Thomas  and  Captain  Peck  settled  about  the  same  time 
on  the  lot  next  southward,  No.  22.  Thomas  Foster  and  James  Coville, 
the  latter  the  father  of  Joseph  Coville,  also  settled  near  the  site  of  Oran 
on  lot  11.  James  Midler  (or  Medler,  as  the  record  gives  it),  a  Revolu- 
tionary soldier,  grandfather  of  Columbus  C.  Midler  of  Pompey,  and  of 
Philip  P.  Midler,  late  of  Dewitt,  came  in  with  his  brothers,  Christopher 
and  Philip,  about  the  year  1800,  and  occupied  his  soldier's  grant.  George 
Clark  was  the  first  merchant  in  Oran  and  the  first  teacher,  and  settled 
early  on  the  farm  where  Morgan  Lewis  lived  in  recent  years ;  he  was 
father  of  Bronson  Clark  of  Pompey.  Shubel  Safford,  father  of  vSilas 
B.  Safford,  settled  on  lot  No.  10,  and  Francis  Hale  in  1802  purchased 
of  Judge  Butler  and  settled  on  lot  No.  12.  Noah  Palmer,  Selah  Good- 
rich, Charles  Thomas,  Deacon  Hart,  Capt.  Punderson  Avery  and  Will- 
iam Barnes  also  settled  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  town.  The  first 
hotel  at  <  )ran   was  built  by  Job  Bartholomew  about  1796,  and  kept  by 


THE  TOWN  OF  POMPEY.  601 

him  till  1808.  In  the  following  year  a  hotel  was  built  on  the  site  of 
the  late  public  house  and  was  kept  by  William  Scoville.  The  first 
school  house  at  Oran  was  built  about  1800,  and  George  Clark  was  the 
first  teacher.  In  early  years  this  was  quite  a  thriving  business  place, 
and  in  1810  there  were  two  stores,  two  hotels,  two  tanneries,  a  grist 
mill,  a  distillery,  an  ashery  and  blacksmith  and  wagon  making  shops. 
Dr.  Daniel  D.  Denison  settled  there  about  1810  and  remained  until  his 
death.  Among  his  children  were  the  late  Dr.  H.  D.  Denison  and  Will- 
iam Denison  of  Syracuse  and  D.  D.  Denison  of  Oran. 

In  the  eastern  valley,  in  which  is  situated  the  hamlet  of  Delphi,  set- 
tlement began  a  little  later  than  in  the  more  central  part  of  the  town. 
Samuel  Sherwood  was  probably  the  first  comer  in  the  locality,  and  set- 
tled on  Lot  84  in  1795,  on  the  farm  afterwards  owned  by  Patrick  Shields. 
Mr.  Sherwood  held  the  rank  of  major-general  in  the  army.  In  1798  or 
1799  Elijah  Hill,  from  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  settled  three  miles  down  the 
valley,  northward  from  the  village.  In  March,  1800,  Rufus  Sheldon, 
father  of  a  talented  family,  among  whom  was  Harvey  Sheldon  of  New 
York,  settled  one  and  one-half  miles  northwest  from  the  village.  In 
the  same  year  Col.  Ensign  Hill,  brother  of  Elijah,  settled  south  of  the 
village.  In  1801  Elihu  Barber  located  on  the  hill  west  of  the  valley, 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  creek.  Like  many  others  of  the  pio- 
neers, he  believed  that  when  the  forest  was  cleared  from  the  lower 
lands  they  would  be  practically  worthless.  In  1802  James  McClure 
settled  a  mile  south  of  Elijah  Hill's  location,  and  in  the  following  year, 
probably,  Samuel  Draper,  from  Vermont,  settled  in  that  vicinity.  At 
about  the  same  time  with  McClure,  Benjamin  Coats  and  William  Peas 
located  on  lands  occupied  within  recent  years  by  their  descendants. 
They  were  from  Lebanon,  N.  Y.,  and  in  1802  Ozias  Burr  and  William 
Cook  came  on  from  the  same  place.  Moses  Blowers  and  Stutson  Ben- 
son settled  early  on  lot  81,  near  Delphi.  Capt.  Theophilas  Tracy  set- 
tled a  half  mile  southeast  on  the  farm  subsequently  occupied  by  Henry 
Ryder.  In  about  1803  or  1804  Tracy  built  the  frame  of  the  first  grist 
mill  on  Limestone  Creek,  the  one  owned  in  after  years  by  Alexander 
Maxwell.  This  mill  was  completed  by  Elnathan  Griffith,  while  owned 
by  Moses  Savage.  The  two  runs  of  stone  were  brought  from  Albany 
by  teams  that  had  drawn  wheat  thither  to  market,  and  cost  $100.  They 
were  French  burr  stone,  and  were  still  running  in  the  mill  in  1870. 
Deacon  Moses  Savage  settled  early  on  the  east  side  of  the  creek,  built 
the  first  carding  mill  in  the  valley,  and  between  1825-30  built  the  grist 
76 


602  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

mill  owned  in  later  years  by  Edgar  Pratt.  Dr.  Joseph  Ely  bought  in 
1804  land  on  the  hotel  site,  where  he  found  a  "brush  house,"  which 
some  settler  or  squatter  had  left.  He  occupied  it  till  the  fall  of  ISO*;, 
when  he  employed  Elnathan  Griffith  to  build  a  frame  addition.  Dr.  Ely 
was  from  Montgomery  county,  N.  Y. ,  kept  a  tavern  on  the  site  of  the 
later  hotel,  and  practiced  medicine.  This  little  settlement  was  known 
in  early  years  as  "  Pompey  Four  Corners,"  but  the  settlers  wisely  gave 
it  the  more  euphonious  title  of  Delphi.  Samuel  G.  Willard  and  Daniel 
H.  Hubbard  built  a  store  there  in  1805,  and  Daniel  Allen  settled  in 
1802,  two  miles  north  of  the  village.  Hubbard  &  Willard  were  the 
first  merchants  to  keep  a  full  assortment  of  goods  in  the  place,  and 
they  subsequently  sold  to  Esli  Squires.  Their  store  served  to  relieve 
the  settlers  from  going  to  Cazenovia  or  Manlius  to  trade.  Squires,  in 
1810,  built  and  occupied  a  store  on  the  corner  where  Marble  afterwards 
traded,  selling  the  building  he  had  purchased  of  Hubbard  &  Willard  to 
Richard  Taylor.  Taylor  sold  out  to  Herrick  Allen,  son  of  Daniel  Allen 
just  mentioned,  who  was  the  leading  merchant  many  years.  Schuyler 
Van  Rensselaer  was  also  an  early  merchant  at  Delphi,  and  in  1818  sold 
out  to  Matthew  B.  Slocum,  father  of  Maj.-Gen.  Henry  W.  Slocum. 
About  the  year  1808  William  Shankland  settled  in  this  valley  on 
the  east  side  of  the  creek,  his  dwelling  being  just  over  the  Madi- 
son count}'  line.  He  was  father  of  the  late  Judge  William  H.  Shank- 
land  of  Cortland.  On  lot  99,  southwest  of  the  village,  Walter  Bates 
was  probably  the  first  settler.  This  lot  was  drawn  by  Barnardus 
Swartwout,  whose  son  Robert  came  on  with  verbal  authorization  to  sell 
the  lot,  which  he  did.  He  sold,  in  1806,  to  Jasper  Galliway,  and  prob- 
ably part  to  Thomas  Derbyshire,  one  of  which  sales  embraced  land 
occupied  in  recent  years  by  Russell  and  Sheldon  Strickland.  Elisha 
Litchfield  was  a  settler  in  Delphi  in  1812,  and  kept  a  store.  Mr.  Litch- 
field became  one  of  the  most  prominent  men  in  the  county,  and  held 
various  public  offices,  as  the  reader  has  already  learned.  In  1810 
Ephraim  Cleveland  came  to  the  place,  and  during  one  or  two  years 
kept  a  tavern  on  the  later  hotel  site,  and  died  there.  His  property 
passed  to  Mr.  Litchfield.  Among  other  early  settlers  in  this  vicinity 
were  Reuben  Benton,  who  was  a  justice  of  the  peace;  Bela  Cole,  Amos 
Benedict,  who  in  180(5  had  a  blacksmith  shop  two  miles  north  of  Delphi ; 
two  brothers  named  Townsend,  who  were  the  first  blacksmiths  in  the 
village;  Jabez  Groudevant,  a  cabinet  maker 'of  1810,  who  followed  the 
business  about   forty  years;  Oliver  Rogers,   a  wagon  maker  in  1816; 


THEfTOWN  OF  POMPEY.  603 

Deacon  Abbott,  the  first  tanner,  who  in  1807  or  1808  built  the  vats  for 
the  old  tannery,  which  he  sold  to  James  Reeves.  This  tannery  passed, 
in  1820,  to  John  and  Michael  Spencer,  two  Englishmen,  who  carried 
on  the  business  many  years.  It  was  owned  later  by  Caleb  Terry ; 
Henry  Ten  Eyck,  who  early  owned  the  woolen  factory  established  in 
1812,  and  burned  in  1853. 

The  hamlet  of  Watervale  was  settled  by  Col.  James  Carr  about  the 
year  1809.  It  is  situated  four  miles  northeastward  from  Pompey  Hill, 
on  the  west  branch  of  Limestone  Creek.  Mr.  Carr  built  the  first  saw 
mill  on  the  stream  in  that  vicinity,  and  a  second  was  erected  almost 
simultaneously  by  Willoughby  Milliard,  who  located  there  in  1810.  The 
place  was  first  called  "Carr  Hollow, "  then  "Hemlock  Hollow,"  and 
later  from  the  great  quantity  of  slabs  produced  in  the  saw  mills,  took 
the  name  of  "  wSlab  Hollow."  This  continued  until  1820,  when  the  post- 
office  was  established,  with  Ansel  Judd  postmaster,  who  gave  it  its 
pi"esent  euphonious  name.  Mr.  Judd  settled  in  the  place  in  1812,  and 
built  the  first  wool  carding  and  cloth  dressing  establishment  in  the 
town.  George  Ostrander  settled  there  about  1815  and  built  a  distil- 
lery, and  Benjamin  F.  Wheeler  carried  on  tanning  and  shoemaking 
many  years.  Ira  Curtis  opened  the  first  store  there,  and  built  and  kept 
the  first  hotel.  Other  early  settlers  were  William  C.  Fargo,  O.  Abbott, 
Benjamin  Patten,  and  V.  H.  Taylor.  Anson  Sprague  located  on  a  farm 
south  of  Watervale  in  1818.  It  was  on  his  farm  where  the  somewhat 
celebrated  "  Pompey  stone  "  was  discovered,  which  has  recently  been 
announced  as  a  hoax  perpetrated  by  some  young  men  of  the  town.  Ansel 
Judd  and  Col.  John  Sprague  built  the  grist-mill  at  Watervale  in  1830, 
and  John  Sprague  and  Ansel  Sweet  erected  the  first  two  brick  dwell- 
ings in  the  north  part  of  the  town,  near  the  "  Clapp  Settlement. "  Capt. 
John  Sprague,  father  of  Col.  John,  migrated  from  Saratoga  county  in 
1798  and  settled  a  little  out  of  Watervale.  William  C.  Fargo,  father  of 
a  son  of  the  same  name,  who  was  long  the  head  of  the  American  Ex- 
press Company,  lived  at  Watervale  in  an  early  time,  and  long  had  the 
contract  for  carrying  the  mail  from  Manlius  to  Pompey,  via  Watervale, 
Fabius  and  Delphi.  To  the  northward  of  Watervale,  between  1793  and 
1800,  settled  David  Williams,  Nathan  Williams,  with  another  brother, 
at  what  became  known  as"  Williams  Corners."  Further  details  of 
some  of  these  pioneers  and  their  families,  and  of  many  others  who  were 
prominent  at  some  period  in  the  history  of  the  town  are  given  a  little 
further  on. 


604  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Let  us  now  then  turn  to  the  original  records  and  learn  what  the  in- 
habitants did  to  govern  the  town  in  which  they  had  settled : 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Freeholders  and  Inhabitants  of  the  town  of  Pompey,  in  the 
county  of  Onondaga,  as  lately  ordained  by  a  law  of  New  York,  passed  the  5th  of 
March,  1794. 

That  the  first  town  meeting  be  held  at  the  House  of  Ebenezer  Butler,  Jr.,  Esq.,  in 
said  town.     April  1st,  1794,  as  chosen  by  a  plurality  of  voices: 

Moses  De  Witt,  supervisor.  Hezekiah  Olcott,  clerk.  Ozias  Burr,  Allen  Beach, 
William  Haskin,  George  Catlin,  Ebenezer  Butler,  Jun.,  assessors.  Thomas  Olcott, 
Jeremiah  Gould,  John  Lamb,  commissioners  of  highway.  John  Lamb,  William 
Haskin,  overseers  of  the  poor.  John  Wilcox,  Samuel  Draper,  Joseph  H.  Smith,  con- 
stables. 

Voted  that  the  constables  shall  be  collectors. 

Joseph  Atwell,  Daniel  Allen,  Peter  Messenger,  Joseph  Bartholomew,  Samuel  Sher- 
man, William  Rin,  John  Wilcox,  Samuel  Jerome,  Trueworthy  Cook,  overseers  of 
highways.    Timothy  Sweet,  Elisha  Clark,  fence  viewers.    Elisha  Clark,  poundkeeper. 

The  usual  by-laws  were  prepared  and  voted  upon,  among  them  one 
that  there  should  be  paid  a  bounty  of  three  pounds  for  every  wolf 
killed  within  the  bounds  of  this  town.  It  was  also  voted  that  the  en- 
suing election  should  be  held  at  three  separate  places,  viz.  :  at  Moses 
De  Witt's,  on  the  fourth  Tuesday  in  April;  at  Ebenezer  Butler,  jr's. ,  on 
the  Wednesday  following;  and  at  Daniel  Allen's  on  the  Thursday  fol- 
lowing. 

At  an  adjourned  meeting  held  at  the  house  of  Ebenezer  Butler,  jr., 
September  20,  1794,  William  Haskin  was  chosen  supervisor  in  place  of 
Moses  De  Witt,  deceased.  It  was  voted  at  this  meeting  that  the  sum 
of  twelve  pounds  be  raised  for  the  purchase  of  books  and  paper  and 
other  town  expenses. 

At  the  second  town  meeting  it  was  voted  that  a  bounty  of  five  dol- 
lars be  given  for  the  scalp  of  every  full-grown  wolf  killed  within  the 
limits  of  the  town.  It  was  also  voted  that  "  hogs  be  free  commoners." 
That  there  was  good  reason  for  the  payment  of  these  bounties  for  kill- 
ing wild  animals  is  indicated  by  an  anecdote,  the  truth  of  which  is 
vouched  for  by  old  residents  of  the  town.1 

1  In  the  town  of  Fabius,  the  next  town  south,  an  old  bear  lingered,  apparently  disputing  the 
right  of  occupancy  with  more  tenacity  and  boldness  than  some  of  his  more  timorous  associates. 
And  not  unfrequently  did  he  sally  forth  in  the  night  and  make  forcible  entry  into  the  pig  pens 
and  carry  off  some  of  the  younger  branches  of  the  swine  family,  much  to  the  annoyance  of  the 
settlers.  These  depredations  finally  became  s<)  frequent  that  the  neighbors  held  a  consultation 
upon  the  means  of  ridding  the  community  of  so  obnoxious  a  visitor,  and  it  was  resolved  that  the 
next  time  he  Should  commit  another  of  his  unlawful  visits,  it  should  be  considered  a  just  cause 
of  exterminating  war.  Soon  after  this  there  was  a  heavy  fall  of  snow,  and  bruin,  probably  con- 
Bidering  this  a  serious  admonition  that  it  would  be  soon  time  for  him  to  burrow  up  for  winter,  he 


THE  TOWN  OF' POMPEY.  605 

The  proceedings  in  the  town  meetings,  down  to  about  the  year  1820, 
were  not  of  special  importance,  and  yet  there  occasionally  appears  in 
the  record  an  item  bearing  either  some  historical  value  or  interest  from 
its  quaintness.  Several  of  the  earlier  town  meetings  were  held  at  the 
house  of  Ebenezer  Butler,  jr.,  two  of  them  at  least  at  the  house  of  Ma- 
noah  Pratt,  one  of  which  was  for  some  unexplained  reason  adjourned 
by  a  vote  "  to  the  barn  of  said  Manoah  Pratt."  After  the  year  1800 
they  were  held  either  in  the  school  house  or  in  the  academy  building 
for  a  number  of  years. 

At  the  fourth  town  meeting  it  was  "  voted,  that  it  is  the  wish  of  the 
town  to  have  the  townships  of  Fabius  and  Tully  incorporated  into  a 
•town  by  the  name  of  Fabius."  At  this  meeting  also  the  school  com- 
missioners were  voted  six  shillings  per  day  for  their  services. 

On  the  29th  of  November,  1798,  a  special  town  meeting  was  held  at 
the  house  of  Mr.  Pratt,  where  the  disposal  of  public  lot  67  was  consid- 
ered. It  was  finally  voted  "that  the  commissioners  of  said  land  lease 
the  same  discretionary."  It  was  also  voted  at  this  meeting  to  petition 
the  Legislature  for  the  division  of  the  county.  The  vote  reads  "that 
one  tier  of  lots  be  taken  off  the  county  of  Onondaga  and  annexed  to 
the  county  of  Chenango  to  wit:  Cicero,  Manlius,  Pompey,  Fabius, 
Solon,  and  Cincinnatus. "     It  was  then  further  voted  "  that  a  committee 

sallied  forth  one  night  and  entered  the  sty  of  a  poor  man,  and  took  therefrom  a  porker,  which  the 
owner  had  intended  to  butcher  in  a  few  days  to  supply  the  necessities  of  his  own  family.  This 
was  no  sooner  known  than  the  male  portion  of  the  community  rallied  to  a  man  and  arming-  them- 
selves with  guns,  axes,  and  pitchforks,  calling  to  their  aid  the  dogs  of  the  neighborhood,  set  out 
upon  their  track,  which  in  the  snow  was  visible  and  plain.  They  soon  started  his  bearship,  who 
posted  off  with  all  possible  speed  towards  Pompey  Hill.  The  chase  was  a  hot  one,  and  attended 
on  the  way  with  frequent  skirmishes,  and  more  especially  so  between  the  bear  and  the  dogs.  In 
most  of  these  the  bear  had  the  best  of  the  battle,  and  had  it  not  been  for  fresh  dogs,  that  con- 
stantly supplied  the  places  of  the  wounded  and  delinquent,  the  pursuit  would  have  been  hope- 
less, for  not  a  dog  could  be  induced  to  renew  the  attack  that  had  received  one  single  salutation 
from  this  lord  of  the  forest.  The  chase  waxed  warm,  and  bruin  at  last  became  so  pressed  anil  so 
fatigued  with  running  in  the  snow  that  as  a  last  resort  he  threw  himself  into  Hie  public  highway 
and  took  the  beaten  track  towards  Pompey  Hill.  Among  the  citizens  of  Pompey  Hill  who  were 
engaged  in  this  affair  were  a  deputy  sheriff  or  constable.  He  carried  in  his  breast  pocket  an 
enormous  pocket  book  containing  a  large  package  of  papers.  This  officer  at  the  head  of  his  posse 
comitatus,  stood  ready  to  arrest  the  old  bear  as  he  entered  the  village,  but  bruin,  either  doubt- 
ing his  jurisdiction,  or  disregarding  the  law  against  resisting  the  service  of  processes,  rose  upon 
his  hind  feet  the  instant  said  officer  tapped  him  on  the  nose  with  his  stick,  ami  seizing  him  with 
his  fore  paws,  brought  him  forthwith  to  the  ground,  then  opening  his  huge  mouth,  grabbed  the 
officer  in  the  side  and  would,  no  doubt,  have  killed  him  on  the  spot,  had  it  not  happened  thai 
when  the  bear  closed  his  ponderous  jaws,  he  grasped  this  enormous  pocket  book  and  held  t  lie  man 
fast,  till  another  man  approached  with  a  sharp  axe,  who,  with  a  single  stroke,  settled  the  edge 
deep  into  the  brain  of  the  enraged  bear.  Thus  was  the  ferocious  beast  slain,  and  a  valuable  civil 
officer  rescued  from  an  unpleasant  if  not  perilous  situation.  This  occurrence  took  place  in  1802 
or  1803,  and  is  still  a  story  of  interest  to  the  descendants  of  the  participators  in  the  scenes  of  that 
day. 


606  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

be  chosen  to  petition  the  Legislature  for  a  division  of  said  county." 
Hezekiah  Olcott,  Levi  Jerome,  and  Dedodatus  Clark  were  named  as 
such  committee. 

Down  to  1800  it  had  been  the  custom  to  choose  the  supervisor  and 
town  clerk  viva  voce,  but  in  that  year  they  were  for  the  first  time  chosen 
by  ballot.  The  remaining  officers  were  chosen  by  the  uplifted  hand. 
In  this  connection  apeculiar  course  was  adopted  in  the  meeting  of  April 
7,  1801,  where  it  was  "  voted- that  the  Supervisor  and  Clerk  be  chosen 
by  going  round  and  mentioning  to  the  town  clerk.  Voted  that  Super- 
visor and  Clerk  be  put  in  by  once  going  around."  In  that  year  three 
assessors  were  elected  "  one  in  the  western  district,  one  in  the  middle 
district,  and  one  in  the  eastern  district."  Forty-three  overseers  of  high- 
ways were  chosen  that  year;  and  it  was  also  "voted  that  those  who 
have  taken  leases  on  the  Public  Lot  designated  for  Gospel  and  School, 
be  released  setting  out  one-half  the  number  of  Apple  trees  contained 
in  said  lease."  In  the  following  year  it  was  "  voted  that  James  Russell 
should  have  a  lease  of  that  part  of  the  Public  Lot  that  William  Lilly 
had  a  year,  for  ten  years  from  the  time  he  took  possession  of  the  same. " 

The  meeting  of  1803  was  held  March  1,  and  it  was  voted  among  other 
things  "  that  there  be  a  I\)itnd  a.n&  that  it  be  built  near  John  Osbourn's. " 
John  Bowers  was  made  poundkeeper.  Down  to  the  37ear  1808,  as  in- 
dicated in  the  proceedings  of  meetings,  hogs  had  been  allowed  to  run 
without  restraint.  In  that  year  it  was  voted  "  that  hogs  to  run  at  large 
in  the  town,  be  yoked  and  ringed,  except  within  half  a  mile  of  Colonel 
Hopkins',  and  there  not  allowed  to  run."  At  the  same  meeting  Nathan- 
iel Baker  and  Jesse  Butler  were  made  "hog  constables."  This  is  the 
first  and  perhaps  the  only  mention  of  that  peculiar  office  found  in  the 
history  of  the  county.  It  was  in  1808  also  that  it  was  voted  "that 
no  man  shall  let  Canada  thistles  go  to  seed  on  his  land,  or  pathmaster 
on  the  highway,  within  his  district,  on  forfeiture  of  $10. 00. "  The  total 
town  expenses  for  the  year  1802  were  $123.85.  For  1803  $262,  For 
1804  $312. 

At  a  meeting  held  April  2,  1811,  the  following  notice  was  read: 

Notice  is  hereby  given  to  the  Freeholders  and  Inhabitants  of  the  town  of  Pompey, 
that  a  petition  will  be  presented  to  the  legislature  of  the  state  of  New  York  at  their 
session  in  the  year  1812,  praying  a  division  of  the  said  town  of  Pompey,  and  the  town 
of  Manlius,  including  in  the  town  to  be  erected  the  three  south  tiers  of  lots  of  Man- 
lius,  and  three  of  the  north  tier  of  lots  of  the  town  of  Pompey. 

This  notice  was  dated  March  11,  1811,  and  signed  by  Elisha  Beebe, 
[acobus  De  Puy,  Joseph  Wilcox,  Elnathan  Marsh,   and  Timothy  Cole- 


THE  TOWN  OF  POMPEY.  60? 

man.  The  people  of  Pompey  effectually  protested  against  this  division, 
and  gave  expression  to  their  feelings  on  the  subject  in  the  following 
resolution : 

Resolved,  unanimously.  That  this  meeting  disapproves  of  the  proposed  division  of 
the  town,  and  that  a  committee  of  three  be  appointed  to  remonstrate  to  the  next 
Legislature  against  the  said  division,  and  that  Samuel  S.  Baldwin,  Ozias  Burr,  aud 
William  Cook  be  that  committee.  • 

In  the  year  1812  the  sum  of  eighty  dollars  was  raised  for  support  of 
the  poor,  which  amount  was  increased  to  $350  in  the  following  year. 
Application  was  made  in  1813  for  permission  to  sell  the  public  lots, 
and  in  1814,  in  addition  the  sum  of  fifteen  dollars  voted  for  the  support 
of  common  schools,  it  was  also  voted,  "  that  the  proceeds  from  the 
Public  Lots  be  devoted  to  the  same  use."  A  very  peculiar  resolution 
is  found  in  the  proceedings  of  1814,  to  the  effect  "  that  no  cattle  shall 
run  at  large  within  half  a  mile  of  any  Tavern."  In  the  same  year  all 
persons  having  Canada  thistles  on  their  land  were  required  by  resolu- 
tions to  cut  them  twice  in  each  year,  once  in  June  and  once  in  Septem- 
ber, on  penalty  of  five  dollars. 

The  amount  raised  for  the  support  of  the  poor  in  1814  was  $222, 
while  in  1816  it  was  $300.  At  a  meeting  held  April  18,  1817,  we  find  a 
resolution  which  throws  light  upon  the  ancient  manner  of  supporting 
the  poor,  previous  to  the  erection  of  the  county  poorhouse.  It  was 
then  resolved  "  to  sell  for  keeping,  at  public  auction  to  the  lowest  bid- 
der, all  paupers  chargeable  to  the  Town." 

The  first  burials  of  the  dead  in  this  town  were  made  on  the  public 
green  in  rear  of  the  first  school  house.  The  first  persons  buried  there 
were  two  children  of  George  Catlin,  who  died  of  scarlatina,  and  the 
first  adult  buried  there  was  Mrs.  Cravatt.  Col.  Hezekiah  Olcott,  a  res- 
ident of  the  town  and  an  officer  in  the  Revolution,  a  surveyor  by  pro- 
fession, was  taken  ill  of  fever  while  surveying  the  State  Road,  and  died 
at  Pompey  West  Hill  (now  in  La  Fayette).  His  remains  were  brought 
to  Pompey  village  and  buried  with  military  honors.  In  about  the  year 
1802  or  1803  steps  were  taken  to  establish  a  new  cemetery.  The  loca- 
tion selected  was  opposite  the  house  where  Dr.  Stearns  lived  in  recent 
years,  and  to  that  spot  were  removed  the  remains  that  had  been  buried 
in  the  old  ground.  A  few  years  of  reflection  and  experience  showed 
conclusively  that  this  location  was  unfavorable  for  the  purpose,  and  it 
was  abandoned  as  a  burial  place.  What  is  now  the  east  or  rear  part  of 
the  present  beautiful  cemetery,  was  then  purchased,  and  haseversince 
been  used  for  cemetery  purposes.      In  about  1823  the  "  new  part  "   was 


608  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

purchased  of  Peter  Smith,  of  Peterborough.  The  first  person  buried 
in  the  new  part  was  Daniel  Knapp,  who  died  in  August,  1823,  the  same 
year  in  which  the  land  was  enclosed.  With  still  further  additions  made 
in  recent  years,  and  the  care  bestowed  upon  it  by  the  incorporated 
company  which  controls  it,  the  cemetery  is  now  a  beautiful  spot  for  the 
interment  of  the  dead. 

Among  the  deeds  that  reflect  the  most  honor  upon  the  town  of  Pom- 
pey  was  the  founding  of  its  celebrated  academy  within  a  few  years  of 
the  first  settlement  made  in  the  town.  As  early  as  January,  1800,  a 
petition  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  and  vicinity  for  the  incorpora- 
tion of  an  academy  at  Pompey  was  addressed  and  sent  to  the  Regents 
of  the  University.  The  petitioners  requested  that  the  institution  should 
be  called  the  Franklin  Academy,  and  should  have  the  following  per- 
sons as  its  first  Board  of  Trustees:  Ebenezer  Butler,  jr.,  Timothy  Je- 
rome, William  Stevens,  Jeremiah  Gould,  Phineas  Howell,  Elihu  Lewis, 
Dan  Bradley,  Comfort  Tyler,  James  Knapp,  John  Lamb,  Elijah  Rust, 
Deodatus  Clark,  Hezekiah  Olcott,  David  Williams,  Walter  Colton, 
Joseph  Smith,  James  Beebee,  and  John  Kidder.  The  petitioners  evinced 
their  determination  to  provide  the  best  facilities  possible  for  the  edu- 
cation of  their  children  in  the  liberality  with  which  they  subscribed  for 
the  establishment  of  the  institution.  A  movement  of  this  character, 
inaugurated  so  early  in  the  century,  endorsed  by  so  large  a  proportion 
of  the  prominent  men  of  the  community,  and  backed  up  by  such  gen- 
erous contributions,  considering  the  scarcity  of  money  at  that  time, 
may  be  considered  wonderful  in  its  every  aspect.  The  signers  of  the 
petition  with  the  amount  of  their  subscriptions  follow : 

Eben  Butler,  jr.,  $100;  Asa  L.  Smith,  $125;  John  Kidder,  $100;  Freeman  Lewis, 
$50;  George  Catlin,  $50 ;  Walter  Colton,  $100;  Hezekiah  Olcott,  $50;  Chauncey  Je- 
rome, $50;  Joseph  H.  Smith,  $30;  Timothy  Jerome,  $75;  John  Jerome,  $50;  Josiah 
Moore,  $25;  Joseph  Strong,  $25;  Daniel  C.  Judd,  $25  Gad  Loveland,  $25;  James 
Beebee,  $25;  Solomon  Owen,  $50;  Reuben  Pixley,  jr.,  $50;  Isaiah  Olcott,  $40; 
Jonathan  Eastman,  $30;  John  Fowler,  $30;  David  Williams,  $30;  Thomas  Mighells, 
$30;  Jesse  Butler,  $50;  Salmon  Butler,  $50.  The  total  of  these  subscriptions  was 
$1,315. 

The  petition  came  before  the  Regents  at  a  meeting  on  March  17,  1800, 
and  was  referred  to  a  committee  of  the  board,  consisting  of  Judge  Ben- 
son and  Simeon  De  Witt,  who  reported  at  a  meeting  held  March  31, 
1800.  There  was  then  probably  no  academy  in  Onondaga  county,  and 
there  seemed  to  be  some  doubt  as  to  the  propriety  of  locating  the  only 
one  in  the  county  in  this  town.     At  the  meeting  just  mentioned  a  reso- 


THE  TOWN  OF  POMPET.  609 

lution  was  adopted  referring  the  question  of  location  of  the  academy  to 
the  Board  of  Supervisors  of  the  county.  They  met  on  the  first  Tues- 
day in  October,  1800,  and  reported  favorably  upon  Pompey  Hill  as  a 
proper  place  for  the  institution.  In  the  spring  of  1801  the  regents  re- 
solved to  make  the  granting  of  a  charter  to  the  academy  conditional 
upon  the  erection  of  a  suitable  building.  A  committee  consisting  of 
Manoah  Pratt,  Henry  Seymour  and  Samuel  S.  Baldwin  was  appointed 
to  have  charge  of  the  erection  of  the  building,  and  they  made  an  agree- 
ment dated  July  20,  1807,  under  which  William  Lathrop  and  George 
W.  Wood  agreed  to  do  the  work  on  the  building.  The  contract  price 
for  the  labor  was  $200.  On  the  2d  of  March,  1810,  William  Lathrop, 
one  of  the  builders,  signed  the  following: 

Agreed  this  2d  of  March,  1810,  to  relinquish  the  unfinished  part  of  the  within- 
mentioned  job,  and  to  accept  of  one  hundred  and  forty  dollars  in  full  of  what  has 
been  done. 

The  details  of  the  work  which  Wood  and  Lathrop  agreed  to  do  indi- 
cate that  the  building  itself  was  already  erected,  and  as  far  as  known 
it  was  commenced  in  about  the  year  1803  by  Mr.  Lathrop.  In  July, 
1810,  a  new  subscription  was  raised,  the  committee  agreeing  in  the 
paper  to  procure  the  completion  of  the  academy  for  $450.  In  the  fall 
of  that  year  the  building  was  finished  and  paid  for,  and  there  remained 
$1,450  to  serve  as  an  endowment  to  provide  for  a  net  annual  revenue 
of  $100,  which  was  required  to  secure  the  charter. 

In  February,  1811,  the  final  steps  for  the  incorporation  of  the  school 
were  taken,  and  a  petition,  numerously  signed,  from  which  the  follow- 
ing extract  is  taken,  was  sent  to  the  Regents: 

Your  petitioners  have  at  great  expense  procured  a  suitable  site,  consisting  of  two 
acres  of  land,  near  the  center  of  said  town,  and  erected  a  large  and  commodious 
building,  40  by  50  feet  on  the  ground,  two  stories  high  and  completety  finished  and 
painted  inside  and  out,  and  paid  for. 

Your  petitioners  have  also  procured  a  fund  of  $1,450,  to  be  subscribed  for  the  pur- 
pose of  producing  a  net  annual  income  for  the  support  of  the  said  institution,  and 
that  the  same  is  well  secured  to  Samuel  S.  Baldwin,  Henry  Seymour  and  Manoah 
Pratt,  as  trustees,  for  the  sole  use  of  said  academy,  at  an  annual  interest  of  seven 
per  cent.         ..... 

Wherefore,  your  petitioners  request  that  the  said  academy  may  be  incorporated 
and  be  subject  to  the  visitation  of  the  Regents  of  the  University  of  the  State  of  New- 
York  ;  and  they  nominate  for  the  first  trustees  of  the  said  academy  the  following  per- 
sons, to  wit:  Henry  Seymour,  senior  trustee,  and  Samuel  S.  Baldwin,  Daniel  Wood. 
Manoah  Pratt,  Ithamar  Coe,  Asa  Wells,  Hezekiah  Clark,  John  Jerome,  Silas  Park, 
Jacobus  De  Puy,  Daniel  Allen,  Chauncey  Jerome,  Daniel  Tibbals,  Joshua  Johnson, 
77 


610  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Dirck  C.  Lansing,  Benjamin  Sanford,  Charles  C.  Mosley,  William  J.  Wilcox,  Jonathan 
Stanley,  jr.,  Levi  Parsons,  William  Cook,  Victory  Birdseye,  Jasper  Hopper,  James 
Geddes;  which  persons  we  pray  may  be  incorporated  by  the  name,  style  and  descrip- 
tion of  "  Pompey  Academy,"  with  a  condition  in  the  act  of  incorporation  that  the 
said  principal  sum  of  the  said  fund  shall  never  be  diminished  or  appropriated,  and 
that  the  income  of  the  said  principal  fund  shall  be  applied  only  to  the  maintenance 
of  salaries  of  the  professors  or  tutors  of  the  said  academy- 

This  petition  was  signed  by  sixty-three  leading  citizens  of  the  county ; 
it  was  drawn  by  Victory  Birdseye  and  sworn  to  by  Henry  Seymour  be- 
fore Daniel  Wood,  the  early  lawyer  and  justice  of  Pompey.  By  a  vote 
of  the  Regents  March  11,  1811,  the  institution  was  incorporated  under 
the  name  of  "The  Trustees  of  Pompey  Academy."  At  a  meeting 
held  April  4,  1811,  Henry  Seymour  was  elected  president,  Victory 
Birdseye  secretary  and  Daniel  Wood  treasurer.  The  old  academy  was 
a  yellow,  wooden  building,  40  by  50  feet,  two  stories  high,  with  the 
gables  fronting  north  and  south.  A  hall  ten  feet  wide  ran  through  the 
mindle  of  the  first  floor,  with  stud}^  rooms  on  each  side.  In  the  second 
story  was  the  chapel,  occupying  nearly  the  whole  of  the  upper  part  of 
the  building.  After  the  erection  of  the  district  school  house  and  the 
removal  thereto  of  the  common  school,  the  west  room  of  the  academy 
became  the  chemical  and  philosophical  laboratory  and  lecture  room. 
In  the  chapel  church  services  were  conducted  many  years  until  the 
erection  of  the  Congregational  church. 

In  1833  the  old  building  had  become  dilapidated  and  unsuitable  for 
its  purpose,  and  it  was  resolved  to  build  a  new  structure.  Subscrip- 
tions for  this  purpose  had  been  solicited  during  the  preceding  year  or 
two,  and  the  new  building  was  finished  and  opened  in  the  fall  of  1835. 
The  old  building  was  vacated  in  1834,  the  school  being  taught*  in  the 
mean  time  in  the  district  school  house. 

Timothy  Butterfield  erected  the  new  building,  which  cost  about 
$3,000,  and  the  preceptor's  house  and  extras,  completed  in  1836,  cost 
nearly  $1,300.  As  far  as  known  the  following  persons  taught  in  the 
common  school  prior  to  1820: 

Abraham  Plaunt,  three  or  four  winters;  Smith  Dunham,  1813-14;  Harvey  Can- 
field,  1814;  Miles  Dunbar,  jr.,  1814-15;  Orange  Butler,  1815;  J.  J.  Deming,  1816-17; 
Daniel  Gott,  1817-18;  Daniel  Munson  Wakely,  1818;  Manoah  Pratt,  three  winters; 
B.  Franklin  Chappell,  one  winter.  The  first  teacher  employed  in  the  academy  was 
Ely  Btirchard,  at  a  salary  of  8350,  from  December,  1811,  to  October,  1813.  In  Sep- 
tember, 1813,  Rev.  Joshua  Leonard  was  employed  to  take  charge  of  the  academy  as 
principal,  at  a  salary  of  $500,  and  Smith  Dunham  at  a  salary  of  $300.  Mr.  Leonard 
continued  in  his  position  until  1822,  during  most  of  which  period  he  was  also  pastor 
of  the  Congregational  church. 


THE  TOWN  OF  POMPEY.  611 

On  the  30th  of  May,  1811,  Henry  Seymour,  Daniel  Tibbals  and  Vic- 
tory Birdseye  were  elected  a  prudential  committee  of  the  institution. 
One  of  their  acts  of  October,  1815,  was  to  order  the  treasurer  to  pay 
"the  bearer,  the  captain  of  the  band  of  musick,  thirty-four  dollars  for 
the  services  of  said  band  at  the  exhibition  of  said  institution. "  This 
order  was  receipted  by  John  Hoar,  who  must  therefore  have  been  the 
captain  of  the  band.  Another  recorded  item  was  the  payment  for 
"horse  bate,"  for  the  musicians. 

During-  the  long  life  of  this  locally  celebrated  institution  there  studied 
within  its  walls  and  went  out  from  it  to  the  active  duties  of  life  many 
men  who  afterwards  became  eminent  in  public  and  private  professions 
and  industries,  as  the  reader  of  the  following  pages  will  learn. 

In  connection  with  the  educational  interests  of  the  town,  the  follow- 
ing returns  of  Mount  Pleasant  School,  No.  3,  which  was  taught  by  Levi 
Jerome  from  December  4,  1799,  to  March  4,  1800,  is  worthy  of  pres- 
ervation. The  number  of  days  of  instruction  provided  for  were  sixty- 
six,  and  the  list  gives  the  names  of  scholars  and  their  respective  days 
of  attendance : 

Moses  Hinsdell,  63;  Asahel  Hinsdell,  50;  David  Hinsdell,  53;  Sally  Hinsdell,  43; 
Elizabeth  Hinsdell,  56;  Jonathan  Hinsdell,  66;  Polly  Hinsdell,  38;  Samuel  Hibbard, 
54;  Robert  Hibbard,  6;  Rachel  Hibbard,  48;  Jacob  Hibbard,  51;  Isaac  Hibbard,  60; 
Sally  Hibbard,  62;  Jonathan  Hibbard,  22;  Nathaniel  Hibbard,  14;  Desire  Messen- 
ger, 50;  John  Kellers,  63;  Isaac  Jerome,  63;  Betsey  Jerome,  66;  Lebbeus  Jerome, 
65;  Jared  Woodworth,  53;  Lewis  Woodworth,  54;  Phoebe  Jerome,  53;  Mary  Jerome, 
36;  Sophia  Jerome,  27;  Daniel  Williams,  59;  Nathaniel  Williams,  40;  David  Will- 
iams, 38 ;  Jobe  Williams,  29 ;  Rebecca  Williams,  35 ;  Lavina  Williams,  27 ;  Elsa  Will- 
iams, 28;  Charles  Slocum,  37;  Abel  Brotherton,  29;  Isaac  Woodworth,  42;  Adolphus 
Sweet,  60;  James  Sweet,  58;  Charles  Sweet,  58;  Anna  Sweet,  60;  Anson  Sweet,  23; 
Pamelia  Sweet,  19;  Anson  Cole,  64;  Polly  Cole,  26;  John  Cole,  54;  Samuel  Jerome, 
47 ;  Electa  Jerome,  48 ;  John  Jerome,  64 ;  William  Jerome,  59 ;  Cyrus  Messenger,  58 ; 
Chloe  Messenger,  61;  Rebecca  Messenger,  49;  Stephen  Messenger,  50;  John  Closs, 
64;  Moses  Soles,  35;  Electa  Jerome,  61;  Levi  Jerome,  65;  William  Williams,  28; 
David  Williams,  8;  John  Williams,  18;  Solomon  Baker,  10;  Andrew  Guile,  65;  Leman 
Pitcher,  27;  Amy  Pitcher,  50;  James  Pitcher,  47;  Obediah  Williams,  37;  Anson 
Sprague,  20;  Isaac  Higgins,  13;  Achsah  Messenger,  12.  A  total  of  seventy  scholars, 
with  2,995  days  attendance. 

The  teacher  received  sixteen  dollars  per  month  for  his  services. 

A  history  of  the  town  of  Pompey  would  be  incomplete  without  some 
further  reference  to  the  many  families  of  prominence  who  in  past  years 
contributed  to  the  welfare  of  the  communities  in  which  they  lived, 
members  of  which  in  many  instances  have  attained  eminence  in  the 
State  or  nation.     The  heads  of  several  of  these  families  have  already 


612  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

been  very  briefly  mentioned.  One  of  them  was  Punderson  Avery, 
who  settled  a  mile  south  of  Oran  in  1796,  reared  a  large  family,  and 
died  September  10,  1840.  He  was  of  English  ancestry,  was  born  in 
Groton,  Conn.,  May  21,  1765,  and  consequently  was  not  old  enough  to 
enter  the  war  of  the  Revolution ;  but  it  is  on  record  that  nine  of  his  uncles 
and  cousins  fell  at  the  massacre  of  Fort  Griswold,  and  he  waded  in 
blood  over  his  shoes  to  carry  their  remains  from  the  fort.  Mr.  Avery 
was  a  moulder  and  millwright  and  aided  in  building  many  of  the  early 
grist  mills,  saw  mills,  fulling  mills,  tanneries,  etc.  He  was  father  of 
eleven  children,  among  whom  was  William  Avery,  who  inherited  his 
father's  mechanical  and  inventive  genius.  Among  his  inventions  was 
one  for  making  wire  harness  for  looms,  in  1824,  and  from  that  time  on 
numerous  patents  were  granted  him.  One  of  these  was  for  a  rotary 
engine,  which  was  very  meritorious.  In  1822  he  built  a  small  steam- 
boat, which  was  launched  on  the  mill  pond  at  Buellville,  was  after- 
wards taken  to  Cazenovia  Lake,  and  finally  was  put  on  the  Erie  Canal. 
He  moved  to  Salina,  where  he  had  a  foundry  and  machine  shop,  and 
afterwards  to  Syracuse,  where  he  was  in  company  with  Elam  Lynds. 
In  1837  he  removed  to  Chicago,  and  died  November  16,  1840.  Cyrus 
Avery,  another  son  of  Punderson,  was  also  a  mechanic,  and  removed  to 
Pennsylvania  about  1840.  'Samuel  Avery,  youngest  child  of  the  pioneer, 
had  also  a  natural  inclination  for  mechanics,  but  he  finally  began  study- 
ing medicine  with  Dr.  Daniel  Denison,  and  in  1844  graduated  at  the 
Castleton  (Vt.)  Medical  College.  His  practice  was  mainly  in  the  village 
of  Phoenix. 

Sylvanus  Bishop  was  one  of  six  brothers  who  settled  in  Pompey  in 
1793-94.  Sylvanus  had  served  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  came  from 
Columbia  county  in  1793,  and  bought  land  in  the  vicinity  of  Pompey 
Hill,  which  he  began  to  clear.  In  the  next  year  he  brought  his  wife 
and  eldest  child,  making  the  journey  on  horseback,  and  carrying  the 
baby,  six  months  old,  in  their  arms.  About  twenty  years  later  he 
removed  to  Oswego,  where  he  lived  to  be  ninety-five  years  old,  and 
died  in  June,  1860.  His  son,  Artemus,  was  born  in  Pompey,  December 
30,  1795.  He  received  a  liberal  education  in  the  Pompey  Academy 
and  graduated  from  Union  College  in  1815.  He  afterwards  studied 
theology  and  became  a  missionary  to  the  Sandwich  Islands. 

Elizur  Brace,  of  Litchfield  county,  Conn.,  moved  into  Pompey  in 
I  I'.h;,  making  his  journey  mainly  on  foot,  and  purchased  of  Ebenezer 
Butler  the  land  south  of  the  village  of  Pompey,   covering  the  summit 


THE  TOWN  OF  POMPEY.  fil3 

of  the  hill.  There  he  built  a  log  house  and  reared  his  family,  among 
his  children  being  Rev.  Samuel  W.  Brace,  from  whose  reminiscences 
some  extracts  are  made  a  little  further  on. 

Lebbeus  Ball,  jr.,  came  to  Pompey  from  Saratoga  county  in  1799. 
He  was  a  son  of  Maj.  Lebbeus  Ball,  and  was  born  in  Granville,  Conn., 
in  1775.  His  father  served  seven  years  in  the  Revolutionary  army, 
and  rose  to  the  rank  of  major.  The  son  settled  on  lot  29,  Pompey, 
was  a  carpenter  and  joiner,  and  made  himself  of  great  usefulness  in 
building  the  early  homes  of  the  settlers  during  his  short  life.  He  died 
in  1802,  leaving  five  children,  Stephen  C,  Alvin  M.  and  Calvin  S. 
(twins),  Betsey  and  Charlotte.  Stephen  C.  Ball  was  a  tailor,  served  in 
the  war  of  1812,  and  died  in  Homer,  N.  Y.  Alvin  M.  settled  on  the 
farm  afterwards  occupied  by  his  son  Frederick,  two  miles  northeast  of 
Pompey  Hill,  where  he  reared  a  family  of  ten  children.  Calvin  S.  was 
a  silversmith  and  lived  in  the  town  about  seventy  years.  He  held  the 
office  of  town  clerk  about  twenty-five  years,  and  several  other  town 
offices.  He  removed  to  Yates  county  in  1869.  He  was  father  of 
Calvin  S.  Ball,  jr.,  of  Syracuse. 

Victory  Birdseye,  son  of  Ebenezer,  was  born  at  Cornwall,  Conn., 
December  25,  1782.  He  was  one  of  the  early  and  most  eminent 
lawyers  of  the  town  of  Pompey,  and  a  sketch  of  his  career  may  be 
found  in  Chapter  XXVI.  He  was  appointed  postmaster  at  Pompev. 
April  25,  1817,  and  held  the  office  about  twenty-one  years. 

Elihu  Barber,  a  native  of  Hebron,  Conn.,  where  he  was  born  in 
1768,  married  Hannah  Gott  in  1791,  and  early  in  1801  sold  out  his  little 
property  for  $700,  and  started  for  Pompey  with  an  ox  sled  bearing  all 
their  worldly  goods.  They  moved  into  a  log  house  on  lot  84  owned 
by  Major  Sherwood,  where  they  lived  three  weeks.  During  this  time 
he  purchased  100  acres  in  the  northwest  corner  of  lot  69,  for  which  he 
paid  his  hard-earned  $700.  There  he  built  a  large  house  and  barn  and 
became  one  of  the  leading  farmers  of  the  town.  He  was  particularly 
successful  in  the  dairying  business,  through  which  he  became  locally 
known  as  "  Butter  Barber."  During  the  war  of  1812,  it  is  said,  it  was 
his  custom  to  carry  on  certain  days  of  each  week  three  pails  of  butter 
on  horseback  to  Manlius  to  market.  He  was  active  in  the  organization 
and  building  of  the  First  Baptist  church  at  Pompey.  He  was  father 
of  four  children,  who  were  prominent  in  the  life  of  the  town. 

Elias  Conklin  came  from  Long  Island  and  settled  in  Pompey  in  L797. 
From  Pompey  Hill  he  cut  his  way  through  the  forest  to  a  point  which 


614  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

is  now  in  the  town  of  La  Fayette,  and  there  built  the  first  saw  and 
grist  mills,  which  were  long  known  as  the  Conklin  mills.  (See  history 
of  that  town.) 

Samuel  Clement,  a  native  of  Worcester  county,  Mass.,  visited  the 
town  of  Pompey  in  the  fall  of  1793  in  company  with  Timothy  Sweet, 
and  concluded  to  make  it  his  future  home.  In  March,  1794,  he 
shouldered  his  axe,  and  with  the  aid  of  marked  trees,  came  into  the 
town  and  built  a  log  cabin.  He  was  instrumental  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  town  in  April  of  that  year.  In  the  fall  he  married  Ruth 
Hibbard,  daughter  of  David  Hibbard,  and  the}-  had  eleven  children. 
He  taught  what  is  believed  to  have  been  the  first  school  in  the  county, 
in  1794-95,  on  lot  28,  about  a  mile  from  his  residence.  Among  his 
scholars  was  one  of  Maj.  Asa  Danforth's  nephews,  and  his  own  daugh- 
ter.    He  died  in  Pompey  May  29,  1856. 

Of  the  Clarke  family  there  were  seven  brothers,  six  of  whom  were 
professional  men,  and  one  a  farmer.  Among  them  were  Dr.  Deodatus 
Clarke,  born  July  27,  1862,  died  January  10,  1847.  In  1795  he  settled 
on  lot  66,  and  owned  the  whole  of  lot  52.  He  removed  to  Oswego  in 
1807,  where  he  died.  Henry  Clarke,  farmer,  settled  in  Pompey  about 
1795,  but  removed  to  Manlius,  prior  to  1805,  where  he  died  in  1810. 
Thaddeus  Clarke,  born  February  12,  1770,  settled  on  lot  81,  in  1820, 
moved  thence  to  Fabius  about  1830,  and  died  in  Pennsylvania  in  1854. 
Erastus  Clarke,  born  May  11,  1768,  owned  the  whole  of  lots  81  and  54, 
and  about  200  acres  on  lot  37,  Pompey.  He  was  an  attorney,  and  took 
the  petition  for  the  incorporation  of  the  academy  to  Albany,  and  procured 
the  passage,  of  the  law  incorporating  the  institution.  Dr.  Hezekiah 
Clarke,  eldest  of  the  five  brothers,  born  December  19,  1758,  is  further 
noticed  in  Chapter  XXVII. 

Paul  Clapp,  father  of  John,  Chester,  and  Carlton,  was  a  native  of 
Chesterfield,  Mass.,  and  migrated  to  Pompey  in  1798,  when  his  son 
Carlton  was  two  years  old.  He  served  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  and 
suffered  great  hardships  as  a  prisoner  in  Canada.  In  Pompey  he  took 
up  a  large  tract  of  land,  to  which  he  afterward  made  extensive  addi- 
tions, and  followed  farming  until  his  death  in  1845.  John,  Chester, 
and  Carlton  Clapp  all  settled  on  his  land  in  this  town. 

Hezekiah  Dodge  came  into  Pompey  with  his  brother  Ezra  in  1795, 
and  both  settled  on  a  tract  of  land  on  lot  50.  Hezekiah  owned  that 
portion  which  became  known  as  the  John  Wells  farm,  and  became  a 
Leading  agriculturist.      In  L842  he  removed  to  Lysander,  where  he  lived 


THE  TOWN  OF  POMPEY.  615 

with  his  son,  Oren,  until  his  death  in  1844.  He  was  father  of  six  children, 
Nehemiah,  Oren,  Charles,  Julia,  Joanna,  and  William.  Ezra  Dodge 
settled  on  the  place  long  known  as  the  Dodge  farm,  and  was  the  father 
of  six  children,  David  F.,  Ira,  Clarissa,  Hezekiah,  Seabred,  and  Ezra,  jr. 
He  died  upon  the  land  reclaimed  by  him  from  its  wilderness  condition. 
His  son  David  F.  taught  school  in  early  life  eighteen  winters,  and  in 
1835  became  converted  to  the  Catholic  faith  and  was  instrumental  in 
establishing  a  Catholic  church  at  Pompey  Hill.  The  son,  Hezekiah, 
became  a  physician,  removed  to  the  State  of  Georgia,  and  from  there 
to  Illinois.  Seabred  Dodge  was  a  graduate  of  Hamilton  College,  stud- 
ied engineering,  and  removed  to  Ohio  in  1826  where  he  was  conspic- 
uous in  the  construction  of  the  Ohio  canals.     He  died  in  1849. 

Deacon  Daniel  Dunham,  from  Windham,  Conn.,  migrated  westward 
in  1795  and  established  a  clothier's  trade  at  the  old  mills  in  Manlius. 
He  also  bought  130  acres  three  miles  southeast  of  Pompey  Hill.  His 
son,  Capt.  Samuel  Dunham,  when  seventeen  years  old,  was  sent  by  his 
father  to  clear  this  lot  of  land.  After  working  two  years  he  built  a  log 
house,  to  which  his  two  sisters  came,  and  lived  with  him  five  years 
longer.  He  married  and  left  a  large  family,  among  whom  was  Samuel 
Mosley  Dunham,  born  on  the  farm  September  17,  1805.  He  married 
at  twenty-five  years  of  age,  and  during  the  next  five  years  lived  on  the 
farm  where  "Grace  Greenwood"  was  born,  from  which  he  then  re 
moved  to  the  town  of  Clay. 

James  L.  Fenner,  a  millwright,  and  a  native  of  Rhode  Island,  settled 
temporarily  in  the  spring  of  1801  near  Manlius  village.  A  little  later  he 
located  on  the  farm  next  west  of  the  Col.  James  Carr  place,  and  was 
one  of  the  pioneers  in  founding  the  little  village  of  "Slab  Hollow." 
There  he  erected  the  first  grist  mill.  In  making  his  journey  from 
Manlius  to  this  point,  he  had  to  cut  out  his  own  road.  In  March,  1818, 
he  removed  to  the  town  of  Lysander,  where  he  died  in  1851.  He  was 
father  of  nine  children,  six  of  whom  were  born  in  Pompey.  Among 
them  was  Frederick  W.  Fenner,  who  went  back  to  Pompey  after  living 
four  years  in  Lysander.      He  was  father  of  James  R.  Fenner,  of  Delphi. 

Thomas  Rice,  son  of  Samuel  Rice,  removed  from  Ashby,  Mass.,  to 
Pompey,  with  his  wife  and  two  children,  in  1818,  and  settled  on  a  farm 
about  half  a  mile  east  of  Oran.  Several  years  later  he  moved  into 
the  village  of  Oran.  and  died  March  25,  1843.  One  of  his  children  was 
thelate  Thomas  Rice,  who  was  long  prominent  in  the  Syracuse  grocery 
trade.     Another  son  is  Edward  F.    Rice,  long  prominent  in  the  Syra- 


616  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

cuse  dry  goods  trade,  and  still  living  in  the  city.  The  Rice  family 
were  intimately  connected  by  marriage  with  the  Flint  family,  at  the 
head  of  which  was  Thomas  Flint,  who  emigrated  from  England  in  104.'), 
where  their  ancestry  as  shown  by  the  records,  had  lived  800  years.  Of 
this  family,  Samuel  Flint,  born  at  Concord,  March  16,  1780,  settled  in 
Pompey  in  1819,  and  successfully  followed  farming.  He  died  March 
18,  1855. 

Among  other  settlers  in  Pompey  of  1796,  was  Joseph  Wakeman  Gold, 
who  was  a  respected  citizen  until  his  death,  at  about  the  age  of  forty. 
Another  settler  of  that  year  was  David  Green,  a  native  of  New  Milford, 
Conn.  He  took  up  300  acres  of  land  around  the  "Corners,"  which 
took  his  name. 

Daniel  Gilbert  settled  on  lot  66,  Pompey,  in  1799,  on  the  farm  owned 
in  recent  years  by  Albert  H.  Butterfield.  He  became  a  successful 
lawyer,  and  his  career  is  described  in  Chapter  XXVI. 

Allen  Willard  Hayden,  descended  from  William  Hayden,  an  English 
baronet,  who  settled  in  Dorchester,  Mass.,  in  1630,  was  born  in  Litch- 
field county,  Conn.,  in  1783  and  with  his  father,  Allen  Hayden,  and  his 
three  brothers,  Zora,  Harvey  and  Allen,  jr.,  settled  in  Pompey  in  Sep- 
tember, 1800,  on  what  has  been  known  as  the  Todd  farm,  about  a  mile 
east  of  Pompey  Academy.  Four  years  later,  Allen  Willard  Hayden 
married  Abigail  Castle,  and  with  his  father  bought  lot  No.  94,  two  and 
a  half  miles  south  of  Pompey  village,  and  there  lived  about  fifty  years 
and  reared  a  family  of  eleven  children,  seven  of  whom  were  boys,  and 
all  of  whom  lived  to  maturity.  The  father  died  in  June,  1858,  and  the 
mother  in  June,  1864.  Among  their  sons  was  Samuel  P.  Hayden,  a 
successful  farmer  and  also  a  carpenter,  which  business  he  followed 
about  thirty  years.  He  lived  until  1855  on  a  farm"  adjoining  his  father's, 
which  he  then  sold  and  bought  the  Wheaton  and  the  Jesse  Butler  farms 
adjoining,  and  also  the  stone  store  in  Pompey  Hill  village,  built  by 
Beach  Beard,  where  he  conducted  mercantile  business  successfully  six- 
teen years.  He  was  prominently  connected  with  the  academy  and  with 
church  interests,  held  various  town  offices,  and  was  postmaster  six  years 
from  I860.  His  children  were  Sabra  A.,  Ellen  L.,  Elizabeth  M., 
Daniel  E.  (now  a  manufacturer  in  Syracuse),  Elma  D.  and  George, 
lie  removed  to  Syracuse  in  1869  and  died  in  1874.  Willard  Hayden, 
the  sixth  child  of  Allen  Willard,  born  in  1813,  was  long  a  successful 
farmer  on  the  homestead,  and  removed  in  1870  to  Iowa.  Charles  J. 
Hayden,  seventh  child  of  Allen  Willard,    born  in  1816,  removed  early 


THE  TOWN  OF  POMPEY.  617 

to  Rochester,  where  he  amassed  a  fortune  in  the  furniture  business, 
held  the  office  of  mayor  in  the  city,  and  and  other  prominent  positions. 
Carmi  Hayden,  son  of  Allen  Willard,  born  in  1818,  married  Ellen  But- 
ler, daughter  of  Merritt  Butler,  a  pioneer  of  the  town,  was  the  oldest 
resident  of  Pompey  at  the  time  of  the  reunion  in  1867.  He  combined 
farming  with  working-  at  his  business  of  carpenter,  and  held  the  office 
of  postmaster  of  Pompey  village.  Sely  C.  Hayden  is  the  fourteenth 
child  of  Allen  Willard,  born  in  1830,  resides  in  Syracuse,  and  retired  a 
few  years  ago  from  the  furniture  trade,  in  which  he  was  long  success- 
ful. 

Another  branch  of  the  Hayden  family  is  represented  in  Pompey  by 
the  settlement  of  Pelatiah  Hayden,  two  miles  south  of  the  village  of 
Pompey,  in  February,  1816,  where  he  remained  until  his  death. 

David  Hinsdell,  a  native  of  Salisbury,  Conn.,  born  June  30,  1754, 
lived  in  Galway,  Saratoga  county,  N.  Y.,  from  1787  to  1795,  when  he 
removed  to  Pompey,  and  settled  on  his  purchase  of  one-fourth  of  lot  6. 
In  September  of  the  year  last  named,  he  sent  his  oldest  son,  Moses, 
then  eighteen,  to  Pompey  to  build  a  house  which  the  family  could  oc- 
cupy the  coming  winter.  The  house  was  completed  and  the  family 
came  on  in  February,  1796.  David  Hinsdell  was  the  father  of  twelve 
children,  and  died  in  1822.  The  names  of  six  of  these  children  are 
found  in  the  list  of  scholars  who  attended  Levi  Jerome's  school  in  the 
winter  of  1799-1800,  taught  by  Levi  Jerome.  The  Hinsdell  homestead 
passed  into  possession  of  Chauncey  Hinsdell.  Excepting  Chauncey 
and  Moses,  all  the  sons  removed  from  the  town.  Moses  bought  fifteen 
acres  on  lot  17,  in  1801,  of  Mr.  Sweet,  for  which  he  gave  his  note,  and 
in  the  course  of  time  added  500  acres  to  his  purchase.  He  was  the 
father  of  ten  children,  among  whom  were  some  of  the  prominent  citi- 
zens of  the  county. 

David  Hibbard,  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  settled  on  lot  6,  in  1794, 
and  combined  farming  with  his  trade  of  carpentry.  He  had  five  sons, 
among  whom  was  Isaac  V.  V.  Hibbard,  who  was  member  of  assembly 
in  1853,  and  whose  son,  Samuel  M.,  occupied  the  homestead  in  recent 
years. 

About  the  year  1802  Col.  Hezekiah  Hopkins,  who  had  lived  two 
years  in  Clinton,  Oneida  county,  removed  to  Pompey  Hill,  where  he 
kept  a  hotel  nearly  twenty-five  years,  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  com- 
munity. He  sold  the  property  to  his  son  Harry,  and  purchased  a  small 
farm  near  the  village,  where  he  died  at  about  seventy-eight  years  of  age. 
78 


618  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Soon  after  purchasing-  the  hotel,  Harry  Hopkins  built  an  addition  and 
conducted  the  house  about  three  years,  when  he  leased  it  to  Capt.  Pitt 
Dyer.  Harry  Hopkins  held  the  offices  of  deputy  sheriff  and  commis- 
sioner of  highways.      He  removed  to  Cleveland,  O.,  in  1837. 

Col.  Ensign  Hill  was  a  pioneer  in  Pompey  in  the  vicinity  of  Delphi, 
a  native  of  Berkshire  county,  Mass.,  when  he  migrated  in  the  fall  of 
1801.  He  had  purchased  fifty  acres  in  the  previous  year,  on  which  he 
built  a  log  house  about  a  hundred  rods  south  of  Delphi  village.  He 
obtained  his  military  title  by  service  in  the  early  militia.  He  died  De- 
cember 4,  1832.  His  son,  Ensign  W.,  born  in  1802,  was  a  farmer  and 
merchant,  always  lived  in  Pompey,  and  died  in  September,  1870.  His 
second  son,  Orange,  born  in  1806,  followed  farming  at  Delphi.  Charles 
R.  K.  Hill,  born  in  1810,  occupied  the#fine  dwelling  on  the  homestead. 
The  other  two  sons  were  William  Hull  Hill  and  James  L.  Hill. 

Josiah  Holbrook,  born  in  1757  in  Adams,  Mass.,  made  the  journey 
towards  Pompey  in  1792  with  a  sled,  a  yoke  of  oxen,  and  a  single  horse. 
Tarrying  at  Springfield,  Otsego  county,  till  March,  1793,  they  finished 
their  pilgrimage  and  settled  on  lot  53,  east  of  Pompey  Center.  The 
family  then  consisted  of  Josiah  Holbrook,  his  wife,  father  and  mother 
and  six  children.  Four  other  children  were  born  after  their  settlement 
in  Pompey.  One  of  the  sons,  Adolphus,  is  said  to  have  been  the  third 
white  child  born  in  the  town.  Mr.  Holbrook  became  a  prominent 
citizen,  was  one  of  the  first  subscribers  to  the  academy  fund,  and  in- 
terested in  church  and  school  work.  He  died  in  November,  1831. 
Among  his  children  were  Silas  W.  Holbrook,  Levi  S.  Holbrook,  Josiah 
E.  Holbrook,  Daniel  H.  Holbrook  and  Chapin  M.  Holbrook.  Levi  S. 
represented  Pompey  in  the  Board  of  Supervisors  from  1853  to  1858  in- 
clusive, and  in  the  latter  year  was  a  member  of  the  State  Legislature. 

James  Hinman  and  his  wife,  Esther,  settled  in  Pompey  in  1796  or 
1797.  They  were  two  of  the  nine  persons  who  organized  the  First 
Baptist  church  in  town,  which  at  a  later  period  was  removed  to  Manlius 
village.  They  were  the  parents  of  twelve  children,  and  having  met  with 
reverses,  removed  to  the  town  of  Lysander,  but  twenty  years  later 
they  returned  to  Pompey,  where  Mr.  Hinman  died  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
six  years. 

Daniel  Knapp,  from  Orange  county,  N.  Y.,  settled  in  Pompey  about 
the  year  1800,  on  a  farm  a  mile  north  from  the  academy.  He  died 
August  6,  182)5,  and  his  body  was  the  first  buried  in  Pompey  Hill 
Cemetery  as  it  is  now  located.      He  was  father  of  Henry  Knapp. 


THE  TOWN  OF  POMPEY.  619 

Noah  Palmer,  sr. ,  born  in  Brantford,  Conn.,  in  1764,  removed  to 
Cazenovia  in  1790,  and  in  1797  settled  near  Oran  on  the  place  owned  in 
later  years  by  his  grandson,  Daniel  D.  Palmer.  He  died  there  in  1835, 
and  during  thirty-six  years  following  the  farm  was  owned  by  his  son, 
Noah.  The  pioneer  was  a  nailmaker  by  trade,  and  tradition  credits 
him  with  making  the  first  nails  used  in  town. 

Leman  Harmon  Pitcher,  born  in  Rutland,  Vt.,  November  20,  1781, 
came  with  his  family  to  Pompey  in  1790,  and  settled  on  the  farm  occu- 
pied in  recent  years  by  Addison  H.  Clapp.  He  was  a  persistent  stu- 
dent while  recovering  from  a  wound  which  nearly  severed  his  right 
foot  in  November,  1798,  and  in  1800  taught  his  first  school  in  a  house 
near  the  Corners,  about  a  mile  northwesterly  from  the  Hill  towards 
Jamesville.  In  1801  and  later  he  taught  on  the  Hill  several  year's. 
Between  1801  and  1808  he  was  constable,  and  deputy  sheriff.  In  the 
spring  of  1808  he  married  Hannah  Baker,  and  removed  to  Camillus, 
N.Y.  Among  his  sons  was  Leman  B.  Pitcher,  with  whom  the  pioneer 
was  living  at  the  time  of  his  death,  in  April,  1867. 

Manoah  Pratt,  sr. ,  born  in  175-1,  in  Glastonbury,  Conn.,  settled  in 
Pompey  in  1790.  With  Abraham  Smith  he  purchased  500  acres  on  lots 
39  and  40,  which  embraced  the  site  of  the  celebrated  Pratt's  Falls. 
These  two  pioneers  began  energetic  work  in  the  wilderness,  and  on 
the  creek  running  through  Mr.  Pratt's  land  he  built  a  saw  mill  and 
grist  mill  in  1790,  which  were  among  the  first  in  the  town.  The  mills 
were  built  upon  a  rock  overlooking  the  falls.  Mr.  Pratt  had  married 
Elizabeth  Loveland,  in  Connecticut,  where  all  his  children  were  born 
except  the  youngest.  Among  them  were  Manoah  Pratt,  jr.  Having 
prepared  his  pioneer  home,  Mr.  Pratt  brought  on  his  family  in  Febru- 
ary, 1797,  and  with  them  his  father-in-law,  Solomon  Loveland,  who 
was  a  miller  and  attended  the  mill  some  twenty  years.  Mr.  Pratt  died 
at  the  age  of  ninety-seven  years,  and  during  his  life  was  foremost  in 
promoting  the  academy,  the  schools,  churches,  and  all  public  improve- 
ments that  were  for  the  good  of  the  town.  He  was  father  of  seven 
children.  Manoah,  jr.,  was  born  in  1798,  attended  the  academy,  and 
studied  law  in  the  office  of  Daniel  Wood,  Samuel  Baldwin,  and  Victory 
Birdseye.  Betsey  Pratt,  daughter  of  Manoah,  sr.,  married  Henry 
Cook,  a  son  of  Trueworthy  Cook,  the  Pompey  pioneer.  I  >aniel  Pratt, 
the  son,  was  a  Pompey  farmer  until  his  death. 

John  Smith,  born  in  Hampshire  county,  Mass.,  July  20,  1787,  died  in 
Pompey  September  15,  1872.      He  came  to  Pompey  with  his  father  in 


620  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

1804,  moving  into  a  log  house  about  a  mile  northwest  of  Pompey  Hill, 
where  Baxter  Knapp  resided  in  recent  years,  Mr.  Smith  passed  his 
long  life  in  Pompey,  was  justice  of  the  peace  fifteen  years,  associate 
judge  of  the  Common  Pleas,  member  of  Board  of  Supervisors,  etc. 
His  father's  name  was  Elisha  Smith,  sr. ,  who  was  a  Revolutionary 
soldier.     John  Smith  was  father  of  eleven  children. 

Thomas  D.  Safford  settled  in  Pompey  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  and  in 
1807  purchased  a  farm  of  eighty  acres.  He  was  drafted  and  served  in 
the  war  of  1812,  and  was  father  of  twelve  children. 

Joseph  Shattuck  came  to  Pompey  at  an  early  day  with  nine  grown 
sons  and  settled  on  the  lot  drawn  by  Conradt  Bush,  a  Revolutionary 
veteran.  He  and  his  sons  cleared  sixty  acres,  and  built  a  double  log 
house,  but  was  ejected  by  Mr.  Bush  when  he  came  to  settle  on  his 
grant.  After  his  ejection  Mr.  Shattuck,  with  six  of  his  sons,  removed 
to  Genesee  county,  leaving  three  of  his  sons,  Stephen,  Chester,  and 
Ansel,  in  Pompey.  Ansel,  Thomas  Elbridge,  and  two  other  persons 
settled  on  the  lot  on  which  Col.  Henry  Tiffany  had  located,  each  buying 
a  fourth  of  the  section. 

In  1690,  it  is  said,  there  were  seventeen  families  named  Sweet  living 
in  this  country,  from  one  of  whom  the  Sweet  families  of  Pompey  claim 
to  be  descended.  Timothy  Sweet,  born  in  Rhode  Island,  October  24, 
1753,  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  was  taken  prisoner,  and  escaped. 
Going  to  Salisbury,  Conn.,  he  there  married  Eunice  Woodworth,  in 
September,  1780,  migrated  to  Saratoga,  and  in  1794  settled  in  Pompey 
on  the  old  Sweet  homestead,  reaching  there  on  January  28.  There, 
eight  days  later,  Kneeland  Sweet  was  born.  Timothy  Sweet  became 
a  leading  citizen  and  farmer  in  the  town,  and  was  chiefly  instrumental 
in  introducing  thoroughbred  short-horn  cows.  He  orignally  took  up 
the  600  acre  lot,  No.  18,  and  also  had  lot  86  in  Fabius  and  10  in  Camil- 
lus.  These  lands  ultimately  passed  to  his  descendants,  and  later  he 
purchased  the  greater  part  of  lot  17.  At  the  age  of  sixty-five  years, 
after  having  been  conspicuous  in  all  the  affairs  of  the  town,  he  retired 
from  active  life,  and  died-March7,  1837.  His  children  were  Adolphus, 
Aurel  (who  married  John  Sprague),  Charles,  James,  Anson,  Anna  (who 
married  Nathan  Williams),  Pamelia  (who  married  J.  C.  Fink),  Knee- 
land,  and  Horace.  Adolphus  Sweet,  son  of  Timothy,  was  a  farmer 
next  adjoining  the  homestead,  where  he  died  in  1839.  Charles  Sweet, 
son  of  Timothy,  was  a  carpenter  and  bridge-builder,  but  removed  from 
the  town  in  1811.     James  Sweet  was  a   cabinet-maker,   and  served  in 


THE  TOWN  OF  POMPEY  621 

the  navy  in  the  war  of  1812.  Returning,  he  settled  on  the  farm  on  lot 
10,  Camillus,  where  he  died  November  25,  182G.  Anson  Sweet,  son  of 
Timothy,  resided  on  the  farm  afterwards  owned  by  Ezra  Casler  on  lot 
18,  until  1834,  when  he  removed  to  Fayetteville,  later  to  the  Sweet 
homestead,  and  finally  to  Manlius.  He  was  a  prominent  citizen  and 
was  one  of  the  first  to  practice  under-draining,  which  he  did  on  lot  17 
as  early  as  1818.  Kneeland  Sweet,  son  of  Timothy,  was  born  in  Pom- 
pey,  February  5,  1794,  and  lived  to  be  one  of  the  oldest  residents  of 
the  town.  In  1819  he  married  Julia  Ann  Kennedy,  and  in  1820  came 
into  possession  of  the  homestead.  About  1833  he  removed  to  Manlius, 
and  later  to  Michigan.  Horace  Sweet,  son  of  Timothy,  born  in  Pom- 
pey  April  1,  179(5,  married  in  1817  Candace  Avery,  and  during  two 
years  managed  the  home  farm.  In  1819  his  father  gave  him  a  small 
farm,  where  Hiram  Clement  afterwards  resided.  In  1823  he  removed 
to  a  farm  two  and  a  half  miles  north  of  the  Hill,  where  he  became  one 
of  the  most  successful  agriculturists  in  the  town.  He  was  the  first  to 
introduce  nearly  all  kinds  of  farmers'  machinery  as  soon  as  its  useful- 
ness became  apparent  to  him,  and  was  conspicuous  in  all  good  works. 
Among  his  children  were  Anson  A.,  Homer  D.  L.,  Prof.  John  E.,  and 
William  A.  Sweet  of  Syracuse.  (See  biography  of  Prof.  John  E.  Sweet 
in  later  pages  of  this  work). 

Elijah  Wells,  born  in  Hartford  county,  Conn.,  February  27,  1775, 
married  in  January,  1800,  and  came  into  Pompey  in  the  fall  of  1799, 
where  he  purchased  100  acres  of  Horace  Lamb  on  lot  .51.  Returning 
east  to  spend  the  winter,  he  came  back  and  worked  on  his  land  through 
the  season  of  1800,  again  returned  east  and  in  February,  1801,  started 
with  his  family  for  his  wilderness  home.  They  brought  with  them  an 
infant  child  about  three  months  old,  who  became  the  well  known  Dea- 
con Asa  H.  Wells  of  this  town.  Mr.  Wells  was  prominent  in  church 
work  and  other  public  affairs.  He  died  in  the  fall  of  1 830.  Of  his  sons, 
Asa  H.  and  John  S.  remained  citizens  of  the  town. 

Edward  Wicks,  son  of  Capt.  Edward  Wicks,  a  tailor,  with  his  brother, 
Capt.  John  Wicks,  father  of  the  late  E.  B.  Wicks,  of  Syracuse,  ran  away 
from  the  master  to  whom  he  was  bound  as  a  tailor,  and  took  charge  of 
a  vessel  voyaging  to  the  West  Indies  until  the  Revolution.  He  then 
worked  at  his  trade  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  going  from  house  to  house. 
In  1815  his  father  settled  in  Pompey,  where  he  died  in  1834. 

Daniel  Wright,  born  in  Hebron,  Conn.,  September  !),  1794,  came  to 
Pompey  with  his  parents  in  February,  1799,  who  settled  on  lot  Hi.      His 


622  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

father  died  in  1805  and  his  mother  in  the  next  year.  In  1821  he 
bought  a  farm  for  which  he  paid,  but  lost  it  through  defective  title.  He 
spent  a  long  life  in  the  town  and  was  respected  by  his  fellow  citizens. . 

Augustus  Wheaton,  son  of  Joseph,  purchased  land  in  Pompey  in 
1807  and  settled  thereon  with  his  family  in  1810.  Three  sisters,  Lydia, 
Sylvia  and  Loraine,  had  preceded  him.  He  purchased  a  farm  of  410 
acres  on  which  he  lived  to  about  1823,  when  he  sold  out  and  removed  to 
Syracuse.  Five  years  later  he  returned  to  Pompey,  where  he  lived  to 
about  1833,  when  he  went  back  to  the  place  of  his  birth  and  died  about 
the  year  1852.  He  was  a  prominent  and  public  spirited  citizen.  His 
eldest  son,  Orlin  J.,  was  long  an  active  citizen  of  the  town,  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits  and  droving.  Another  son  was  Horace  Wheaton 
who  was  for  some  years  a  merchant  at  Pompey  Hill  until  about  1846, 
when  he  removed  to  Syracuse,  where  he  was  well-known  among  the 
older  citizens  of  the  city.  Charles  A.  Wheaton,  another  son  of  Au- 
gustus, also  removed  to  Syracuse,  where  he  was  a  successful  dry  goods 
merchant,  and  later  was  in  the  hafdware  trade.  He  ultimately  removed 
to  Minnesota. 

William  C.  Fargo  was  born  in  New  London,  Conn.,  March  20,  1791, 
and  in  early  life  was  thrown  upon  his  own  resources  through  the  death 
of  his  father.  He  early  learned  the  distiller's  trade,  and  in  1807  began 
work  in  Chenango  county,  whence  he  journeyed  in  November  of  that 
year  to  Jamesville,  this  county,  and  was  employed  by  Benjamin  Sand- 
ford.  The  month  of  May,  1812,  found  him  in  Buffalo,  where  he  was 
drafted  into  the  army,  and  he  saw  active  and  arduous  service  until  the 
close  of  the  conflict.  His  term  expired  in  May,  1817,  and  he  immedi- 
ately started  for  Pompey,  where  he  arrived  in  June.  He  married  in 
August,  1817,  Tacy  Strong,  and  they  lived  most  of  the  time  in  and  near 
Watervale  until  the  spring  of  1848.  From  there  he  removed  to  Cicero 
and  thence  to  Manlius,  where  he  lived  fifteen  years,  after  which  he  re- 
sided in  Syracuse.  Among  their  twelve  children  was  William  G.  Fargo, 
a  man  who  has  a  national  reputation  in  connection  with  the  American 
express  business  of  the  country.  Several  of  the  other  sons  of  William 
C.  Fargo  were  associated  with  him  in  the  business. 

Nicholas  Van  Brocklin,  although  not  a  Pompey  pioneer,  lived  in  the 
town  more  than  fifty  years,  having  settled  there  in  1821.  During  his 
life  he  followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer,  but  took  a  lively  interest  in 
public  affairs,  as  the  reader  has  already  learned.  He  died  on  March  1, 
Is;-.!.      His  children  were  Gilbert,  Jane,  Ann,  Eliza  B. ,  John  S.,  James 


THE  TOWN  OF  POMPEY.  623 

W.,  Margaret,  Martha,  and  William  White.  James  \\\  Van  Brocklin 
learned  the  carpenter's  trade  and  built  many  of  the  dwellings  in  Pom- 
pey.  William  W.  Van  Brocklin  worked  his  way  through  college,  grad- 
uating from  Hamilton  in  the  class  of  1850.  After  teaching  school  sev- 
eral years  he  studied  law  in  Syracuse,  and  was  admitted  in  1853.  He 
was  long  the  only  resident  lawyer  in  Pompey,  and  has  occupied  posi- 
tions of  honor. 

David  Williams  settled  in  Pompey  in  1801,  where  he  lived  to  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  ninety-three  years.  His  farm  was  situated  about  a  mile 
and  a  half  north  of  Watervale.  Two  of  his  brothers,  Nathan  and 
Daniel  Williams,  settled  early  in  the  town,  and  remained  respected 
citizens  until  their  deaths. 

Asa  Wells,  a  native  of  Colchester,  Conn.,  settled  in  Pompey  in  the 
spring  of  1803,  built' a  log  house  at  Pompey  Hill,  and  in  1807  removed 
to  the  farm  east  of  and  adjoining  the  Daniel  Wood  farm.  Mr.  Wells 
was  a  practical  surveyor  and  with  his  assistants,  laid  out  the  road 
running  from  the  academy  to  Manlius.  He  also  assisted  Judge  Geddes 
in  the  survey  for  the  Oswego  Canal.  He  was  prominent  in  the  militia, 
in  which  he  was  captain  at  the  time  Sackett's  Harbor  was  threatened  by 
the  British,  and  led  his  company  to  that  point.  He  held  various  town 
offices  and  was  a  member  of  the  Assembly.  He  died  in  February,  1859. 
One  of  his  sons  was  Levi  Wells,  a  prominent  citizen  of  Pompev,  who 
was  thirty-two  years  a  justice  of  the  peace,  was  eighteen  years  in  the 
Board  of  Supervisors,  and  a  practical  surveyor.  Another  son  was  Dr. 
Lucien  B.  Wells,  of  Utica,   N.  Y. 

A  family,  some  of  the  members  of  which  obtained  a  national  reputation, 
was  that  of  Maj.  Moses  Seymour,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  an  officer  in 
the  Revolutionary  army,  and  a  member  of  the  Legislature  of  that  State. 
He  died  in  1827  at  the  age  of  eighty-four.  Among  his  children  was 
Henry  Seymour,  who  settled  at  Pompey  Hill  at  an  early  day,  and 
began  mercantile  business.  His  attributes  of  integrity,  sound  judg- 
ment, and  executive  ability  became  so  well  known  that  from  1816  to 
1819,  and  again  in  1822  he  was  elected  State  senator  from  the  western 
district.  In  1818  he  was  placed  on  the  Council  of  Appointment,  and 
in  March,  1819,  was  chosen  one  of  the  canal  commissioners.  In  about 
the  year  1819  he  removed  with  his  family  to  Utica.  Another  son  of 
Maj.  Moses  Seymour  was  the  eminent  Democratic  statesman,  Horatio 
Seymour,  who  was  born  at  Pompey  Hill  in  1811.  He  studied  law  in 
Utica,   but  was  soon  diverted   from   its  practice  to  enter  the  political 


624  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

field.  He  was  elected  member  of  the  Assembly  in  1842,  and  again  in 
1844  and  1845,  mayor  of  Utica  in  1842,  was  speaker  of  the  Assembly 
in  1845,  and  governor  of  the  State  in  1852-53,  and  again  in  1862-63. 
For  this  latter  office  he  was  defeated  in  1864  by  Reuben  E.  Fenton.  In 
1868  he  received  the  nomination  of  the  Democratic  party  for  president 
of  the  United  States,  but  was  defeated  by  General  Grant.  Governor 
Seymour's  home  was,  during  the  greater  part  of  his  life,  at  Deerfield, 
near  Utica. 

Samuel  Baker  was  born  on  Long  Island  October  2,  1793,  and  died  in 
Pompey,  August  8,  18T4.  He  was  brought  to  Pompey  by  his  father, 
Nathaniel  Baker,  in  1806.  The  latter  was  a  successful  farmer,  and  the 
homestead  remained  in  possession  of  members  of  the  family  until  recent 
years.  Samuel  Baker  obtained  his  education  at  Clinton  Academy, 
which  afterwards  became  Hamilton  College,  and  studied  law  two  years 
with  S.  S.  Baldwin.  The  profession  lost  attraction  for  him  and  he 
took  employment  in  a  store  at  Pompey  Hill.  He  ultimately  became 
proprietor  of  the  establishment  and  carried  on  business  until  1841,  when 
he  retired.  He  was  a  prominent  man  in  the  community,  was  a  trustee 
of  the  academy,  a  deacon  in  the  Congregational  church  and  a  leader  in 
all  good  works.  He  was  father  of  six  children,  of  whom  Henry  H. 
Baker  came  into  possession  of  the  homestead. 

Tabor  D.  Williams  was  a  late»r  settler  in  the  town,  where  he  located 
in  1831,  and  followed  his  trade  of  shoemaking  several  years  thereafter. 
His  eldest  son,  George  H.  Williams,  studied  law  with  Daniel  Gott  and 
was  admitted  in  1844.  In  the  same  year  he  removed  to  Iowa,  where  he 
was  chosen  chief  justice  of  the  Supreme  Court.  Later  he  held  the 
same  office  for  the.  Territory  of  Oregon.  In  J  864  he  was  elected  United 
States  senator  from  that  State,  and  finally  was  appointed  attorney- 
general  of  the  United  States. 

Luther  Marsh  settled  in  Pompey  prior  to  1812,  and  was  a  native  of 
New  Hampshire.  He  was  many  years  a  respected  citizen  of  the  town. 
Among  his  children  is  Luther  R.  Marsh,  a  well  known  lawyer  of  New 
York  city. 

Reuben  Billings  located  in  Pompey  in  1812,  coming  on  from  Massa- 
chusetts with  his  wife  and  making  the  journey  with  an  ox  team.  In 
the  winter  of  L812  1  3  he  taught  school  in  District  No.  8.  In  1833  he 
settled  on  a  part  of  lot  96,  where  he  passed  his  life.  Both  he  and  his 
wife  were  present  at  the  reunion  in  is;  l. 

Peter    Benson    arrived    in   Pompey  when  he  was  thirteen   years  old. 


THE  TOWN  OF  POMPEY.  625 

having  traveled  there  to  assist  his  older  brother  in  building  a  barn  for 
Samuel  Sherwood,  on  lot  84.  The  money  he  received  for  the  building 
paid  for  100  acres  of  land  on  the  same  lot,  about  a  mile  northwest  from 
Delphi.  Mr.  Benson's  father  came  to  the  town  a  few  years  later;  his 
name  was  Stutson  Benson  and  he  followed  farming  in  the  town  until 
his  death  in  1820. 

Addy  Anderson  settled  in  Pompey  about  1803,  on  fifty  acres  of  land 
about  half  a  mile  west  of  Pompey  Hill  village  on  the  State  road.  He 
died  soon  afterward,  leaving  his  wife  and  eight  children,  five  of  whom 
were  sons.  Of  these  John,  the  eldest,  married  Lydia  Safford,  and  as- 
sumed the  burden  of  caring  for  the  family.  He  was  father  of  nine 
children,  became  one  of  the  best  and  most  successful  farmers  of  the 
town,  and  prominent  in  the  Methodist  church.  He  died  at  the  age  of 
fifty-six.  Ira,  son  of  John,  subsequently  took  the  homestead.  Josiah, 
another  son  of  John,  ultimately  purchased  the  Le  Roy  Morgan  place, 
two  miles  northwest  of  Pompey  Hill. 

Jeremiah  Gould,  who  was  born  in  Salina  in  1792,  removed  two  years 
later  to  Pompey,  where  he  bought  a  military  lot  and  remained  until  his 
death,  about  1820.  He  was  a  prominent  citizen,  was  justice  of  the 
peace  and  rose  to  the  rank  of  colonel  in  the  militia. 

Moses  Blowers,  who  died  November  9,  1863,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
nine  years,  settled  in  Pompey  in  1792  and  lived  on  the  same  farm  nearly 
seventy-five  years. 

Lyman  Morgan,  from  New  Milford,  Conn.,  whence  a  number  of 
Pompey  pioneers  came,  settled  in  the  town  in  1808  and  lived  there 
about  fifty-six  years,  a  respected  citizen. 

Ira  Jerome,  whose  name  is  mentioned  elsewhere,  located  in  the  town 
with  his  father,  John  Jerome,  coming  from  Stockbridge,  Mass.,  in 
1812.      He  lived  seventy  years  on  one  farm  and  died  October  27,  1861. 

Roswell  Candee,  who  died  in  Pompey,  September  18,  1864,  .at  the 
age  of  eighty-three  years,  removed  early  from  Connecticut  and  lived  in 
the  town  about  fifty  years.  He  was  father  of  U.  S.  Assessor  William 
Candee,  and  of  Samuel  Candee,  of  Pompey. 

Richard  Losey,  father  of  Archibald,  died  February  24,  1861,  at  the 
age  of  ninety-two  years. 

In  the  year  1800,  when  the  population  of  Onondaga  county  was  1,036, 
the  town  of  Pompey  had  309,  almost  one-third  of  the  whole.      What  is 
now  Onondaga  county  then  numbered  only  885  inhabitants,  and  Pom- 
pey. had  about  50  more  than  one-third  of  the  whole.     Clark  says: 
79 


626  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

At  this  time  such  a  vehicle  as  a  horse  wagon  was  not  in  existence  in  this  town  or 
county;  and  the  visiting  was  done  mostly  in  winter  on  ox  sleds,  and  happy  and  rich 
indeed  was  he  who  could  yoke  a  pair  of  oxen  of  his  own,  make  his  way  through  the 
woods  with  his  wife  and  child  or  two  on  the  sled,  on  an  evening's  visit  to  a  neighbor's 
several  miles  distant — in  fact  such  a  man  was  considered  in  rather  opulent  circum- 
stances; and,  too,  it  was  no  disparagement  for  the  belles  and  beaux  of  that  day  to 
attend  singing  school  or  spinning  bee  on  the  ox  sled. 

Besides  the  First  Congregational  church,  already  noticed,  there  was 
organized  in  Pompey  a  Baptist  church  in  the  year  1817.  Meetings  of 
the  people  of  this  faith  were  held  for  a  period  in  barns  and  dwellings, 
and  in  1819  or  1820  they  built  a  church  edifice  and  for  a  number  of 
years  the  society  was  very  prosperous.  But  for  several  causes  the  con- 
gregation gradually  diminished  and  finally  the  organization  ceased  its 
existence.  Many  of  its  members  ultimately  joined  with  the  church  of 
the  Disciples  of  Christ,  which  was  formally  organized  on  May  3,  1834, 
with  the  following  thirty-eight  members : 

Calvin  Peck,  Asa  Wells,  Thomas  M.  King,  Alson  Nearing,  Charles  Little,  Malcom 
Bennett,  A.  H.  Squires,  Uriel  Wilson,  jr.,  Samuel  Talbott,  Harry  Knapp,  Willard 
Hayden,  Darius  Wilson,  Jacob  Bush,  Alvin  Talbott,  J.  I.  Lowell,  Mary  P.  Lowell, 
Eliza  Nearing,  Polly  Wilson,  Mary  A.  Bush,  Temperance  Wilson,  Paulina  Talbott, 
Mindwell  Thomas,  Harriet  Pratt,  Catharine  Bennett,  Betsey  Wright,  Rhoda  Par- 
sons, Polly  Thomas,  and  Mary  Knapp. 

Within  the  year  in  which  the  church  was  organized  this  society  num- 
bered fifty  members,  and  at  the  close  of  1835  it  had  ninety-three  mem- 
bers. In  1837  the  society  built  a  church  which  they  occupied  until 
L868,  when  they  erected  a  new  edifice,  selling  the  old  church  for  a 
school  house  to  take  the  place  of  the  one  burned  February  11,  18G8. 
The  first  pastor  of  the  church  was  J.  I.  Lowell,  and  the  first  elders 
were  Cabin  Peck,  Asa  Wells,  and  Thomas  M.  King.  Deacons,  Alson 
X earing  and  Charles  Little. 

The  inhabitants  in  the  vicinity  of  Oran  were  favored  at  a  very  early 
day  with  religious  services  by  missionaries  from  Connecticut,  the  first 
of  whom  was  a  Rev.  Mr.  Perry,  who  preached  in  James  Scoville's  barn, 
and  in  other  barns  in  that  neighborhood.  On  January  27,  1806,  Rev. 
Hugh  Wallace  organized  a  society  there,  which  was  reorganized  later 
in  the  same  year  under  the  title,  the  Second  Congregational  church  of 
the  town  of  Pompey.  Punderson  Avery,  Jedediah  Cleveland,  and  Jo- 
seph Bartholomew  were  elected  the  first  trustees.  There  the  first 
i  rame  house  of  worship  in  the  town  and  the  third  one  of  any  kind  in  the 
ty,  was  built  in  L807-8.      In  later  years  the  Universalists,  who  had 


THE  TOWN  OF  POMPEY.  627 

become  quite  numerous  in  that  section,  occasionally  occupied  the 
church  and  formed  a  large  part  of  the  congregation. 

It  is  not  known  just  when  the  Methodists  organized  a  class  or  society, 
but  one  was  formed  early  in  the  neighborhood  west  of  Pompey  Hill, 
where  a  church  was  built  and  occupied  some  years.  About  the  year 
1839  the  society  erected  a  church  in  the  village,  and  the  society  has 
maintained  a  reasonably  prosperous  existence  ever  since. 

The  following  subscription  relating  to  the  organization  and  building 
of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church  in  Pompey  is  self-explanatory: 

Pompey,  August  25,  1828 
We,  the  undersigned,  promise  to  pay  to  a  building  committee  hereafter  to  be 
chosen  from  among  ourselves,  the  several  sums  affixed  to  our  names,  for  the  purpose 
of  erecting  an  Episcopal  Church,  at  the  four  corners,  formerly  called  Clapp's  corners ; 
one-fourth  to  be  paid  by  the  first  of  March  next,  and  the  remainder  in  November, 
1629.  This  church  when  erected  shall  be  under  the  care  of  Wardens  and  Vestrymen 
and  be  governed  according  to  the  rules  and  regulations  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church  in  the  United  States.  The  sum  subscribed  by  each  individual  may  be 
applied  on  payment  in  the  purchase  of  a  pew. 

John  Sprague,  $100;  Isaac  V.  V.  Hibbard,  $100;  Moses  Hinsdale,  $125;  John 
Clapp,  $100;  Samuel  Hibbard,  $100;  Carleton  Clapp,  $40;  Marovia  Marsh,  $50; 
Samuel  Clement,  $75;  Chester  Clapp,  $75 ;  Chauncey  Hinsdell,  $126;  Anson  Sweet, 
$100;  James  Lusk,  $100 ;  Rhoda  Gold,  lumber,  $20;  Philemon  French,  $50;  Knee- 
land  Sweet,  §130;  Anson  Sprague,  $'20;  Jacob  R.  De  Puy,  $10;  Milton  Slosson,  $25; 
Horace  Sweet,  $25;  Ansel  Judd,  $32:  Adolphus  Sweet,  $50;  Joel  B.  Hibbard.  $20; 
Heman  Murray,  $20:  Ira  Curtis,  $20;  James  Carr,  $25;  Lucius  Cook,  labor  on  build- 
ing, 810;  Reuben  Murray,  $25;  Truman  B.  Stanton,  $10;  Seymour  Marsh,  $50; 
Joseph  W.  Bostwick,  $10;  Kphraim  Salmons,  $10;  Jacob  Hadley,  2  chairs  tor  vestry 
room  and  Communion  Table,  $10. 

Of  early  manufacturing  operations  in  the  town  it  may  be  stated  that 
the  old  tannery  of  Deacon  Abbott  at  Delphi  ultimately  passed  to  Caleb 
Perry,  who  carried  on  the  business  until  the  building  and  ward  were 
destroyed  by  a  freshet.  A  mile  southeast  of  the  village  Clark  Rogers 
built  an  edge  tool  factory  in  1823;  it  was  afterwards  owned  and  operated 
by  Holmes  &  Sampson,  whose  tools  gained  a  wide  reputation.  It  finally 
passed  to  John  Salisbury.  Henry  Ten  Eyck  carried  on  a  woolen  fac- 
tor}7, which  was  established  in  1812,  until  it  was  burned  in  L853.  It  was 
situated  on  the  creek  north  of  the  village  and  did  a  large  business. 

In  very  early  years  wool  which  had  been  carded  and  spun  by  the 
firesides  was  taken  to  Manlius  to  be  colored  and  dressed.  In  course 
of  time  fulling  mills  were  built  in  this  town,  one  of  which  was  in  the 
hollow  near  Conradt  Bush's  place.  This  mill  was  subsequently  burned 
in  the  fall  when  it  was  stored  with  cloth,  causing  a  grievous  loss  to 
many  families. 


628  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

The  early  store  of  Mr.  Meeker  on  the  Hill  has  already  been  alluded 
to.  He  was  succeeded  by  Clarke  &  Emmons,  who  built  and  used  for 
a  store  what  became  a  known  as  "Deacon  Baker's  old  red  house," 
which  was  ultimately  demolished.  At  about  the  same  time  when  Clarke 
&  Emmons  began  business,  Henry  Seymour,  brother  of  Horatio  Sey- 
mour, and  Orrin  Stone  opened  a  store.  Clarke  and  Emmons  soon  left 
the  place  and  the  firm  of  Seymour  &  Stone  was  for  many  years  the 
leading  one  in  town. 

In  its  industrial  aspects  the  town  of  Pompey  has  always  occupied  a 
position  peculiar  to  itself.  Its  remoteness  from  the  large  business  cen- 
ters, its  entire  lack  of  railroad  and  canal  connections,  and  its  not  im- 
portant water  power,  have  had  a  tendency  from  the  first  to  prevent 
the  establishment  of  manufacturing  establishments  within  her  borders. 
There  were  in  early  years  the  numerous  saw  mills  that  were  needed  in 
disposing  of  the  forests,  and  also  the  kindred  asheries  for  the  production 
of  crude  potash,  with  here  and  there  the  then  important  local  distillery 
where  the  whisky  that  was  then  almost  universally  drank  was  made.  But 
these  latter  have  all  disappeared  with  the  clearing  of  a  very  large  part  of 
the  land  of  the  town,  and  there  are  now  only  a  few  saw  mills  left.  The 
establishment  of  grist  mills,  too,  has  been  substantially  confined  to  such 
as  were  needed  for  the  custom  work  of  the  communities.  To  profitably 
conduct  a  large  flouring  mill,  railroad  connection  is  imperatively  nec- 
essary. A  few  grist  mills  have  always  been  maintained  in  the  town. 
Of  the  few  carding  and  cloth-making  factories  of  early  years,  which 
have  been  mentioned,  when  families  went  less  to  the  store  and  the  tailor 
than  at  present,  all  are  gone;  and  the  same  is  true  of  the  tanneries. 
The  local  conditions  have  also  militated  against  the  growth  of  large 
mercantile  interests  in  the  town.  The  several  villages  and  hamlets 
have  had  their  one  or  two  stores  and  kept  the  goods  needed  for  the 
dwellers  in  the  vicinity,  but  no  great  business  has  been  possible  at  any 
point. 

The  modern  history  of  this  town  is  simply  a  record  of  quiet  peace 
and  prosperity.  The  distractions  and  worries  of  the  large  communi- 
ties influence  its  people  not  at  all.  During  the  period  of  the  civil  war 
no  town  in  the  county  was  more  prompt  to  respond  to  the  repeated  calls 
of  the  government  for  volunteers  or  in  supplying  means  for  the  relief 
of  soldiers'  families  and  the  payment  of  bounties.  The  town  sent  out  a 
large  number  of  volunteers  many  of  whom  served  with  distinction  and 
some  of  whom  were  left  among  the  unnumbered  dead  on  the  southern 
battlefields. 


THE  TOWN  OF  POMPEY.  629 

In  the  year  1870  in  response  to  the  expressed  desire  of  some  of  the 
prominent  citizens  of  the  town,  as  well  as  of  others  who  had  formerly 
lived  within  its  bounds,  among  whom  were  Horatio  Seymour,  William 
G.  Fargo,  E.  C.  Litchfield,  Leonard  Jerome,  Dr.  Lucien  B.  Wells,  and 
others,  preparations  were  made  for  holding  a  reunion  of  former  and 
then  present  residents  of  the  town.  The  project  soon  took  definite 
shape  and  in  a  short  time  grew  beyond  the  anticipations  of  its  pro- 
jectors. The  endless  details  leading  up  to  its  final  successful  con- 
summation need  not  be  followed  here;  they  were  all  embodied  in  a 
volume  published  in  1875,  from  which  we  have  been  able  to  draw  liber- 
ally much  of  the  foregoing  matter  relating  to  the  early  settlement  of 
the  town.  Dr.  R.  F.  Stevens  was  appointed  corresponding  secretary, 
the  local  press  became  interested  in  the  proposed  event,  meetings  were 
held  at  various  points,  all  of  which  resulted  in  a  great  gathering  at 
Pompey  Hill  on  June  29,  1871.  The  principal  proceedings  consisted  of 
addresses  from  many  of  the  eminent  men  who  were  in  attendance  from 
various  parts  of  the  country.  Among  the  speakers  were  such  well 
known  men  as  Hon.  Daniel  P.  Wood,  of  Syracuse,  who  was  chosen 
president  of  the  day;  Hon.  William  G.  Fargo,  ex-mayor  of  Buffalo; 
Hon.  Charles  Hayden,  ex-mayor  of  Rochester ;  Hon.  Daniel  G.  Fort, 
ex-mayor  of  Oswego;  Hon.  Charles  B.  Sedgwick,  Hon.  Horace 
Wheaton,  and  Hon.  Le  Roy  Morgan  of  Syracuse;  Hon.  Horatio 
Seymour,  Hon.  B.  Davis  Noxon,  Hon.  John  F.  Seymour,  and  a  host  of 
others  of  lesser  prominence.  The  various  large  committees  who  had 
charge  of  the  proceedings  performed  their  work  efficiently  and  the  re- 
sults were  entirely  worthy  of  the  occasion. 

The  following  figures  give  the  population  of  Pompey  in  the  years 
named: 

In  1830,  4,812;  1835,  4,521;  1840,  4,371;  1845,  4,112;  1850,  4,000;  1855,  3,77(1;  1860, 
3,931;  1865,  3,502;  1870,  3,314;  1875,  3,336:  1880,  3,240;  1890,  2,859;  1892.  2,771. 

These  figures  clearly  indicate  a  condition  that  exists  in  too  many  of 
our  inland  towns — a  gradual  decrease  in  population.  Farms  are  being 
deserted  for  villages  and  cities.  In  this  respect  it  is  no  more  than 
would  be  expected  that  towns  situated  like  Pompey,  cut  off  from 
railroad  communication  with  other  localities,  would  suffer  most.  The 
ambition  of  younger  generations  carries  them  away  from  the  ancestral 
acres  and  into  the  turmoil  of  business  centers. 

The  following  reminiscences  of  early  days  in  Pompey  are  supplied 
by  Rev.  Samuel  W.  Brace,  son  of  Elizur  Brace,  whose  settlement  in 
the  town  has  been  described: 


630  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

In  the  spring  of  1796  he  [Elizur  Brace]  made  a  journey,  mainly  on  foot,  to  the  wil- 
derness settlement  of  his  former  neighbors,  and  purchased  of  Ebenezer  Butler  a  por- 
tion of  land  south  of  the  present  village  and  covering  entirely  the  summit  of  the  hill. 
On  this  he  commenced  the  erection  of  a  log  house,  after  the  fashion  of  others  who 
had  preceded  him.  This  house  he  did  not  furnish,  however,  until  after  his  removal 
there  with  his  family,  in  the  latter  part  of  October  of  the  same  year ;  hence  our  ac- 
commodations, as  I  well  remember,  for  I  was  then  six  and  a  half  years  old,  were 
scant  and  uncomfortable,  until  our  famous  log  house,  with  two  rooms  and  a  linter,  as 
it  was  then  called,  was  fit  for  occupancy.  We  located,  by  the  kindly  consent  of  our 
old  neighbors,  in  the  first  school  house  ever  built  on  Pompey  Hill,  and  this  of  course 
was  a  log  structure  of  but  one  room,  and  at  that  time  for  a  few  weeks  unoccupied. 
On  its  split-out,  hewed  and  uneven  floor  we  spread  our  beds,  and  here  also  we  cooked 
our  meals,  sat  upon  our  rough  benches  and  hoped  for  better  things.  Such  a  day  at 
length  arrived,  for  the  setting  in  of  winter,  we  found  ourselves  located  in  our  newly 
and  highly  elevated  dwelling,  as  it  was  not  only  like  a  city  set  upon  a  hill,  but 
probably  the  second  best  in  the  settlement.  Our  neighbors  were  munificently  mind- 
ful of  us  in  their  offerings  of  vegetables  and  other  materials  of  an  edible  character. 
In  the  mean  time,  or  before  leaving  our  pent-up  quarters  in  the  school  house,  my 
father  had  made  a  table  from  cherry  planks,  split  from  a  log  given  him  by  Esq.  Butler. 
To  her  great  sorrow  my  mother's  fine  table,  the  only  one  we  attempted  to  bring  with 
us,  got  completely  shipwrecked  on  the  way.  According  to  the  custom  of  olden  times, 
a  house  warmin'  was  expected  when  we  were  fully  settled  in  our  log  palace.  With  its 
two  windows  of  twelve  lights  each,  which  my  father  had  been  careful  to  bring  with 
him ;  beside  these  and  other  things  which  might  be  named,  an  excellent  split  and 
hewed  basswood  floor,  two  doors  of  like  material,  with  latches  and  latch-strings  hang- 
ing out,  a  chimney  in  the  middle,  partly  of  stone  and  topped  out  with  rift-sticks  and 
plastered,  were  some  of  the  leading  characteristics  of  our  new  dwelling:  and  as  to 
the  house  warming,  so  much  desired  and  talked  of  by  our  friends  and  neighbors, 
that  was  deferred  until  mid-winter,  when  the  marriage  ceremony  of  my  oldest 
sister  was  to  take  place.  She  had,  early  on  our  arrival,  become  affianced  to  Dr. 
Walter  Colton,  the  young  physician  of  the  town,  and  the  first  that  settled  in  it  to 
practice.1  At  Onondaga  Hollow  was  the  only  post-office  in  the  county  and  all  the 
region  round  about.  To  it  the  writer,  in  the  days  of  his  early  youth,  often  went  as 
post-boy  for  the  neighbors,  sometimes  on  horseback,  oftener  on  foot.  At  that  time 
there  was  no  Syracuse,  but  a  miserable  drunken  place,  known  as  Cossitt's  Corners, 
and  approached  by  roads  of  corduroy  construction,  and  as  the  Irishmen  of  Salt  Point 
used  to  say,  a  plentiful  variety  of  mudholes.  In  those  days  slavery  was  rife  in  all 
parts  of  the  Empire  State,  nor  did  it  cease  until  1828.  Pompey  had  its  slaves;  a 
number  were  held  on  the  hill  by  some  of  the  most  respectable  families,  but  treated 
not  us  slaves  in  the  South  were  said  to  be,  but  with  much  leniency  and  kindness. 
They  were  quite  numerous  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  town  near  what  is  now 
[amesville;  sundry  families  there  as  the  De  Witts  and  the  De  Puys,  of  Dutch  extrac- 
tion, held  numbers  of  them,  and  with  their  labor  entered  largely  into  the  cultivation 
of  tobacco;  hence  it  was  that  Pompey  became  the  first  town  in  all  Central  New  York 

i  Mr.  Brace  corrects  the  statements  of  Clark  giving  Dr.  Samuel  Beach  and   Dr.  Josiah  Colton 
credit  i  n  Pompey  prior  to  Dr.  Walter  Colton. 


THE  TOWN  OF  MARCELLUS.  631 

that  was  defiled  with  the  raising  of  this  filthy  and  poisonous  plant.  As  descendants 
of  the  Puritans  the  early  inhabitants  of  Pompey  were  strict  observers  of  the  Sabbath, 
keeping  themselves  and  their  children  at  home,  except  when  they  were  favored  with 
some  kind  of  public  religious  service.  If  no  missionary  or  religious  minister  of  the 
gospel  was  among  them,  a  prayer  meeting  was  usually  held,  or  a  sermon  read.  They 
used  to  meet  in  barns,  private  houses  and  school  houses. 

Many  of  these  interesting  reminiscences  apply  with  equal  force  to 
the  other  older  towns  of  Onondaga  county. 

Following  is  a  list  of  supervisors  of  Pompey  from  1794  to  the  present 
time : 

1794,  Moses  De  Witt  and  William  Haskins;  171)5-0,  Ebenezer  Butler,  jr.;  1791 
1802,  John  Lamb;  1803-06,  Ozias  Burr;  1807,  John  Lamb;  1808-11,  Ozias  Burr;  1812, 
Jacob  R.  De  Witt;  1813,  William  Cook;  1814-17,  Asa  Wells;  1818,  Asahel  Smith; 
1819,  Asa  Wells;  1820,  Elisha  Litchfield;  1821-22,  Asa  Wells;  1823,  John  De  La 
Mater;  1824-25,  Charles  Jackson;  1826,  Elisha  Litchfield;  1827,  Warren  Scranton  ; 
1828-29,  John  Smith;  1830,  Manoah  Pratt,  jr.  ;  1831-38,  John  Smith ;  1839,  Horace 
Wheaton;  1840-41,  Levi  Wells;  1842,  Horace  Wheaton ;  1843.  Levi  Wells;  1844, 
Daniel  Candee ;  1845-40,  Levi  Wells;  1847-48,  Samuel  Hart;  1849-50,  Manoah  Pratt' 
1851,  Samuel  Hart;  1852,  Manoah  Pratt;  1853-57,  Levi  S.  Holbrook;  1858-71,  Levi 
Wells;  1872,  Levi  Wells  and  Julius  Candee;  1873  to  the  present  time,  Marshall  B. 
Dyer. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

THE  TOWN  OF  MARCELLUS. 

The  classic  name  "  Marcellus,"1  was  given  to  military  township  No. 
9  of  the  Military  Tract,  which  contained  100  lots  of  about  620  acres 
each.  This  original  military  township  contained  not  only  the  present 
civil  town  of  Marcellns,  but  nearly  all  of  what  is  now  Skaneateles,  the 
north  part  of  Spafford,  and  the  northwest  two-thirds  of  Otisco,  includ- 
ing Otisco  Lake  and  the  site  of  Otisco  village.  The  civil  town  of  Mar- 
cellus was  organized  contemporaneously  with  the  formation  of  Onondaga 
county  (March  5,  1704),  and  contained,  besides  the  territory  of  the 
present  Marcellus,  all  of  Camillus,  Elbridge,  Van  Buren,  Skaneateles, 
Oeddes,  and  a  part  of  Onondaga;  in  other  words,  all  of  the  territory  of 

'  Applied  by  Simeon  DeWitt,  surveyor-general,  from  Marcus  Claudius  Marcellus,  a  celebrated 

Roman  general  and  statesman   who  was   slain   308  B.  C.     The   name   was   bom<    by  an  illustrious 

Human  plebeian  family  of  the  Claudia  gens. 


632  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Onondaga  county  south  of  the  Seneca  River,  west  of  Onondaga  Lake 
and  Creek,  and  north  of  the  southern  end  of  Otisco  Lake,  including 
even  the  western  half  of  what  is  now  the  city  of  Syracuse.  On  March 
9,  1798,  the  western  part  of  Onondaga,  including  Geddes,  was  taken 
off;  on  March  3,  1799,  nearly  all  of  the  present  Camillusand  the  whole 
of  what  are  now  Elbridge  and  Van  Buren  were  erected  into  military 
township  No.  5,  called  Camilius;  and  on  March  21,  1806,  the  Marcellus 
L  was  set  off  to  form  a  part  of  Otisco.  In  the  mean  time,  in  1804,  a 
part  of  Sempronius,  Cayuga  county,  forming  the  extreme  south  or 
southwest  end  of  Skaneateles,  was  annexed.  April  8,  1811,  Spafford 
was  erected,  taking  another  section  from  Marcellus,  and  on  February 
26,  1830,  Skaneateles  was  taken  out  of  its  territory.  In  1840  small  por- 
tions of  Spafford  and  Otisco  were  reannexed,  leaving  the  present  town 
of  Marcellus  with  about  one-tenth  of  its  original  area  and  consisting  of 
but  thirty-two  out  of  the  100  military  lots.  These  are  numbered  re- 
spectively 6,  7,  8,  9,  14,  15,  16,  17,  23,  24,  25,  26,  31,  32,  33,  34,  40,  41, 
42,  43,  46,  47,  48,  49,  53,  54,  55,  56,  61,  62,  63,  and  64. 

The  persons  who  drew  these  lots  for  service  in  the  Revolutionary  war 
were  as  follows : 

6,  John  Ernest  Pier;  7,  Joseph  Cleggle;  8,  John  Spears;  9,  Charles  John  F.  Brown; 
14,  John  Dubois;  15,  Isaac  Wheeler ;  16,  Zacharias  Halzzapple;  17,  Luke  Bowman; 
23,  Moses  Smith;  24,  Abraham  Tompkins;  25,  William  Dunbar;  26,  Lieut.  Azariah 
Tuthill;  31,  Albert  Ryan;  32,  Capt.  George  Sypez;  33,  Capt.  Nathan  Strong;  34, 
John  Galashy;  40,  Lieut.  James  Bradford;  41,  Capt.  Leonard  Bleecker;  42,  Reserved 
for  gospel,  schools,  etc.  ;  43,  Samuel  Townsend,  paymaster;  46,  Eph.  Martin  Nestle; 
47,  Richard  Wheeler;  48,  Hugh  Polley;  49,  Maj.  Gen.  Alexander  McDougall;  53, 
John  Honeywell;  54,  William  Grite;  55,  John  Mason  chaplain;  56,  Edward  McGar- 
riche;  61,  William  Dickens;  62,  Reserved  for  gospel,  schools,  etc.  ;  63,  John  Burgess; 
64.  Lieut.  Prentice  Bowen. 

The  lots  for  gospel  and  school  purposes  were  subsequently  sold  and 
the  income  from  the  fund  thus  created  was  used  for  a  time  for  the  pur- 
pose indicated.  Of  the  above  named  grantees  not  more  that  two  or 
three  became  actual  settlers  of  their  lands,  yet  the  family  names  of 
many  others  are  found  among  the  early  immigrants  to  the  town. 
Almost  all  of  the  grantees  disposed  of  their  claims,  in  common  with 
those  of  other  parts  of  the  Military  Tract,  generally  for  trifling  returns 
and  in  many  cases  to  speculative  buyers.  The  lands  in  the  Military 
Tract  generally  were  held  in  very  light  esteem  by  the  grantees,  partly 
because  of  the  obstacles  to  immigration  and  settlement,  and  partly  be- 
cause of  the  forbidding  character  of  many  portions  of  the  great  wilder- 


THE  TOWN  OF  MARCELLUS.  633 

ness.  Dr.  Israel  Parsons,  in  his  admirable  "Centennial  History,"  re- 
lates the  story  of  Abraham  Tompkins,  the  owner  of  lot  24,  on  which 
a  part  of  Marcellus  village  is  now  situated,  coming  into  the  locality  to 
study  the  advantages  of  his  possession  before  the  town  contained  any 
inhabitants.  Approaching  it  from  the  west  he  viewed  "the  wilderness 
and  darkness  of  the  scenery  "  with  disgust,  and  retiring  sold  his  claim 
to  the  first  purchaser.  Dr.  Parsons  gives  another  story  of  a  child 
wandering  from  the  Tyler  Hollow  settlement,  and  of  a  wild  man  long 
afterwards  being  seen  by  several  prominent  citizens,  among  them  his 
father,  Dr.  Levi  Parsons. 

The  surface  is  generally  rolling,  and  broken  by  the  deep  and  pictur- 
esque valley  of  Nine  Mile  Creek,  originally  called  Otisco  Creek,  which 
extends  northerly  through  the  center  of  the  town.  This  stream,  the 
only  one  of  importance,  is  the  outlet  of  Otisco  Lake,  and  flowing  north- 
easterly through  Camillus  empties  into  Onondaga  Lake,  affording  along 
its  entire  course  numerous  valuable  mill  privileges.  It  is  an  important 
feeder  to  the  Erie  Canal,  at  a  point  north  of  Camillus.  Its  adjacent 
uplands  rise  from  200  to  500  feet  in  height.  The  early  settlers  found 
the  territory  under  consideration  a  dense  wilderness,  with  heavy  timber, 
and  very  little  undergrowth  on  the  uplands,  where  they  first  hewed  out 
their  habitations.  In  the  valley  of  the  creek,  however,  were  hemlock 
forests,  with  underbrush,  wild  grape  vines,  etc.,  rendering  it  difficult  to 
clear  the  land  for  cultivation.  But  when  once  cleared  the  soil,  consist- 
ing of  a  deep,  black  loam,  formed  by  the  decomposition  of  the  Marcellus 
shales,  intermixed  with  more  or  less  clay,  proved  to  be  among  the  richest 
and  most  valuable  for  agricultural  purposes  in  Central  New  York. 

In  1794,  the  year  the  town  was  erected  and  the  county  organized,  the 
first  permanent  settlement  was  made  within  the  present  limits  of  Mar- 
cellus by  William  Cobb  and  Joab  and  Rufus  Lawrence,  who  located  on 
the  East  hill.  The  former  came  from  Shaftsbury,  Vt.,  settled  on  the 
place  now  occupied  by  Chauncey  P.  Cornish,  and  was  the  grandfather 
of  the  late  Rev.  Stephen  Cobb.  His  daughter  was  the  first  white  child 
born  in  town.  The  same  year  Cyrus  Holcomb  took  up  his  residence 
on  the  Skaneateles  road,  on  the  West  hill,  on  the  place  now  owned  by 
Thomas  F.  Walsh,  and  Samuel  Tyler  settled  at  "Tyler  Hollow,"  which 
was  named  from  him.  The  latter  was  the  first  justice  of  the  peace, 
appointed  about  1798.  The  families  of  Bowen  and  Cody  located  at 
Clintonville  also  in  1794,  and  a  Mr.  Conklin  probably  came  in  with  his 
family  at  this  time  and  settled  with  one  or  two  others  in  the  southern 
80 


634  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

part  of  the  town.  Joseph  Cody  built  and  kept  the  first  tavern  at  Clin- 
tonville  as  early  as  1806,  and  as  early  as  1815  Manasseh  Eaton,  was  a 
merchant  at  this  point.  In  this  year  (1794)  the  proceedings  of  the  first 
Board  of  Supervisors  represent  the  assessed  valuation  of  Marcellus  at 
;£1,203,  and  the  proportion  of  tax  at  -£16  10s.  lid. 

In  the  fall  of  1795  Hon.  Dan  Bradley  and  Deacon  Samuel  Rice  be- 
came the  first  permanent  settlers  where  Marcellus  village  now  stands, 
and  upon  their  arrival  they  found  a  family  of  squatters  named  Curtis, 
who  had  built  a  hut  on  the  site  of  the  present  residence  of  Dr.  Israel 
Parsons,  but  who  soon  afterward  removed  farther  west  Mr.  Bradley 
was  born  in  Hamden,  Conn.,  June  10,  1767,  was  graduated  from  Yale 
College  September  9,  1789,  was  licensed  to  preach  in  October,  1790, 
and  ordained  as  pastor  of  the  church  at  Whitestown  on  January  11, 
1792,  where  he  remained  three  years,  when  he  came  to  Marcellus, 
arriving  September  6,  1795.  Here  his  son,  Dan  Bradley,  jr.,  was  born 
July  18,  1804.  Mr.  Bradley  was  married  twice,  first  to  Eunice  Beach, 
who  died  July  19,  1804,  and  second  to  Nancy  Rose.  He  relinquished 
the  ministry,  became  an  influential  agriculturist,  and  was  made  a 
magistrate  and  in  1807  a  judge  of  the  County  Court,  an  office  he  held 
several  years.  He  was  one  of  the  most  eminent  farmers  in  Central 
New  York,  and  was  elected  president  of  the  first  Onondaga  County 
Agricultural  Society  in  1819.  To  him  is  largely  due  the  wholesome 
development  of  rural  interests  in  those  early  days,  and  the  result  of  his 
zeal  and  intelligence  is  felt  even  at  the  present  time  throughout  a  large 
section.  He  owned  about  200  acres,  just  south  of  and  including  a  part 
of  the  present  village  site,  and  erected  the  second  frame  house  in  town, 
which  is  still  standing  between  the  dwellings  of  Thomas  Rhodes  and 
Mrs.  Wells,  and  which  was  long  known  as  the  Sophia  Ball  house. 
Judge  Bradley  died  here  September  19,  1838.  Dan  Bradley,  jr.,  was 
graduated  from  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  of  New  York 
city  and  in  1835  became  a  prominent  missionary  to  Siam,  where  he  also 
practiced  medicine  in  the  noblest  families  of  the  realm,  compiled  a 
dictionary  of  the  Siamese  language,  and  died  in  1873.  Isaac  Bradley, 
another  son  of  judge  Bradley,  is  now  the  oldest  resident  in  Marcellus. 

Deacon  Rice  first  erected  a  log  dwelling  in  the  rear  of  the  subsequent 
site  of  the  Judge  Humphrey  Green  house  (the  residence  of  the  late 
Justus  North,  now  of  George  Brown),  in  which  he  opened  the  first 
tavern  in  Marcellus.  Later  he  built  the  third  frame  house  in  town, 
which  he  kept  as  a  hotel  many  years.     It  stood  on  the  corner  now  oc- 


THE  TOWN  OF  MARCELLUS.  635 

cnpied  by  St.  Francis  Xavier's  church,  and  was  last  owned  and  used 
by  that  society  as  a  place  of  worship.  As  a  tavern  it  was  one  of  the 
most  popular  between  Syracuse  and  Auburn.  Deacon  and  Mrs.  Rice 
were  the  grandparents  of  Dr.  Israel  Parsons.  Dr.  Parsons  aptly  illus- 
trates the  inconveniences  and  humor  of  pioneer  days  in  the  story  he 
tells  of  a  man  who  accompanied  Judge  Bradley  and  Deacon  Rice  in 
this  section.  This  man  one  night  made  his  bed  in  the  hollow  of  a  huge 
hemlock  bark,  and  awoke  in  the  morning  to  find  himself  firmly  enclosed, 
the  heat  from  his  body  having  warped  it  together.  The  settlers  sonic- 
times  made  shelves  of  good  slabs  of  bark,  and  often  found  their  crock- 
ery, etc.,  similarly  imprisoned  and  not  infrequently  broken. 

In  the  winter  of  1795-96  Dr.  Elnathan  Beach,  the  pioneer  physician, 
arrived  from  Cheshire,  Conn.,  where  he  was  born  and  educated,  and 
very  soon  afterward  erected  the  first  frame  house  in  town,  near  the 
site  of  the  present  residence  of  James  Sarr.  He  continued  the  practice 
of  medicine  over  a  wide  territory  until  his  death,  when  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  his  brother,  Dr.  Bildad  Beach,  a  man  of  wit,  an  enthusiastic 
farmer,  and  a  surgeon  of  the  war  of  1812,  who  followed  his  profession 
until  about  1820.  Dr.  Elnathan  Beach  opened  the  first  store  in  Mar- 
cellus  village,  and  when  the  post-office  was  established  in  1799  he  was 
appointed  the  first  postmaster.  He  was  an  active  man,  and  on  March 
21,  1799,  was  appointed  sheriff  of  Onondaga  county,  holding  this  posi- 
tion and  the  postmastership  and  continuing  mercantile  business  until 
his  death  in  1801,  at  the  age  of  forty  years. 

These  settlements  in  different  sections  of  the  town  at  the  same  time, 
remote  as  they  were  from  each  other,  were  in  a  measure  bound  to- 
gether by  ties  which  only  pioneers  can  appreciate,  and  formed  centers 
around  which  other  immigrants  located.  The  first  indication  of  rivalry 
existed  between  the  East  and  West  hills,  but  soon  the  good  natnred 
spirit  of  supremacy  was  transferred  to  other  points,  with  Marcellus  vil- 
lage in  the  lead.  The  East  and  West  hills,  situated  on  either  side  of 
Nine  Mile  Creek  and  the  site  of  the  present  village,  were  early  the 
most  desirable  places  for  homes,  affording  freedom  from  the  miasmic 
influences  of  the  lowlands,  while  the  soil  was  more  easily  fitted  for  cul- 
tivation. The  settlers  already  mentioned,  as  well  as  those  who  came 
in  during  the  next  decade  or  two,  were  men  of  character,  indviduality 
and  thrift,  and  left  their  impress  on  the  subsequent  growth  of  the  town. 
Many  of  the  pioneers  were  possessed  of  considerable  means,  and  paid 
for  their  farms,  resulting  in  a  healthy  financial  community.     They  were 


636  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

largely  from  Massachusetts,  Connecticut  and  Vermont,  and  very  early 
gave  practical  attention  to  education  and  religion  and  the  training  of 
their  children  in  moral  and  intellectual  pursuits. 

During  the  winter  of  1795-96  Judge  Bradley  and  Deacon  Rice  erected 
a  saw  mill — the  first  mill  of  any  description  in  town — on  the  same  side 
of  Nine  Mile  Creek  and  a  little  south  of  the  ruins  of  the  old  stone  mill 
in  Marcellus  village.  When  the  frame  was  raised  the  county  was 
scoured  for  miles  around  for  help  sufficient  for  the  task.  It  was  about 
this  time  that  Col.  Bigelow  Lawrence  became  an  actual  settler,  following 
two  or  three  of  his  sons,  previously  mentioned,  and  locating  on  the 
West  hill,  where  J.  D.  Share  now  lives.  He  came  from  Shaftsbury, 
Yt.,  and  was  a  man  of  prominence  and  considerable  influence.  He  had 
eight  sons:  Joab,  Peter,  Rufus,  and  Levi,  who  located  on  the  East  hill, 
and  Calvin,  Bigelow,  jr.,  Dorastus,  and  Jephtha,  who  settled  on  the 
West  hill,  all  within  sight  of  one  another.  At  this  period  the  village 
was  called  Nine  Mile  Creek,  but  very  soon  after  the  establishment  of 
the  post-office  in  1799  the  name  was  changed  to  Marcellus.  Col.  Law- 
rence owned  upwards  of  1,000  acres  on  the  two  hills,  yet  at  the  present 
time  not  an  acre  is  held  in  the  family  name.  Former  writers  have 
stated  that  his  daughter,  Miss  Asenath  Lawrence,  taught  the  first 
school  in  Marcellus,  in  the  summer  of  1796,  in  a  log  house,  and  that 
also  was  followed  during  the  next  two  winters  by  Judge  Bradley,  the 
first  male  teacher,  who  generously  volunteered  his  services.  Dr.  Par- 
sons, however,  reverses  the  order  of  these  pioneer  educators,  giving 
the  chief  honor  to  Judge  Bradley,  which  is  probably  correct,  as  the 
latter  was  the  earliest  and  long  the  foremost  promoter  and  supporter 
of  education  in  Marcellus. 

The  first  death  in  town  was  that  of  a  traveler  from  Saratoga  county, 
named  Jones,  aged  twenty-one,  which  occurred  in  May  or  June,  1797, 
at  the  tavern  of  Deacon  Rice.  His  remains  were  buried  on  the  lot  now 
occupied  by  the  residence  of  Isaac  Bradley,  which  was  the  first  place 
selected  for  public  burials,  and  where  about  twenty  pers6ns  were  sub- 
sequently interred.  It  was  abandoned  as  a  burying  ground  about  1804 
and  the  bodies  were  removed  to  a  new  site. 

Soon  after  1798  Valentine  Rathbone  became  a  settler  of  the  town. 
He  was  born  in  Stonington,  Conn.,  December  23,  1724,  located  in  Pitts- 
field,  Mass.,  in  1768,  and  as  local  preacher  formed  a  Baptist  church 
there  in  1772.  In  1776  he  was  elected  a  delegate  to  the  General  Court 
and  member  of  the  Council  of  Safety,  and  during  the  Revolution  was 


THE  TOWN  OF  MARCELLUS.  637 

prominent  in  affairs  of  state.  In  1802  he  purchased  300  acres,  including 
lot  54,  in  Marcellus,  and  died  there  in  February,  1814,  leaving  three 
sons,   Saxton,    Benjamin  and  James. 

Major  Martin  Cossit,  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  settled  in  the  village  in 
1798.  In  March,  1799,  the  settlement  of  Thorn  Hill  was  commenced 
by  David  Earll,  Eleazer  Burns,  John  Wiltsie,  and  Nathan  Turner, 
who  came  hither  from  Washington  county  on  sleighs  drawn  by  horse 
teams  and  oxen.  Mr.  Earll  died  upon  his  original  farm  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  his  son,  William,  who,  upon  his  death,  was  followed  bv  his 
son,  Shepard.  This  is  one  of  the  very  few  instances  in  Marcellus  of 
perpetuity  of  title  and  actual  residence.  Thorn  Hill,  situated  in  the 
southwest  corner  of  the  town,  was  named  from  Obadiah  Thorn,  a  later 
comer,  who  was  instrumental  in  establishing  the  post-office  and  mail 
route,  and  who  was  for  many  years  a  highly  respected  citizen  and 
widely  known  as  an  extensive  wool  buyer.  He  subsequently  removed 
to  the  Baldwin  farm,  near  Skaneateles. 

As  early  as  1800  Samuel  Wheadon  became  the  first  settler  on  South 
hill,  on  a  portion  of  the  farm  subsequently  owned  by  James  Merrill 
and  now  occupied  by  Andrew  Merrill.  In  the  same  neighborhood 
Deacon  Josiah  Frost  located  on  the  Armstrong  place,  Philo  Godard  on 
the  John  McNally  farm,  Enoch  Cowles  on  the  Woodford  place,  and 
Nathan  Healy  on  the  Wylie  homestead,  all  in  a  very  early  day.  Among 
other  pioneers  were  Nathan  Kelsey  and  Thomas  Miller  on  the  West 
hill,  and  Caleb  Todd,  Nathaniel  Hillyer  (father  of  Chester),  Richard 
May  (great-uncle  of  R.  B.  May),  Capt.  Martin  Godard  and  nine  sons, 
Terrence  Edson,  Reuben  Dorchester  (grandfather  of  Robert  E.),  and 
William  F.  Bangs  (father  of  the  late  Dr.  Bangs)  on  the  East  hill. 
Richard  May  was  from  Rhode  Island  and  settled  where  A.  G.  Weaver 
now  resides,  and  Captain  Godard  located  on  the  Henry  Coville  place. 
Reuben  Dorchester,  who  took  up  his  residence  where  N.  B.  Crysler  now 
lives,  had  a  harness  shop  for  many  years  near  D.  F.  Mosier's  place,  and 
was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Eliakim,  who  continued  the  business  a  long 
time  and  of  whom  Thomas  Kelly,  his  successor,  learned  the  trade. 

The  earliest  settlers  in  the  northwest  corner  of  Marcellus  and  adjoin- 
ing neighborhood  were  Henry  S.  Piatt,  Solomon  S.  Steele,  Simon  Pells, 
Thomas  North,  sr.  (grandfather  of  the  late  Justus  North)  and  his 
sons,  John  Shepard  and  kindred  (from  whom  Shepard  Settlement  was 
named),  and  the  Dodge  family.  The  first  permanent  settlers  in  the 
northeast  part  of  the  town  were  James  C.  Miller  and  his  five  sons,  who 


638  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

were  soon  followed  by  Seth  Dunbar,  grandfather  of  Mrs.  C.  L.  Rich, 
and  Robert  McCullough,  who  located  where  the  Finlon  brick  house 
now  stands.  Mr.  Miller  and  four  of  his  sons  died  soon  after  of  typhus 
fever.  In  the  southwest  portion  of  the  town,  on  the  old  turnpike, 
Parley  E.  Howe,  from  Rhode  Island,  settled  on  the  John  Mulroy  place, 
where  the  present  house  was  built  by  his  son  Dean ;  Samuel  Hayes 
located  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  P.  S.  Thornton,  but  in  1806  removed 
west  and  was  succeeded  by  Dr.  Elisha  Chapman,  father  of  Lincoln  and 
Simeon  B.  Chapman;  %and  William  and  Job  Tyler  were  early  comers. 
In  the  Henry  Armstrong-  district,  south  of  the  village,  Capt.  Russell 
Taylor  and  Messrs.  Whitney  and  Burnett  were  pioneers.  In  this  con- 
nection it  is  a  noteworthy  fact  that  of  the  families  of  Capt.  Martin 
Godard,  Deacon  Samuel  Rice,  and  Martin  Cossit  no  representatives 
remain  in  town.  Isaac  Mills,  father  of  Timothy,  came  from  Stillwater, 
N.  Y.,  in  May,  1803,  and  settled  on  lot  61. 

During  the  decade  following  the  years  1796  and  1797  the  territory 
filled  up  rapidly  with  a  class  of  sturdy  settlers.  At  the  fourth  annual 
session  of  the  Onondaga  Board  of  Supervisors,  which  convened  on  May 
30,  1797,  at  the  house  of  John  Richardson,  in  the  village  of  Auburn,  to 
canvass  the  votes  for  members  of  assembly,  resulting  in  certificates 
being  given  to  Comfort  Tyler,  of  Manlius,  and  Silas  Halsey,  of  Ovid,  it 
was  found  that  Marcellus  had  cast  seventy-eight  for  the  former  and 
sixty-five  for  the  latter.  This  is  the  first  canvass  on  record  authenti- 
cating the  election  of  assemblymen  from  Onondaga  county,  and  after 
finishing  its  work  the  board  adjourned  to  the  house  of  Moses  Carpenter 
in  Camillus,  about  one  mile  east  of  Elbridge,  on  August  14.  Mr.  Car- 
penter was  at  this  time  county  treasurer  and  Samuel  Tyler  supervisor 
from  Marcellus.  The  first  town  meeting  was  held  at  Mr.  Carpenter's 
house,  as  were  also  the  meetings  of  1795  and  1796,  but  in  the  latter  year 
the  voters  of  Marcellus,  knowing  they  outnumbered  those  in  Camillus, 
rallied  their  forces  and  carried  the  next  public  gathering  to  the  inn  of 
Deacon  Rice  in  the  spring  of  1797.  Unfortunately  the  town  records 
prior  to  1830  were  destroyed,  probably  by  fire,  which  as  near  as  can 
be  ascertained,  burned  a  store  building  on  the  site  of  the  present  Sara 
store  about  1829  or  1830,  and  it  is  impossible,  therefore,  to  give  but 
little  of  the  earlier  officers  and  proceedings.  It  is  learned,  however, 
that  William  Stevens  was  supervisor  of  Marcellus  in  1794,  1795,  and 
L796,  Samuel  Tyler  in  1797,  and  Winston  Day  in  1798. 

Previous  to  1800  the  settlers  were  compelled  to  go  to  Manlius,  twenty 


THE  TOWN  OF  MARCELLUS.  639 

miles,  or  to  Seneca  Falls,  twenty-five  miles,  to  a  grist  mill,  a  hardship 
which  ceased  in  that  year  by  the  erection  of  a  rude  grinding  mill  near 
the  Bradley  and  Rice  saw  mill  by  Major  May  and  his  father  in-law,  Mr. 
Sayles.  It  was  the  first  grist  mill  built  in  this  section,  and  for  several 
years  did  all  the  custom  grinding  for  a  considerable  territory.  Neither 
of  these  sites  is  now  occupied. 

During  all  this  period  immigrants  came  in  and  travel  was  maintained 
principally  over  the  great  Indian  trail  which  extended  east  and  west 
through  Marcellus  village,  and  which  soon  afterwards  became  the 
famous  Seneca  turnpike.  Stages  ran  over  this  route  as  early  as  1797, 
and  a  little  later  the  State  commenced  improving  it.  In  1800  the  Seneca 
Road  Company  was  first  chartered  and  the  highway  was  graduallv  im- 
proved down  to  about  1810.  At  an  early  date  the  Skaneateles  and  Ham- 
ilton turnpike,  intersecting  the  Seneca  thoroughfare  at  Skaneateles 
village,  passing  the  foot  of  Otisco  Lake,  and  running  thence  south- 
eastwardly,  was  opened.  This  gave  existence  to  the  present  hamlet 
of  Clintonville,  which  was  formerly  quite  a  busy  place,  consisting  of  a 
post-office  and  a  few  country  establishments.  The  office,  however,  was 
discontinued  soon  after  18o6.  One  of  the  earliest  roads  ran  north  and 
south  along  Nine  Mile  Creek.  In  the  town  clerk's  office  is  a  book  con- 
taining the  "Boundaries  of  Highway  Districts  in  the  town  of  Marcel- 
lus as  established  by  Bildad  Beach,  Richard  Robinson,  and  Samuel 
Smith,  commissioners  of  highways  in  said  town,  1830."  It  describes 
thirty-five  road  districts,  and  among  the  names  attached  to  the  various 
surveys  are  Orlando  Beach,  Warne  H.  Welch,  Philo  Godard,  Silas 
Crane,  Edmund  Lawrence,  Josiah  Welch,  Ira  Bishop,  Schuyler  Moore, 
Zebina  Moses,  John  Wiltsie  2d,  L.  Mason,  Simeon  B.  Chapman,  and 
Apollos  Gilbert.  It  also  contains  the  road  surveys  from  that  time  to 
the  present.     There  are  now  forty-nine  road  districts  in  the  town. 

In  the  days  of  stages  Marcellus  village  was  the  scene  of  constant  ac- 
tivity. Two  coaches  and  sometimes  more  were  run  each  war  every 
day,  fare  five  cents  a  mile,  and  the  most  noted  magnates  among  the 
proprietors  were  Isaac  Sherwood  and  his  son,  John  Milton  Sherwood 
(his  successor),  of  Skaneateles.  Of  the  old-time  drivers  Adolphus 
Newton,  who  began  driving  in  1819,  is  perhaps  the  best  remembered. 
The  memorable  stage  period  entirely  ceased  herein  December,  L838, 
when  the  Syracuse  and  Auburn  Railroad  was  opened.  The  favorite 
mode  of  travel  for  the  masses  was  on  horseback,  and  many  were  the 
long  journeys  the   incoming  settlers   made.      Mrs.  Cody,  grandmother 


640  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

of  Hiram  Reed,  came  all  the  way  from  Massachusetts  alone  in  this 
manner  about  1800,  and  finally  purchased  640  acres  immediately  north- 
east of  Clintonville. 

As  early  as  1801  measures  were  taken  to  establish  regular  religious 
services  in  town,  and  for  several  years  Skaneateles  and  Marcellus 
united  in  maintaining  stated  worship.  The  first  settlers  were  mainly 
adherents  of  the  Congregational  and  Presbyterian  faiths,  and  in  1800 
enjoyed  the  missionary  labors  of  Rev.  Seth  Williston.  Later,  Rev. 
Caleb  Alexander  came,  and  on  October  13,  1801,  officiated  in  organiz- 
ing the  "Church  of  Christ."  On  May  4,  1802,  the  "Eastern  Religious 
Society  of  Marcellus"  was  formed  with  Dan  Bradley,  Martin  Cossit, 
James  C.  Miller,  Martin  Goddard,  Nathan  Kelsey,  and  Thomas  North, 
trustees.  Among  the  other  original  members  were  Asahel,  Mary, 
Lucy,  and  Hannah  North,  Thomas  North,  jr.,  Sarah  Miller,  Eunice 
Bradley,  Caleb  Todd,  Samuel  and  Hannah  Rice,  Olive  Cossit,  Samuel 
and  Phebe  Wheadon,  and  Thomas  Cathcart.  Mr.  Miller  was  the  first 
clerk  and  served  for  five  years,  dying  in  March,  1807.  The  first  regu- 
lar services  were  held  in  the  tavern  of  Deacon  Rice.  In  1803  a  church 
edifice  was  erected,  the  first  in  Onondaga  county,  and  at  that  time 
"the  only  meeting  house  between  New  Hartford,  Oneida  county,  and 
the  Pacific  Ocean."  It  cost  $1,500,  and  in  1814  was  enlarged  at  an 
expense  of  $4,500.  In  1851  it  was  torn  down,  and  on  October  13  of 
that  year  a  new  structure  was  dedicated  on  the  original  site.  This  lat- 
ter edifice  is  still  standing,  having  been  last  repaired  in  1893.  The  first 
settled  pastor  of  this  church,  and  the  second  in  this  whole  region  (Pom- 
pey  having  one  a  little  earlier),  was  Rev.  Levi  Parsons,1  father  of  the 
respected  Dr.  Israel  Parsons,  of  Marcellus.  Rev.  John  Tompkins,  the 
next  pastor  served  from  August,  1841,  to  August,  1866,  when  he  died. 
Rev.  William  Sheldon  Franklin  was  pastor  three  years,  then  Rev. 
Dwight  Scovel  from  1871  to  1880,  and  Rev.  A.  H.  Cameron,  incumbent, 
since  October,  1887.  In  this  year,  while  Rev.  Alexander  McA.  Thorburn 
was  ministering  to  the  society,  the  church  perfected  its  present  Pres- 

1  Rev.  Mr.  Parson's  was  burn  in  Northampton,  Mass.,  August  20,  1779,  was  graduated  from 
Williams  College  in  1801,  taught  in  the  Academy  at  Cornwall,  Conn.,  and  at  his  alma  mater,  stud- 
ied theology  under  Rev.  Dr.  Hyde,  of  Lee,  Mass.,  and  was  licensed  to  preach  at  Stockbridge  in 
1806      He  was  ordained  pastor  of  this  church  September  16,  1807.    He  married  Almira,  daughter 

i      n  on  Samuel  Rice,  October  9,  1809,  and  continued  his  pastorate  here,  except  two  years  (1833 

and   1884),  until  1841.    The  remainder  of  his  ministry  was  spent  at  Tully,  Otisco,  Borodino,  and 

the  State  road.     He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  Auburn  Seminary,  and  continually  a  member  of 

i   trustees  until  his  death  November  30,  1864,    He  was  also  a  school  inspector  for  the 

town  many  J 


THE  TOWN  OF  MARCELLUS.  641 

byterian  form  of  government  by  the  election  of  Lauren  Beach,  W.  [. 
Meachan,  Dr.  Israel  Parsons,  A.  H.  Armstrong",  J.  A.  Merrill,  and  Will- 
iam Russell,  ruling-  elders. 

Soon  after  1800  the  Seneca  turnpike,  previously  mentioned,  wasJirst 
laid  out  through  Marcellus.  This  important  thoroughfare  was  really 
obtained  for  a  "mess  of  pottage."  The  commissioners  had  passed 
westward  through  Camillus  without  exciting  any  special  interest,  but 
upon  their  return  the  people  of  this  town  tendered  them  a  sumptu- 
ous dinner,  together  with  an  ovation,  which  resulted  in  locating  the 
route  here.  Another  incident,  however,  proved  disastrous  to  the 
village.  The  officials  were  laying  the  road  out  eastwardly  through  the 
valley,  where  it  should  have  gone,  when  a  colonel,  living  back  on  the 
hill  three  miles  east  of  Marcellus,  graciously  saluted  them,  invited  them 
to  dinner,  and  expressed  a  desire  that  the  turnpike  run  nearer  his 
residence.  Milo  Hickok  stated  that  a  barrel  of  whisky  and  thirty  days' 
work  were  also  given.  The  route  was  altered  as  desired,  and  for  years 
teams  were  driven  over  probably  the  highest  elevation  along  the  entire 
route. 

In  1801  Lemuel  Johnson  succeeded  Dr.  Elnathan  Beach  as  a  mer- 
chant at  Marcellus  and  erected  a  new  store,  which  was  subsequently 
occupied  by  Guy  Humphrey,  who  conducted  business  until  his  death 
in  1807,  when  he  was  followed  by  William  Goodwin,  father  of  Miles. 
This  building  was  afterward  converted  into  a  dwelling,  was  sub- 
sequently enlarged,  and  is  now  occupied  as  a  dwelling  and  hardware 
store  by  Sidney  Slocomb.  Samuel  Bishop  opened  the  first  law  office  in 
town  in  1801  and  B.  Davis  Noxon  the  second  in  1808.  In  180G  the 
village  contained  nine  dwellings.  In  the  fall  of  that  year  settlement 
was  commenced  at  what  is  now  Marcellus  Falls,  then  and  for  several 
years  called  "  Union  Village,"  and  from  this  time  onward  manufactur- 
ing formed  an  important  and  at  times  the  leading  industry  of  the  town. 
A  sketch  of  the  various  concerns  is  best  given  by  following  the  stream 
from  its  source  to  the  northern  limits  of  the  territory  under  considera- 
tion. 

Nine  Mile  Creek  has  always  afforded  many  of  the  principal  water 
powers  of  the  county,  and  from  first  to  last  no  less  than  twenty-five 
mill  sites  along  the  banks  have  been  profitably  utilized.  At  the  present 
time  there  are  in  operation,  or  capable  of  being  operated,  about  fifteen 
mills  and  factories;  in  1823  there  were  nineteen  mills  and  one  furnace; 
thirteen  years  later  (1836)  the  town  contained  jdiree  grist  mills,  ten  saw 
81 


642  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

mills,  two  fulling  mills,  two  carding  machines,  two  woolen  factories, 
one  iron  works,  a  distillery,  an  ashery,  and  three  tanneries. 

The  roller  flouring  mill  of  Rathbun  Brothers,  at  Marietta,  at  the 
head  of  Nine  Mile  Creek,  was  originally  built  by  L ester  Mills  over 
forty  years  ago,  and  was  transformed  into  a  roller  mill  by  F.  A. 
Rathbun.  Near  it  S.  Dady  and  a  Mr.  Beebe  erected  a  saw  mill  in  1861, 
which  is  now  used  as  a  shed.  The  settlement  which  had  congregated 
in  this  neighborhood,  together  with  the  natural  advantages  of  the 
place,  gave  existence  not  only  to  these  mills  but  to  a  few  other  business 
establishments,  a  post-office,  etc.  Further  down  are  the  saw  and  feed 
mill  of  William  Nightingale,  the  saw  and  cider  mill  lately  operated  by 
Henry  Cornwall,  and  the  flax  mill — the  only  one  of  the  kind  in  town — 
of  William  Russell,  which  was  originally  a  saw  mill.  The  feed  and 
cider  mill  of  William  Nightingale,  jr.,  occupies  the  site  on  which  Lincoln 
Chapman  and  Walter  Bradley  early  built  and  for  many  years  conducted 
a  large  tannery,  which  was  latterly  continued  by  Mr.  Chapman  until  it 
burned. 

In  Marcellus  the  first  saw  mill  and  grist  mill  have  already  been 
noticed.  For  a  few  years  Charles  Hopper  conducted  a  furniture  factory 
in  the  building  now  used  by  Gallup  Brothers  as  a  teasel  warehouse. 
On  the  opposite  side  of  the  stream  Robert  Baker  has  a  saw  and  feed 
mill.  The  old  stone  grist  mill,  now  in  ruins,  was  built  by  Edward 
Talbot  and  Joseph  Taylor  in  1827-28,  and  at  that  time  was  one  of  the 
finest  structures  in  the  place.  They  were  succeeded  by  Edward  Talbot, 
father  in-law  of  Newton  G.  Case,  who  sold  it  to  Beach  Brothers,  of 
Rochester,  but  soon  took  it  back.  Several  proprietors  followed,  one 
being  N.  R.  Shepard.  It  was  burned  in  May,  1889.  On  the  east  side 
of  the  stream,  below  the  bridge,  Daniel  Hutchinson  had  a  distillery  at  an 
early  day,  and  on  the  same  side  John  R.  Kellogg  later  built  a  larger  one. 
On  the  west  side  was  another  distillery,  and  also  a  brewery  operated  by 
William  Meachan,  and  here  Isaac  Benham  was  the  principal  manager 
for  many  years. 

The  first  establishment  erected  on  the  site  of  the  upper  Marcellus  or 
Cn.wn  Woolen  mill  was  built  by  Robert  and  Thomas  Dyer  about  1812. 
They  made  woolens  and  carded  and  dressed  cloth,  and  four  years  later 
sold  to  John  Rhodes  (father  of  Thomas)  1  and  Bishop  N.  Parsons. 
Afterwards    it  was   owned  by  Samuel   Godard,   Austin  Godard,  Ansel 

1  Thoma  Rhodes,  Eourth  son  of  John  and  Hester  (Jackson)  Rhodes,  was  born  in  Cambridge, 
X.  Y.,  February  i,  1807,  came  to  this  town  with  his  parents  in  1816,  ami  died  April -i,  1895. 


THE  TOWN  OF  MARCELLUS.  643 

Kellogg,  William  J.  Meachan, 1  Joseph  Taylor,  and  Meachan  &  Parsons, 
in  whose  possession  it  was  burned  in  1847.  Mr.  Meachan  rebuilt  the 
brick  or  west  part  of  the  present  structure  in  1848.  It  was  finally 
purchased  by  a  company  and  converted  into  a  linen  factory,  which 
proved  a  failure,  and  in  1855  it  passed  to  Chester  Moses,  who  turned 
it  back  into  a  woolen  mill.  He  died  May  13,  1870,  and  Moses  &  Co., 
and  later  Lucius  Moses,  conducted  the  establishment.  In  1886  the 
Marcellus  Woolen  Mills  Company  was  incorporated,  with  Lucius  Moses, 
president;  Howard  Soule,  vice-president;  Joseph  Willetts,  secretary ; 
and  G.  N.  Case,  treasurer.  In  1890  they  sold  to  the  Crown  Mills  Com- 
pany, of  which  S.  W.  Barker  is  president;  Lucius  Moses,  vice-president: 
and  Arthur  T.  Sullivan,  treasurer.  This  mill  consumes  about  400,000 
pounds  of  wool  annually  and  employs  from  seventy-five  to  100  hands. 
It  was  enlarged  in  1895.  On  the  site  of  the  lower  Crown  Mill  was  an 
early  saw  mill  built  by  a  Mr.  Deming,  which  passed  successively  to 
Myron  L.  Mills,  Jesse  Harroun,  and  Deacon  Lauren  Beach,  who  carried 
on  an  extensive  lumber  business,  and  who,  about  1847,  erected  the 
present  Cobb  dwelling.  The  mill  subsequently  passed  to  Joel  Dunbar, 
and  was  finally  washed  away.  In  1877  J.  C.  Sayre  purchased  the  site 
and  the  next  year  J.  C.  Sayre  &  Co.  erected  the  present  mill,  which 
was  started  in  1880.  On  May  17,  1881,  it  was  sold  on  assignment  to 
James  Fitten  for  $24,000,  but  he  surrendered  his  purchase,  and  it  soon 
passed  to  S.  W.  Barker  for  $16,000.  Through  him  the  Crown  Mills 
Company  was  organized,  the  first  superintendent  being  Robert  Waugh, 
who  died  in  1883.  In  January,  1884,  Edward  Moir,  the  present 
efficient  superintendent,  assumed  charge,  and  since  then  the  plant  has 
been  materially  enlarged,  its  annual  consumption  aggregating  about 
550,000  pounds  of  wool.  These  two  mills  constitute  the  principal  life 
of  the  village. 

The  site  now  occupied  by  the  Marcellus  Powder  Company  was  first 
utilized  about  1825  by  a  linseed  oil  mill,  which  was  owned  by  John, 
Seba,  and  David  Bonta,  brothers.  A  little  later  it  was  converted  into 
a  distillery  by  David  Bonta  and  Myron  L.  Mills,  and  soon  afterward  it 
passed  to  Arthur  Meachan,  who  failed.  The  late  William  J.  Meachan 
then  conducted  it  as  agent.      In  May,  1841,  Daniel  G.  Coon-  came  here 

1  William  J.  Meachan,  a  native  of  Marcellus  village,  was  a  lifelong  resident,  ami  died  July  22, 
1892,  aged  eighty-five.  He  was  trustee  of  the  Presbyterian  church  about  thirty-five  years  and  served 
as  assemblyman  in  1855. 

2  Daniel  G.  Coon,  youngest  of  eleven  children,  was  born  in  Hounsfield,  X.  \\,  September  5, 
1814,  came  to  Mottville  in  1841,  and  died  in  Marcellus,  March  4,  1893. 


644  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

from  Jefferson  county,  N.Y.,  moved  his  family  into  what  is  now  a  part 
of  the  powder  office,  and  finally,  with  John  D.  Horton  and  William  B. 
Olney  (as  Norton,  Coon  &  Olney),  leased  and  later  bought  the  prop- 
erty. They  kept  large  numbers  of  stock,  and  in  one  year  lost  500  hogs 
from  cholera.  In  1853  Mr.  Coon  purchased  the  place  where  his  family 
now  live,  and  where  he  died.  The  property  was  sold  to  John  F.  Jones, 
who  converted  it  into  a  paper  mill  machine  shop,  and  it  afterward 
burned.  April  30,  1875,  it  was  sold  at  auction  to  Joel  G.  Northrup, 
who  in  1887  erected  some  of  the  present  buildings  and  made  some 
powder.  In  1879  John  D.  Griswold  leased  and  two  years  later  bought 
it,  and  in  1881  sold  it  to  the  Marcellus  Powder  Company.  In  the  fall 
of  that  year  the  Duponts  purchased  Mr.  Griswold's  interest  and  a  little 
later  became  sole  owners.  Thanksgiving  day,  1879,  quite  an  explosion 
occurred,  and  afterward  some  of  the  buildings  were  burned.  The 
capacity  is  two  tons  of  powder  daily,  but  for  the  past  fifteen  years  the 
plant  has  been  operated  only  part  of  the  time.  H.  P.  Tefft  has  served 
as  resident  superintendent  since  December  15,  1881.  This  is  the  ship- 
ping station  for  powder  for  Central  New  York. 

On  the  site  of  the  Sherman  mill  the  first  powder  mill  on  the  creek 
was  built  by  Jeptha  Cossit  about  1812,  and  it  is  claimed  that  some  of 
the  powder  used  in  the  war  with  Great  Britain  was  made  here.  After- 
ward it  was  converted  into  a  linseed  oil  mill,  which  was  owned  at  one 
time  by  John  Herring,  who  sold  to  Robert  F.  Vantine  and  John  Rey- 
nolds, who  erected  the  present  main  building  for  a  grist  mill,  the  tim- 
ber of  which  was  hewed  by  John  Steele,  father  of  Henry,  who  came 
to  Marcellus  in  1819.  They  also  put  in  a  threshing  machine.  Finally 
it  was  made  over  into  a  paper  mill  by  Absalom  Herring,  who  sold  to 
George  W.  Ryan,  who  is  said  to  have  made  the  paper  on  which  the 
Mormon  Bible  was  printed.  The  next  owner  was  Plato  B.  Moore,  who 
in  1865  sold  to  Isaac  N.  and  Lorenzo  D.  Sherman.  S.  D.  Tompkins 
acquired  a  half  interest,  and  the  capacity  was  doubled.  Sherman 
Brothers  continued  it  successfully  from  about  1870  till  the  death  of 
Lorenzo  D.  in  September,  1893,  since  when  Isaac  N.  has  been  pro- 
prietor.    The  capacity  is  about  two  and  a  half  tons  of  paper  daily. 

North  of  this  is  what  is  called  the  old  boarding  house,  and  near  it  is 
a  storehouse.  These  were  built  about  1833  by  Philip  L.  Smith  of 
Amber,  for  a  clock  factory,  and  formerly  stood  on  the  east  side  of  the 
load,  nearly  opposite  the  brick  mill.      His  log  dam  was  constructed  by 


Cl-i^ 


THE  TOWN  OF  MARCELLUS.  645 

the  late  Stephen  Cobb  several  rods  above  the  present  dam,  and  he  did 
a  prosperous  business  manufacturing  wooden  and  brass  clocks  and 
metal  and  horn  buttons,  until  the  panic  of  1837  wrought  his  failure. 
On  the  building  was  a  great  belfry  and  a  large  bell,  which  in  size  and 
power  rivaled  anything  of  the  kind  for  miles  around,  and  during  the 
interim  when  the  building  was  unused  the  bell  mysteriously  disappeared. 
In  1852  George  Reed  and  Sanford  Dalliba  erected  a  brick  paper  mill 
and  a  new  dam,  and  the  next  year  N.  G.  Case  joined  the  firm  as  George 
Reed  &  Co.  They  manufactured  white  print  and  book  paper,  and  the 
establishment  was  considered  one  of  the  best  paper  mills  in  the  State, 
supplying  many  of  the  leading  dailies  of  the  country.  In  1854  the  firm 
became  Reed  &  Case,  and  about  this  time  the  old  clock  factory  was 
cut  in  two  and  removed.  About  1861  the  mill  was  purchased  by  Ben- 
jamin H.  Culver,  who  put  in  machinery  to  bleach  straw  for  manufac- 
turing print  paper,  a  new  process  at  that  time.  He  also  made  wall 
paper  and  colored  wrapping  paper,  and  finally  sold  to  John  F.  Jones. 
In  1874  it  was  purchased  by  Lawless  &  Tierney,  the  present  proprie- 
tors, who  gave  it  the  name  of  Eagle  Mill.  Its  capacity  is  from  three  to 
four  tons  of  heavy  paper  per  day. 

On  the  Herring  mill  site,  nearly  opposite  T.  J.  Herring's  dwelling, 
was  built  the  first  paper  mill  on  Nine  Mile  Creek  and  one  of  the  earliest 
in  the  State.  It  was  probably  erected  by  a  Mr.  Cone  in  1806.  In  1816 
John  Herring1  arrived  from  Rutland,  Vt.,  and  purchased  it  of  Simeon 
Chapman,  and  for  many  years  it  was  an  interesting  landmark.  Writing, 
print,  and  wrapping  paper  was  made  here  by  hand  from  rags  sorted  on 
the  premises.  In  1832  the  first  machine  on  the  stream  was  placed  in 
this  mill  by  G.  W.  Ryan,  and  on  February  4,  1852,  it  was  burned,  to- 
gether with  Anson  Tinkham's  old  tavern.  The  site  passed  to  John  F. 
Jones,  who  in  1874  built  the  walls  now  standing,  with  the  view  of 
erecting  another  paper  mill.  The  work  never  got  beyond  the  founda- 
tion. 

About  1808  a  crude  saw  mill  was  erected  on  the  site  of  the  present 
flouring  mills  at  Marcellus  Falls,  and  among  its  early  proprietors  were 
Dr.  Bildad  Beach  and  Henry  S.  Piatt.  In  1824  the  first  grist  mill  here 
was  built  by  Silas  Crane  and  Joseph  Piatt,  under  John  Reynolds  as 
boss  carpenter  and  millwright.     Composed  of  heavy  rock-elm  timbers, 

1  John  Herring-  was  born  in  Roxbury,  Mass.,  July  ■-'1,  1778,  and  died  July  •■.'(),  1862.  of  his  eight 
children,  Thomas  Jefferson  Herring  was  born  here  in  1822. 


646  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

its  frame  was  a  huge  affair,  and  when  ready  for  raising  a  man,  stand- 
ing on  the  north  plate  with  bottle  in  hand,  cried  out : 

"  This  is  a  good  frame. 
And  deserves  a  good  name, 
And  what  shall  I  call  it  ?" 

A  wag  responded:  "The  Pride  of  Algiers"  ("Algiers"  was  then  a 
nickname  for  the  place),  and  such  it  was  christened.  Tradition  has  it 
that  Erastus  Lawrence  stood  on  his  head  on  the  ridge-pole,  and  that 
Crane  &  Piatt,  having  cows,  sent  their  men  for  the  milk  and  also  for  a 
quantity  of  whisky,  and  making  milk  punch  gave  the  crowd  a  jolly 
time.  Later  owners  of  this  mill  were  Zerah  Shepard,  Sandford  C. 
Parker,  George  Talbot,  Leonard  Mason  &  Co.,  Osmond  &  Gibbs,  Reu- 
ben Parsons,  Elijah  Weston,  Deacon  Isaac  Hill,  Joel  Lee,  William  Os- 
mond, Samuel  Gilley,  Goodell  &  Hibbard,  William  F.  Gere,  Fisher  & 
Burnett,  John  F.  Jones,  and  Johnson  &  Doe.  It  was  burned  Novem- 
ber 5,  1877,  with  Truman  Eggleston's  blacksmith  and  machine  shop,  a 
woolen  factory,  and  the  Hiram  Eggleston  dwelling.  The  mill  was  re- 
built by  Byron  C.  Johnson,  was  remodeled  at  a  cost  of  $10,000  in  1881, 
and  since  then  has  had  several  proprietors,  prominent  among  them 
being  H.  C.  Smith  &  Co.  Its  capacity  is  200  barrels  of  flour  every 
twenty-four  hours. 

Near  here  a  grist  mill  was  built  about  1810,  and  among  its  early  owners 
were  Henry  S.  Piatt,  his  son  Joseph,  and  Silas  Crane.  About  1820  a 
distillery  existed  in  the  basement,  and  was  subsequently  operated  by 
Isaac  Benham  and  Arthur  Meachan.  Large  numbers  of  hogs  were 
always  kept  around  these  distilleries,  and  many  an  interesting  tale  is 
told  of  this  place.  The  refuse  sometimes  contained  alcohol  and  acci- 
dentally liquor  would  escape  into  the  yard,  and  on  such  occasions  the 
swine  would  get  ridiculously  drunk,  affording  amusement  to  crowds  of 
people.  The  mill  and  distillery  were  burned  in  1829  under  the  owner- 
ship of  Zerah  Shepard  and  Joseph  Piatt,  and  about  1831  a  saw  mill  was 
erected  on  the  site  by  Wiard  &  Sands,  which  did  an  extensive  business. 
Soon  after  the  fire  Salmon  C.  Norton  built  a  two- story  machine  shop 
where  the  old  walls  now  stand,  near  the  bridge,  and  made  washing 
machines,  etc.,  for  a  few  years.  Near  this  was  a  small  pocket  furnace. 
The  machine  shop  and  saw  mill  finally  passed  to  Jonathan  Eggleston, 
who,  with  his  sons,  Albert,  Truman,  and  Hiram,  successfully  continued 
thenr  for  some  time.  He  rebuilt  the  saw  mill  and  added  a  blacksmith 
shop  to  his  machine  establishment.   The  sawmill  was  burned  July  5,  1861, 


THE  TOWN  OF  MARCELLUS.  647 

and  on  the  site  he  erected  another  machine  shop,  into  which  he  put  a 
planing  mill,  forge,  turning  lathes,  etc.,  manufacturing  lath,  bedsteads, 
straw  cutters,  and  rolls  for  the  salt  works.  Roth  shops  were  destroyed 
by  fire  in  1874.  He  rebuilt  the  first  machine  shop,  and  carried  on  busi- 
ness until  1880,  when  he  was  again  burned  out. 

On  the  barley  mill  site  was  originally  a  tannery,  shoe  shop,  and  bark 
mill,  which  was  built  by  Henry  S.  Piatt  about  1817,  and  which  was 
afterward  conducted  by  Henry  S.  Piatt,  jr.,  and  Piatt  &  Botsford. 
About  1821  the  upper  part  of  the  building  was  converted  into  a  carding 
and  cloth-dressing  mill,  and  later  Mr.  Piatt  and  John  Rhodes  manufac- 
tured cloth  until  182G,  when  the  latter  died,  aged  sixty-six.  Subse- 
quent proprietors  were  William  Rhodes  and  Casper  C.  West,  Thomas 
Rhodes,  Robert  Rhodes,  James  Edes,  and  Robert  Rhodes  alone  until 
his  death  in  1855.  Later  came  William  Brown,  and  still  later  William 
J.  Bright,  under  whom  it  was  burned  about  I860.  He  rebuilt  the  plant 
and  made  also  knit  goods,  army  socks,  etc.,  and  built  a  shoddy  picker 
near  the  saw  mill  site.  After  the  machinery  was  taken  out  the  prop- 
erty passed  to  John  F.  Jones,  who  converted  it  into  a  paper  mill.  It 
was  burned  in  1874  and  the  site  sold  for  $400  to  B.  C.  Johnson,  who 
built  the  south  part  of  the  present  barley  mill.  His  successor,  Edward 
Johnson,  erected  the  north  part,  successfully  manufactured  pearl  bar- 
ley, and  finally  sold  to  G.  L.  Wells  for  $13,000.  The  mill  was  enlarged, 
a  new  raceway  constructed,  and  vSmith  &  Wells  continued  the  business 
until  their  failure  in  1892,  their  sales  running  as  high  as  $50,000  annu- 
ally. Below  this  and  the  bridge,  near  the  west  bank  of  the  stream, 
was  one  of  the  pioneer  cloth-dressing  and  carding  establishments  in 
this  section.  It  was  built  about  1812,  and  was  operated  for  several 
years  by  Maj.  Lyman  Cook.  A  dam  was  constructed  just  below  the 
wooden  bridge,  and  after  the  mill  was  abandoned  its  timbers  were  put 
into  the  dwelling  house  on  the  hill. 

Where  the  Phoenix  paper  mill  now  stands  was  first  built  a  mill  for  saw- 
ing stone  by  a  Mr.  Tuttle  about  J  82S,  the  stone  being  obtained  from  Split 
, Rock.  The  mill  was  equipped  with  four  gangs  of  saws;  it  used  water 
and  sand  in  sawing,  and  cut  out  stone  door  and  window  caps,  sills, 
gravestones,  etc.,  doing  a  large  business  for  several  years.  The  Amer- 
ican Hotel  in  Jordan  and.  many  other  buildings  were  trimmed  with  the 
product  of  this  mill.  Mr.  Tuttle  was  followed  by  Isaac  Godfrey,  whose 
sons  Arnold  and  Hiram  carried  on  the  works  for  a  time.  Afterward 
Leonard  and  Merritt  Mason  enlarged  and   converted   the   building:  into 


648  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

a  distillery  and  failed  in  1842.  George  W.  Ryan  succeeded  and  made 
it  over  into  a  paper  mill,  and  soon  took  George  Reed  as  partner  until 
about  1848.  On  November  11,  1851,  it  was  burned,  but  Mr.  Ryan  re- 
built and  continued  until  about  1857,  when  he  failed.  A  freshet  sub- 
sequently undermined  the  structure,  and  it  finally  passed  to  the  Cul- 
vers, who  manufactured  straw  board  and  print  paper  from  straw,  and 
who  sold  to  John  F.  Jones.  It  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  April,  1868, 
after  which  Mr.  Jones  erected  the  buildings  which  were  burned  in  Jan- 
uary, 1895,  under  the  proprietorship  of  Michael  J.  Lawless. 

Below  this  privilege  was  formerly  a  small  wooden  bowl  factory, 
operated  by  one  Smith,  better  known  as  "Thousand  Legged"  Smith, 
from  his  very  crooked  legs.  It  was  started  before  1820,  but  soon 
ceased  business.  The  property  had  several  owners,  one  of  whom, 
Warren  S.  Walker,  built  a  dam  and  a  plaster  mill  about  185G,  procur- 
ing his  gypsum  mainly  from  Rose  Hill,  and  making  from  ten  to  fifteen 
tons  of  plaster  daily.  About  1840  he  had  a  small  lead  pipe  manufac- 
tory near  by  and  also  made  hand  rakes  and  other  wooden  ware.  About 
1845  he  erected  another  building  in  which  he  continued  to  draw  lead 
pipe  and  manufacture  cider  and  peppermint  oil.  Some  ten  years  later 
he  began  burning  lime  here.  The  plaster  mill  has  been  almost  con- 
tinuously in  the  Walker  family. 

These  manufacturing  concerns,  furnishing  employment  to  scores  of 
workmen,  and  distributing  annually  thousands  of  dollars  among  the 
inhabitants  of  the  town,  gave  existence  from  time  to  time  to  a  number 
of  other  business  establishments,  and  contributed  in  large  measure  to 
the  growth  and  development  of  every  contiguous  community.  The 
numerous  industries  carried  on  at  Marcellus  Falls,  where  the  water 
power  becomes  the  most  valuable,  early  gave  rise  to  several  interests, 
such  as  stores,  shops,  a  tavern,  post-office,  etc.  In  1835  the  place  con- 
tained about  fifteen  dwellings. 

In  1805,  or  earlier,  a  Baptist  church  was  organized  at  Thorn  Hill, 
then  known  as  South  Marcellus,  and  from  that  date  to  1816  Rev.  Elias 
Harmon  served  as  pastor.  Rev.  Jesse  B.  Worden  served  in  the  same 
capacity  from  1818  to  1835  and  was  also  a  captain  of  volunteers  during 
the  war  of  1812.  Services  were  held  in  school  houses,  etc.,  until  1816, 
when  a  meeting  house  was  built.  In  1848  the  present  structure  was 
erected  at  a  cost  of  $1,500.  The  Rev.  A.  R.  Palmer,  the  oldest  living 
Baptist  pastor  in  Onondaga  county,  was  ordained  in  the  same  year. 
Among  the  early  members   were  Amasa  Sessions,    Amasa  and  John 


THE  TOWN  OF  MARCELLUS.  649 

Kneeland,  Jesse  and  John  Manley,  Warren  Kneeland,  Chauncey  Den- 
ning, Nathan  Thompson,  and  Joshua  Chandler.  Thorn  Hill  has  been 
a  celebrated  center  of  agricultural  attainments,  and  for  many  years  fos- 
tered a  flourishing  farmer's  society,  which  held  successful  fairs.  A 
number  of  the  sons  and  daughters  of  that  section  have  acquired  promi- 
nence in  the  literary  field,  while  among  those  who  became  eminent  as 
statesmen  were  Daniel  Baxter,  Sidney  and  Lewis  Smith,  and  S.  S. 
Kneeland. 

The  reader  will  be  interested  at  this  point  in  the  following  list  of 
names  which  were  signed  to  a  contract  dated  January  27,  1807,  with 
the  view  of  securing  the  services  of  Rev.  Levi  Parsons  as  pastor  of  the 
church  in  Marcellus  village;  this  paper  is  printed  in  Dr.  Parson's  his- 
tory of  1876,  and  opposite  each  name  is  the  amount  the  subscriber 
agrees  to  pay  annually  for  the  support  of  the  gospel: 

Asahel,  Thomas,  and  Josiah  North,  Herman  and  Abram  Dodge,  Job  and  Alvin 
Barber,  Caleb  Todd,  William  Graves,  Peter  Lawrence,  Thomas  North,  jr.,  Samuel 
Rice,  Elisha  Chapman,  Bigelow  Lawrence,  Dan  Bradley,  Jonathan,  Bildad,  and 
Erastus  Barber,  Festus  Butts,  Moses  Norton,  Israel  Curtis,  J-oseph  Olmstead,  Reuben 
and  Erastus  Humphrey,  William  Median,  Reuben  Dorchester,  Terrence  Edson,  R. 
C.  Adams,  Henry  S.  Piatt,  Solomon  G.  Steele,  Daniel  Briggs,  Samuel  Millen,  Nathan 
Healy,  Robert  McCulloch,  Seth  Dunbar,  William  F.  Bangs,  Seymour  Dodge,  John 
North,  Reuben  West,  Chauncey  Hickok,  Cyrus  Holcomb,  Nathan  Kelsey,  Abel 
Prouty,  Samuel  Johnson,  George  McCulloch,  Charles  Mullon,  Amos  Millen,  Solomon 
Curtis,  Dorastus  and  Lois  Lawrence,  Ansel  Kellogg,  Philo  Godard,  Enoch  Cowles, 
Ezekiel  and  Benjamin  Baker,  Joab  Lawrence,  B.  Barber,  Joseph  Baker,  Ebenezer 
Bird,  Bradford  Norton,  Russell  and  Simeon  Taylor,  Daniel  Hutchinson,  Nathan 
Leonard,  Eli  Cora,  Martin  Cossit,  Josiah  Frost,  Frances  Piatt,  Samuel  Wheadon, 
Heman  Holcomb,  Caleb  Bunda,  Roswell  Briggs,  Lewis  Kennedy,  Samuel  Bacheler, 
Dennis  and  Samuel  Whitney,  Henry  Williams,  William  Goodwin,  Rufus  Rose,  Giles 
Sanford,  Jeptha  Cossitt,  Marquis  Cossit,  Joseph  Taylor,  Henry  Horton,  William 
Chrystler,  Philip  Wilmon,  Lyman  Cook,  Samuel  Parker.  Martin  Pees,  Roxana  Hol- 
comb, Elijah  Loomis,  Bigelow  Lawrence,  jr.,  Reuben  Humphrey,  jr.,  Asahel  Dodge, 
Ephraim  Talmage,  Elisha  Alvord,  Eben  Rice. 

These  names,  representing  settlers  in  Marcellus,  and  in  all  or  nearly 
all  of  the  present  adjoining  towns,  will  revive  many  interesting  rem- 
iniscences of  the  olden  time.  In  the  year  1807  typhus  fever  prevailed 
as  an  epidemic  throughout  the  town,  sweeping  away  a  large  number  of 
victims  in  its  fearful  ravages. 

According  to  a  credible  story  Marcellus  village  was  once  nicknamed 

'  Pucker  Street. "     Mrs.  Chloe  Thomas,  when  a  young  woman,  boarded 

;  t  Rufus  Lawrence's,  and  one  day  accompanied  Adam  Baker  to  town 

on  horseback.     Finishing  her  errands  she  mounted  her  horse  to  return, 

82 


650  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

but  her  escort  was  nowhere  in  sight,  and  she  lustily  called  out  "  Ad-a-m!" 
At  home  she  expressed  her  mortification  of  having  to  shout  for  Adam 
"right  in  the  middle  of  Pucker  Street,"  a  term  which  so  pleased  the 
four  Lawrence  brothers  that  they  mounted  their  horses  and  riding 
through  the  village  shouted  "  Hurrah  for  Pucker  Street!" 

Joseph  Olmstead  had  an  early  store  on  the  site  of  the  M.  E.  church, 
and  also  a  potashery  near  where  the  new  school  house  stands.  On  the 
lot  occupied  by  the  dwelling  of  Dr.  Parsons  was  formerly  a  long  store 
building  erected  by  Sandford  C.  Parker,  who  was  succeeded  as  a  mer- 
chant by  Henry  J.  Sherwood,  Edwin  Talbot  &  Ball,  D.  G.  Coon,  and 
others.  As  early  as  1816  a  store  was  kept  between  the  mill  and  the 
N.  G.  Case  house,  one  of  its  proprietors  being  Ralzemond  Kellogg. 
The  Sayre  store  was  doubtless  built  by  Sanford  Dalliba,  who  traded 
there  some  time.  Afterward  Thomas  Walker  was  a  shoe  merchant, 
and  John  Grimes,  the  veteran  cobbler,  worked  for  him  some  seventeen 
years.  Other  occupants  were  Alfred  Rockwell,  Sidney  Slocomb,  and 
John  Blynn.  The  store  owned  by  James  Sarr  was  built  by  Curtis  Moses 
in  1830  on  the  site  of  a  wagon  shop,  and  among  his  successors  were 
Sherman  Bosworth,  Moses  Brothers,  and  Benjamin  Clark,  wrho  also  had 
a  yeast  cake  factory  in  the  old  "  bee  hive  "  building,  which  was  erected 
by  Addison  Farnham  for  a  butcher  shop,  and  which  was  later  used  for  a 
brewery  by  Smith  Brothers.  Other  proprietors  of  the  store  were  Frank 
and  Irving  Moses,  James  W.  Reed,  and  John  Bull  and  son,  W.  F.  Bull. 
The  old  building  owned  by  William  B.  White  and  standing  just  east  of 
his  house  was  erected  about  1810.  His  father,  J.  G.  B.  White,  came  to 
this  village  from  Elbridge  in  1818,  soon  bought  out  Copeland  &  Moore, 
and  carried  on  a  hat  store  here  until  1852.  It  was  later  occupied  by 
Elijah  Rowley,  postmaster,  as  a  shoe  shop. 

Two  events  occurred  in  the  early  history  of  this  town  which  percept- 
ibly affected  and  temporarily  checked  immigration.  The  first  was  the 
war  of  1812-15,  which  drew  considerably  on  the  male  population  and 
afforded  the  settlers  a  glimpse  of  warfare,  but  the  scenes  of  conflict 
were  too  remote  to  excite  more  than  general  interest.  This  was  followed 
by  the  cold  season  of  1816,  which  caused  much  privation  from  want  of 
provisions  and  feed  for  stock.  At  the  same  time  the  smallpox  suddenly 
appeared  and  two  pest-houses  were  fitted  up,  but  fortunately  the  disease 
did  not  develop  into  an  epidemic. 

Passing  through  these  eventful  times,  which  practically  closed  the 
period  of  hardship,  the  pioneers  entered  on  a  new  era  of  prosperity, 


THE  TOWN  OF  MARCELLUS.  651 

and  accumulated  competencies  as  the  result  of  their  industry.  In  this 
connection  it  is  worthy  of  note  that  quite  a  number  of  Revolutionary 
soldiers,  not  original  grantees,  took  up  their  homes  in  this  section  and 
for  many  years  manifested  a  patriotic  interest  in  military  affairs,  and 
especially  in  Fourth  of  July  celebrations,  making  them  memorable  by 
their  presence  and  active  participation.  Down  to  1845,  annual  train- 
ings of  militia  companies  and  regiments  occurred  in  the  immediate 
neighborhood,  and  these  occasions  were  signalized  by  young  and 
old  as  notable  events.  Among  the  captains  of  the  uniformed  rifle  com- 
pany, in  which  the  citizens  took  a  laudable  pride,  were  Myron  L.  Mills, 
Harvey  Rhodes,  and  Sidney  H.  Cook,  sr. 

In  the  family  of  Robert  Dyer  is  found  the  nucleus  of  Methodism  in 
Marcellus.  The  first  class  was  organized  at  the  Falls  in  1816,  but  as 
early  as  1809  or  1810  Rev.  Mr.  Phillips  preached  in  the  old  school  house 
on  the  Presbyterian  church  premises  in  Marcellus  village.  Mr.  Dyer, 
who  came  originally  from  Ireland  about  1795,  and  settled  here  in  1812, 
was  a  local  exhorter.  A  stone  church  was  begun  in  1824  on  the  site 
of  the  Catholic  cemetery  on  West  hill,  long  known  as  Methodist  hill, 
the  society  having  been  organized  at  the  house  of  Rev.  Stephen  Cobb,1 
on  December  8,  1823,  with  Stephen  Cobb,  Joseph  Gilson,  and  William 
Newton,  trustees.  The  organization  bore  the  name  of  the  "  First  Zion 
Society  of  Marcellus,"  which  was  changed  in  September,  1877,  to  the 
"First  Methodist  Episcopal  church."  The  edifice  was  torn  down  about 
1830,  and  a  second  stone  structure  erected  on  the  site  of  the  subsequent 
residence  of  Dr.  Richards.  On  September  1,  1858,  a  third  building 
was  completed  and  dedicated.  This  was  burned  January  25,  1877,  and 
the  same  year  the  present  church  was  built  at  a  cost  of  about  $11,000, 
the  corner  stone  being  laid  May  8,  1876,  and  the  dedication  occurring 
January3,  1878.  Rev.  Benjamin  Shove,  the  father  of  District  Attorney 
Benjamin  J.  Shove,  of  Syracuse,  was  pastor  of  this  society  two  years, 
and  also  presiding  elder  of  the  Auburn  and  Cazenovia  districts.  In 
1817  this  circuit  included  Marcellus,  Scipio,  Cayuga,  Mentz,  Elbridge, 
Jordan,  Auburn;  Owasco,  Skaneateles,  Spafford,  Otisco,  Onondaga,  and 
Manlius. 

From  1803  to  1816  there  lived  in  this  town  a  girl  named  Rachel 
Baker,  whose  experience  in  so  called  devotional  somnium  furnishes  the 
most  remarkable  case  of  the  kind  on  record,  the  history   of  which  ap- 

1  Rev.  Mr.  Cobb  was  born  here  April  28,  1799,  being  the  second  male  child  born  in  town,  and 
died  in  Marcellus,  May  24, 1875. 


652  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

pears  in  the  Transactions  of  the  Physico-Medical  Society  of  New  York, 
vol.  I.,  p.  395,  and  also  in  Clark's  Onondaga,  vol.  II,  p.  294.  She  was 
born  in  Pelham,  Mass.,  May  29,  1794,  and  came  to  Marcellus  with  her 
parents  at  the  age  of  nine  years.  From  that  time  she  claimed  to  have 
' '  strong  convictions  of  the  importance  of  eternal  things,  and  the  thoughts 
of  God  and  eternity  would  make  her  tremble."  Once  every  day,  reg- 
ularly, she  was  seized  with  somnium  of  a  religious  character,  the  par- 
oxysms lasting  from  thirty-five  to  ninety-eight  minutes,  with  body  and 
limbs  rigid,  and  in  a  state  of  entire  unconsciousness.  She  pronounced 
sermons  of  a  highly  devotional  nature,  preceded  by  prayers,  her  face 
turned  upward.  "  She  begins  with  a  text,  and  proceeds  with  an  even 
course  to  the  end,  embellishing  it  sometimes  with  fine  metaphors,  vivid 
descriptions,  and  poetical  quotations."  From  this  she  would  pass  into 
a  sound  and  natural  sleep,  awakening  in  the  morning  totally  ignorant  of 
the  scenes  she  had  enacted.  In  September,  1816,  she  was  cured  by  Dr. 
Spears. 

In  January,  1819,  the  Third  Presbyterian  church  was  formed  on  the 
vState  road,  about  five  miles  southeast  of  the  village,  being  so  named 
because  it  was  the  third  society  instituted  in  southwestern  Onondaga. 
It  expired  about  1850. 

In  1820  a  Universalist  society  was  organized  as  the  "First  Universal  - 
ist  Society  of  the  town  of  Marcellus,"  with  Dr.  Bildad  Beach,  Samuel 
Johnson,  and  Chester  Clark,  trustees.  How  long  it  contiued  an  active 
existence  cannot  be  ascertained,  but  it  never  erected  a  house  of  wor- 
ship. 

By  1824  the  Episcopalians  had  shown  strength  sufficient  to  form  a 
body  of  worshipers  by  themselves,  and  on  February  8  of  that  year  St. 
John's  Episcopal  church  was  incorporated,  with  Harvey  Andrews  and 
Caleb  Cowles,  wardens,  and  Dr.  Richard  L.  Davis,  Leonard  Blanchard, 
John  Herring,  Gad  Curtis,  Zebina  Moses,  David  C.  Earll,  Zerah  Shep- 
ard,  and  Austin  Godard,  vestrymen.  This  was  an  outgrowth  of  the 
Skaneateles  parish.  Rev.  Amos  Pardee  was  installed  the  first  rector 
December  1,  1825.  Services  were  held  in  the  school  house  until  1833, 
when  a  church  was  built  on  the  corner  of  Main  street  and  Falls  road, 
and  consecrated  September  2  of  that  year.  This  was  burned  in  Decem- 
ber 1866,  and  in  1869  the  present  edifice  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $3,300. 

Meanwhile  schools  had  not  been  neglected.  The  school  house  pre- 
viously mentioned,  which  occupied  the  site  in  the  rear  of  the  Presby- 
terian church  in   Marcellus  village,  was  finally  removed  to  where  the 


THE  TOWN  OF  MARCELLUS.  653 

powder  works  now  are,  and  on  the  old  lot  a  new  school  building  was 
erected  by  Edwin  W.  and  Calvin  Frost.  This  was  subsequently  re- 
modeled into  the  Presbyterian  parsonage.  Among  the  early  teachers 
here  were  Ansel  Squires  and  Hiram  Clift.  Schools  were  established  in 
other  parts  of  the  town  as  necessity  demanded,  and  by  1835  there  were 
891  scholars  attending  the  several  places  of  learning.  About  184G  a 
school  house  was  built  on  Cherry  street  in  the  village.  August  25,  L891, 
Marcellus  Union  Free  School  district  No.  2,  was  organized  by  the  con- 
solidation of  old  districts  No.  8  Marcellus  and  No.  2  Skaneateles.  The 
first  Board  of  Education  consisted  of  James  Sarr,  psesident;  R.  M. 
vStone,  G.  L.  Wells,  E.  V.  Baker,  Benjamin  Marshfield,  and  L.  N.  Mogg 
(collector).  The  first  principal  was  Matthew  I.  Hunt.  In  May,  1802, 
the  sum  of  $13,000  in  bonds  was  authorized,  and  the  contract  let  for  a 
new  brick  building.  The  structure  cost,  including  lot  and  fixtures, 
$14,375,  and  was  formally  opened  December  3,  1892.  The  academic 
department  was  placed  under  the  Regents  June  21,  1893,  and  the  same 
month  the  first  class  was  graduated :  Harriet  T.  Kennedy,  Nellie  E. 
Mattison,  Gertrude  C.  Morton,  Elizabeth  C.  Powell,  Harriet  M.  Seeley, 
and  Florence  L.  Ward. 

The  opening  of  the  Erie  Canal  in  1825  inaugurated  a  new  industrial 
era  and  added  materially  to  the  development  of  the  town.  At  this  period 
lumbering  was  at  its  height.  As  illustrating  the  volume  of  business 
carried  on  in  the  territory  now  in  Marcellus,  Skaneateles,  and  the  north 
part  of  Spafford  the  following  statistics  are  gleaned  from  the  State 
Gazetteer  of  1823: 

Population,  6,503;  farms  1,044,:  mechanics,  267;  traders,  10;  slaves,  8;  free  blacks, 
26;  taxable  property,  $460,000;  school  districts,  33;  children  between  five  and  fifteen, 
2,181;  cattle,  6,878;  horses,  1,420;  sheep,  16,628;  acres  of  improved  land,  26,894. 
The  town  contained  thirteen  grist  mills,  fifteen  saw  mills,  three  oil  mills,  ten  fulling 
mills,  three  cotton  and  woolen  factories,  one  trip  hammer,  twenty-four  carding 
machines,  nine  distilleries,  and  three  asheries.  Marcellus  village  is  credited  with 
having  forty  dwellings. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  slavery  existed  here  during  the  first  quarter 
of  this  century.  All  slaves,  however,  were  soon  afterward  freed  by 
law.  During  the  first  three  decades  of  settlement  quantities  of  timber 
were  burned  and  the  ashes  converted  into  "  blacksalts"  or  potash,  which 
formed  an  important  source  of  revenue.  It  is  also  a  noteworthy  fact 
that  large  numbers  of  wild  animals  were  a  constant  menace  to  the  pio- 
neers, but  about  this,  period  their  extermination  had  become  nearly  or 
quite  complete.      Farming  and   manufacturing  were  the  two  principal 


654  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

industries,  with  possibly  the  latter  in  the  lead.  The  methods  pursued 
in  agriculture  have  given  the  town  a  wide  reputation,  and  the  interest 
manifested  in  local  agricultural  exhibits  has  been  commendable  indeed. 
Several  fairs  have  been  held  with  marked  success,  even  within  recent 
years.  Sheep  raising  was  long  an  important  industry,  while  the  grow- 
ing of  wheat,  potatoes,  and  some  fruit  was  extensively  carried  on. 
The  wool  market  here  was  for  some  time  a  prominent  feature,  and 
dairying  also  constituted  a  lucrative  occupation.  These  specialties 
have,  however,  within  a  quarter-century,  been  superseded  by  a  system 
of  mixed  farming,  except  in  the  southern  part  of  the  town,  where  con- 
siderable tobacco  is  grown.  The  raising  of  teasels,  which  was  intro- 
duced about  1835,  eventually  became  an  important  branch  of  agricul- 
ture and  for  many  years  has  been  one  of  the  chief  industries. 

Among  the  prominent  settlers,  beside  those  already  noted,  may  be 
mentioned  here  the  names  of  Orlando  Beach,  son  of  Dr.  Bildad  Beach, 
and  grandson  of  Major  Cossit,  who  was  born  in  1808,  and  died  in  1894; 
Thomas  Walker,  for  twenty  years  a  justice  of  the  peace,  who  died  in 
1891;  Caleb  N.  Potter,  who  came  to  Skaneateles  in  1815,  settled  at 
Clintonville  in  1823,  and  died  in  1865 ;  John  North,  son  of  Daniel  H. ,  who 
was  born  near  Half  Way,  came  to  Marcellus  village  in  1848,  and  died 
1893,  aged  seventy-six;  Samuel  C.  Hopper,  born  in  England  in  1819, 
who  came  in  1848  and  soon  afterward  succeeded  N.  G.  Hoyt  as  cabinet 
maker  and  undertaker,  in  which  business  he  still  continues;  4i  Fathers  " 
Rich  and  Jay,  the  first  a  farmer,  the  latter  a  Methodist  preacher;  Hon. 
Reuben  Humphreys,  appointed  county  judge  in  1804,  and  State  sena- 
tor in  1811-14;  Calvin  Bingham,  father  of  Kinsley,  governor  of  Michi- 
gan and  U.  S.  senator;  Hon.  Nathan  K.  Hall,  son  of  Ira,  who  was  born 
here  in  1808  and  became  postmaster-general  under  President  Fillmore, 
and  subsequently  a  judge  of  the  Supreme  Court;  Seth  Dunbar,  twelve 
of  whose  thirteen  children  lived  to  be  seventy  years  of  age;  Andrew, 
Joseph,  Edward  and  Hull  Shepard,  sons  of  John;  Joseph  Taylor,  a 
marked  character;  Addison  H.  Armstrong,  who  died  in  1891;  Jason  A. 
Merrill,  a  native  of  Otisco,  who  manufactured  fanning  mills,  and  died 
in  1891  ;  Edward  Bisdee,  prominently  identified  with  the  improvement 
of  sheep;  and  Amos  Bogue  and  Hugh  Haylor,  the  former  for  twenty- 
five  years  and  the  latter  for  over  forty  years  sexton  of  the  village  ceme- 
tery. 

Dr.  Parsons,  with  admirable  foresight,  published  in  1876  a  list  of  the 
heads  of  families  living  in  Marcellus  village  in  1825,  and  followed  it 
with  ;i  list  of  those  in  1850,  both  of  which  we  quote  as  follows: 


THE  TOWN  OF  MARCELLUS.  655 

List  of  1825:  1  James  Bixbey,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richardson,  Samuel  Rice,  Ebenezer 
Rice,  Ansel  Kellogg,  Austin  Godard,  Mrs.  Norton,  Mrs.  Pells,  Dan  Bradley,  David 
Bonta,  Mrs.  Elisha  Chapman,  Samuel  Wood,  Mrs.  Lois  Rice,  Beach  Lawrence,  Har- 
vey Rhoades,  Rhoderic  Smith,  Mrs.  Goodwin,  Dr.  R.  N.  Davis,  Daniel  Ball,  John  R. 
Kellogg,  Joseph  Taylor,  Edward  Talbot,  Theron  Godard,  Mrs.  Jesse  Kellogg,  S.  C. 
Parker,  Ralsimon  Kellogg,  Curtis  Moses,  B.  N.  Parsons,  Oliver  Hill,  Dr.  Bildad 
Beach,  Henry  Chase,  Samuel  Ball,  Mrs.  Warren,  John  Curtis,  Mrs.  Dr.  Pliny  Godard, 
Cope  More,  Mrs.  Martin  Cossit,  Caleb  Gasper,  Western  Frost,  Ann  Leonard,  Joseph 
Phillips,  Joseph  Olmstead. 

List  of  1850;  Edmund  Aiken,  Dr.  Bildad  Beach,  Alexander  Mather,  Elijah  Row- 
ley, Curtis  Moses,  John  Sanford,  Isaac  Bradley,  Myron  L.  Mills,  Mrs.  Susan  Chase, 
J.  R.  Becker,  Mrs.  Newton,  J.  G.  B.  White,  Rhoderic  Smith,  Dr.  Alexander  Cowles, 
John  Plant,  Luther  Colton,  Norman  Todd,  Alfred  Rockwell,  Dr.  Israel  Parsons,  Ed- 
win Talbot,  B.  N.  Parsons,  George  Brown,  William  J.  Machan,  John  Curtis,  Mrs.  Mar. 
garet  Casey,  Edward  Frost,  Hezekiah  Shepard,  Mrs.  Goodrich,  Dan  Moses,  Ralsimon 
Kellogg,  B.  F.  Moses,  William  Colton,  Mrs.  Sophia  Ball,  Samuel  Ball,  jr.,  Sanford 
Dalliba,  Joseph  Taylor,  Edward  Talbot,  Mrs.  Abbott,  Timothy  Lee,  Worthy  Rozier, 
Misses  Amidon,  Samuel  Ball,  sr. ,  Thomas  Walwork,  Mrs.  Pettibone,  Medad  Law- 
rence, Edward  Wilder,  Mrs.  Betsey  Taylor,  Nathan  G.  Hoyt,  John  Carpenter,  Ches- 
ter Moses,  Harry  Kennedy,  John  Tompkins,  John  Landon,  Addison  Farnham,  Mrs. 
Arthur  Machan,  Thomas  Walker,  Caleb  Gasper,  Amory  Wilson,  Guv  Moses,  Mrs. 
Caroline  Buck,  Joseph  Phillips. 

From  1834  to  1837  a  number  of  the  inhabitants  emigrated  to  Michi- 
gan and  other  parts  of  the  west.  In  1835  the  town  contained  511 
persons  subject  to  militia  duty,  and  the  village  had  four  stores  and 
about  eighty  dwellings. 

At  this  time  there  were  17,170  acres  of  improved  land  against  15,558  in  I860,  the 
assessed  valuation  for  the  two  periods  being  respectively  §371,204  and  $800,100.  In 
1835  the  town  had  3,989  cattle,  1,308  horses,  8,113  sheep,  and  3,408  swine,  while  in 
1860  it  contained  2,107  cattle,  780  horses,  7,079  sheep,  and  1,214  swine.  In  the  latter 
year  the  staple  products  aggregated  108,041  bushels  of  wheat,  2,737  tons  of  hay, 
18,220  bushels  of  potatoes,  35,395  bushels  of  apples,  95,150  pounds  of  butter,  and 
13,073  pounds  of  cheese. 

The  opening  of  the  Syracuse  and  Auburn  Railroad  in  1836  gave  an 
active  impetus  to  the  whole  town,  but  it  seriously  affected  the  pros- 
perity of  the  village,  which  lost  forever  its  once  active  stage  business 
and  also  considerable  local  trade.  Down  to  1850  it  waned,  but  during 
the  third  quarter  of  this  century  its  various  interests  revived  and 
flourished.  Since  the  construction  of  the  railroad  it  has  enjoyed  ex- 
cellent stage  accommodations  to  the  nearest  station,  Marcellus,  about 
three    miles    north,    in    the   edge    of    Camillus.      The    Powell    House, 

>  Where  "Mr.''  and  '  Mrs."  are  omitted  it  is  understood  that  both  husband  and  wife  were  liv- 
ing. 


656  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

occupied  by  Bernard  Powell  as  proprietor,  was  built  by  Harvey 
Rhodes  about  1828  and  used  by  him  as  a  store.  He  was  followed  by 
Hugh  Hutchinson,  Dan  Hutchinson,  and  others.  Dr.  Bildad  Beach 
was  at  one  time  proprietor  of  the  present  Alvord  House.  About  1855 
Calvin  G.  S.  Warner,  and  R.  Warren  Alvord  succeeded  John  Car- 
penter, and  since  1875  R.  W.  Alvord  has  been  its  landlord.  The  Cash 
Store  was  erected  about  1840  by  Joseph  Taylor  and  son  George,  the 
brick  having  been  made  on  the  premises  now  owned  by  Rev.  W.  R. 
Cobb.  Before  its  completion  the  town  committee  used  a  portion  of  it 
for  their  Harrison-Tippecanoe  headquarters,  and  there  are  people  still 
living  who  well  remember  the  huge  canoe  which  was  dug  out  and 
drawn  to  Syracuse  by  several  yoke  of  oxen  that  fall ;  Ira  Bishop,  father 
of  William,  was  captain  of  the  procession. 

Among  the  occupants  of  this  store  were:  Taylor  &  Case,  William  Colton,  N.  G. 
Case,  Edwin  G.  Talbot,  Samuel  R.  Ball,  and  brother  John,  Hezekiah  Shepard,  James 
Chase,  and  brother  John,  Reed  &  Chase,  Piatt  Brothers,  M,  E.  Chase  &  Co.  Other 
merchants  and  business  men  of  the  village  have  been  Joseph  Goodwin,  Addison 
Farnham,  S.  M.  Griffin,  A.  W.  Beach,  J.  V.  Palmer,  Thomas  J.  Field,  Bartlett, 
Bradley  &  Co.,  Isaac  Bradley  (who  built  the  De  Coudres  store  in  1844),  Greenman  & 
King,  Caleb  Cowles,  jr.,  John  North,  Thomas  De  Coudres  (who  died  in  1856)  and 
sons,  Henry  and  Fred,  John  Griffin,  William  H.  Julia,  J.  W.  Reed,  W.  H.  Sarr,  R. 
A.  Julia,  Hickman  &  Walsh,  George  Hickman,  M.  B.  Van  Vranken,  F.  A.  Thomp- 
son, M.  Sheehan,  Marquisee  Brothers,  D.  M.  Fulmer,  Mrs.  A.  Bicknell,  Evans  & 
Edwards,  J.  N.  Stearns,  J.  Evans  &  Son,  Edmund  Aiken,  Brown  &  Spencer,  W.  B. 
White,  Harlow  Ball,  White  &  Smith,  White  &  Matteson  (oldest  firm  in  town,  in 
business  since  1848),  C.  A.  Peck,  F.  F.  Sweet,  Thomas  Kelly,  John  Palmer,  Polydore 
Thomas,  Charles  O'Grady,  George  Stocking,  George  Cornwell,  and  Hopper  &  Jones. 
Isaac  Bradley  carried  on  the  insurance  business  for  more  than  forty  years  and  was 
succeeded  in  August,  1894,  by  C.  A.  Roe.     There  are  now  twelve  stores  in  the  village. 

On  July  4,  1853,  Marcellus  village  was  incorporated,   and  at  the  first 

charter  election  held  July  25  of  that  year  the  following  officers  were 

elected: 

i 

President,   William  J.    Meachan ;  trustees,   Elijah  Rowley,  Isaac  N.  Soules,  Isaac 

Bradley,  Daniel  G.  Coon;  assessors,  A.  H.  Cowles,  Chester  Moses  and  J.  Taylor; 
clerk,  H.  T.  Kennedy;  collector,  Joseph  Taylor;  treasurer,  G.  N.  Kennedy;  post- 
master, Avery  Willson. 

The  village  presidents  have  been:  Edmund  Aiken,  1854;  Luke  I.  Tefft,  1855; 
Stephen  Cobb,  1856-57;  Daniel  G.  Coon,  1858;  Cornell  Crysler,  1859;  William 
Wellington,  1800;  Chester  Moses,  1861 ;  John  H.  Cowles,  1862-63;  E.  R.  Howe,  1864; 
Chester  Moses,  1865-66;  Ira  Bush,  1867;  Chester  Moses,  1868;  Thomas  Rhoades, 
L869  70;  Oscar  J.  Brown,  1871-72;  Newton  G.  Case,  1873;  D.  G.  Coon,  1874;  Isaac 
N.  Sherman,  L875-77;  D.  G.  Coon,  1878-79;  Isaac  N.  Sherman,  1880;  N.  G.  Case, 
is-- 1    83  (in  1883  the  new  board  failed  to  qualify,  and  the  old  officers  held  over);  W. 


f 


THE  TOWN  OF  MARCELLUS.  657 

H.  Gallup,  1884;  Myron  M.  Whiting,  1885;  W.  H.  Gallup,  1886;  M.  M.  Whiting, 
1887-88;  Simon  Dodd,  jr.,  1889;  S.  M.  Bronson,  1890;  W.  H.  Gallup,  1891;  Edward 
Moir,  1892-93;  John  E.  Griffin,  1894;  Edmund  Reed,  189o.  J.  B.  Van  Vranken  was 
clerk  from  1878  to  1880;  J.  M.  Seymour,  1881-90;  and  C.  A.  Roe,  1890-93. 

The  year  the  village  was  incorporated  Roman  Catholic  services  were 
first  held  at  the  house  of  John  McNally,  and  in  1854  St.  Francis 
Xavier's  church  was  organized  with  about  twenty  members.  Services 
were  held  in  the  old  tavern  until  1867,  when  the  present  edifice  was 
erected.  In  1862  Morning  Star  Lodge,  No.  524,  F.  &  A.  M.,  was  in- 
stituted, with  E.  P.  Howe,  W.  M.  ;  Henry  C.  Sarr,  S.  W.  ;  and  John  E. 
North,  J.  W. 

During  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  from  1861  to  1865,  the  town 
responded  promptly  to  the  various  calls  for  troops  and  contributed  her 
full  share  toward  the  support  of  the  Union.  Patriotism  ran  high.  In 
1876  the  one  hundreth  anniversary  of  American  independence  was 
appropriately  observed,  and  the  occasion  was  signalized  by  the  prep- 
aration and  publication  by  Dr.  Israel  Parsons  of  the  "Centennial  His- 
tory of  the  Town  of  Marcellus,"  which  was  delivered  by  him  in  the 
Presbyterian  church  on  July  4,  and  to  which  we  are  indebted  for  many 
facts  and  incidents  incorporated  in  this  chapter.  On  the  17th  of  April, 
1879,  the  first  newspaper  in  town,  the  Marcellus  Observer,  was  started 
in  the  village  by  Edmund  Reed.  It  passed  through  several  hands, 
among  them  Sykes  &  Rogers  and  A.  De  L.  Rogers,  and  in  March,  1887, 
came  into  the  possession  of  the  present  proprietor,  C.  A.  Roe,  who 
enlarged  it  from  four  to  eight  pages.  To  the  files  of  this  paper,  and 
especially  to  the  recent  articles  on  local  history  prepared  by  Rev.  An- 
drew Roe,  father  of  the  editor,  we  also  acknowledge  our  indebtedness. 

Besides  the  events  already  noticed  the  last  fifteen  years  are  devoid  of 
any  noteworthy  incident.  Mention  should  be  made,  however,  of  Rose 
Hill  post-office  situated  in  the  south  part  of  the  town,  which  was 
established  November  5,  1890,  with  Frank  B.  Mills  as  postmaster. 
Mr.  Mills  began  here  a  few  years  ago  a  seed  farm  which  he  has  success- 
fully developed  into  an  extensive  business,  extending  throughout  the 
country,  and  rivaling  anything  of  the  kind  in  the  east.  The  post-office, 
which  was  started  for  his  accommodation,  is  second  in  the  volume  of 
business  transacted  in  the  county,  and  in  June,  189-2,  William  E.  Mills, 
brother  of  Frank  B.,  became  postmaster.  In  December,  1894,  Mr. 
Mills  started  "Success  with  the  Garden,"  an  eight-page  monthly, 
devoted  entirely  to  gardening.  See  his  biography  on  another  page  of 
this  volume. 
83 


658  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

In  Marcellus  village  Lodge  No.  658,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  was  instituted  with 
nineteen  members,  February  7,  18(.»3,  with  William  McKenzie  as  N.  G. 

The  first  record  of  the  town  in  existence  begins  with  the  year  1830  and  gives  these 
officers:  Harvey  Rhodes,  supervisor;  Curtis  Moses,  town  clerk ;  Salmon  C.  Norton, 
Thaddeus  Thompson,  and  Sandusky  Miller,  justices;  Joseph  North,  Austin  Godard 
and  Lyman  Cook,  assessors;  Joseph  Taylor  and  Lemuel  Barrons,  overseers  of  the 
poor;  Dr.  Bildad  Beach,  Richard  Robinson ,  and  Samuel  Smith,  highway  commis- 
sioners; Theron  Godard,  collector;  Thaddeus  Thompson,  Hugh  Humphreys,  and 
L.  I.  Tefft,  commissioners  of  common  schools;  John  Bixby,  Francis  Burns,  and  Da- 
vid Tyler,  inspectors  of  common  schools ;  Eli  Godard  and  John  Sanford,  trustees  of 
school  fund.  Among  the  justices  between  1830  and  1850  were  Theron  Godard,  Zerah 
Shepard,  Allen  Cook,  Burroughs  Holmes,  Myron  L.  Mills,  John  Burns,  William 
Rhodes,  Edmund  Aiken,  David  Chaffee,  John  Sharp,  Eliakim  Dorchester,  and  J.  G. 
B.  White,  The  town  sujaerintendents  of  schools  were  Job  Moses,  1844  and  1850 ; 
Norman  Todd,  1845;  Henry  Piatt,  1846  and  1849;  Jabez  Wilder,  1847;  Edwin  W. 
Phillips,  1848;  Thomas  H.  Lamb,  1851;  James  F.  Webster,  1852  and  1856;  James  S. 
Baker,  1854;  William  R.  Brown,  1855.  The  last  trustees  of  the  school  fund,  in  1845, 
were  Nathan  Huley  and  William  F.  Bangs. 

The  supervisors  of  Marcellus  since  1830  have  been:  Harvey  Rhodes,  1830;  John 
Sanford.  1831;  Austin  Godard,  1832 ;  Chester  Moses,  1833-34;  Caleb  Gasper,  1835-36 ; 
Lauren  Beach,  1837-39;  Theron  Godard,  1840-42;  Joseph  Taylor,  1843-46;  P.  Dean 
Howe,  1847;  Ira  Bishop,  1848-50;  Henry  Fellows,  1851;  William  J.  Oakley,  1852; 
Albert  B.  Lawrence,  1853;  B.  Humphrey  Case,  1854;  Ira  Bishop,  1855-57;  David 
Chaffee,  1858;  Cornell  Crysler,  1859-60;  David  Chaffee,  1861;  B.  F.  Moses,  1862; 
Frederic  A.  Lyman,  1863-66;  David  Chaffee,  1867-69 ;  Shepard  Earll,  1870-72;  Lewis 
Baker,  1873-74;  Robert  E.  Dorchester,  1875-79;  Philo  S.  Thornton,  1880-85 ;  Robert 
E.  Dorchester;  1886-87;  Edmund  Reed,  1888-89;  Robert  E.  Dorchester,  1890-91; 
Edward  V.  Baker,1  1892-95. 

Population:  1830,  2,626;  1835,  2,456;  1840,  2,727;  1845,  2,649;  1850,  2,759;  1855, 
2,547;  1860,  2,908;  1865,  2,577;  1870,  2,337;  1875,  2,498;  1880,  2,678;  1890;  2,739; 
1892,  2,644. 

'  Edward  V.  Baker  was  born  in  the  town  of  Onondaga  May  4,  1841,  served  in  the  Civil  war  in 
the  122d  N.  Y.  Vols.,  engaged  in  farming  and  later  in  blaeksmithing,  and  was  elected  treasurer  of 
Onondaga  county  in  1894.     He  was  chairman  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  in  1894. 


THE  TOWN  OF  CAMILLUS.  659 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 
THE   TOWN  OF   CAMILLUvS. 

The  first  settlement  of  the  present  town  of  Camillus  was  made  four 
years  before  the  territory  became  an  integral  part  of  Onondaga  county. 
An  Indian  trail  or  two  threaded  the  gloomy  wilderness  and  afforded 
the  primitive  means  of  ingress  and  egress  to  and  from  its  territory,  but 
the  dense  forests  which  canopied  nearly  every  rod  of  this  section  pos- 
sessed attractions  only  for  the  bold  and  sturdy  pioneers  a  full  century 
ago.  Over  this  trail  a  party  of  emigrants  under  the  first  General  Wads- 
worth  attempted  the  construction  of  a  public  highway  about  1791,  and 
later  the  State  instituted  a  series  of  improvements  which  continued 
until  after  1800.  It  is  believed  that  this  route  nearly  or  quite  con- 
formed with  what  became  known  as  the  old  Genesee  turnpike. 

Camillus1  was  No.  5  of  the  original  townships  of  the  Military  Tract,2 
and  as  such  comprised  the  north  and  west  parts  of  the  present  town  of 
that  name  and  the  whole  of  what  are  now  the  towns  of  Elbridge  and 
Van  Buren.  It  contained  100  lots  of  about  600  acres  each,  of  which 
ninety-four  were  drawn  by  soldiers  for  services  in  the  Revolutionary 
war.  The  other  six  lots  were  reserved  for  gospel  and  school  purposes, 
but  only  one  of  them,  No.  98,  the  site  of  Marcellus  Station,  came  within 
the  limits  of  the  territory  under  consideration.  The  twenty-seven  lots 
included  in  the  present  town  are  Nos.  44,  51,  52,  53,  54,  55,  56,  63,  64, 
65,  66,   67,  68,  69,  76,  77,  78,  79,  80,  87,  88,  89,  90,  97,  98,  99,  100. 

These  were  drawn  by  the  following  persons:  44,  William  Thornton;  51,  John  Cog- 
den  ;  52,  John  Storms ;  53,  Col.  Peter  Gansevoort ;  54,  Capt.  Anthony  T.  Pell ;  55, 
Gen.  Alexander  McDougall ;  5(5,  James  Ready;  63,  Capt.  Charles  Graham;  64,  Lodo- 
wick  Bunt;  65,  Cornelius  Blank;  66,  Robert  Shannon;  67,  Surgeon  John  F.  Vacher; 
68,  Lieut. -Col.  Jacobus  S.  Bruyn  ;  60,  Henry  Stringham ;  76,  Abram  De Clarke;  77, 
Benjamin  Holley;  78,  Col.  William  Malcom ;  79,  Prince  Danford;  80,  Francis  Ack- 
ling;   87,  George  De  Rotter;   88,  Lieut. -Col.  Frederick  Weissenfels;   89,  Deliverance 

'Camillus,  as  well  as  other  townships  of  the  Military  Tract,  was  named  by  Simeon  De  Witt, 
surveyor-general  of  the  State,  who  chose  the  surname  of  Marcus  Furius  Camillus,  a  Reman  gen- 
eral and  dictator  400-3(55  B.  C 

2  See  Chapter  I  for  the  history  of  this  great  tract. 


660  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Martling;  90,  Mordecai  Hale,  surgeon's  mate;   97,  Robert  Gibson.    98,  reserved  for 
gospel,  schools,  etc. ;   99,  Richard  Dodge ;   100,  Peter  Saltsman. 

Upon  the  organization  of  the  county  in  1794  this  military  township 
was  included  in  the  civil  town  of  Marcellus.  On  the  9th  of  March, 
1799,  it  was  formed  into  a  separate  town,  given  its  original  name,  and 
on  March  26,  1829,  the  towns  of  Elbridge  and  Van  Btiren  as  now  con- 
stituted, were  set  off.  On  May  1,  1834,  all  that  part  of  Onondaga  lying 
north  of  the  southern  limits  of  lots  48,  49,  50,  51,  and  52,  comprising 
lots  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  20,  21,  22,  23,  24,  34,  35,  36,  37,  38,  48,  49,  50,  51, 
and  52,  of  the  orignal  Salt  Spring  Reservation,  was  annexed. 

The  first  white  settler  in  Camillus  was  Capt.  Isaac  Lindsay,  who  ar- 
rived about  1791,  and  who  was  soon  followed  by  his  brothers  James, 
William  and  Elijah.  They  located  on  lot  80,  where  the  north  part  of 
the  village  of  Camillus  now  stands,  and  purchased  their  land  for  two 
shillings  (twenty-five  cents)  per  acre.  At  that  time  the  only  route  of 
travel  was  the  Indian  trail,  previously  mentioned.  Here,  on  a  sidehill 
on  lot  90,  William  Lindsay  accidentally  discovered  in  1792  the  first 
plaster  bed  in  the  United  States.  Taking  a  large  block  of  the  stone  to 
his  house,  it  was  examined  by  several  people  who  failed  to  determine 
its  character,  but  finally  learned  that  it  was  plaster,  and  equal  in  qual- 
ity to  anything  of  the  kind  in  the  world.  In  1806  De  Witt  Clinton, 
Samuel  Young  and  other  noted  men  visited  the  spot,  and  immediately 
afterward  Josiah  Buck  (the  first  settler  in  Elbridge,  which  see,)  pur- 
chased the  land.  Specimens  of  the  rock  were  sent  to  Europe  and 
tested,  and  the  fame  of  the  new  beds  spread  far  and  wide.  In  May, 
1808,  a  company  was  organized  with  2,000  shares  and  250  share  holders, 
of  whom  Judge  Forman  was  the  heaviest.  The  latter  was  president  of 
the  company,  and  Mr.  Buck  was  the  principal  manager.  In  1810  one 
hundred  tons  were  sold,  and  by  1812  the  famous  beds  had  been  exten- 
sively opened  and  large  quantities  of  the  stone  were  being  sent  east  and 
south.  The  business  flourished  many  years.  "Some  of  the  finest 
specimens  of  the  foliated  transparent  selenite  variety  have  been  ob- 
tained from  these  beds,  which,  from  its  transparency,  is  often  termed 
alabaster."1 

Soon  after  this  important  discovery  several  plaster  mills  were  placed 
in  operation  in  different  parts  of  the  town.  There  was  one  in  Camillus 
near  the  head  of   the  canal  feeder,    another  at  Amboy,    another  near 

Clark,  p.  216,  vol.  II. 


THE  TOWN  OF  CAMILLUS.  661 

Sweet's  crossing,  and  a  fourth  in  Austin  Hollow  near  the  town  line.  In 
this  connection  mention  may  be  made  of  some  of  the  important  geo- 
logical deposits  found  in  various  localities  in  this  town.  There  are  ex- 
cellent quarries  of  gray  limstone,  intermixed  with  a  stratum  of  sand- 
stone, while  the  hills  abound  in  calcareous  tufa,  suitable  for  making 
lime,  and  which,  on  that  account,  is  called  "basswood  limestone."  Dur- 
ing the  excavation  of  the  canal  through  the  old  David  Hinsdale  farm 
numerous  sea-culm  and  other  marine  shells  and  fishbones  were  found 
imbedded  in  the  clay.  Between  1845  and  1850  efforts  were  made  to 
discover  what  was  long  supposed  to  be  a  bed  of  coal  on  a  hill  two  miles 
south  of  the  village.  A  shaft  was  sunk  to  a  depth  of  about  twelve  feet, 
and  it  was  claimed  that  pieces  of  anthracite  coal  were  found.  This 
property  was  formerly  owned  by  Colonel  Bull.  The  highest  elevations 
in  this  town  are  Sherwood  and  Fairmount  hills,  which  are  respectively 
799  and  736  feet  above  sea  level. 

Isaac  Lindsay  opened  the  first  tavern  in  what  is  now  Camillus  village 
in  1793.  It  is  impossible  to  determine  the  advent  of  any  other  settlers 
prior  to  this  year,  when  Nicholas  Lambertson  arrived.  Before  1806 
David  Hinsdale,  Selden  Leonard,  William  Reed,  Mordecai  Ellis  and 
perhaps  a  few  others  came  in.  The  territory  slowly  filled  up  with 
hardy,  resolute  families  from  the  east,  who  brought  with  them  into  the 
new  country  the  thrifty  habits  of  worthy  ancestors.  Endowed  with 
those  sterling  traits  that  elevate  civilization  they  gave  to  the  new  com- 
munity the  commendable  characteristics  that  have  clung  to  each  suc- 
ceeding generation.  By  degrees  the  forests  disappeared  before  their 
steady  march  to  prosperity,  and  first  the  rude  log  cabin  and  then  the 
commodious  frame  dwellings  sprung  up  as  the  fruits  of  their  industry. 
In  common  with  other  pioneers  they  first  sought  the  hills,  believing 
the  high  ground  more  healthful  and  easier  to  prepare  for  cultivation, 
and  productive  of  better  crops.  The  lowlands,  however,  were  not  long 
unoccupied,  and  proved  fully  as  productive. 

In  1795  Isaac  Lindsay  erected  the  first  frame  house  in  town  on  lot 
80.  Between  this  year  and  1800,  or  a  little  later,  a  number  of  settlers 
arrived,  but  the  exact  date  of  their  coming  cannot  be  determined. 
Among  them  were  Jacob  Chandler,  Isaac  Brown,  John  Hess,  Nathaniel 
Richmond,  two  McCrakens,  John  Paddock  and  Thomas  Corey.  The 
latter  was  killed  by  falling  from  a  wagon  after  he  had  opened  a  tavern 
in  Camillus  in  1801.  In  1798  Hon.  James  Geddes,  whose  name  is  so 
closely  linked  with   the  history  of  the  Erie  canal,  removed  from  the 


662  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

"Geddes  Salt  Works"  to  Fairmount,  where  he  lived  the  remainder  of 
his  life.  His  old  farm  is  now  occupied  by  the  widow  of  his  grandson. 
Judge  Geddes  was  one  of  the  most  distinguished  citizens  of  the  State. 
He  was  born  in  Carlisle,  Pa.,  July  22,  1763,  and  died  at  his  homestead 
in  this  town,  August  19,  1838.  An  extended  notice  of  him  appears  in 
an  earlier  page  of  this  volume. 

In  1802  there  was  a  great  scarcity  of  the  necessaries  of  life.  Wheat 
rose  in  price  to  $2.50  per  bushel,  and  corn  was  worth  from  ten  to 
twelve  shillings.  The  first  surplus  grain  in  this  town  was  raised  in 
1805  and  taken  to  Albany  on  sleighs.  Prior  to  the  opening  of  the  canal 
immense  quantities  of  wheat  were  sent  to  market  from  this  section  in 
that  manner. 

The  first  important  step  in  the  foundation  of  religion  among  the 
scattered  inhabitants  was  the  organization  of  the  "First  Presbyterian 
Congregational  Society  of  the  town  of  Camillus, "  on  September  17, 
1802.  This  was  doubtless  composed  of  residents  in  what  are  now 
Camillus,  Elbridge  and  Van  Buren,  but  how  long  it  maintained  an  ex- 
istence is  not  known.  It  never  erected  a  church,  although  it  has  the 
honor  of  being  the  first  religious  society  in  all  that  military  township. 

Notwithstanding  the  many  natural  advantages  held  out  to  prospect- 
ive settlers,  Camillus  was  not  populated  as  rapidly  as  were  adjacent 
towns.  Pioneers  came  in  small  numbers.  Marcellus,  Skaneateles  and 
sections  farther  west  were  evidently  preferred  by  immigrants,  or,  what 
is  more  likely,  were  favored  with  better  facilities  for  transportation. 
The  first  or  South  Seneca  turnpike,  passing  through  those  two  villages, 
afforded  them  earlier  means  of  communication,  and  also  largely  in- 
fluenced early  comers  in  determining  their  locations.  In  1806  the 
north  branch  of  the  Seneca  turnpike  was  incorporated,  and  in  1807-08 
Squire  Munro  and  his  sons  constructed  that  part  of  the  road  which 
passes  through  Camillus  and  Elbridge,  about  eleven  miles,  taking  stock 
in  the  road  as  compensation  for  their  work.  This  thoroughfare  was 
tolled  for  several  years,  but  finally  gave  place  to  the  Syracuse  and  El- 
bridge plank  road.  It  gave  the  first  decided  impulse  to  settlement, 
and  marked  the  beginning  of  an  era  of  growth  and  prosperity. 

Two  prominent  settlers  who  had  become  residents  of  the  town  were 
Joseph  White  and  Samuel  Hopkins.  Mr.  White  was  a  surveyor  and  a 
Revolutionary  soldier,  and  came  to  Camillus  from  Massachusetts  in 
I  sul,  settling  at  Amboy,  just  north  of  the  bridge  over  Nine  Mile  Creek. 
Soon  afterward  he  built  a  saw  mill  and  fulling   and   dying   works,   and 


THE  TOWN  OF  CAMILLUS.  663 

for  several  years  did  a  prosperous  business.  While  surveying  a  high- 
way he  received  injuries  from  a  falling  tree,  from  which  he  finally  died 
in  1830,  aged  eighty-one.  He  was  the  first  settler  on  the  site  of  that 
hamlet.  His  son,  Elijah,  was  also  a  surveyor,  and  died,  unmarried,  in 
1836,  at  the  age  of  fifty-four.  Another  son,  Harold,  was  a  magistrate, 
and  in  1823  a  member  of  assembly,  and  also  served  as  first  lieutenant 
in  the  war  of  1812.  He  died  in  1832.  Harold's  son,  Harold  M.,  was 
graduated  from  Union  College  in  1856,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1859,  removed  to  Iowa  in  1860,  and  died  in  the  army  in  December, 
1862.  Aaron  White,  a  brother  of  Joseph,  came  from  Massachusetts  in 
1812  and  purchased  a  part  of  lot  3  of  the  Onondaga  Reservation,  where 
he  died  in  1833,  aged  eighty-six.  His  son,  Jonathan,  walked  from 
Massachusetts  to  Camillus,  and  assisted  in  clearing  the  farm  on  which 
he  died  in  1874,  at  the  age  of  eighty.  He  marched  with  the  militia  to 
Smith's  Mills  in  1813,  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Amboy  Presby- 
terian church,  an  elder  in  that  and  the  Camillus  Society  for  nearly  fifty 
years,  and  active  in  sustaining  Sunday  schools.  He  married  the  widow 
of  Harold  White  and  had  one  son,  Jonathan  B. 

William  T.  McCraken  settled  at  a  very  early  day  with  his  father  on 
the  farm  now  owned  by  Holton  McCraken. 

Samuel  Hopkins  came  here  with  his  family  in  March,  1807.  His  son, 
Robert,  was  born  in  Salem,  N.  Y.,  February  10,  1789,  married  Pru- 
dence Wells  in  1816,  and  died  August  7,  1859;  his  wife  died  in  L864. 
He  served  as  justice  of  the  peace  twenty-four  years.  His  children  were 
Harlow  W.,  bom  March  29,  1818;  Emeline,  born  May  1,  1824,  and 
Edwin,  born  December  4,  1833,  all  of  whom  succeeded  as  residents  of 
the  homestead. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  Camillus  in  1808  comprised  as  a  civil  town 
the  original  military  township  of  the  same  name,  which  included  also 
the  most  of  the  present  territory  of  the  town  and  the  whole  of  what 
are  now  the  towns  of  Elbridge  and  Van  Buren.  The  electoral  franchise 
then  was  limited  to  landholders  and  tenants,  and  from  a  census  of  elec- 
tors taken  in  1807  the  following  are  known  to  have  been  residents  at 
that  time  of  the  three  towns  named  :1 

Abrahams,  James,  Barns,  Ira,  Belknap,  John, 

Allen,  Abel,  Barns,  Phineas,  Bingham,  Asa, 

Babcock,  Jonathan,  Baron,  Jacob,  Bingham,  Jonathan, 

Bailey,  John,  Bartholomew,  Chaunccy.  Bond,  Henry  W., 

'  The  spelling  of  these  names  is  copied  from  the  records,  though  in  many  instances  it  is  known 
to  be  erroneous,  or  different  from  the  present  style. 


664 


ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 


Bracket    Christopher, 
Brackett,  Ezra, 
Brackett,  John, 
Briton,  John  C, 
Bronson,  Giles, 
Campbell,  Daniel, 
Campbell,  Levi, 
Campbell,  Nathan, 
Carpenter,  Moses, 
Chandler,  Absalom, 
Chandler,  Benoni, 
Chandler,  Jacob, 
Churchill,  Winslow, 
Clark,  John, 
Clark,  Levi, 
Cole,  Elijah, 
Coleman,  Samuel, 
Cooper,  Laban, 
Cooper,  Sylvenus, 
Corey,  Calvin, 
Corey,  Reynolds, 
Cornell,  Peleg, 
Crego,  Stephen, 
Crossman,  Lemuel, 
Curtis,  Josiah, 
De  Camp,  Silas, 
Delaney,  Peter, 
Dickinson,  Jonathan, 
Dodge,  Luther, 
Dodge,  Philip, 
Dunning,  David, 
Earll,  Isaac, 
Eastman,  Peter, 
Elliott,  Benjamin, 
Elliott,  Jonathan, 
Ferril,  Thomas, 
Folton,  Moses, 
Folton,  Robert, 
Foster,  Jonathan, 
Fox,  Lemuel, 
Frisbie,  John  H., 
Goodrich,  Enoch, 
Gorham,  Ephraim, 
Gorham,  Nathan, 
Griswold,  Ralph, 
Guild,   Benjamin, 


Haines,   David, 
Halstead,  Henry, 
Halstead,  Stephen, 
Hart,  Eber, 
Hawley,  Noah, 
Healy  John, 
Hess,  Conrad, 
Hess,  Daniel, 
Hess,  Darius, 
Hess,  Frederick, 
Hess,  John, 
Hill,  David, 
Hill,  Ebenezer, 
Hollet,  Abraham, 
Hopping,  Jehiel, 
Hyde,  Jonathan, 
Irish,  Smiten, 
Johnson,  Jeremiah, 
Kane,  George, 
Keller,  Jacob, 
Kelly,  William, 
Kester,  John, 
Ketchum,  Timothy, 
Laid,  John, 
Laken,  William, 
Lambertson,  Jacob, 
Lambertson,  Nicholas, 
Lee,  William  H., 
Leonard,  Rodney, 
Lindsay,  Isaac, 
Lindsay,  Elijah, 
Lothrop,  Ezeriah, 
Lowe,  Daniel, 
Marshall,  Chester, 
Marshall,  Harlow, 
Marshall,  Josiah, 
Marshall,  Simon, 
Martin,  John, 
McCracken,   David, 
McDowell,  Henry, 
McGlochlan,  James, 
McHarry,  John, 
McQueen,  Daniel, 
McQueen,  Peter, 
Menter,  George  H., 
Millan,  Jacob, 


Miller,  Timothy, 
Munger,  Jesse, 
Munro,  John, 
Munro,  Squire, 
North,  Asahel, 
North,  John, 
Olney,  Peter, 
Outman,  Jacob, 
Paddock,  Abraham, 
Paddock,  James, 
Paddock,  John, 
Palmer,  David, 
Palmer,  Jonathan, 
Parish,  David, 
Parish,  Jonathan, 
Parish,  Josiah, 
Parish,  Samuel, 
Patchin,  Squire, 
Pelton,  John, 
Perry,  David, 
Perry,  John, 
Pickard,  Nicholas, 
Pierce,  Samuel, 
Powers,  Samuel, 
Ransom,  James, 
Redman,  Abraham, 
Redman,  David, 
Redman,  John, 
Redman,  John  2d, 
Redman,  Michael, 
Reed,  William, 
Rice,  Elijah, 
Richmond,  Nathaniel, 
Roberts,  Noah, 
Robinson,  Amos, 
Robinson,  John  2d, 
Robinson,  Joseph, 
Robinson,  Rowland, 
Robinson,  Seth, 
Roe,  Jacob  B., 
Rogers,  Abraham, 
Rogers,  Isaac, 
Rogers,  Moses, 
Rose,  Gilbert, 
Rowlee,  Jonathan, 
Savage,  Daniel, 


DAVID  MUNRO. 


THE  TOWN  OF  CAMILLUS. 


665 


Scofield,  Israel  D., 
Seeley,  Samuel, 
Shannon,  Michael, 
Sherman,  Benoni, 
Shutes,  Frederick, 
Shutes,  Stephen, 
Signor,   Bartus, 
Simpson,  Benjamin 
Simpson,  John, 
Skeel,  Abiram, 
Skeel,  Nathan, 
Smith,  Isaac, 
Sowle,  Perry, 
Spalding,  Abel, 
Spalding,  Amasa, 
Stage,  Thomas. 
Stevens,   Henry  K., 
Stevens,  John, 


Stilson,  Peter, 
Streeter,  Benjamin, 
Tabor,  Benjamin, 
Tabor,  Daniel, 
Tappen,  Asher, 
Tappen,  Gabriel, 
Tappen,  John, 
Tichenor,  Martin, 
Tyler,  Ezra, 
Tyler,  Ichabod, 
Truesdale,  John, 
Walrodt,  Adam, 
Warner,  Amos, 
Warner,  Hannel, 
Warner,  Henry, 
Warner,  Seth, 
Waterman,  Calvin, 


Wheeler.  Glazier, 
Wheeler,  Wildar, 
Wheeler,  William, 
White,  Joseph, 
Wilbert,  Jedediah, 
Williams,  John, 
Wilson,  Joseph, 
Wisenor,  James, 
Wood,  Jesse, 
Wood,  Nathan, 
Woodard,  Reuben, 
Wright,  Aaron, 
Wright,  Josiah, 
Wright,  Zenas, 
Wygant,  Cadwallader, 
Wygant,  John, 
Young,  James. 


Wheedon,  Augustus, 

The  completion  of  the  north  Seneca  Turnpike  and  the  contemporary 
development  of  the  neighboring  plaster  beds  gave  the  first  decided  im- 
petus to  the  village  of  Camillus.  At  the  beginning  of  1808  the  place 
contained  only  two  frame  dwellings.  In  that  year  John  Tomlinson 
opened  here  the  first  store  in  town,  and  the  first  school  house,  a  log 
structure,  was  built  on  the  present  school  lot,  which  was  donated  for 
the  purpose  by  William  Wheeler.  This  was  superseded  by  a  frame 
school  building  in  1813.  Dr.  Isaac  Magoon  was  a  physician  in  Camil- 
lus in  1808,  being  one  of  the  earliest  in  town. 

David  Munro,  the  father  of  Hon.  David  A. ,  took  up  his  residence  in 
the  village  in  1808.  The  Munros  have  been  very  conspicuous  in  the 
history  of  Onondaga  county.  Squire  Munro,  a  veteran  of  the  Revolu- 
tion and.  the  first  of  the  name  to  come  to  this  section,  settled  on  lot  31 
in  Elbridge  in  1799.  His  sons,  John,  David,  Nathan  and  Philip  A., 
then  young  men,  afterward  became  prominent  and  enterprising  citizens. 
Squire  Munro  and  James  McCrilles  are  on  record  as  being  subscribers 
to  Webster's  edition  of  the  Session  laws  in  1802.  David  Munro  settled 
in  Camillus  on  lot  80  in  1808  and  died  May  10,  18fj(j,  aged  eighty  years. 
In  1810  he  built  a  substantial  frame  house  where  Isaac  H.  Munro  re- 
sides, which  was  finally  removed  to  the  east  bank  of  the  creek,  north 
of  the  street,  and  is  now  owned  by  Herman  Stebbins.  He  was  ap- 
pointed postmaster  of  Camillus  when  the  office  was  established  in  1811 
and  served  till  1824,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  James  R.  Lawrence, 
afterward  a  prominent  attorney  of  Syracuse.  He  was  a  justice  of  the 
84 


666  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

peace  many  years,  long  an  associate  judge  of  the  Court  of  Common 
Pleas,  a  member  of  the  State  Legislature  in  1818,  L819,  L822,  1836, 
1841,  and  1842,  a  presidential  elector  in  L836,  and  a  member  of  the 
Constitutional  Convention  in  1846.  He  was  also  a  director  and  for 
several  years  president  of  the  old  Bank  of  Salina,  and  a  director  of  the 
Salt  Springs  Bank  from  its  incorporation  until  his  decease.  He  had 
large  landed  interests  in  various  parts  of  the  county  and  was  one  of  the 
foremost  business  men  of  his  day.  He  married  Abigail  Carpenter, 
daughter  of  Moses  Carpenter,  in  1807,  who  died  in  1868.  Their  chil- 
dren were  John  C,  born  October  IT,  1809;  James  M.,  born  November 
13,  1813;  David  A.,  born  August  17,  1818;  Mary  A.  (Mrs.  Thomas 
W.  Hill);  Hannah  (Mrs.  Payn  Bigelow) ;  and  Lydia  H.  (Mrs.  David 
Porter).  John  C.  Munro  settled  on  a  farm  at  Belle  Isle  in  1832.  He 
was  a  justice  of  the  peace  many  years.  In  1832  he  married  Emily, 
daughter  of  James  Bennett,  and  their  children  were  David  B.,  Henry 
S.,  Sarah  S.  (Mrs.  E.  R.  Hale),  Emily  B.,  and  John  C,  jr.  James  M. 
Munro  was  assemblyman  in  1854,  1855,  and  1863.  David  A.  Munro, 
jr.,  eldest  son  of  Hon.  David  A.,  was  born  here  November  15,  1844, 
enlisted  in  Co.  H,  122d  N.  Y.  Vols.,  August  2,  1862,  was  wounded  at 
Cedar  Creek,  was  promoted  to  lieutenant  and  made  a  member  of  the 
brigade  staff;  was  a  candidate  for  assemblyman  in  1891,  and  died  May 
13,  1895. 

On  December  21,  1809,  another  impulse  was  given  to  the  develop- 
ment of  religious  sentiment  by  the  organization  of  the  First  Congrega- 
tional Society  of  Camillus,  but  it,  too,  went  down  before  the  erection 
of  a  church  had  been  effected. 

In  1810  Munro  &  Benedict  opened  a  second  store  in  the  village,  and 
about  the  same  time  Captain  Kimberly  erected  the  first  tavern  in  Am- 
hoy.  Scarcely  any  other  settlements  had  been  made  between  Judge 
Geddes's  at  Fairmount  and  what  is  now  Elbridge.  At  this  period,  as 
well  as  before  and  afterward,  the  pioneers,  while  engaged  in  the  hard 
work  of  clearing  land,  found  their  popular  amusement  in  a  form  of  co- 
operation called  "  bees,"  which  all  the  settlers  for  miles  around  attended. 
They  had  chopping  bees,  logging  bees,  husking  bees,  raising  bees, 
and  other  bees,  and  usually  ended  at  night  in  dancingand  frolic.  Mem- 
orable indeed  were  these  jolly  times,  for  work  and  play  were  happily 
combined. 

On  February  II,  L811,  the  First   Methodist  Society  in   Camillus  was 
organized,  making  the  third  in  the  old  town,   and  probably  the  second 
ect  a  church  edifice,  as  will  presently  appear. 


DAVID  ALLEN  MUNRO. 


THE  TOWN  OF  CAMILLUS.  6G7 

Excitement  over  the  war  with  Great  Britain  extended  into  this  town, 
as  described  in  early  chapters  of  this  work,  and  a  number  of  its  citizens 
shared  to  a  limited  extent  in  the  military  operations  of  that  period. 

In  1815  James  R.  Lawrence  opened  the  first  law  office  in  Camillus. 
He  received  the  appointment  of  postmaster  at  that  village  in  1824,  and 
was  succeeded  by  Grove  Lawrence,  who  had  established  himself  in  the 
practice  of  law  in  1821.  On  June  8,  1833,  the  latter  was  elected  brig- 
adier-general of  the  27th  Brigade  of  Infantry.  Among  later  lawyers  in 
Camillus  were  Samuel  Hammond,  Daniel  Pratt,  and  D.  D.  Hillis  (see 
Chapter  XXVI). 

David  Bennett,  a  native  of  Ridgefield,  Conn.,  born  October  21,  L786, 
arrived  in  this  town  in  the  winter  of  1813  from  Saratoga  count)',  where 
he  had  married  Hannah  Crawford  in  1809.  His  father,  Nathan  Bennett, 
a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  was  taken  prisoner  at  the  battle  of 
Monmouth,  and  two  brothers  of  his  mother  (Huldah  Barlow)  served  in 
the  same  struggle;  one,  Joel,  was  a  classmate  of  Noah  Webster,  a  grad- 
uate of  Yale  College,  a  chaplain  in  the  army,  an  author,  minister  to 
France,  and  the  builder  of  a  marble  palace  in  Washington  named"  Kal- 
orama. "  Daniel  Bennett  finally  owned  nearly  280  acres,  and  for  about 
thirty  years  was  a  deacon  of  the  Elbridge  Congregational  church.  His 
children  were  Huldah  B.,  Mrs.  Rhoda  B.  Hinsdale,  Mrs.  Harriet  Brown, 
Mrs.  Mary  J.  Hoff,  Joel  B.,  Lewis  B.,  Mrs.  Ann  Eliza  Sweet,  and  Mrs. 
Emma  ().  Rice.  Lewis  Bradley  Bennett  was  born  here  September  29, 
1813,  and  Joel  Barlow  Bennett  on  July  22,  1X15.  They  engaged  in 
farming  as  partners  in  1836  and  continued  an  uninterrupted  business 
relationship  until  the  death  of  the  former  on  December  22,  1874;  he 
left  an  endowment  to  the  church  of  $1,000.  They  owned  at  one  time 
nearly  600  acres  of  land,  and  were  among  the  representative  farmers  of 
the  county. 

Enos  Peck  came  into  the  town  about  1815.  He  was  born  in  New 
Haven,  Vt.,  August  15,  1790,  a  son  of  Enos  Peck,  sr. ,  and  removed 
with  his  parents  to  Pompey  in  1795,  whence  the  family  emigrated  to 
Cato,  Cayuga  county,  in  1806.  He  served  one  month  in  the  war  of 
1812,  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Presbyterian  church  in  Camillus, 
and  married  Annis,  daughter 'of  Nathan  Hopkins,  an  early  settler  of 
this  town.  Their  children  were  A.  H.,  Isaac  M.,  Jane  (Mrs.  William 
Mack),  and  Edwin. 

The  vSecond  (afterward  known  as  the  First)  Presbyterian  church  of 
Camillus  was  organized  in  a  tavern  which  stood  on  the  subsequent   site 


668  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

of  the  house  of  John  Larkins,  in  the  village,  on  August  11,  1817,  with 
fifty-two  members.  Prior  to  this  meetings  had  been  held  in  the  Nine 
Mile  Creek  school  house  and  in  an  old  distillery  on  the  site  later  occu- 
pied by  the  carriage  shop  of  John  Fergus.  In  1822  an  edifice  was 
erected  at  a  cost  of  $1,200,  and  in  1866-68  a  new  brick  structure  was 
built  at  an  expense  of  $8,000.  The  first  pastor  was  Rev.  Jabez  Spicer 
in  1817-19;  among  his  successors  were  Revs.  Jabez  Chadwick,  Moody 
Harrington,  Josiah  Ward,  William  W.  Williams,  E.  R.  Davis,  and 
J.  S.  Root. 

Meanwhile,  manufacturing  industries  had  become  somewhat  numer- 
ous in  the  town.  The  many  mill  privileges  afforded  by  Nine  Mile, 
Creek  1  were  rapidly  developing  into  scenes  of  activity  and  bringing  to 
the  town  both  capital  and  mechanics.  In  later  years  these  interests 
assumed  considerable  proportions,  contributing  largely  to  the  public 
welfare,  and  advancing  the  growth  and  prosperity  of  the  various  settle- 
ments. A  few  have  already  been  noticed ;  it  is  pertinent  now  to  men- 
tion others  that  either  then  or  afterward  influenced  their  respective 
localities. 

Austin  Hollow,  near  the  Marcellus  town  line,  was  once  a  lively 
hamlet,  having  one  of  the  first  grist  mills  in  Camillus,  a  saw  mill, 
school  house,  distillery,  several  dwellings,  and  a  wagon  shop,  where 
lead  pipe  was  also  drawn,  and  in  which  was  a  lathe  for  turning  hubs, 
wooden  bowls,  etc.  Tradition  says  that  the  place  was  originally  called 
"  Bill  Town,"  possibly  because  of  the  fact  that  Dr.  Bildad  Beach  and 
William  Chatfield  erected  the  saw  and  grist  mill  before  1820.  In  1826 
Perigo  Austin,  from  whom  the  hamlet  received  its  present  name, 
moved  in  and  purchased  the  mills,  together  with  quite  a  tract  of  land 
in  the  vicinity.  Abner  Maynard  worked  in  the  grist  mill  as  early  as 
1821 ;  he  was  the  father  of  Mrs.  John  Eggleston  (died  June  20,  1895) 
and  the  grandfather  of  George  A.  Eggleston,  of  Marcellus  Falls,  and 
where  he  lived  Shadrack  Austin  afterward  resided.  Perigo  Austin 
finally  converted  the  grist  mill  into  a  plaster  mill,  which  was  operated  by 
the  Austins,  Samuel  Brown,  Lyman  Smith,  Joseph  S.  Piatt  (later  county 
sheriff),  Paul  Owen,  Humphrey  Case,  and  Skinner  &  Drake.  When 
the  State  coffer-dam  at  Marietta,  in  the  town  of  Marcellus,  gave  way  in 
1865  the  mill-dam  here  and  nearly  all  the  others  along  the  stream  were 

i  This  is  the  only  stream  of  note  in  the  town.     It  was  so  named  from  the  fact  that  it  was  nine 
miles  from  Onondaga  Hollow  on  the  east  and  the  same  distance  from  Josiah  Buck's  >>n  tin-  west. 


THE  TOWN  OF  CAMILLUS.  669 

washed  out.  It  was  never  rebuilt.  Near  the  depot  atMarcellus  Station 
Lyman  Cook  built  an  earl)7  distillery,  and  near  it  were  two  quick  and 
water  lime  kilns  constructed  by  Joseph  S.  Piatt.  The  school  house 
was  used  for  a  dwelling  several  years,  and  is  now  occupied  by  C.  J. 
Morgan  as  a  shop. 

Down  the  creek,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  southeast  from  the  main 
street  bridge  in  Camillus  village,  is  the  site  of  the  first  grist  mill  in  the 
town.  The  mill  was  built  in  180(5  by  Squire  Munro,  William  Wheeler, 
and  Samuel  Powers,  who  erected  a  saw  mill  at  the  same  time.  A  little 
below  this  Abraham  Drake  put  up  a  carding  and  cloth-dressing  estab- 
lishment in  1812.  He  died  December  10,  1832.  About  1832  the 
present  mill  race,  or  feeder,  two  and  a  half  miles  in  length,  was  con- 
structed by  the  Nine  Mile  Creek  Canal  Association,  composed  of  James 
R.  and  Grove  Lawrence,  David  Munro,  Miles  H.  Bennett,  George  and 
Eliakim  Richards,  Charles  Land,  and  David  B.  Winton,  all  deceased. 
This  permanent  improvement  had  a  wholesome  influence  upon  subse- 
quent manufacturing  interests,  and  more  than  anything  else  was 
directly  responsible  for  the  inception  of  later  establishments  operated 
by  water  power.  In  1835  it  was  sold  to  the  canal  commissioners;  since 
then  it  has  served  as  a  feeder  for  the  Erie  Canal.  In  183-1-35  Philip 
Drake,  a  son  of  Abraham,  and  after  a  resident  and  mill  owner  at  Jack's 
Rifts,  in  Elbridge,  built  a  grist  mill  on  the  site  now  occupied  by 
Patterson  &  Sisson's  flouring  mill.  In  January,  L836,  he  sold  it  to 
Phares  and  Edward  O.  Gould,  who  enlarged  and  ran  it  until  L851,  when 
they  sold  out  to  Wilson  R.  Cooper,  Edwin  R.  Harmon,  and  Cornelius 
B.  Way.  In  1853  it  passed  to  James  M.  Munro,  and  in  L867  to  Robert 
Patterson,  Edwin  P.  Hopkins,  and  Loren  L.  and  John  H.  Patterson; 
in  1870  Hopkins  withdrew;  in  1875  David  A.  Munro,  and  Loren  L. 
Patterson  became  the  proprietors,  and  on  January  25,  L882,  the  mills 
burned.  The  same  year  L.  L.  Patterson  and  William  G.  Sisson  rebuilt 
it  and  began  operations  in  March,  1883.  This  was  one  of  the  first  com- 
plete roller  mills  in  Central  New  York.  It  was  burned  November  1  7, 
1887,  and  the  present  mill,  with  a  daily  capacity  of  300  barrels  of  flour, 
was  erected  in  1888. 

A  woolen  factory  was  built  cm  the  site  of  Walter  1".  ECeefer's knitting 
mill  in  1834,  by  Wells  &  Guilford,  who  were  succeeded  by  Wells  & 
Sheldon,  and  they  by  the  National  Knitting  Company.  The  chief 
product  was  underwear.  The  factory  passed  to  James  Munro,  and 
about  1858  to  G.  F.    Julian,   who  conducted  it  until  his  death  in   L866. 


670  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

John  J.  Rhodes  and  E.  R.  Harmon,  as  administrators,  closed  the  busi- 
ness out,  and  about  1869  the  property  was  sold  to  Walter  F.  Keefer, 
who  manufactured  cloth  and  stocking  yarn.  He  was  burned  out  in  1  882 
and  again  in  1887,  but  rebuilt  each  time.  A  few  years  ago  his  brother, 
J.  X.  Keefer,  established  another  knitting  mill,  which  he  still  success- 
fully operates.  These  three  mills  constitute  a  considerable  portion  of 
the  business  life  of  Camillus  village. 

South  of  the  first  knitting  establishment  was  quite  early  a  saw  mill, 
which  was  operated  by  Dr.  Richards  and  Grove  Lawrence,  and  which 
passed  to  James  M.  Munro,  who  rebuilt  it  in  1865.  in  1870  it  was 
purchased  by  James  G.  Fergus,  who  did  a  large  business  till  1887, 
when  the  mill  was  burned.  A  cider  mill  was  connected  with  it. 
Farther  down  the  stream  was  another  saw  mill,  run  by  Land  &  Elder- 
kin  ;  it  was  destroyed  by  tire  in  the  fifties.  North  of  the  bridge  the 
Novelty  Mills  were  built  by  Weston  &  Dill  in  1848;  sawing  and  grind- 
ing were  done  until  1855,  when  the  building  was  converted  into  a 
distillery  by  Briggs  &  Sheldon.  It  was  finally  sold  to  S.  B.  Rowe,  who 
continued  until  186-1,  when  he  expended  several  thousand  dollars  in 
improvements,  but  never  started  operations.  Later  it  was  made  into  a 
chair  factory  by  Pratt  &  Rowe,  and  on  December  2,  188G,  it  burned. 
On  the  site  E.  D.  Sherwood  &  Son  built  a  chair  factory,  which  suffered 
the  same  fate  November  30,  1801).  In  18'Ji  the  present  building  was 
erected  for  a  knife  factory  by  Charles  E.  Sherwood. 

Chapman  &  Green  at  one  time  had  quite  an  extensive  establishment 
in  the  village  for  the  manufacture  of  clay  smoking  pipes.  It  was  burned, 
and  the  business  was  discontinued. 

Below  Camillus  village,  along  the  canal,  there  have  been  at  different 
times  three  or  four  brick  yards,  which  have  made  as  many  as  4,000,000 
brick  annually.  This  business  has  sprung  into  existence  largely  within 
recent  years. 

North  of  Belle  Isle  there  was  formerly  a  saw,  grist,  and  cider  mill, 
owned  by  Robert  Morton,  and  known  as  the  Corwin  Mills. 

The  hamlet  of  Amboy  was  formerly  quite  a  busy  manufacturing 
place.  The  flouring  mill,  now  one  of  the  interesting  landmarks  of  the 
town,  was  built  by  Nathan  Paddock  in  1820-27;  in  1801  it  passed  to  the 
possession  of  Lafayette  Burdick,  who  conducted  it  man)"  years;  it  is 
now  owned  by  the  Paddock  heirs.  I).  B.  Paddock  had  a  tannery  there 
for  some  time,  and  besides  these  the  place  formerly  had  three  or  more 
saw  mills,  a  stave  mill,   cooperage,   cider   mill,    shops,    etc.      In  18:50    it 


THE  TOWN  OF  CAMILLUS.  671 

contained  a  saw  mill,  tavern,  store  and  fifteen  or  twenty  dwellings. 
An  early  innkeeper  was  Captain  Kimberly.  Am  boy  is  one  of  the  most 
picturesque  spots  in  the  town.  Its  reed-grown  mill  pond,  the  deep, 
winding  valley  of  the  creek,  the  ruins  of  old-time  mills  and  the  many 
pretty  landscapes  have  frequently  been  subjects  for  the  artist's  pencil. 
On  the  west  bank  of  the  creek,  south  of  the  road,  numerous  arrow- 
heads and  other  Indian  relics  have  been  found.  In  the  west  part  of  the 
town  at  Oswego  Bitter  there  is  a  grist  mill  which  has  been  long  in  ex- 
istence, and  where  a  saw  mill  was  formerly  operated. 

These  numerous  manufacturing  establishments  and  the  constant  tide 
of  immigration  caused  various  highways  to  be  opened  and  improved. 
The  earliest  date  in  which  road  records  occur  is  1813,  when  Camillus 
included  also  Elbridge  and  Van  Buren,  and  nearly  all  the  thorough- 
fares were  surveyed  and  laid  out  before  1830.  Among  the  survevnrs 
during  this  period  were  Elijah  White,  Jonathan  Wood,  Joseph  White, 
Squire  Munro,  Augustus  Harris,  Daniel  Reed,  James  McClure,  John 
M.  Chatfield,  James  Ransom  and  George  W.  Robinson.  The  following 
served  as  highway  commissioners  during  this  time: 

Josiah  Parish,  jr.,  Winslow  Churchill,  John  Healy,  David  Paddock,  jr.,  fames 
Wisner,  James  Paddock,  Phineas  Barnes,  Isaac  Otis,  John  Redman,  2d,  James 
Mears,  Timothy  Brown,  Henry  Cook,  James  Turtle,  William  M.  Canfield,  Augustus 
Harris,  Robert  Stevens,  Enos  Talmadge,  Benjamin  Weaver,  William  Hopkins,  Wil- 
liam Brown  and  Samuel  Hopkins. 

The  subject  of  education  was  likewise  given  practical  attention.  As 
has  already  been  seen,  the  first  school  in  town  w as  taught  by  John  Tom- 
linson  in  Camillus  village  in  1808.  Under  a  legislative  act  passed  June 
1!»,  1812,  Squire  Munro,  Linus  Squire  and  Dr.  Isaac  Magoon  were 
appointed  commissioners  to  divide  the  town,  as  then  constituted,  into 
school  districts,  with  the  following  results,  as  taken  from  the  records: 

District  No.  1  by  Judge  Monro's;  2,  by  Captain  Wesner's;  3,  by  Mr.  Campbell's:  4, 
by  Mr.  Fulton's;  5,  by  David  Redman's;  6,  at  the  Nine  Mile  creek;  7,  near  Squire 
White's  (Amboy);  8,  by  Mr.  Parish's;  9,  by  Lieutenant  Warner's;  10,  by  Captain 
Robinson's;  11,  by  Mr.  Barnes's;  12,  by  Oswego  Bitter;  13,  by  Mr.  Kelley's;  14,  by 
Captain  Tappan's;  15,  on  lot  8;  16,  Jordan;  IT,  by  Mr.  Springstead's, 

The  school  commissioners  prior  to  1829  were  David  Munro,  Henry  Field,  Truman 
Adams,  B.  Benedict,  Eliakim  Edwards,  Martin  M.  Ford,  Gabriel  Tappan,  James  R. 
Lawrence,  William  Reed,  John  Healy,  Hiram  F.  Mather,  Elijah  White,  Azor  Phelps, 
Benjamin  Weaver,  David  C.  Lytle,  Adonijah  White  and  Isaac  Magoon. 

In  1823  the  town  had  thirty-four  school  districts  with  1,998  scholars, 
while  in  1836,  quoting  the  first  statistics  obtainable  after  the  present 
territory  had  been  legally   defined,   it   contained   sixteen   districts   and 


672  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

1.002  children.  After  1833  a  brick  school  house  was  erected  on  the  site 
of  the  old  structure  built  in  1813  in  Camillus  village,  and  a  wooden 
building  was  built  where  George  Gorsline  now  lives.  In  1845  the  dis- 
tricts were  consolidated  and  a  frame  structure  erected,  which  was  su- 
perseded by  the  present  brick  school  building  in  1869.  The  latter  cost, 
complete,  about  $7,300.  Prof.  C.  E.  White  was  principal  of  this  school 
several  years.  In  1845  the  town  contained  eleven  common  schools, 
which  were  attended  by  806  children;  in  1860  these  numbered  respec- 
tively ten  and  1,023;  there  are  now  ten  districts  with  a  school  house  in 
each. 

This  brings  us  down  to  1825,  when  the  booming  of  cannon  from  Buf- 
falo to  Albany  announced  the  completion  of  the  Erie  Canal,  which 
marked  a  new  epoch  in  local  prosperity  and  imparted  additional  life  to 
every  community  along  its  course.  It  did  not,  however,  supersede  the 
great  stage  lines  which,  both  before  and  afterward,  made  the  Genesee 
turnpike  a  busy  thoroughfare,  but  it  did  give  a  new  impulse  to  almost 
every  business  industry.  In  1820  the  town  contained  six  grain  mills, 
seventeen  saw  mills,  four  fulling  mills,  five  carding  machines,  a  trip 
hammer,  two  asheries  and  six  distilleries.  These  were  scattered  over 
Elbridge  and  Van  Buren,  as  well  as  over  the  territory  under  consider- 
ation. In  1835,  after  Camillus  had  reached  its  present  limits,  there 
were  four  grist  mills,  ten  saw  mills,  two  fulling  mills,  two  carding  ma- 
chines, a  woolen  factory,  two  distilleries,  four  asheries,  and  three 
tanneries  in  operation.  As  a  further  comparison  we  quote  again  from 
statistics: 

In  1820,  taxable  property,  §413,840;  acres  of  improved  land,  21,412;  population, 
5,791 ;  cattle,  5,141 ;  sheep,  9,233;  horses,  1,191 ;  yards  of  cloth  made  in  families  in  one 
year,  41,004;  farmers,  1,060;  no  slaves;  free  colored  persons,  10;  mechanics,  150; 
traders,  etc.,  20.  In  1836,  acres  of  improved  land,  14,719;  assessed  value  of  real 
estate,  $472,644;  town  tax,  §1,831;  county  tax,  §1,130;  sheep,  5,365;  cattle,  2,148; 
horses,  896;  swine,  2,539;  militia  men,  353.  In  1845,  329  militia,  15,847  acres  of 
improved  land,  three  grist  mills,  eight  saw  mills,  one  fulling  mill,  a  carding  machine, 
one  woolen  factory,  an  ashery,  two  tanneries,  three  churches,  seven  taverns,  five 
stores,  six  groceries,  505  farmers,  135  mechanics,  six  physicians,  and  three  lawvers. 
In  isdi),  16,41)  acres  of  improved  land,  assessed  value  of  real  estate,  §1,087,490,  and 
personal  property,  §125,850,  489  dwellings,  535  families,  328  freeholders,  879  horses, 
1  L65  rattle,  1,04'J  cows,  5,649  sheep,  1,933  swine;  productions — 10,006  bushels  winter 
wheat,  152,062  bushels  spring  wheat,  2,566  tons  of  hay,  19,857  bushels  of  potatoes, 
30,343  bushels  of  apples,  110,209  pounds  of  butter,  12,470  pounds  of  cheese,  103  yards 
domestic  cloth. 

In  tin-  possession  of  A.  M.   Knickerbocker  of   Syracuse  is   an   assess- 


THE  TOWN  OF  CAMILLUS.  673 

rhent  roll  of  the  town  of  Camillas,  made  in  1825,  John  Larkin,  collec- 
tor, and  from  it  is  taken  the  following  list;  nearly  all  the  property  here 
represented  lies  within  the  limits  of  the  territory  under  consideration  : 

Residents.                      Lot  Xo.  Acres.  Quality.  Real.  Personal.           Tax. 

Adams,  Truman 86,52  127  1,3  $1,750         s  7.32 

Abrams,  James 87,97  130  2  950  3.96 

Abrams,  John 97           57  2  300  1.24 

Armstrong,  Eri... 56          80  3  480         2.01 

Armstrong,  Jabin 56           82  2  556  2  75 

Allen,  James 68            3  3  75  .30 

Armstrong,  Marvin 68          20  2  160  .66 

Anderson,  Sarah 80            ^  1  150         .61 

Armstrong,  John 88          50  2  750  3.13 

Abrams,  Andrew 88           50  2  1,000  4.17 

Bond,  Samuel 75,76  100  2  1,050  4.38 

Bennet,  James.. ..   76,77,  85,  87,  88  411  1.2,3  5,830  24.41 

Bell  &  Richmond 63  100  1  1,300  4.43 

Baker,  James  M 76,77  128  1,3  1,000         4.17 

Benet,  Daniel *87  106  1  1,450         6.16 

Buck,  Philander 64           25  2  200  .  .81 

Bryant,  Josiah 64,67  147  1,3  1,025  .                       4.29 

Burrill,  Joshua 64          75  1  700  2.92 

Burrill,  William 64           30  2  280         1.14 

Barnard,  Moses 56          28  3  200         .81 

Brown,  Samuel 65           30  3  180  .74 

Baty,  Walter 68           93  2  558  2.48 

Buck,  Gilbert .77           10  3  70  .28 

Buck,  Nelson 78           30  3  180  .74 

Brown,  William 80  145  2  1,450         6.06 

Bennet,  Miles  M. 80            £  2  300         L.24 

Burgess,  Anthony 80  3  20  .08 

Brockwav,   Robert 80            9  2  500         2.23 

Beach  &  'Chatfield 98  230  3  2,200         9.18 

Bessey,  Joseph 98             \\  3  30  .11 

Baker,  Benjamin 99  100  3  400  1.66 

Berry,  Simeon 99  100  3  600         2.51 

Baker.Calvin 99          25  -3  150         .61 

Bingham,  Asa 100  180  2  1,700         7.11 

Bingham,  Calvin,  jr 100  109  2  1,000         4.17 

Bingham,  Luther 100           20  3  100         .41 

Bingham,  Calvin 100           50  3  300         1.24 

Baker,  Benj..  of  Manlius 99           66  3  300  L.24 

Campbell,  Ethan 62,63,18  129  1,2  1,286         5.36 

Campbell,  Cephas 76           76  1  700         2.92 

Chapman,  Sewell 87            \  1  150         1.01 

Clute,  Isaac 64          61  3  350         1.1") 

Cuyler,  Henry 64  100  2  860         3.60 

Corwin,  Horten 44,56  129  2  1,150         4.80 

Chapman,  Ezekiel  D 44           31  3  186         .81 

Chapman,  Joel 44          26  2  120         .49 

Clap,  Christopher 56             \\  2  100         .42 

Coon,  Joseph 56            1  3  20         .08 

Carr,  Chauncey 65           57  3  346         1.44 

Churchill,  Winslo w 79  100  :'»  800         3. 34 

Cross,  Samuel 79           29  3  144         .59 

Clark,  William  P 80            2  2  125         .49 

85 


674 


ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 


Residents.  Lot  No. 

Campbell,  James 80 

Clark,  Samuel 80,  89 

Chapin,  Levi ...    89 

Crane,  Silas 98 

Cole,  Alvah 99 

Caton,   William 100 

Crown.  100 

Carkins,  Levi 98 

Dodge,  Isaac 63 

Dixon,  William 78 

Dixon,  George 78 

Drake,  Abraham 80,  89,  90 

Dunham,  Jeremiah 98 

Dunham,  John 98 

Dunbar,  Seth 99 

Elston,  Abraham  _ .    ...  78 

Eiderkin,  Artimus 78 

Edwards,  Eliakim 79,  80 

Edwards  &  Munro 90 

Evans,    David 80 

Elston,  Jacob 89 

Eggleston,  Jonathan 98 

French,  Jonathan 51 

Foster,  Martin . .   53 

Fox,  Daniel 76 

Ford,  Martin  M 90 

Frothingham,  Gideon 80 

Gillies,  James 96,97 

Gardner,  Isaac 87 

Goodal,  John 87 

Geer,  William  S. 69 

Gleason,  Darius 98 

Graves,  William 98 

Hill,  Isaac. 37,  38,  74,  83,  85,  86,  87 

Hulet,  Obadiah 97 

Higgins,  William  N. 40,  53 

Hudson,  William 44 

Hunt,  Darius t   53 

Hawley,  George 54 

Hunt,  Walter   _ 54 

Hopkins,  Nathan,  jr., 54 

Hunt,  Lorenzo 65 

Hopkins,  Nathan 66 

Hopkins,  Robert _•_  67 

Hopkins,  William 67 

Hopkins.  Luther 67 

Hay,  William 67 

Hand,  Jerry  K. 67 

Hand,  John 77 

Hand,  Reuben 77 

Hawley   &  Munro .   77 

1 1  arvey,  Joel 80 

Hill,  Thomas 80 

Henry,  Andrew... 90 

Hand,  Mander 99 

How,   Stephen 99 

Isham,  Zebaher. 68 

Johnson,  Samuel 56,  68 


Acres. 

Quality. 

Real.   Personal.    1  a  . 

i 

2 

$  150 

|  .63 

64} 

2 

548 

2.45 

50 

2 

900 

3.75 

100 

3 

500 

2.23 

50 

3 

300 

1.24 

22 

3 

130 

.53 

8 

3 

40 

.15 

10 

100 

.42 

13 

3 

130 

.53 

52 

3 

400 

1.66 

83 

3 

330 

1.38 

6H 

3 

1,305 

5.47 

42 

3 

336 

1.40 

50 

3 

250 

1.03 

52 

3 

300 

1.26 

40 

3 

200 

.81 

70 

3 

420 

1.76 

10 

2,  3 

830 

3.47 

30 

3 

180 

.74 

6 

•2 

100 

.42 

126 

2 

1,134 

4.74 

2 

3 

200 

.81 

1 

1 

40 

.15 

100 

3 

900 

3.75 

25 

2 

225 

.92 

1 

3 

150 

.63 

I 

1 

300 

1.25 

187 

1,  3 

1,835 

7.96 

1 

1 

100 

.42 

37 

2 

375 

1.57 

156 

2,  3 

1,112 

4.63 

1 

3 

175 

.74 

H 

3 

75 

.32 

811* 

1.  2 

5,890     §500    26.75 

12 

3 

70 

.30 

54 

2,  3 

477 

2.00 

2 



20 

.09 

75 

3 

525 

2.35 

100 

2 

700 

2.92 

123 

3 

1,107 

4.62 

150 

2 

1,400 

5.86 

85 

3 

500 

2.23 

34 

2 

272 

1.18 

200 

2 

2,200 

9.18 

80 

3 

560 

2.49 

100 

2 

900 

3.75 

237 

2 

2,180 

9.13 

1 

2 

100 

.42 

64 

3 

384 

1.62 

25 

3 

150 

.63 

55 

3 

330 

1.38 

4 

1 

1,000     1,000     8.36 

i 

1 

250 

1.01 

125 

3 

625 

2.63 

86 

3 

364 

1.54 

100 

3 

800 

3.34 

4 

2 

100 

.42 

21f 

3 

220 

.90 

THE  TOWN  OF  CAMILLUS. 


675 


Residents.  Lot  Xo. 

Johnson,  Charles  M. 56 

Keeler,  Isaac  &  John 63 

Ketcham,  Timothy 51 

Kimberly,  George  &  Co. .. . 68 

Kynon,  Asa 77,  88 

Ketcham,   Jeremiah 78 

Kimberly,   Elisha,  by    G.    Law- 
rence   80 

King,  Thomas 80 

Kimberly,  Israel,  jr. , 80 

Kilby,  John  B 56 

Karson,  Archibald 98 

Kimberly  &  Brockway 80 

Like,  David 87 

Lnsk,  Samuel 51 

Lusk,  Richard 52,  90 

Eadd,  Russell 44 

Lyon,  Abel 65 

Lamberson,   Lawrence 66 

Lawrence,  James  R 66,  80,  90 

Labolt  &  Miller,  Peter 66 

Lamberson,  Conradt 66 

Labolt,   Absalom 80 

Lawrence,  Grove 80 

Land,  Charles 80 

Liddle,  Thomas 89 

Munro,  David 

68,  69,  23,  80,  34,  65,  90,  60 
Munro,  Squire. ...52,  60,  70,  81,  82 

McDowell,  Henry,  jr 51 

Morey,  John 51 

Marshall,  Simon  iV-  Harlow  18,  51,  63 

Marvin,  Adonijah 63 

McDowell,  Henry 52 

McDowell,  Alexander 52 

Milliard,  Edward  &  Edward,  jr.  87 

McCall,  Alexander 64 

Mason,  Daniel 44 

Mann,  David 53 

Mathew,  Ashel 68 

Millard,  Edmond 77 

Millin,  Ephraim 80 

McGoon,  Isaac 80,  100 

Maynard,  Joseph  W 80 

Maynard,  John-. 80 

Maynard,  Abner.. 98 

Owen,  Thomas 68 

Paddock,  Thomas 51 

Paddock,  Jonathan 51 

Paddock,  William  W 51 

Paddock,  Solomon 52 

Paddock,  Jonathan,  2d 87 

Putnam,  Levi 97 

Pulver,  William  M 97 

Phillip,  Jacob 44,  56 

Palmer,  John 44 

Palmer,  Benjamin 44 

Perry,  Eli 44 


Acres. 

Quality. 

Real.        Personal.           Tax. 

30 

2 

$     210 

$    .86 

100 

2 

1,000 

4.17 

23 

2 

I'll) 

.79 

i 

2 

400 

1.66 

•J  on 

2 

2,200 

9.18 

60 

3 

.".HO 

2.23 

o 

2 

125 

.53 

1 

2 

150 

.63 

1 

1 

800 

3.34 

1 

3 

20 

.09 

49 

3 

350 

1.47 



s 1,000             4.17 

1 

1 

100 

.42 

25 

2 

200 

.81 

110 

1,  3 

1,870             ; 

300            4.91 

35 

2 

210 

.87 

75 

3 

462 

1.93 

150 

2 

1,350 

5.64 

134 

2,  3 

1,515 

6.53 

52 

3 

275 

1.15 

9 

3 

54 

.23 

£ 

3 

30 

.13 

2 

2 

400 

1.66 

i 

1 

200 

.81 

96 

2 

900 

:!.75 

,379 

2.  3 

10,920 

45.74 

819 

1.  2,  3 

11,300           4,000          64.06 

29 

2 

270 

1.10 

3 

2 

50 

.21 

200 

1 

2,000 

8.36 

£ 

2 

50 

.21 

66 

1 

550 

2.44 

30 

2 

250 

1.03 

55 

2 

700 

2.1)2 

100 

2 

1,000 

4.17 

10 

2 

80 

.34 

130 

2 

1,170 

4.89 

i 

2 

200 

.81 

107 

o 
o 

530 

2.36 

i 

1 

200 

.81 

53 

O 

1,100 

L.V.i 

f 

1 

800 

3.34 

2 

2 

400 

1.66 

11 

:: 

CO 

.26 

1 

1 

300 

1.25 

109 

1 

1,200 

5.01 

125 

2 

1,000 

100            5  85 

33 

2 

250 

1.03 

100 

2 

700 

2.112 

86 

1 

900 

3.75 

1 

2 

50 

.21 

18 

3 

100 

.42 

40JL 

3 

350 

1.47 

32 

2 

256 

1.04 

28 

3 

168 

70 

5 

2 

in 

.17 

676 


ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 


Residents.  Lot  No. 

Palmer,  Jonathan 44 

Peak,  John 44 

Palmer,  Daniel 44 

Peck,  Enos,  jr 54 

Pulver,  Henry  M. 98 

Potter,  Henry 98 

Paine,  Seth 56 

Redman,  Wm.,  heirs  of_.   75,  86,  87 

Rose,  Gilbert 97 

Rose,  Nathan. 97 

Reynolds,  Urbane - . .  97 

Ross,  Robert 52 

Redman,   Elizabeth 76 

Richmond,  Loren 76 

Rockwell,  Joseph  B. 76 

Richmond,  Sylvester 50,  51 

Rhoads,  Solomon 18,  51,  52 

Remington,  Ransom 44 

Robinson,  Simeon 44 

Robinson,  Chauncey 55 

Robinson,  Erastus 55 

Reed,  William 56,  68 

Rust,  Dennis 68 

Robbins,  Samuel 89 

Rood,  Joseph 99 

Roach,  Richard 109 

Stevens,  John 88,  92,  93 

Sprague,  Daniel 87 

Sprague,  Stephen 64 

Stephens,  George 88,  89 

Squires,  Linus 39,  40,  44 

Skinner,  Otis 63 

Spalding,  Abel 51 

Skinner,  Jonathan 40,  53 

Sears,  John 41 ,  54 

Sherwood,  Lyman 53 

Sears,  Charles 54 

Seymour,  Miles 54 

Shearer,  Alexander 65 

Shannon,  Hannah 66 

Sherman,  Martha 66 

Stephens,  Alfred 66,  79 

Sears,  Eleazer 78 

Stone,  Pomeroy 80 

Shead,  H.  &  Ephraim 80 

Shead,   Horatio 80 

Seymour,  Abraham 89 

Saunders,  John  E 98 

Turner,  John 51 

Totten,  Daniel... 87 

Taylor,  William 87 

Tomlinson,  Anny 64,  80 

Tompkins,  Nathaniel 15,  68 

Tillotson,  David 40,  53 

Ten  Brook,  Jacob 44 

Tompkins,  John 56,  68 

Tut  tie,  James 68 

Tuttle,  Abner 68 


^.cres. 

Quality. 

Real.   Personal.     Tax. 

35 

2 

$  200 

$  .81 

25 

2 

125 

.  52 

31 

3 

157 

.05 

140 

2 

1,120 

4.68 

56 

3 

336 

1.40 

43 

3 

255 

1.04 

78 

3 

624 

2.02 

28 

1 

380 

1.59 

37 

1 

300 

1.25 

13 

2 

300 

1.25 

10 

3 

40 

.17 

50 

2 

300 

1.25 

125 

2 

1,350 

5.64 

105 

1 

1,070 

4.47 

17 

2 

200 

.81 

40 

2 

325 

1.37 

72 

2 

440 

1.83 

11 

3 

77 

.33 

25 

2 

125 

.53 

50 

2 

350 

1.47 

50 

2 

350 

1.47 

220 

2 

3,000 

12.54 

* 

2 

75 

.31 

172 

2 

1,204 

5.01 

52 

3 

300 

1.25 

22 

132 

.54 

150 

1,  2,  3 

2,800 

11.72 

1 

1 

190 

.79 

50 

3 

300 

1.25 

100 

2 

700 

2.92 

146 

1,  2,  3 

1,530 

6.41 

99 

1 

1,800 

7.55 

50 

1 

400 

1.66 

101 

3 

830 

3.47 

109 

2 

1,059 

4.43 

77 

2 

703 

2.94 

6 

3 

50 

.21 

67 

2 

536 

2.41 

95 

2 

760    §  0.25     3.32 

6 

3 

30 

.13 

3 

3 

20 

.09 

83i 

2,  3 

766 

3.23 

56A 

3 

339 

1.41 

3 

1 

800 

200     4.17 

* 

1 

300 

800     4.59 

4 

1 

400 

1.66 

50 

2 

500 

3.23 

H 

3 

100 

.42 

66 

2 

670 

2.81 

12 

2 

300 

1.25 

65 

1 

710 

50     3.20 

76^ 

3 

700 

2.92 

26^ 

2,  3 

575 

2.58 

38 

2,  3 

477 

2.01 

53 

3 

318 

1.34 

157 

2 

2,416 

10,14 

49 

2 

539 

2.42 

* 

2 

100 

.42 

THE  TOWN  OF  CAMILLAS. 


67^ 


Residents.  Lot  No. 

Tompson,  Adonijah 80 

Truesdale,  John 100 

Van  Alstine,  Jacob 52,  65 

Van  Alstine,  Abraham 65 

Van  Derwerker,  Martin . 44 

Vossler,  Jacob 44 

Van  Alstine,  John  J 65 

Veeder,  Simon  &  John 66 

Van  Alstine,  Jane 66 

Veeder,  Simon  2d 66 

Van  Dorn,  Jesse 69 

Veeder,  Ryer 79 

Van  Alstine,  Bartholomew 79 

Vandenburgh,  Andrew 79 

Vosburgh,  James ..   66 

White,  Elijah 18,  56,  68 

Wever,  Benjamin 18,  50,  51 

Wells  &  Bates 63 

Wood,  Samuel 76 

Wood,  Abraham 87,  97 

Warner,  Heman 40,  53 

Wilkinson,  Lysander  B.  _  _ 56 

Wood,  Enoch 77,  88 

Wiriam,  Wheadon 78 

Wheadon,  Augustus 79,80 

Winten,  Squire         ..  80 

Wheeler,  William 80,  90 

Wood,  Nathan 88 

Wood,  Alvin 88 

Warren,  Peter 89 

Wells,  Henry 89 

Wells,  Henry  &  John 90 

Whittman,  Samuel 44 

Walter,  John 44 

Webber  &  Hoar 80 

Whiting,  Melzor 79 

Verington, 80 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Camillus,  mentioned  on  a  fore- 
going page,  was  reorganized  in  182?,  and  three  years  later  the  society 
erected  a  house  of  worship,  the  second  in  town.  In  1830  the  circuit 
preachers  were  Revs.  Isaac  Puffer  and  G.  W.  Dinsmore.  In  L836  Ca- 
millus was  made  a  station  with  Rev.  Ross  Clark  pastor.  This  edifice 
has  since  been  remodeled,  and  is  still  standing. 

By  1830  immigration  had  reached  its  full  tide,  and  the  town  every- 
where gave  evidences  of  general  prosperity.  The  western  part  of 
Camillus  had  developed  into  a  thrifty  section,  giving  existence  to  the 
hamlets  locally  known  as  Wellington  and  Oswego  Bitter.  The  former, 
on  the  Genesee  turnpike,  very  soon  became  quite  a  busy  place,  and  for 
a  time  enjoyed  the  privileges  of  a  post-office,  besides  a  store,  two  tav- 
erns,  shops,   etc.      All    these,    however,   were  long  ago  discontinued. 


Acres. 

Quality. 

Real.   Personal.     Tax. 

84 

2 

I   04 

$  .•_><; 

175 

2 

2,250 

9.41 

105 

1,  3 

450 

4.03 

42 

3 

356 

1-5(1 

18 

2 

144 

.62 

57 

2 

400 

1.66 

42 

3 

250 

L.03 

68 

3 

408 

1.71 

61 

3 

360 

1.52 

40 

3 

380 

1.60 

75 

2 

525 

2.31 

50 

3 

250 

1.03 

150 

3 

1,051) 

4.40 

70 

3 

I'.to 

2.23 

60 

3 

360    

1.52 

195 

2 

1,369    |  100     0.15 

12(5 

1,  2 

1,210 

5.H0 

1 

1 

300 

1.23 

67 

1 

650 

2.71 

122 

2 

1,300 

5.45 

139 

2,  3 

1,647 

6.91 

10 

•j 

70 

.30 

126 

2 

1,580 

6.78 

56 

2 

392 

1.05 

320 

2,  3 

2,160 

9.06 

19 

2 

600 

2.4'.» 

170 

3 

1,600 

6.72 

99 

2 

1,100 

1.01 

1 

2 

L50 

.63 

H 

:: 

150 

.63 

56 

2 

350 

1.47 

H 

o 

1  000 

4.17 

8 

2 

56 

.20 

18 

3 

90 

:;s 

.. 

1,000     4.17 

o 

2 

50 

.21 

i 

1 

200 

.81 

678  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL 

Oswego  Bitter,  about  one  and  a  half  miles  north,  also  near  the  Elbridge 
line,  was  originally  called  "  Swago  Bitter." 

The  first  town  records  in  existence  begin  March  26,  1829,  at  which 
date  the  towns  of  Elbridge  and  Van  Buren  were  set  off  by  acts  of  the 
Legislature.  Clark's  "  Onondaga  "  states  that  all  the  early  records  were 
burned,  but  this  should  be  construed  as  relating  to  the  proceedings  of 
the  board  of  town  officers;  records  of  roads  are  preserved  back  to  1813 
and  of  schools  to  1812.  From  these  we  learn  that  Linus  Squire  was 
town  clerk  in  1814-17  ;  Charles  H.  Toll,  1818-20;  Gideon  Frothingham, 
1821;  C.  H.  Toll,  1822-24;  Linus  Squire,  1825;  David  C.  Lytle,  1826- 
27;  Abel  Lyon,  1828.  Clark  also  says  that  the  first  town  meeting  (in 
1799)  was  held  at  the  house  of  Medad  Curtis,  who  was  elected  super- 
visor; Daniel  Vail  was  chosen  town  clerk.  The  first  meeting  after 
Camillus  was  reduced  to  a  little  less  than  its  present  size  (a  part  of  On- 
ondaga being  annexed  in  1834)  was  convened  at  the  house  of  William 
Stevenson  oh  April  28,  1829,  when  the  following  officers  were  elected : 

Miles  W.  Bennett,  supervisor;  Chauncey  White,  town  clerk;  Robert  Hopkins, 
Henry  Wells,  and  Ethan*  Campbell,  assessors;  David  Seymour  and  Elijah  White, 
overseers  of  the  poor ;  Nelson  Buck,  collector;  Darius  Gleason,  sealer;  Daniel  Ben- 
nett, Perigo  Austin,  and  Alanson  Ellis,  commissioners  of  highways;  Daniel  T.  Jones, 
Grove  Lawrence,  and  Ethan  Campbell,  trustees  of  public  lot;  Grove  Lawrence, 
D.  T.  Jones,  and  Isaac  Magoon,  commissioners  of  common  schools;  George  W.  Rich- 
ards, Harold  White,  and  James  O.  Bennett,  inspectors  of  common  schools;  David  B. 
Winton,  Darius  Gleason,  Joseph  S.  Furgason,  and  Nelson  Buck,  constables;  and 
twenty-five  overseers  of  highways. 

The  supervisors  have  been  as  follows: 

Miles  W.  Bennett,  1829-31;  David  Munro,  1832  ;  Grove  Lawrence,  1833-34;  Charles 
Land,  1835-36;  Daniel  T.  Jones,  1837-39;  Isaac  Hall,  L840;  Luther  Hopkins,  1841; 
Albion  J.  Larkin,  1842;  Sidney  H.  Cook,  sr.,  1843-45;  Harry  Weed,  1846;  Harry 
Tuttle,  1847;  Henry  C.  Kimberly,  1848;  Gaylord  N.  Sherwood,  1849;  John  C.  Munro, 
1850;  Erastus  Sheldon,  1851;  David  A.  Munro,  1852;  Sidney  H.  Cook,  sr.,  1853-54; 
William  R.  George,  1855;  Luther  Hay,  1856;  David  A.  Munro,  1857-58;  Samuel  L. 
Hopkins,  1859-60;  Edwin  R.  Harmon,  1861;  John  C.  Munro,  1862-63;  Edwin  R. 
Harmon,  1864-68;  Jonathan  B.  White,  1869-72;  George  D.  Reynolds,  1873;  John  C. 
Munro,  1874-76;  E.  Duane  Sherwood,  1877;  Sidney  H.  Cook,  jr.,  1878;  E.  Duane 
Sherwood,  1879;  John  C.  Munro,  jr.,  1880-85;  Samuel  L.  Hopkins,  1886-90;  William 
B.  Gorham,  L891-92;  Samuel  L.  Hopkins  (resigned,  and  W.  B.  Gorham  appointed) 
L893;  William  B.  Gorham,  1894-95. 

The  first  justices  of  the  peace,  elected  April  27,  1830,  were  Grove 
Lawrence,  Ethan  Campbell,  and  Alfred  Stephens.  George  Geddes 
was  elected  to  the  office  in  1835.  Sidney  H.  Cook,  sr. ,  served  as  mag- 
istrate about  thirty-five  years.     Many  of  the  early  town  meetings  were 


THE  TOWN  OF  CAMILLUS.  679 

held  in  Camillus  at  the  tavern  of  Samuel  B.  Rowe,  which  stood  on  the 
vacant  lot  opposite  the  store  of  S.  H.  Cook.  The  village  is  sometimes 
designated  in  the  records  as  "  Nine  Mile  Creek."  Mr.  Rowe  continued 
as  an  innkeeper  until  about  1858.  He  built  the  present  hotel  and  was 
succeeded  by  Chauncey  B.  Delano,  Samuel  B.  Rowe,  jr.,  Philo  Brom- 
ley, and  others. 

In  1830  a  post-office  was  established  at  Belle  Isle  with  George  Kim- 
berly  as  postmaster.  Thomas  Machan  held  the  office  many  years  after 
1860,  and  was  also  a  long  time  justice,  being  first  elected  in  1868.  In 
1836,  or  earlier,  the  place  had  a  store,  tavern,  and  twelve  or  fifteen 
dwellings.  One  of  the  former  merchants  was  M.  L.  Hay.  In  L830 
several  members  were  dismissed  from  the  old  Baptist  church  at  Howlett 
Hill  to  organize  a  society  here,  but  it  subsequently  went  out  of  exist- 
ence. In  later  years  quite  an  extensive  boat  business  was  carried  on, 
canal  boats  were  built,  and  large  numbers  repaired  prior  to  1870. 

As  this  point  the  names  of  other  prominent  settlers  and  later  residents 
of  the  town  may  be  appropriately  mentioned,  viz: 

William  R.  George,  Edwin  C.  Parsons,  Cyrus  Sweet  (at  one  time  surrogate),  Ed- 
win R.  Harmon  (farmer  and  grain  dealer),  Frederick  Loomis,  E.  D.  Larkin  (justice 
of  the  peace),  E.  E.  Veeder  (barrel  and  brick  manufacturer),  Thomas  H.  Munro, 
Gaylord  Noble  Sherwood,  Henry  Jerome  (at  one  time  postmaster  at  Fairmount), 
Martin  M.  Ford  (side  justice),  Calvin  D.  Bingham,  A.  E.  Daniels,  John  Dow,  I.  Jesse 
Ecker,  Col.  John  Dill  (a  Revolutionary  soldier,  came  here  in  1828,  and  died  in  1S4H), 
Judge  Samuel  Dill  (brother  of  Col.  John),  William  Ecker,  James  M.  Gere,  Luther 
Hay,  Alfred  L.  Hinsdale,  J.  H.  Hitchcock,  Samuel  Parsons  (publisher),  I.  M.  Peck, 
G.  D.  Reynolds,  Dr.  John  O.  Slocum  (surgeon  in  the  army,  and  brother  of  the  late 
Maj.-Gen.  Henry  W.  Slocum),  Reuben  Steves,  Dr.  Lewis  C.  Skinner  (who  settled  in 
Amboy  in  1840),  Dr.  E.  C.  Skinner  (son  of  Dr.  L.  C),  William  C.  Thorpe,  F.  A.  and 
Jacob  Van  Alstine,  Henry  Winchell,  and  the  Munro  family. 

Gaylord  Noble  Sherwood  was  born  in  Fairfield,  N.  Y.,  April  18,  1805, 
came  to  Camillus  village  in  18"2T,  married  a  sister  of  David  Bennett  in 
1828,  and  the  same  year  opened  a  store,  which  recently  passed  into  the 
possession  of  Sidney  H.  Cook,  jr.  Mr.  Sherwood  was  in  business  here 
forty  years.  He  also  had  stores  at  Amboy,  Baldwinsville,  Syracuse, 
Fulton  and  elsewhere,  and  was  chairman  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors 
for  some  time.  He  finally  removed  to  Buffalo,  where  he  died  January 
10,  1895.  His  sons,  E.  Duane  and  Charles  E.  Sherwood,  conducted  the 
Camillus  store  for  some  time. 

Sidney  H.  Cook,  sr, ,  was  a  son  of  Lyman  Cook  (who  died  in  Van 
Buren,  June  30,  1837),  and  was  born  in  Marcellus  on  August  31,  1806. 
He  became  a  lieutenant-colonel  in  the  old  State  militia,  was  constable 


680  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

and  collector  in  Marcellus,  and  in  1841  removed  to  Camillns  village, 
where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  in  mercantile  trade,  and  was 
successfully  engaged  in  storage  and  forwarding  and  in  purchasing 
grain.  He  held  many  positions  of  trust,  and  several  times  was  justice 
of  sessions.  His  children  were  Dr.  George  W.,  Mary  E.,  Morris  A., 
Emily  H.,  Mansfield  J.,  Orange  L.,  C.  Janette,  Sidney  H.,  jr.,  Samuel 
and  Frances  A.  His  son,  Sidney  H.,  is  a  general  merchant  in  Camillus 
village. 

Among  other  merchants  in  the  village  of  Camillus  were  Gould  &  Hess,  Hoar  & 
Wheeler,  William  A.  Cook,  John  C.  Ellis,  Sherwood  &  Chase,  Knapp  &  Smith,  John 
L.  Sherwood,  George  Kimberly  and  son  Oliver,  Abram  Otman,  George  Gee;  Robert 
Dickey,  James  Patten,  Dr.  John  O.  Slocum,  Albert  Harmon,  C.  S.  Safford,  E.  B. 
Bush,  drugs;  Seth  Dunbar,  Benjamin  Bucklin  &  Son  (William  B.),  and  E.  S.  Darling, 
hardware;  Charles  Land,  long  a  harnessmaker  and  prominent  citizen;  and  Ira  Saf- 
ford, cabinetmaker  and  undertaker.  In  1886  the  village  contained  one  saw  and  one 
grist  mill,  a  carding  and  cloth  dressing  establishment,  three  taverns,  four  stores,  two 
churches,  and  about  fifty  dwellings.  Among  the  postmasters  were  Grove  Lawrence, 
Robert  Dickey,  J.  N.  Sherwood,  Henry  Kimberly.  Albert  Harmon,  Benjamin  Brown, 
and  Sidney  H.  Cook,  jr.,  incumbent. 

The  year  1838  witnessed  the  opening  of  another  channel  of  com- 
munication which  was  destined  to  work  radical  changes  in  local  busi- 
ness affairs,  and  particularly  in  manufacturing  enterprises.  This  was 
the  Syracuse  and  Auburn  Railroad,  which  was  first  operated  by  horse 
power  and  later  equipped  with  iron  rails  and  steam.  It  gave  existence 
to  the  little  hamlet  at  Marcellus  Station,  inaugurated  a  new  impetus  in 
the  village  of  Camillus,  and  in  a  measure  influenced  the  settlement  at 
Fairmount,  where  a  post-office  was  established  and  more  recently  a 
tract  laid  out  into  building  lots;  but  it  withdrew  in  time  the  business 
industries  from  Amboy  and  Wellington,  eventually  leaving  those  ham- 
lets with  only  the  ruins  of  their  former  importance.  Soon  after  the 
completion  of  the  railroad  a  large  grain  business  sprang  up  and  con- 
tinued until  about  1870,  but  this  was  mainly  carried  on  by  the  aid  of 
the  canal.  Camillus  was  for  several  years  the  banner  town  in  Central 
New  York  for  home  produce  and  grain  market,  and  among  the  promi- 
nent dealers  were  James  M.  Baker,  E.  W.  Clark,  Ephraim  Shed,  and 
lames  M.  Munro,  The  latter,  in  1860,  bought  and  shipped  to  Albany 
248,000  bushels  of  barley  in  sixty  days.  The  raising  of  grain  has 
largely  given  place  to  mixed  farming;  among  the  leading  products  now 
are  hay,  tobacco,  winter  wheat,  barley,  oats,  fruit,  potatoes,  etc.,  and 
dairying,  considerable  milk  being  sent  to  Syracuse  for  consumption. 

The  early  settlers  in  the  town  of  the  Baptist  faith  worshiped  in  the 


THE  TOWN  OF  CAMILLUS.  681 

"  First  Baptist  church  of  Onondaga,"  which  was  organized  at  Howlett 
Hill  in  Januar}^,  1804,  with  six  male  and  seven  female  members.  An 
edifice  was  built  there  and  dedicated  in  1821;  in  1844  the  society  was 
removed  to  Camillus  village,  where  a  church  was  erected  in  184!)  and 
dedicated  January  8,  1851.  The  name  was  changed  to  the  First  Bap- 
tist church  of  Camillus,  and  about  1878  the  edifice  was  replaced  by  the 
present  brick  structure.  The  first  pastor  after  the  removal  and  re- 
organization was  Rev.  Henry  Brown.  Among  other  pastors  have  been 
Revs.  A.  L.  Freeman,  D.  McFarland,  and  G.  F.  Genung.  The  year 
1845  saw  the  formation  of  the  society  and  erection  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  at  Amboy,  which  was  dedicated  December  23  of  that  year. 
The  society  consisted  of  forty-nine  members  dismissed  from  the  Con- 
gregational church  at  Van  Buren  Center  and  the  Presbyterian  church 
at  Camillus.  The  first  pastor  was  Rev.  Alfred  C.  Lathrop,  and  among 
his  successors  were  Revs.  Richard  Dunning,  John  S.  Bacon,  Frederick 
Hebard,  A.  J.  Quick,  and  Benjamin  B.  Dayton.  Among  the  prominent 
members  may  be  mentioned  the  names  of  Heman  Warner,  J.  Skinner, 
Jonathan  White,  William  Reed,  Truman  Skinner,  Pardee  Ladd,  Henry 
L.  Warner,  Samuel  Parsons,  the  Hopkins  families,  and  J.  E.  Meyers. 
Six  years  later,  in  1851,  an  M.  E.  church  was  built  at  Belle  Isle;  the 
first  trustees  were  Jabin  Armstrong,  Henry  Safford,  and  John  C.  Hat- 
ton.      The  first  pastor  was  Rev.  Mr.  Coop. 

The  village  of  Camillus  was  for  many  years  a  center  of  great  activ- 
ity, and  promised  a  brilliant  future.  It  was  an  important  grain  market 
and  shipping  point,  especially  by  the  canal,  and  the  volume  of  business 
transacted  reached  extensive  proportions.  In  1852  the  village  received 
corporate  privileges;  the  first  officers  were  Gaylord  N.  Sherwood,  pre- 
sident; Samuel  B.  Rowe,  Ira  Safford,  David  A.  Munro,  and  Charles 
Land,  trustees;  and  Crayton  B.  Wheeler,  clerk.  The  growing  trans- 
portation facilities  afforded  by  the  railroad  and  the  increasing  advan- 
tages offered  in  Syracuse  eventually  militated  against  the  interests  of 
the  place,  and  diverted  much  of  its  trade  into  other  channels,  while  the 
abandonment  of  the  Genesee  turnpike  as  a  popular  route  of  travel  ex- 
tinguished its  great  importance  and  prestige,  leaving  it  to  depend  upon 
the  resources  of  the  adjacent  country. 

In  the  same  year  (1852)  the  first  Roman  Catholic  priest  took  up  his 

his  residence    in    Camillus.      This    was  Rev.   William  McCallion,   and 

among  his  successors  were  Revs.   Joseph  Butler,    Francis  J.   Purcell, 

William  Carroll,  T.  F.  Smith,  J.  E.  O'Sullivan,  and  William  A.  Ryan. 

86 


682  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

This  parish  and  the  one  at  Jordan  were  organized  by  Father  Haias,  of 
Salina.  Services  were  first  held  in  a  barn,  which  was  fitted  up  for  the 
purpose,  and  later  in  the  present  brick  parsonage.  About  1870,  under 
the  pastorate  of  Father  Carroll,  a  brick  church  was  erected. 

It  is  said  that  the  first  political  meeting  in  the  United  States  that 
represented  the  principles  upon  which  the  Republican  party  was  subse- 
quently founded,  was  held  at  Rowe's  Hotel  in  Camillus  on  January  27, 
1852.  The  call  for  this  gathering  preceded  the  national  organization  by 
three  years.  An  old  placard  sets  forth  "  that  those  of  you  who  are  op- 
posed to  the  Fugitive  Slave  law,  to  the  extension  of  slavery  over  Free 
Soil,  to  the  admission  of  any  more  Slave  States,  and  are  disposed  to  waive 
former  political  preferences  and  party  predilections,  &nd  unite  your 
strength  that  your  influence  may  be  felt  in  the  cause  of  Freedom  and 
Humanity,  are  cordially  invited  to  meet  with  us  at  Rowe's  Hotel  on  the 
17th  day  of  January  inst.- — Camillus,  Jan.  3,  1852."  The  call  was  signed 
by  D.  A.  Munro,  J.  M.  Munro,  Wheeler  Truesdell,  M.  W.  Lyon,  D.  L. 
Pickard,  E.  Marks,  D.  C.  Le  Roy,  C.  B.  Wheeler,  John  Truesdell, 
Daniel  Bennett,  J.  B.  and  L.  B.  Bennett,  and  324  other  well-known 
citizens  of  the  town.  From  this  time  until  the  close  of  the  Rebellion 
political  excitement  ran  high,  and  during  the  four  years  of  war  and 
carnage  no  town  in  the  State  manifested  deeper  patriotism  or  supported 
the  Union  with  greater  loyalty.  Full  quotas  were  promptly  contrib- 
uted to  the  cause,  and  large  sums  of  money  were  raised  for  bounties, 
etc. 

On  December  31,  1875,  Sapphire  Lodge  No.  768,  F.  &  A.  M.,  was 
chartered  with  twenty-one  members,  as  follows : 

C.  S.  Safford,  secretary;  J.  H.  Lyboult,  S.  W.  ;  W.  B.  Bucklin,  S.  H.  Cook,  jr., 
T.  A.  Fish,  J.  W.  ;  J.  H.  Paddock,  E.  R.  Glynn,  J.  O.  Slocum,  T.  V.  Owens,  La- 
Fayette  Burdick,  S.  L.  Hopkins,  Merril  Skinner,  A.  L.  Hinsdale,  A.  R.  Hopkins, 
T.  M.  Shoens,  W.  M.  ;  E.  C.  Skinner,  Cyrus  Sweet,  E.  D.  Sherwood,  treasurer,  E. 
D.  Larkin,  H.  D.  Burdick,  J.  Paddock. 

On  January  1,  1895,  the  Camillus  Enterprise,  a  weekly  newspaper, 
was  started  by  C.  A.  Roe,  of  Marcellus,  where  it  is  printed  at  the 
( )bserver  office. 

The  population  has  been  as  follows:  In  1830,  2,518;  1835,  3,000;  1840,  3,957;  1845, 
2,976;  1850,  3,106;  1855,  2,740;  1860,  2,940;  1865,  2,552;  1870,  2,423;  1875,  2,604; 
L880,  2,416;   L890,  2,678;  1892,  2,522. 


THE  TOWN  OF  ELBRIDGE. 


CHAPTER    XXXII. 
THE  TOWN  OF  ELBRIDGE. 

In  what  is  now  the  town  of  Elbridge  occurred  practically  the  second 
settlement  of  white  men  in  the  present  county  of  Onondaga.  The 
territory  was  then  a  densely  wooded  wilderness,  frequented  by  Indians 
and  inhabited  by  bears,  wolves,  and  other  beasts  of  the  forest,  and 
could  not  have  presented  an  appearance  other  than  of  a  gloomy  waste. 
More  than  a  century  has  passed  since  the  transition  was  made,  and  to- 
day we  look  back  upon  the  transformation  of  an  uninviting-  scene  into 
a  prosperous  and  attractive  community. 

The  beginning  of  the  story  dates  from  1791,  when  the  territory  under 
consideration  belonged  to  the  great  county  of  Herkimer.  In  that  year, 
probably  in  the  spring  or  summer,  Josiah  Buck  came  into  this  region 
to  survey  the  military  township  of  Camillus  into  lots,  and  selecting  a 
site  a  little  west  of  Elbridge  village  built  for  himself  and  party  a  tem- 
porary shelter.  In  the  autumn  he  was  found  here  by  Lieut.  Col.  Will- 
iam Stevens  and  a  party  of  surveyors  and  explorers.  Colonel  Stevens 
came  in  from  the  east  and  passed  over  the  site  of  what  is  now  Camillus 
village,  or  near  there,  thence  on  to  the  Skaneateles  outlet,  down  that 
stream  to  the  site  of  the  village  of  Elbridge,  and  from  there  to  Buck's 
location.  He  kept  a  very  complete  account  of  his  travels,  which  is 
now  in  the  possession  of  his  granddaughter,  Mrs.  Andrew  G.  Graham, 
and  from  it  are  taken  the  following  extracts.  Reaching  this  region  in 
October,  1791,  the  party  stopped  overnight  with  Asa  Danforth  at  On- 
ondaga, and  the  next  morning  proceeded  westward: 

Wednesday,  26th.  This  morning  we  prepared  our  route  westward.  After  passing 
about  one  mile,  we  rose  a  hill  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile,  part  of  which  had  been 
cleared,  but  grown  up  to  bushes;  the  land  indifferent.  Arrived  on  the  north  part  of 
the  summit,  which  gave  us  a  very  pleasant  view  of  the  cleared  lands  below,  part  of 
which  we  had  traveled  through.  We  then  descended  about  30  rods  and  came  on  a 
level  tract  of  pretty  good  land,  which  extended  about  four  miles.  The  timber  mixed, 
consisted  of  beech,  sugar  maple,  basswood,  white  ash,  elm,  hickory,  and  near  the 
streams  some  hemlock.  After  passing  through  this  tract  we  came  to  a  tract  covered 
entirely  with  a  bed  of  flat  rocks  the  extent  of  about  two  miles,  composed  of  limestone' 


684  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Here  appeared  that  nature  had  had  a  convulsion  and  separated  those  rugged  rocks, 
which  appears  very  conspicuous  in  many  instances.  The  rents  in  many  places  are 
from  six  inches  to  eighteen  wide.  In  one  place  I  took  a  pole  and  ran  it  down  about 
12  feet.  .  .  .  The  pours  of  the  rent  corresponded  with  each  other.  .  .  .  After 
viewing  the  curiosities  we  proceeded  down  a  steep  pitch,  several  rods,  and  landed  on 
a  flat  of  good  land  well  timbered.  Afterwards  descended  another  steep  pitch,  and 
came  on  a  fine  flat,  the  soil  and  timber  beautiful.  In  the  west  and  northwest  of  this 
place  runs  the  Nine  Mile  run  (so  called),  being  the  outlet  of  the  Otisco  Lake,  a  very 
handsome  stream  of  water,  which  runs  into  the  Onondaga  Lake.  ...  At  tins 
place  is  a  fine  situation  for  a  tavern,  it  being  nine  miles  from  Danforth  s.  After 
crossing  the  stream  we  ascend  some  distance  a  steep  pitch  of  a  hill  and  immediately 
descended  and  ascended  a  very  sudden  gully  for  several  rods,  after  which  the  ascent 
was  more  gradual  for  a  mile,  the  land  hinging  toward  the  southward  and  west- 
ward, something  stony,  the  timber  mixed,  consisting  of  beech,  sugar  maple, 
white  ash,  basswood,  and  hemlock.  Then  passed  on  high  land  several  miles,  the 
soil  pretty  good,  mixed  with  loam,  a  black  sand  and  fertile  clay.  We  at  last  descended 
and  came  to  a  cedar  swamp,  the  road  causewayed  through  it.  Then  came  to  a  beau- 
tiful stream  of  water,  the  bottom  covered  with  white  pebbles  of  the  nature  of  lime, 
and  centered  on  a  pretty  flat  tract  of  land  with  a  handsome  gradual  descent  to  the 
south.  The  timber  much  as  before,  with  the  addition  of  fine  white  pine,  suitable  for 
either  boards  or  shingles,  extending  to  a  great  height.  The  soil  good,  and  came  to 
the  outlet  of  Skaneateles  Lake,  about  five  or  six  miles  from  the  lake — a  very  conven- 
ient situation  for  mills  and  other  water  works. 1  The  land  very  good,  and  plenty  of 
white  pine  timber  for.  building.  Two  and  one-half  miles  further  down  the  stream  is 
the  falls  [at  Elbridge  village],  below  which  will  admit  boats  to  come  up  to  the  foot  of 
the  falls.  This  situation  struck  my  fancy  for  a  seat  more  than  any  part  of  the  coun- 
try that  I  had  been  in  yet,  and  if  I  should  be  lucky  enough  to  purchase  it  would  in- 
duce one  to  move  into  this  part  of  the  country.  After  viewing  this  situation  atten- 
tively we  proceed  through  a  very  fine  tract  till  we  arrive  at  Mr.  Buck's,  where  we 
took  todgings. 

Thursday,  27th.  Mr.  Mile  left  me  here  and  proceeded  on  to  the  Genesee.  I  re- 
mained here  four  days,  and  explored  the  vicinity.  The  land  is  much  more  level  here 
than  farther  to  the  eastward.  The  soil  a  mixture  of  loam,  black  sand,  and  marl,  very 
clear  of  stones.  There  are  two  small  ridges  of  hills  north  of  his  [Buck's]  house,  which 
Mr.  Buck  informed  of  the  traces  of  some  ancient  fortification,  which  I  had  the  curios- 
ity to  view  them.  I  went  in  company  with  Mr.  Buck,  a  Mr.  Barton,  and  Henderson, 
surveyors  who  quartered  there,  to  one  of  them  which  was  30  rods  from  the  house. 
This  appears  to  have  been  a  detached  work,  situated  on  the  summit  of  a  small  hill, 
which  commanded  to  the  eastward  and  southward,  the  level  land  forming  a  semi- 
circle, the  convexity  of  it  towards  the  above  mentioned  points  of  the  compass.  It 
appeared  to  have  been  built  many  years  ago  by  the  growth  of  timber  being  rather 
larger  on  the  parapet  than  within  or  without  the  works.  I  imagine  by  the  growth  of 
the  timber  that  the  land  must  have  been  cleared  in  the  vicinity  at  the  time  they  were 
erected,  and  must  have  been  a  considerable  of  a  work  by  the  present  height  of  the 
parapet  and  depth  of  the  ditch.     The  next  day  we  went  to  see  the  other  work,  which 

'  This  was  undoubtedly  at  a  point  near  Skaneateles  Junction  (Hart  Lot ). 


THE  TOWN  OF  ELBRIDGE.  685 

is  situated  on  another  small  hill  rather  higher  than  the  former.  Here  we  found  evi- 
dent traces  of  a  fortification  constructed  in  an  elliptical  figure,  the  longest  diameter 
extending  north  and  south,  containing  two  and  three-quarters  acres  by  estimate ;  with 
a  gateway  or  sally  port  on  the  east  line  of  it  and  another  on  the  west  side  also.  The 
Butments  on  each  side  is  plain  to  be  seen.  The  timber  in  the  fort  is  of  a  similar 
growth  as  that  without  the  works.  The  trees  that  grow  on  the  parapet  are  much 
larger;  the  timber  is  beech,  basswood,  maple,  ash  and  hemlock.  I  measured  a  grey 
oak,  whose  diameter  was  four  feet,  and  a  hemlock  whose  diameter  three  feet  ten 
inches.  These  being  trees  of  very  slow  growth  which  shows  that  these  works  must 
have  been  erected  many  hundred  years  ago. 

The  ancient  fortifications  here  described  were  evidently  situated  on 
lot  84,  on  the  old  Caleb  Brown  farm.  On  the  northeast  part  of  lot  81, 
on  what  was  subsequently  the  vSquire  Munro  and  later  the  John  Munro 
place,  were  also  the  remains  of  a  fort,  while  on  Fort  Hill,  on  lot  70, 
about  half  a  mile  northwest,  was  still  another  old  fortification.  This 
latter  point  is  one  of  the  highest  elevations  in  town.  Numerous  evi- 
dences of  an  Indian  village  were  discovered  on  lot  83,  and  at  Jack's 
Rifts  on  Seneca  River.  The  Onondaga  Indians  had  a  large  settlement 
with  a  clearing  and  valuable  orchard  when  the  first  white  settlers  ar- 
rived. The  country  north  of  this  was  their  favorite  hunting  ground. 
In  the  vicinity  of  these  sites  large  quantities  of  stone  axes,  flint  arrow- 
heads, pottery  and  other  Indian  relics,  and  many  human  skeletons  have 
been  unearthed.  The  forts,  it  has  been  supposed,  were  occupied,  and 
possibly  constructed,  by  the  French. 

Another  interesting  feature  of  the  town  is  the  variety  of  geological 
formations.  A  little  west  of  the  village  of  Elbridge,  between  the  turn- 
pike and  'Skaneateles  outlet,  is  a  bed  of  calcareous  marl,  slightly  mixed 
with  argillaceous  particles,  about  thirty  by  fifty  rods  in  size,  while  a 
mile  south  is  a  brown  or  dark  drab  sandstone  quarry,  dotted  with  hy- 
drate of  iron.  East  of  the  village  are  extensive  deposits  of  calcareous 
tufa,  which  extend  down  the  stream  and  valley;  and  along  Skaneat- 
eles Creek  from  Elbridge  to  Jordan  are  numerous  plaster  beds,  which 
have  been  partially  developed.  On  the  banks  of  this  outlet  are  found 
a  number  of  the  peculiar  hopper-shaped  cavities,  indicating  former  salt 
deposits,  and  about  a  mile  below  Elbridge  is  an  oval  cave,  which  in 
early  years  was  a  notorious  den  for  wild  beasts;  it  was  discovered  in 
1794  by  Col.  William  Stevens  and  Robert  Full  on,  who  had  quite  an 
adventure  with  a  bear,  which  they  killed.  Along  wSeneca  River  were 
salt  springs  of  considerable  volume,  but  the  brine  proved  too  weak  to 
encourage  salt  manufacture.      The  prevailing  soil  of  the  town  is  a   fer- 


686  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

tile  sand  and  gravelly  loam,  and  when  once  cleared  was  generally  sus- 
ceptible of  easy  cultivation. 

The  present  town  of  Elbridge  originally  formed  a  part  of  military 
township  No.  5  (Camillus),  which  also  comprised  nearly  all  the  present 
Camillus  and  the  whole  of  Van  Buren.  Upon  the  formation  of  the 
county,  in  1794,  the  original  military  town  of  Camillus  was  included  in 
the  civil  town  of  Marcellus,  and  so  remained  until  March  8,  1799,  when 
its  legal  organization  was  effected.  On  the  26th  of  March,  1829,  the 
towns  of  Elbridge  and  Van  Buren,  as  now  constituted,  were  set  off. 

The  old  military  township  consisted  of  100  lots,  which  were  drawn 
as  bounty  lands  by  soldiers  for  services  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  as 
detailed  in  previous  pages  of  this  volume.  Those  lying  in  what  is  now 
Elbridge  are  Nos.  30,  31,  32,  33,  34,  35,  36,  45,  46,  47,  48,  49,  50,  57, 
58,  59,  60,  61,  62,  70,  71,  72,  73,  74,  75,  81,  82,  83,  84,  85,  86,  91,  92, 
93,  94,  95,  and  96 ;  total  thirty-seven.  These  were  assigned  to  the 
following  grantees: 

No.  30,  Lieut.  Isaac  Guion ;  31,  Nathan  Sherwood ;  32,  reserved  for  gospel,  schools, 
etc.  ;  33,  James  Russell;  34,  David  Grigg;  35,  Stephen  Flyharty ;'36,  Capt.  Benjamin 
Pelton;  45,  Col.  James  Livingston;  46,  Elisha  Snell ;  47,  Ezekiel  Gee;  48,  John 
Parks;  49,  George  Clarke;  50,  Lieut.  Anthony  Maxwell;  57,  Isaac  Coggleshoudt ; 
58,  John  Holmes;  59,  Lieut.  Prentice  Bowen ;  60,  Capt.  Abraham  Livingston;  61, 
Robert  Battersby;  62,  Richard  Dermott;  70,  Moses  Diamond;  71,  Lieut.  Michael 
Witzell;  72,  reserved  for  gospel,  schools,  etc.  ;  73,  Mark  Kerr;  74.  Lieut.  John  Mills; 
75,  Lieut,-Col.  Robert  Cochran ;  81,  William  Harrick ;  82,  Henry  Buyford;  83,  Sur- 
geon Ebenezer  Haviland;  84,  Lieut.  Anthony  Maxwell;  85,  reserved  for  gospel, 
schools,  etc.;  86,  Elisha  Parker;  91,  Conrad  Conite ;  92,  Lieut.  Alexander  McArthur; 
93,  James  Collins;  94,  Surgeon  Samuel  Cook;  95,  Jasper  Staggs;  96,  Dr.  John 
Mason. 

Of  these  thirty-seven  grantees,  not  one,  so  far  as  can  be  ascertained, 
became  an  actual  settler;  neither  is  it  known  that  any  one  of  them  ever 
visited  this  section.  Their  claims  in  many  instances  passed  through  the 
hands  of  several  speculative  owners  and  were  often  sold  for  ridiculous 
trifles,  without  recording,  a  fact  which  subsequently  caused  much  liti- 
gation.    The  history  of  the  Military  Tract  is  detailed  in  Chapter  I. 

Josiah  Buck,  as  has  been  stated,  was  the  first  permanent  white  settler 
in  the  present  town  of  Elbridge.  He  came  as  a  surveyor  in  1791,  and 
selected  his  location,  which  was  afterwards  owned  by  Col.  John  Munro. 
In  1793  he  moved  his  family  hither  "in  a  large  wagon",  1  and  was  fol- 

1  Clark's  ( >nondaga.     Clark  also  adds:  "  A  log,  a  large  one  of  oak,  by  order  of  Squire  Mvmro 

wi  i  iiiini  molestation  for  a  number  of  years  as  a  memorial  of  the  place  where  the  first  set- 

al  was  made  in  town.    Thelarge  elm  tree  is  still  (1849)  standing  in  the  road,  a  little  west  of 


THE  TOWN  OF  ELBRIDGE.  687 

lowed  in  the  same  year  by  Robert  Fulton.  In  1704  James  Strong  came 
in  and  very  soon  afterward  Col.  Chandler  and  Dr.  Pickard  (an  Indian 
root  doctor)  became  settlers.  Mr.  Buck  opened  his  house  as  a  tavern 
in  1793,  which  was  the  first  in  the  town. 

Col.  William  Stevens,  an  officer  in  the  Revolutionary  war  and  a 
member  of  the  historic  Boston  Tea  Party,  came  from  Coleraine,  Mass., 
in  December,  1793,  and  took  up  his  residence  on  lot  83,  a  part  of  which 
comprises  a  portion  of  the  present  village  site  of  Elbridge.  He  was 
an  Englishman  by  birth,  and  coming  to  this  country  enlisted  at  the 
age  of  twenty-six  as  a  captain  in  the  51st  Boston  Light  Artillery.  He 
served  through  the  Revolution,  rose  to  the  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel, 
and  afterward  settled  in  Coleraine  as  a  merchant.  He  had  drawn  3,600 
acres  of  land  for  services  in  the  Continental  army,  of  which  2,400  were 
situated  in  Onondaga  county.  Soon  after  his  arrival  he  built  the  first 
store  in  town  at  Elbridge,  which  was  conducted  by  his  son  Robert  and 
Squire  Dickinson,  and  about  the  same  time  he  erected  a  saw  mill  where 
the  Diamond  Chair  Works  now  stand.  He  was  the  first  supervisor  of 
the  civil  town  of  Marcellus,  serving  on  the  board  from  1794  to  1797, 
when  he  was  appointed  the  first  superintendent  of  the  Salt  Springs  at 
Syracuse,  an  office  he  held  until  his  death,  February  28,  1801,  at  the 
age  of  forty-nine.  He  was  also  one  of  the  first  judges  of  the  Court  of 
Common  Pleas,  and  was  made  the  first  magistrate  in  Marcellus  in  1794. 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Gurney  Stevens,  his  first  wife,  died  here  February  26, 
1795,  was  the  first  person  buried  on  the  site  of  Mount  Hope  Cemetery 
in  Elbridge,  and  in  the  absence  of  a  qualified  minister  of  the  gospel 
Colonel  Stevens  preached  her  funeral  sermon,  which  was  subsequentlv 
printed,  and  which,  with  several  other  literary  productions  of  his,  in- 
cluding a  proclamation  to  the  citizens,  a  charge  to  the  grand  jury,  and 
two  or  three  bound  manuscript  books  on  military  discipline,  etc.,  all 
marvels  of  neatness,  is  in  possession  of  his  granddaughter,  Mrs.  An- 
drew G.  Graham,  who,  with  her  family,  occupies  the  old  Stevens  home- 
stead, one  of  the  landmarks  of  the  town.  Colonel  Stevens  was  one  of 
the  foremost  men  of  his  day;  he  possessed  an  excellent  education,  and 

Dr.  Munro's  house,  by  the  side  of  a  clear  running  brook,  where  Mr.  Buck  with  his  family  took 
shelter  till  he  could  erect  a  comfortable  cabin.  They  lived  several  weeks  with  no  shelter  but  the 
forest,  and  the  wagon  served  for  parlor,  kitchen,  wardrobe  and  sleeping  apartments.  On  this 
account  the  tree  was  highly  venerated  by  the  people  in  the  neighborhood."  Col.  Stevens  in  Oc- 
tober, 1791,  speaks  of  taking  lodgings  at  Mr.  Buck's  "house,"  a  fact  which  would  indicate  that  it 
was  of  logs  (considering  the  date),  and  furthermore,  it  apparently  stood  on  lol  si.  No  doubt  it 
was  demolished  before  Mr.  Buck  arrived  with  his  family. 


68*  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

became  prominently  identified  with  the  growth  of  the  community.  His 
second  wife  was  Hannah  Frisbie,  a  sister  of  Dr.  John  Frisbie,  the  first 
physician  in  Elbridge.  She,  with  his  six  children — Betsey,  William 
jr.,  Henry,  Robert,  Thomas,  and  John,  all  born  in  Massachusetts- 
survived  him.  John  Stevens  was  born  September  25,  1779,  and  came 
here  with  his  parents  in  1703.  On  May  G,  1812,  he  was  commissioned 
lieutenant  in  the  16th  Onondaga  Infantry,  after  raising  his  own  com- 
pany, and  served  through  the  war  of  that  period  along  the  northern 
frontier.  He  had  a  large  farm  and  a  milling  and  carrying  business, 
and  died  here  in  October,  1866.  He  was  the  father  of  Mrs.  A.  G.  Gra- 
ham and  John  A.  Stevens,  born  in  this  town  January  28,  1804. 

These  pioneers  and  those  who  followed  them  generally  found  their 
way  into  this  region  by  the  great  central  trail  of  the  Iroquois,  along 
which  a  road  had  been  crudely  opened  by  a  party  of  emigrants  under 
the  first  General  Wadsworth  in  1791  or  1792,  and  which  was  subse- 
quently improved  by  the  State.  This  route  nearly,  or  quite,  conformed 
to  the  later  Genesee  turnpike,  which  received  additional  improvements 
and  was  first  known  as  such,  or  as  the  Great  Genesee  Road,  between 
1795  and  1800.  It  is  possible,  however,  but  not  probable,  that  a  few 
early  settlers  came  by  way  of  the  Oneida  and  Seneca  Rivers,  but  most 
of  them  are  known  to  have  traversed  the  Genesee  route,  the  same 
thoroughfare  that  for  years  was  the  scene  of  an  extensive  westward 
emigration.  Along  this  great  artery  of  travel  occurred  the  first  settle- 
ments in  town,  and  the  influence  it  long  exerted  upon  the  growth  and 
advancement  of  the  community  was  marked.  It  gave  existence  to  the 
village  of  Elbridge,  the  earliest  center  of  population,  whence  business 
and  other  interests  gradually  branched  out,  mainly  northward. 

Isaac  Strong  erected  a  saw  mill  on  the  Skaneateles  outlet  in  1795;  in 
that  year  a  Mr.  Potter  began  blacksmithing  in  Elbridge,  and  about  the 
same  time  Moses  Carpenter  opened  the  second  tavern  in  town.  In  1796 
James  Weisner  and  Nicholas  Miekles,  and  soon  afterward  Jacob  and 
Ezra  Colmon  and  Ezra  and  John  Brackett,  became  settlers.  All  of 
these  located  in  or  near  Elbridge  or  along  the  turnpike.  In  1797  Zenas 
and  Aaron  Wright  made  the  first  settlement  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Jordan,  and  Dr.  John  Frisbie,  the  pioneer  physician,  settled  in  Elbridge 
the  next  year.  Isaac  Strong  built  the  first  grist  mill  in  the  town  on 
Skaneateles  Creek.  Prior  to  this  the  inhabitants  were  obliged  to  go  to 
Jamesville  for  their  Hour  and  meal. 

Squire  Munro,   with  his  sons,  Nathan,   John,   David,  and  Philip  A., 


THE  TOWN  OF  ELBRIDGE.  689 

settled  on  lot  81,  in  1799.  His  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  and 
enterprising  families  in  town.  After  the  incorporation  of  the  north 
branch  of  the  Seneca  Turnpike,  in  1806,  they  constructed  as  much  of 
the  road  (now  known  as  the  Genesee  Turnpike)  as  passes  through  what 
are  now  the  towns  of  Camillus  and  Elbridge,  or  about  eleven  miles 
taking  certificates  of  stock  as  compensation  for  their  work,  which  they 
finished  in  1808.  The  family  is  noticed  more  at  length  in  Chapter 
XXXI. 

By  the  year  1800  the  town  was  rapidly  filling  up  with  a  class  of 
thrifty  settlers.  The  forests  were  fast  giving  place  to  fertile  fields  and 
orchards,  and  commodious  frame  buildings  were  springing  up  on  every 
hand. 

In  1801  the  first  frame  school  house  in  town  was  erected  in  Elbridge 
village  by  Levi  Clark,  and  in  it  John  Healy  taught  the  first  term  of 
school.  About  this  time,  or  before,  Martin  Ticknor,  Isaac  Smith, 
Jonathan  Babcock,  Rejmolds  Corey  (who  built  the  "White  Mill"), 
Jonathan  Rowley,  and  others  settled  in  the  vicinity  of  Jordan.  A  saw 
mill  was  built  here  in  1800,  and  during  the  succeeding  decade  quite  a 
busy  hamlet  sprang  into  existence.  Meantime  religion  was  forwarded 
by  the  organization  on  October  30,  1800,  of  the  "First  Congregational 
Society  of  the  Town  of  Camillus,"  among  whose  original  members 
were  Hezekiah  Freeman,  Moses  Fulton,  and  John  Healy  (the  first  clerk). 
In  1804  Mr.  Freeman  and  Mr.  Healy  were  chosen  the  first  deacons.  The 
first  minister  was  Rev.  Seth  Williston;  Rev  Benjamin  Bell  officiated 
from  1810  to  1818  and  was  followed  by  Revs.  J.  Pool,  Jabez  Chadwick, 
Stephen  Porter,  Timothy  Stow,  Medad  Pomeroy,  and  others.  Services 
were  held  in  private  dwellings  and  school  houses  until  1823-24,  when  a 
church  was  erected  on  a  site  donated  by  Nathan  Gorman  in  Elbridge 
village,  at  a  cost  of  $3,600,  the  society  having  been  incorporated 
December  24,  1822,  at  which  date  Jacob  Campbell,  Levi  Clark,  Nathan 
Munro,  Charles  Lombard,  Jedediah  Richards,  and  Hiram  F.  Maher 
were  trustees.  In  1845,  in  1862,  and.  again  in  1889  this  edifice  was 
repaired  and  remodeled.  On  December  27,  1829,  the  name  Elbridge 
was  substituted  for  Camillus,  and  in  1834  a  parsonage  was  built  at  a 
cost  of  $1,600.  In  1806  seven  members  of  this  society  were  dismissed 
to  form  the  church  at  Sennett,  Cayuga  county,  and  in  1829  fourteen 
withdrew  to  organize  the  Jordan  society.  Among  other  prominent 
members  of  this   church  may  be  mentioned  Gideon  Wilcoxon.    Hon. 

87 


690  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

James  Munro  (State  senator  1851-53),  Henry  E.  Van  Vliet,  Bradley 
Bennett,  and  Dr.  Wheeler,  all  deceased. 

Among  the  newcomers  between  1800  and  1810  were  Abraham  Halsted, 
Dr.  Sweet  (many  years  justice  of  the  peace),  Abraham  Mclntyre,  and 
Deacon  Isaac  Hill.  Mr.  Halsted  arrived  in  1800  and  purchased  163 
acres  of  Judge  Forman,  upon  which  he  died.  His  son,  Jacob,  was 
born  in  Newburg,  N.  Y.,  July  22,  1795.  Deacon  Hill  was  born  in 
Ireland  in  1781,  came  here  in  1809,  and  with  his  family  in  1810,  and 
established  at  Elbridge  the  second  store  in  town,  which  he  continued 
till  1825,  when  he  moved  to  Memphis  (then  Canton).  In  1856  he 
removed  to  Syracuse,  and  died  there  December  12,  18G8.  His  children 
who  attained  maturity  were  Thomas  W.  Hill,  born  September  21,  1810; 
Mrs.  E.  M.  Austin,  Mrs.  Samuel  McClelland,  and  Mrs.  John  Bates. 
Dr.  Sweet  became  a  physician  in  Elbridge  village  in  1810,  and  a  little 
later  Dr.  Chichester  opened  an  office  there.  Abraham  Mclntyre  settled 
twTo  and  a  half  miles  east  of  Jordan  in  1808,  and  opened  a  store  there 
in  1810.  His  son,  Calvin,  sr.,  was  a  lifelong  resident  of  that  place;  he 
built  scores  of  canal  boats  at  Jack's  Rifts,  very  early  had  a  warehouse, 
and  collected  and  shipped  large  quantities  of  grain,  and  at  one  time 
ran  a  schooner  on  Lake  Ontario  in  the  interests  of  his  extensive  grain 
trade.  It  is  said  that  he  received  as  high  as  twenty-seven  cents  per 
bushel  for  carrying  grain  by  water  from  Buffalo  to  New  York.  Calvin 
Mclntyre,  jr.,  a  son  of  Calvin,  sr. ,  died  recently  in  Syracuse,  where  E. 
M.  Mclntyre,  son  of  Calvin,  jr.,  now  resides.  (See  history  of  the 
Mclntyre  family  elsewhere  in  this  volume). 

During  the  period  of  the  war  of  1812-15  the  Baptists  took  measures 
to  form  a  society  of  their  denomination  in  town,  and  on  May  1,  1813, 
the  Baptist  church  of  Elbridge  was  organized  at  the  school  house  near 
Squire  Munro's.  Rev.  Israel  Craw  was  the  first  pastor,  and  continued 
as  such  until  October  18,  1817,  at  a  salary  of  $100  per  year,  preaching 
also  a  part  of  the  time  at  Marcellus.  The  church  was  recognized  by 
council  May  20,  1813,  and  in  18.16  an  edifice  was  built  in  Elbridge  vil- 
lage. Through  the  liberality  of  Deacon  John  Munro  this  structure  was 
superseded  in  1858  by  another  church,  which  cost  $14,000,  and  to 
which  parlors  were  added  in  1875  at  an  expense  of  $2,500.  Among  the 
early  members  were  Squire  Munro,  Nathan  Munro,  Isaac  Hill,  Lemuel 
Crossman  and  Ichabod  Tyler,  and  of  the  pastors  may  be  mentioned 
Rev.  Sylvanus  Haynes,  Cyrus  Fuller,  Alonzo  Wheelock,  D.  D.,  and 
Thomas  Rogers.  The  Skaneateles  and  Jordan  churches  were  organ- 
ized largely  from  this  society. 


THE  TOWN  OF  ELBRIDGE.  691 

Gideon  Wilcoxon,  the  first  lawyer  in  the  town,  settled  in  the  village 
of  Elbridge  in  1813,  and  the  same  year  secured  a  post-office  and  was 
appointed  the  first  postmaster  there,  in  which  capacity  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Hiram  F.  Mather,  Hendrick  Wood,  Squire  Munro,  Alonzo 
Wood,  Charles  McGowan,  W.  P.  Van  Vechten,  Alfred  E.  Stacey,  D. 
Munro  Hill,  Henry  L.  Hale  and  Alonzo  B.  Wood  (incumbent). 

Of  the  other  settlers  prior  to  1825  there  were  Dr.  Titus  Merriman, 
Ezekiel  Skinner,  Isaac  Otis,  Moses  McKissick,  Alva  D.  and  Edmund 
W.  Botsford,  Ebenezer  Daggett,  James  McClure,  James  Rodger  and 
Salmon  Greene.  Isaac  Otis  came  to  Elbridge  from  Fabius  in  1812, 
settled  in  Jordan  in  1816,  and  died  in  1854  aged  eighty-six.  The  death 
of  his  son  Herod  occurred  here  in  1875.  Dr.  Titus  Merriman  was  born 
in  Meriden,  Conn.,  October  9,  1786,  came  with  his  parents  to  Otisco 
when  a  child,  studied  medicine  with  Dr.  Elnathan  Beach  in  Marcellus, 
removed  to  Elbridge  in  1814,  and  died  May  20,  1864.  His  second  wife 
was  a  daughter  of  Peter  Backer,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  this  town. 
Moses  McKissick  emigrated  from  Maine  to  Jordan  in  1818,  and  died 
July  31,  1823.  James  Rodger  was  a  son  of  William  and  Elizabeth 
Rodger,  natives  of  Scotland,  who  settled  in  Albany  in  1804,  where 
James  was  born  April  7,  1805 .  The  family  came  from  Madison  county 
to  this  town  in  1822,  and  in  December  of  that  year  the  father  died. 
James  Rodger  engaged  in  the  storage  and  forwarding  business  in  Jor- 
dan in  1840  and  continued  many  years.  He  was  also  an  extensive 
dealer  in  coal,  lumber,  etc.,  and  subsequently  established  a  private 
bank.  Ezekiel  Skinner  was  another  settler  of  1822,  and  first  engaged 
in  teaching  school;  among  his  pupils  we're  James  Rodger,  Calvin  Mcln- 
tyre,  sr. ,  and  John  Corey.  He  was  born  in  Marshfield,  Vt.,  January 
12,  1801,  and  in  1822  married  a  daughter  of  Luther  Huntington,  a 
pioneer  of  Elbridge.  The  Botsfords  came  into  this  section  in  1823,  as 
did  also  Ebenezer  Daggett  and  James  McClure,  who  died  here  in  1859 
and  1870  respectively.  Salmon  Greene  arrived  in  1824  and  died  in 
1851. 

The  effects  of  the  war  of  1812,  upon  the  heels  of  which  followed  the 
cold  season  of  1816,  only  temporarily  checked  the  tide  of  immigration. 
By  the  end  of  the  first  quarter  of  this  century  business  and  manufac- 
turing interests  were  everywhere  prospering  under  the  continual  in- 
crease of  the  population,  and  the  gloomy  forests  were  disappearing 
with  a  rapidity  which  characterizes  a  thrifty  settlement.  The  great 
stage   lines  had  long    made   the  famous  Genesee  turnpike    an    active 


(J92  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

thoroughfare ;  now  they  were  destined  to  pass  into  history.  The  open- 
ing of  the  Erie  Canal  in  1825  created  another  artery  of  communication, 
and  inaugurated  many  changes  in  manufactures,  traffic  and  transporta- 
tion. A  few  mercantile  establishments  had  given  Jordan  the  appear- 
ance of  a  hamlet,  but  this  great  waterway,  having  a  feeder  from  the 
Skaneateles  outlet  at  Jordan,  marked  the  beginning  of  another  and  a 
more  important  era  of  growth  and  prosperity.  A  saw  mill  had  been 
erected  here  in  1800,  the  old  "White"  mill  in  1812,  and  what  was  known 
as  the  "Red"  mill  in  1824,  and  around  these,  had  clustered  a  small  col- 
lection of  shops,  stores  and  dwellings.  The  canal  gave  it  an  impulse 
toward  village  prominence,  and  during  the  next  decade  it  rapidly  in- 
creased in  size.  In  1825  a  post-office  was  established  with  Seneca  Hale 
as  postmaster;  his  successor  was  Frederick  Benson  in  1828,  and  among 
the  later  occupants  of  the  office  were  Norman  P.  Eddy,  W.  C.  Rodger, 
Charles  M.  Warner,  Charles  C.  Cole,  William  H.  O'Donnell,  Fred  C. 
Allen  and  Stephen  L.  Rockwell  (incumbent).  About  the  same  time,  or 
a  little  later,  the  canal  also  gave  existence  to  the  hamlets  called  Peru 
and  California. 

Contemporary  with  the  completion  of  the  canal  the  Presbyterians  in- 
augurated religious  services  in  Jordan  under  the  pastor  of  their  church 
in  Elbridge,  and  on  June  9,  1829,  the  First  Presbyterian  Society  of  Jor- 
dan was  legally  organized  at  the  brick  school  house  on  the  academy 
lot,  which  was  later  occupied  by  the  Nicholas  Craner  dwelling.  Dr. 
Aaron  Pitney  presided  and  Lemuel  B.  Raymont  acted  as  secretary. 
The  first  trustees  were  Dr.  Pitney,  Edmund  W.  Botsford,  Herman  Jen- 
kyns,  James  W.  Redfield,  Eben  Morehouse  and  Sidney  M.  Norton 
(clerk).  On  July  2  of  the  same  year  the  church  was  incorporated  with 
Alva  D.  Botsford,  Ebenezer  Daggett,  Salmon  Greene,  Pomeroy  Tobey, 
William  Newall  and  Ebenezer  Morehouse  as  elders,  and  with  eighteen 
members,  among  whom  were  Thomas  L.  Carson,  Delatus  Frary,  Will- 
iam Nickerson  and  Thomas  and  John  Stevens.  An  edifice  was  built 
in  1830-31  at  a  cost  of  $4,000,  and  was  dedicated  June  30,  1831.  Among 
the  pastors  have  been  Revs.  Washington  Thatcher,  Richard  Dunning, 
Cyrus  M.  Perry  and  J.  Edward  Close. 

The  following  list  is  taken  from  the  assessment  roll  of  the  town  of 
Camillus  for  1825,  and  shows  who  owned  property  at  that  time  within 
the  present  limits  of  Elbridge : 

Residents.  Lot  No.      Acres.         Quality.  Real.        Personal.  Tax. 

At  water,  Leverets 30  89  2  $285         $1.20 

Anson,  William,  heirs  of 35  50  2  250 1.02 


THE  TOWN  OF  ELBRIDGE.  693 


Residents.  Lot  No. 

Armstrong,  Daniel 49 

Austin,  Aaron 59 

Adams,  Truman 86,  52 

Blanchard,  George 83 

Bisbie,  Jesse 31,  46 

Brotherton,  Daniel,  jr .  32 

Brotherton,   Moses 32 

Brotherton ,  Reuben 33 

Brotherton ,  Joshua 33 

Brotherton,  Nathan 33 

Brotherton,  Othenial _  34,  35 

Brotherton,  Jeremiah f  _ . _   34 

Birge,  Jonathan  W 35 

Bond,  Henry  W 45 

Butler  &  Morris 46 

Botchford,  A.  D.  &  E.  W 46 

Bunyea,  John 48 

Babcock,  Jonathan. 57 

Barr,  Henry 59 

Burst,  John 61 

Bell,  James 61 

Butler,  Gould  ... . 72,83 

Brown,  Timothy 73,  84 

Brown,  Squire  M 73 

Bond,  Samuel ^75,  76 

Bracket,  Ezra 83 

Bancker,  Peter .   83 

Barber,  Samuel 83 

Bennet,  James  ...  88,  85,  76,  77,  87 

Baldwin,  James 91 

Breed,  Ezra 46 

Burrill,  Jacob 50 

Bears,  Fanny 72,  83 

Collins,  James 92 

Cleaves,  John 30 

Cornell,   James 33,45 

Cahoon,  Samuel 35 

Cheesbrouch,   Benarold 46 

Carson,  John 46 

Corey,  Calvin 47,  59 

Camp,  William 49 

Clemmons,  Tobias 57 

Grossman,  Samuel 57 

Chase,  Wilcox 58,71 

Cronk,  Andrew 59 

Coleman,  Alexander 60 

Chappell,  Jonah 61 

Canfield,  William  M 61,  75,  86 

Cain,  John 61 

Corwin,   James 70 

Crossman,  Lemuel 70,  81 

Convis,  David 72 

Curtis,  Simeon  R 72,  83 

Chamberlain,  Jacob .  _   72,  83 

Carpenter,  Moses 73,  74,  84,  94 

Clark,  Levi 73,  83 

Clark,  John 75 

Curtis,  Heman 83 


Acres. 

Quality. 

Real. 

Personal. 

Tax. 

50 

2 

s  550 

-  a.  n 

50 

1 

600 

2.51 

107 

1,  3 

1,750 

7.32 

2 

1 

200 

.80 

704, 

1,  2 

850 

SI  50 

4.17 

50 

2 

300 

1.24 

192 

2 

1,150 

4.80 

50 

2 

300 

1.34 

84 

2 

500 

2.23 

50 

2 

300 

1.24 

200* 

2 

1,150 

4.80 

50 

2 

250 

1.01 

50 

2 

250 

1.01 

50 

2 

550 

2.24 

3* 

1 

575 

500 

4.50 

I 

1 

*   700 

2.92 

100 

2 

800 

3.34 

182 

1 

2,580 

10.95 

25 

2 

250 

1.03 

40 

1 

460 

1.92 

52 

2 

630 

2.(14 

27| 

1,  2 

1,760 

1,500 

13.62 

292 

1 

4,710 

804 

23.23 

10 

1 

550 

200 

3.13 

100 

2 

1,050 

4.38 

130 

1 

2,330 

9.75 

8 

1 

250 

1.02 

i 
27 

1 

300 

200 

2.23 

411 

1,  2,  3 

5,830 

24.41 

26 

2 

360 

1.51 

i 

2 

150 

.61 

46 

1 

500 

2.23 

5f 

1 

350 

1.45 

150 

3 

2,400 

10.04 

60 

2 

250 

1.01 

86 

2 

940 

3.92 

100 

3 

500 

2.23 

i 

1 

300 

1.24 

* 

2 

300 

1.24 

150 

2 

1,701 

7.14 

115 

3 

1,000 

4.17 

98 

2 

1,080 

4.51 

50 

1 

850 

3.55 

171 

1 

2,070 

8.66 

25 

2 

300 

1.2:'. 

34 

3 

340 

1.49 

52 

1 

625 

2.69 

205 

1 

3,320 

13.89 

24 

1 

240 

1.10 

48 

1 

480 

1.23 

148 

2 

2,300 

96.0 

8i 

2 

130 

1.26 

1 

1 

1,000 

1.57 

10 

3 

270 

14.1 

216 

2 

3,342 

14.40 

72 

1,  3 

2,682 

10.117 

25 

2 

300 

1.24 

13 

1 

300 

1.24 

694 


ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL 


Residents.  Lot  No. 

Curtis,  Walter 83,  93 

Clark,  Ashley 83 

Camp,  Abram 83 

Campbell,  Daniel 83 

Clark,  Moses 84 

Cox,  John 84 

Cox,  William 84 

Chandler,  Benoni . . 86 

Collins,  Laura 86 

Campbell,  Ira -  -  -  86 

Clark,  Nathaniel 93,  94 

Cox,  William,  2d 94 

Campbell,  Levi,  heirs  of 94 

Campbell,  Daniel 94 

Cuck,  Philip  94 

Cox,  Charles  &  Gabriel  ....• 95 

Campbell,  Jacob 95 

Crane,  Edward - . .  46 

Clark,  Dexter 72 

Campbell,  Ethan 18,  62,  63 

Cain,  Fraucis,  heirs  of 62 

Durphv,  Clarissa . .  46 

Dodge;  Don  C 30,  46 

Digcrt,  Hermon 46 

D'Lamather  &  Stanton 46 

Dodge,  Horris  &  John  . . 46 

Digert,  Ebenezer ..    57 

Dickinson,  Jonathan 71,  82,  83 

Davison,  Augustus 72 

Dorey,  John 82 

Dewey,  Sylvenus  M 82 

Dunn,  William 83 

Dikeman,  John 86 

D' Waters,  Samuel 91 

D' Waters,  Elijah  B 91 

Eggleston,  John . .  46 

Edwards,  Smith  I.    61 

Evans,  Jacob  N 73 

Eaton,  Manassah 83 

Edwards, 36 

Eaton,  Samuel 50 

Elsworth,  Elihu 62 

Farnham,  Reuben 34,  72.  83 

Fulton,  Eleazer  E.    45 

Fulton,   Robert  C 46 

Fort,  John 49 

French,  Jeremiah 59 

Frisbie,  Benjamin. 61,  62 

Ferral,  Thomas 50,  61,  62 

Fenton,  Ebenezer  B 71 

Freeman,  John  . 72 

Frisbie,  Frederick  W 72 

Green,  Ezekiel 46 

Green,  Alson 46 

Graves,  Major 59 

Gardner,   Ezekiel 72,83 

( rale,  Augustus 72,  83 

Gale,  Piatt 73,  84 


Acres. 

Quality 

89 

1 

i 

2 
1 

1 

1 

1 

130 

1 
2 

29 

2 

85 

1 

51 

1 

20 

2 

-.5 

1 

:U 

3,  2 

100 

2 

50 

2 

96 

1 

52 

2 

100 

1 

215 

1 

10 

1 
2 

129 

1,  2 

98 

1 

i 

so 
101 

1 
2 

i 

10 

1 

1 
1 

5 

1 

25 

2 

318 

1,  2 

28 

2 

20 

o 

i 

5-i 

2 
1 
1 

80 

2 

30 

2 

i 

20 

3 

2 
2 

3 

1 

2 

28 

40 

25 

1  2 

150 

1 

n 

35" 

2 
2 

98 

o 

12 

2 

245 

2 

141 

2 

2 

3 

15 

3 

128 


■l.l 


Real.  Personal.  Tax. 

$1,070  $  4.51 

600  $  300  3.75 

1,500  6.42 

250  1.01 

1,600  6.70 

400  LOO 

1,625  6.82 

800  3.34 

350  1.45 

600  2.51 

330  1.37 

1,300  5.4:'. 

550  2.44 

1,350  5.64 

800  3.34 

1,200  4.99 

3,200  13.36 

50  .20 

250  1.01 

1,286  5.36 

650  2.72 

75  .31 

800  3.35 

500  2.23 

2,000  8.36 

3,600  15.07 

300  1.24 

5,780  24.21 

450  1.87 

200 .81 

200  .81 

400  1.66 

125  .51 

800  3.34 

300  1.24 

250  1.03 

35  .14 

350  1.45 

1,500  6.42 

50  .21 

275  1.15 

400  1.66 

290  1.19 

1,500  6.42 

250  1.01 

350  1.38 

1,150  4.81 

250  1.01 

2,350      200  10.82 

1,700  7.1L 

100  .42 

500  2.24 

300  1.25 

250  1.02 

1,480  6.20 

2,000  8.30 

875  3.77 

300  1.25 


THE  TOWN  OF  ELBRIDGE. 


695 


Residents.  Lot  No. 

Garrison,  Jacob  G 74 

Glass,  James,  jr 74 

Gorham,  Nathan 83,  93 

Goodrich,  Silas 84 

Goodrich,  Levi 83 

Glass,   Alexander 85 

Glass,  William 85 

Goetcheus,  Christian 86 

Gorham,   Ephraim 92 

Gorham,  Shubael 92 

Goodrich,  Squire  W__ 94 

Gillies,  James 96,  96 

Hunt,    Reben,  heirs  of 86 

Huntington,  Calvin 32 

Hopping,  Jehiel 48 

Holstead,  Abraham 49 

Holstead,  Jacob 49 

Holstead,  Timothy 49 

Huntington,    Luther 58 

Healy,   John 73,81 

Hawley,  George  W. ....72,  83 

Hannah,  Alexander 74 

Hill,  Isaac  .37,  38,  74,  83,  85,  86,  87 

Hawley,  Burton 83 

Hastings,  Francis  F 83 

Holstead,  Stephen _  85 

Harmon,  Silas 29,  93 

Harmon,   Mead ..  92 

How,  Benjamin 46 

House,  James 36 

Johnson,  Stephen 33 

Jenkins,   Harmon .46,  49 

Jones,   William 36,  49 

Jilson,    David ...  83 

Johnson,  Anthony ..  94 

Jacoby,   Henry... 36 

Knowlton,  Hollis 34,  45,  46,  58 

Knowlton ,   Samuel 45 

Kester,   William 35,  37,  49 

Kester,   Teunis 75,  85 

King,  Ruble 83 

Kellogg,   Horris,  heirs  of 83 

Rellicut,  David 91 

Rnap,  Solomon 36 

Lawrence,  Dorastus 35 

Lane,  William 58 

Lampmore,  John 70 

Lombard,  Charles 72,  83 

Livingston,  Robert  G -72,  73 

Langdon,  James _  _ 73,  84 

Lisle,  John 83 

Little,   William 94 

Laird,  John 37,  62 

Munro,   Squire...   52,  60,  70,  81,  82 

Munro,  John 59,  70,  72,  81 

Munro  Nathan 

30,  31,  33,  34,  46,  58,  72,  83 


Acres. 
2 

70 
509 
100 

50 

94 

94 
100 
150 

98 
185 
187 

15 

50 

50 

83 

75 
5 

45 
130 

17 

18 

311f 
1 


200 
50 

i 

16 

50 
25 

3 

154 
i 

¥ 

80 
52 

222 
74 
78 

162 

t 
2± 
40 

i 

106 

108 
120 

4H 

85 

U 

50 
88 
39 
819 
56i 


lalitv. 

Real. 

mal. 

Tax. 

2 

S  300 

|  1.25 

1 

800 

3.34 

1 

6,500 

27.36 

2 

1,400 

5.85 

1 

550 

2.  16 

1 

1,400 

5.85 

1 

1,200 

5.01 

1 

1,600 

6.70 

2 

2,200 

$  300 

1H.5,. 

2 

1,300 

5.43 

1 

1,600 

6.70 

1,  3 

1,835 

7.69 

1 

150 

.63 

2 

250 

1.01 

2 

500 

2.23 

2 

900 

3.75 

2 

825 

3.46 

2 

50 

.21 

2 

700 

2  92 

1 

2,200 

31)0 

10.61 

1 

1,100 

4.59 

1 

180 

.76 

1,  2 

5,890 

5H0 

26.75 

1 

500 

2.2:! 

1 

400 

1.68 

2 

218 

.91 

1 

3,000 

800 

15.92 

1 

700 

2.92 

1 

400 

1.66 

2 

300 

1.26 

2 

150 

.63 

2,  3 

850 

2,000 

11.93 

1,100 

4.59 

1 

300 

1.25 

2 

1,060 

4.43 

2 

800 

:;.:;i 

2 

2,975 

12.10 

3 

750 

3.13 

2 

850 

3.55 

1,  2 

1,880 

7.87 

1 

400 

1,66 

1 

1,600 

0.7(1 

9 

400 

1.66 

1 

50 

.21 

2 

580 

2.59 

2 

1,440 

6.02 

1 

1,275 

5.31 

1,  2 

1,900 

7.94 

1,  2 

1,400 

5.85 

1 

375 

1.59 

2 

700 

2.92 

2 

1,150 

I.SII 

2 

300 

1,25 

2,  :'• 

11,300 

LiMMi 

64.06 

1 

800 

1,00(1 

.753 

1,  2,  3 


5,400 


,(100 


51.84 


696 


ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 


Residents.  Lot  No. 

Munro,    David 

23,  34,  65,  68,  69,  60,  80,  90 

Manly,   Austin 30 

McMullin,   Hugh 35 

McCrillies,  James 46 

Miller,  Ithamer    _' 48 

Mclntyre,  Abraham _  48 

Morgan,  Thomas 57 

Minor,  Amos 58 

Millions,  Jacob,  heirs  of 60 

Malorey,  Joseph 61 

McKee,  David.. 70 

Merriman,  Charles  J 34,  71,  83 

Marrks,  Joseph 72 

Mather,  Hiram  F 72,  83 

Merriman,  Titus 72,83 

McCrillies,  Betsey 82 

McGown,  John 83 

Merriman  &  Nicholson 83 

McClaughry,  Richard 50 

Multer,  Peter,  A.     . . . 62 

Marshall,  Chester 50 

Nickerson,  John 47 

Nickerson,  William 58,  59 

Nichols,  Russell 95 

North  Daniel  H 95,  96 

North,  Joseph 96 

Otis,  Isaac 46 

Persons,  Chauncey 93 

Pach,  William 46 

Powers,  Charles 45 

Purdy,  James,  jr 57,  58 

Porter,  Samuel 59 

Pickard,  Mary 61 

Pickard,  Nicholas  N 61,  75 

Powers,  Samnel 72 

Powers,  Valentine  . . 72 

Pewers  &  Wimple 72 

Persons,  Daniel 73 

Persons  &  Spalding. .  _ 73,  84 

Pierce,  Samuel 73 

Perry,  Elizabeth 75 

Perry,  John 75 

Powel,  Daniel 82 

Pierce,  Daniel    95 

Page,  Jacob  W 83 

Pitney,  Aaron      83 

Paddin,  ThomaV.. 84 

Preston,  Ephraim 95 

Paddock,  Mary 50 

Paddock,  William 50 

Paddock,  Anthony 50 

Reed,  Jesse 60 

Redfieid,    James  M 45,46 

Rynderse,  Andrew 46 

Rynderse,  Benjamin.. 46 

Rowley,   Jonathan _   57 

Rogers,  Elizabeth 59 


Acres. 

Quality. 

Real.   Personal.     'lax. 

1,379 

2,  3 

$10,920 

....   $45.74 

57 

2 

275 

1.15 

50 

3 

300 

1.25 

i 

3 

300 

1.26 

50 

2 

500 

2.23 

207 

2 

2,177 

9.14 

40 

1 

550 

2.44 

12 

3 

860 

3.60 

50 

3 

500 

2.23 

104 

1 

1,150 

4.80 

48 

2 

550 

2.44 

344 

2 

4,500 

18.87 

i 

1 

400 

1.66 

35 

1,  2 

1,830    $  500     9.75 

15} 

1,  2 

2,100 

8.78 

79 

2 

800 

3.34 

i 

2 

500 

2.2:! 

I 

1 

600     1,000     6.10 

75 

2 

500 

2.23 

40 

1 

300 

1.25 

66 

1 

650 

2.72 

52 

3 

500 

2.23 

82 

1,  2 

960 

4.01 

47 

2 

470 

1.97 

67 

2 

950 

3.96 

51 

2 

500 

2.25 

90 

1 

1,860     1,000    11.98 

1 

1 

100 

.42 

i 

1 

250 

1.03 

74 

2 

740 

3.09 

53 

2 

740 

3.09 

50 

2 

600 

2.49 

25 

2 

200 

.81 

128} 

2 

1,420 

5.94 

64 

2 

1,200 

5.01 

6 

1 

380 

1.59 

500 

2.23 

2 

1 

200 

.81 

25} 

1 

350 

1.47 

50 

2 

700 

2.92 

51 

2 

460 

1.92 

25 

2 

200 

.81 

200 

.81 

81 

2 

570 

2.54 

H 

1 

1,200 

5.01 

i 

1 

700 

2.92 

2 

550 

2.44 

66 

2 

660 

2.77 

100 

2 

700 

2.92 

50 

2 

300 

1.25 

50 

2 

350 

1.47 

127 

2 

1,270 

5.29 

16 

1,  3 

1,000 

300     5.43 

f 

1 

300 

1.25 

i 

1 

250 

1.03 

76 

1 

1,100 

4.59 

50 

1 

575 

2.56 

THE  TOWN  OF  ELBRIDGE. 


697 


Residents.  Lot  No. 

Rogers,  Abram 37,  59 

Redman,  Michael....   27,  60,  73,  84 

Redman,  Michael,  2d 61,  62 

Rice,  John 73 

Redman,  David,  jr. 61,  62 

Redman,  John,  3d ..   75 

Redman,  William,  heirs  of 

75,  86,  87 

Richards,  Jedediah 83 

Redman,  David 83,  86 

Ransom,  James... 36 

Richmond,   Sylvester 50,  51 

Roods,  John.. 57 

Sabins,  Joseph 70 

Skinner,  Ezekiel 46 

Sands,  Daniel 30 

Stevens,  John 31,46 

Smith,  John.. 46 

Sowls,  Lemuel 31 

Sands,  Samuel 32 

Simpson,  William,  heirs  of 34 

Steel,  Solomon  G 35 

Simpson,  John 35 

Stockwell,  46 

Smith,  Aaron 45 

Simpson,  Benjamin,  heirs  of 

35,  36,  37 

Sands,  Ephraim 58,  59 

Snow,  John 72 

Stevens,  Robert 46,  58 

Sawdy,  Thomas  C 72,  83 

Signey,  Alabartus 74 

Streeter,  Benjamin 74 

Stevens,  Hannah 82 

Stevens,  John 88,  92,  93 

Stevens,  Thomas 83 

Smith,  Daniel 85 

Skut,  John 91 

Skut,  William 95 

Skut,  Stephen 95 

Smith,  Abraham _ . 96 

vSpalding,  Amasa 96 

Turbush,  John 49 

Turbush,  John,  for  G.  Johnson.  49 

Taylor,  Stephen 49 

Taylor,  Benjamin 61 

Taylor,  John 61 

Taylor,  Tennis 61 

Tyler,  Ichabod  L 58,  72,  83 

Townsend,  Robert..    70,  81 

Thomas,  Daniel 95 

Totten,  Gilbert 36 

Upham,  Joshua. 73 

Veal,  Daniel 73 

Woodworth,  Solomon 30 

Ward,  John 32 

Ward,  Joseph 32 


Acres. 

Qualitv. 

Re.i  .   Personal.     Tax. 

55 

1,  2 

$1,375    

{  5.76 

277 

1,  2 

3,600 

15.07 

100 

1 

1,050    § 

80     4.74 

2 

1 

450 

1.87 

139 

2 

1,327 

... 

115 

2 

1,200 

5.01 

28  i 

1 

380 

1.59 

i 

1 

800 

3.34 

220 

1 

3,500      400     16.31 

150 

3 

800 

3.25 

40 

2 

325 

1.37 

72 

3 

876 

3.67 

30 

3 

350 

1.47 

i 

1 

250 

1.03 

50 

2 

250 

1.03 

100^ 

1,  2 

750 

3.15 

1 

1 

400 

1.66 

345 

1 

1,725 

7.23 

50 

2 

250 

1.03 

100 

2 

600 

2.51 

126 

2 

756 

3.16 

50 

2 

400 

1.66 

i 

2 

150 

.63 

74 

2 

860 

3.60 

134 

2,  3 

1,460 

6.11 

105 

2 

1,455 

6.10 

14 

2 

200 

.81 

33 

2 

400 

1.66 

741 

1 

1,450 

6.06 

80 

1 

900 

3.75 

65 

2 

660 

2.78 

70 

o 

700 

2,92 

150 

1,  2,  3 

2,800 

11.72 

U 

1 

1,000 

100     5.85 

128 

1 

1,400 

5.85 

19 

2 

190 

.79 

35 

2 

350 

1.47 

60 

1 

800 

3,34 

100 

1 

1,765   ..: 

7.40 

200 

1 

2,525 

10.73 

59 

2 

500 

2.23 

82 

2 

700 

2.93 

62 

2 

550 

2.45 

52 

2 

518 

2.33 

50 

2 

550 

2.45 

52 

2 

500 

2.23 

90 

1,  2 

1,844 

7.74 

153 

1,  2  ■ 

I, SOI) 

7.54 

9 

1 

100 

.42 

106 

2 

530 

2.38 

5 

2 

500 

.—     2.23 

16 

2 

250 

1.03 

75 

3 

300 

1.25 

50 

2 

350 

1.47 

40 

2 

250 

l.o:; 

Acres. 

Qnalit  v. 

Real.        Personal.           Tax. 

28 

2 

170 

$  .7:! 

■r, 

2 

925 

3.89 

i 

1 

500 

2.23 

4 

1 

400 

1.66 

14 

g 

300 

1.25 

:;<..: 

1,  2 

1,100 

I..V.) 

i 

1 

600 

2.51 

1 

1 

250 

1.03 

300 

2 

3,000 

12.56 

69 

2 

830 

3.49 

i 

2 

150 

.63 

£ 

o 

200 

.si 

132 

2 

1,450 

6.08 

66 

1 

570 

2.55 

35 

>2 

535 

2.42 

698  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Residents.  Lot  No. 

Ward,  Orsemus 33 

Wright,   Elizur 34,  83 

Wright,  Horace 46 

Welch,  Comer 58 

Wright,  Gideon 72 

Wheeler,  Jerod 72,  83 

Wilcoxen,  Gideon 83 

White,  George  W 83 

Waldrom,  John 91 

Whipple,  Philip 93 

Wetherbee,  David 46 

Wetherbee,  Gideon  &  Co 46 

Wilcox,  Laomi . .. ..   o7.   50 

Williams,  Lloyd. 50 

Youngs,  Thomas... 84,  94 

On  March  2G,  1820,  the  town  of  Elbridge  was  created  out  of  the  town 
of  Camillus,  and  the  first  town  meeting"  convened  at  the  house  of  Hor- 
ace Dodge  on  the  28th  of  April  of  that  year.  Squire  Munro  was  made 
moderator  and  Seneca  Hale,  secretary;  Timothy  Brown  was  elected 
supervisor,  and  James  McClure  clerk.  The  town  records  between  this 
date  and  1854  have  been  lost  or  destroyed,  either  from  fire  or  careless- 
ness; persistent  inquiries  have  failed  to  discover  them,  and  it  is  there- 
fore impossible  to  give  more  of  the  early  proceedings  than  have  just 
been  quoted  from  Clark's  Onondaga.  Two  years  after  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  town  it  contained  ten  whole  and  six  joint  school  districts,  in 
which  961  scholars  were  taught.  This  indicated  the  progress  of  edu- 
cational facilities,  which  soon  afterward  were  still  further  advanced,  as 
will  presently  appear. 

Methodism  had  already  secured  a  footing  in  the  growing  settlement, 
a  class  having  been  organized  about  1820.  An  M.  E.  Society  was 
formed  in  1830  or  1831,  and  in  1832  a  church  was  built  on  the  corner  of 
Chapel  and  Mechanic  streets  in  Jordan,  at  a  cost  of  about  $3,000.  This 
lias  since  received  many  improvements.  During  its  erection  Rev.  Ros- 
well  Parker  was  pastor,  but  prior  to  him  Rev.  Seth  Mattison,  Father 
Purdy,  Herman  Judson,  Revs.  Barnes  and  Harris  and  others  had  served 
on  the  circuit.      Among  the  earlier  members  of  the  society  were: 

Luther  Huntington,  Father  Rhinus,  Daniel  Pickard,  Benjamin  Rider,  Mrs.  Harry 
Barr,  Mrs.  Anna  ('■raves,  Rev.  Nathaniel  Salisbury  and  sister,  Mrs.  Eunice  Sands, 
Mrs.  Goodrich,  Henry  Miner,  Mrs.  Maria  Bates,  Sarah  Holway,  Father  Crysler, 
Isaac  Fowler  and  wife,  Ruloff  Fuller  and  wife,  William  Gibbs,  Benjamin  H.  Brown, 
Mollis  Knowlton,  Henry  Allen,  Simon  Converse,  Michael  Oglesbie,  Jared  Whiting 
and  Mrs.  James  Rodger  (died  in  1894). 

James  Rodger  was  an  officer  of  this  church  from  1842  until  his  death, 
.i    few    years   ago.     In   1886,   under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  Francis  M. 


THE  TOWN  OF  ELBRIDGE.  699 

Wheeler,  their  church  edifice  was  remodeled  at  a  cost  of  si  L,000,  and 
was  rededicated  in  March,  1887.  This  society  was  followed  by  a  class 
at  Peru,  where  a  church  was  organized  about  L850,  by  William  Prior, 
George  Stickles,  A lanson  Barnes  and  others.  In  L852  an  edifice  was 
built  at  a  cost  of  about  $1,500,  the  pastor  at  that  time  being  Rev. 
Charles  H.  Austin.  When  the  M.  E.  class  at  Elbridge  became  a  sta- 
tion in  1850  it  contained  fifty  members,  and  at  that  time  and  until  1852 
was  under  the  pastoral  care  of  Rev.  J-"..  S.  Bush.  The  brick  edifice  in 
the  village  was  erected  in  1850. 

By  1835  the  Baptists  in  Jordan  had  become  so  numerous  as  to  require 
a  separate  organization,  and  on  November  10  a  church  was  formed 
from  about  thirty-three  members  of  the  Elbridge  Society.  Rev.  E.  I). 
Hubbell  was  the  first  pastor,  and  Tobias  Clements  and  A.  Case  were 
chosen  the  first  deacons.  Subsequent  pastors  were  Revs.  Henry  Davis. 
H.  J.  Eddy,  W.  R.  Webb.  F.  D.  Fenner,  D.  B.  Pope  and  others.  In 
183d  the  society  was  received  into  the  Cayuga  Baptist  Association,  and 
in  October,  1837,  their  church  edifice  was  dedicated.  It  is  still  stand- 
ing in  a  remodeled  form. 

The  year  1835  marks  an  important  epoch  in  the  history  of  Elbridge, 
not  only  in  a  religious  sense,  but  more  conspicuously  in  educational 
and  municipal  matters.  During  the  preceding  decade  an  era  of  gen- 
eral prosperity  had  reigned  throughout  the  town,  and  especially  in  Jor- 
dan. The  State  Gazetteer  of  1836  credits  that  village  with  three  grist 
mills,  having  ten  runs  of  stone;  three  saw  mills,  a  sash  factory,  distil- 
lery, clothing  works,  a  pail  factory,  one  tannery,  five  taverns,  seven 
general  stores,  five  groceries,  two  drug  stores  and  150  dwellings.  On 
May  2,  1835,  the  village  was  legally  incorporated,  but  owing  to  the  loss 
or  destruction  of  the  records  down  to  1845,  between  1850  and  L873,  and 
from  1878  to  1880,  inclusive,  desired  extracts  cannot  be  given.  It  is 
claimed  that  some  or  all  of  these  lost  proceedings  were  never  recorded 
in  a  book  kept  for  the  purpose,  but,  instead,  were  tiled  on  loose  sheets 
of  paper.  The  presidents  of  the  village,  as  far  as  can  be  ascertained, 
have  been  as  follows : 

Lyman  H.  Mason,  1846-47 ;  M.  T.  Sperry,  L848;  Alonzo  Case,  1849;  R.  T.  Paine, 
1850;  William  H.  Boardman,  1851;  Lyman  H.  Mason,  1852-54;  E.  Wheeler,  L855; 
James  Rodger,  1856;  R.  S.  Sperry,  1857;  John  Dale,  1858;  Charles  Kelley,  1874;  Rob- 
ert Kenren!lST5;  Robert.E.  Greene,  1876;  A.  1).  Peck,  is?7  ;  A.  F.  Tracey,  1881;  W. 
C.  Rodger,  1882;  Royal  K.  Craner,  1883;  Charles  M.  Warner.  1884;  Richard  Niles, 
1885;  Nelson  C.  Watson,  1886-87;  Stephen  L.  Rockwell,  1888;  Richard  Niles,  1889; 
S.  L.  Rockwell,  1890;  John  W.  Reynolds,  1892;  William  F.  Jayne,  18'.):!;  Smith  Peck, 
1894;  Isaac  C.  Otis,  1895. 


700  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

In  1835  Nathan  Munro  founded  what  was  then  called  the  Munro 
Academy,  the  first  term  of  which  was  held  in  the  ball  room  of  Ezekiel 
Gardner's  tavern  in  the  village  of  Elbridge,  during  the  winter  of  1835- 
36.  In  1836  a  frame  building  was  erected,  and  on  April  23,  1839,  the 
institution  was  incorporated.  On  July  5  of  that  year  Mr.  Munro  died, 
aged  nearly  forty -nine,  leaving,  besides  the  site,  building,  library  and 
apparatus,  an  endowment  of  $20,000  as  a  perpetual  fund  for  the  main- 
tenance of  the  school.  The  first  officers  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  elect- 
ed July  13,  were:  John  Munro,  president;  James  Munro,  secretary, 
and  Hiram  F.  Mather,  treasurer.  From  the  income  of  this  fund  and 
from  the  sale  of  the  old  academy  property  the  trustees  in  1854  erected 
the  present  Munro  Collegiate  Institute,  and  in  1859  added  a  chapel.  It 
is  of  brick  with  stone  trimmings,  and  is  one  of  the  most  substantial 
buildings  in  the  town.  From  its  halls  a  large  number  of  students  have 
gone  forth,  well  equipped  in  the  English  and  classical  courses  of  study 
which  it  affords,  and  ever  since  its  inception  it  has  held  a  leading  place 
among  similar  institutions  of  Central  New  York.  Its  graduates  have 
generally  attained  distinction  and  prominence,  while  its  teachers  have 
been  imbued  with  high  ideals.  During  one  period  its  catalogue  of  stu- 
dents numbered  600.  It  has  a  library  of  about  1,000  volumes,  an  ex- 
cellent laboratory  and  a  valuable  cabinet  of  minerals.  Among  its 
former  societies  may  be  noticed  the  Ladies'  Literary  Society  and  the 
Gentlemen's  M.  I.  C.  Club  (succeeded  in  1873  by  the  Lyceum).  John 
Munro,  brother  of  Nathan,  was  president  of  the  Board  of  Trustees 
until  his  death,  March  13,  1860,  aged  eighty,  when  he  was  succeeded 
by  John  Rice,  who  came  to  this  town  in  1820,  and  died  June  20,  1875, 
aged  seventy-six.  Hon.  Luke  Ranney  has  held  the  office  since  Oc- 
tober 5,  1875.  James  Munro  was  secretary  until  October,  1869,  when 
he  was  followed  by  Hon.  Luke  Ranney,  who  was  succeeded  in  1875 
by  Charles  G.  McGowan.  Among  the  treasurers  have  been  Squire 
M.  Brown,  1842-49;  W.  C.  Van  Vechten,  1849-53;  Elijah  D.  Will- 
iams, 1853-69;  L.  B.  Bennett,  1869-71,  and  John  Munro  several  years. 
The  charter  trustees  were :  Nathan  Munro,  Rev.  Washington  Thatcher, 
C.  J.  Merriman,  Hiram  F.  Mather,  J.  B.  Evarts,  Rev.  Medad  Pome- 
roy,  William  Ranney,  John  Rice,  John  and  James  Munro,  Squire  M. 
Brown,  William  C.  Van  Vechten,  Reuben  Farnham,  Abram  Hall, 
Elijah  D.  Williams  and  Charles  Lombard.  Among  other  members 
of  the  board  have  been:  Jared  Wheeler,  Allen  Monroe,  Daniel  C. 
Munro,    Stephen    W.   and    Z.   S.   Clark,    John    Burnett,    Levi    Clark, 


LUKH   RANNEV. 


THE  TOWN  OF  ELBRIDGE.  701 

David  A.  Munro,  John  Munro,  jr.,  Thomas  W.  Hill,  James  M.  Munro, 
Allen  Munro,  Hervey  Wilbur  and  J.  R.  Townsend.  The  present 
trustees  are:  Hon.  Luke  Ranney,  president ;  Prof .  Truman K.  Wright, 
secretary;  Hon.  Theodore  Pomeroy,  and  Hon.  Charles  W.  Dwight 
of  Auburn,  David  A.  Munro  of  Camillus,  John  Munro,  Martin  W. 
Lyon,  Squire  M.  B.  Rhoades,  A.  Blaine  Frazee  and  1).  Munro  Hill 
of  Elbridge,  and  two  vacancies.  The  principals  have  been  as  fol- 
lows: Lemuel  S.  Pomeroy,  1839;  Stephen  W.  Clark,  1840-45;  J.  W. 
Wolcott,  1846-47;  John  H.  Wilson,  1848-50;  John  H.  Kellem,  185] 
52;  David  Burbank,  1858-57;  Herman  Sanford,  1857;  Truman  K. 
Wright,1   1858-92;  C.  S.  Palmer,    1892-94;  Noah  Leonard,  incumbent. 

Again  referring  to  the  State  Gazetteer  it  is  learned  that  in  1836  the 
town  contained  12,884  acres  of  improved  land,  $532,806  assessed  real 
estate,  2,203  cattle,  914  horses,  4,114  sheep,  2,622  swine,  366  militia 
men,  two  grist  and  fourteen  saw  mills,  an  oil  mill,  two  fulling  mills, 
three  carding  machines,  one  iron  works,  a  distillery,  two  asheries,  four 
tanneries,  fifteen  school  districts  and  953  school  children.  In  that  year 
the  town  tax  was  $523  and  the  county  tax  $1,237.  Contrast  these 
figures  with  the  following  statistics  from  the  State  census  of  1845  and 
French's  State  Gazetteer  of  1860:  In  1845 — militia  men,  14*;;  voters, 
830;  schoolchildren,  801;  acres  of  improved  land,  15,420;  three  grist 
mills,  twenty  saw  mills,  one  fulling  mill,  a  carding  works,  a  woolen 
factory,  an  iron  works,  one  ashery,  a  tannery,  sixteen  common  schools, 
six  churches,  thirteen  stores,  nine  taverns,  four  groceries,  eighteen 
merchants,  648  farmers,  thirty-seven  manufacturers,  nine  physicians, 
and  five  lawyers.  In  1860 — 16,792  acres  of  improved  land:  real  estate 
valued  at  $1,035,328,  803  dwellings,  884  families,  445  freeholders,  six- 
teen school  districts,  1,625  children  taught,  879  horses,  "2,774  cattle, 
5,325  sheep,  2,093  swine;  productions,  149,894  bushels  of  wheat,  3,209 
tons  of  hay,  17,670  bushels  of  potatoes,  26,816  bushels  of  apples,  L20,- 
304  pounds  of  butter,  and  17,730  pounds  of  cheese. 

In   1836   the  village  of  Elbridge   had  one  grist  and  one  saw  mill,  a 

'Truman  King  Wright  and  twin  brother,  Norman,  sons  of  Preserved  and  Jemima  iKin.^t 
Wright,  and  grandson  of  Solomon  Wright,  were  born  in  Rupert,  Vt.,  March  '.';,  1815,  the  youngest 
of  twelve  children.  Truman  K.  was  educated  at  the  Royalton  (Vt.)  Academy  and  Burr  Seminary 
at  Manchester,  Vt.,and  was  graduated  from  Middlebury  College  in  1889.  He  was  principal 
New  London  (N.  H.)  Academy  four  years,  of  the  Durham  (N.  II.'  Academy  three  years,  of  Pom- 
pey  Academy  in  Onondaga  county  six  years  and  of  Jordan  Academy  five  years.  On  April  I.  1858, 
he  took  charge  of  the  Munro  Collegiate  Institute  at  Elbridge,  and  continued  in  that  position  till 
1892,  when  he  resigned.  He  has  since  lived  in  retirement.  His  life  work  as  an  educator  has  been 
eminently  successful. 


702  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

carding  and  cloth  dressing-  establishment,  three  taverns,  three  stores, 
and  about  sixty  dwellings,  while  Peru  contained  a  store,  tavern,  and  a 
few  scattered  houses.  Among  the  old-time  merchants  in  Elbridge  not 
already  noticed  may  be  mentioned  Alonzo  Wood,  I).  Munro  Hill,  Nathan 
Munro,  Alfred  E.  Stacey,  Fred  S.  Hall,  A.  G.  Talcott,  and  George 
Stacey.  Alonzo  Wood  continued  business  many  years  on  the  corner 
now  occupied  by  the  Wood  block,  the  predecessor  of  which  was  burned 
January  30,  1875.      He  was  also  engaged  in  banking. 

At  Peru  a  post-office  was  finally  established,  which  took  the  name  of 
Jack's  Reef,  and  one  of  the  earlier  postmasters  was  Eli  Tator.  Jack's 
Rifts,1  proper,  situated  one  mile  north  on  Seneca  River,  was  so  named 
in  honor  of  "  Darky  Jack,"  an  old  negro  who  had  a  cabin  there  at  one 
time,  and  spent  his  time  fishing  and  selling  his  fish  around  the  country. 
Sherebiah  Evans  built  an  early  hotel  there,  and  two. stores  were  estab- 
lished ;  it  became  a  large  grain  market  and  shipping  point.  Near  here, 
on  Carpenter  Brook,  a  saw  mill  was  built  about  1808;  in  1815  Zenas 
Wright  and  Hollis  Knowlton  put  up  another  on  the  same  site.  In  1843 
Philip  Drake  erected  the  third  and  continued  it  many  years.  D.  R. 
Marvin  built  a  cheese  factory  here  in  1872,  which  was  burned  and  re- 
built in  1874  by  the  Jack's  Reef  Cheese  Factory  Association. 

Among  other  prominent  settlers  of  the  town  prior  to  1850  were  the 
following: 

Channcey  B.  Laird-was  born  in  Camillas  in  J804,  came  to  Elbridge  in  1830,  and 
died  April  6,  1873.  Hon.  John  D.  Rhoades  was  proprietor  of  the  Munro  House  in 
Elbridge  from  1833  to  1 843.  when  he  purchased  a  farm  near  by.  He  was  elected 
county  coroner  in  1855  and  assemblyman  in  1856.  Hon.  Luke  Ranney  came  to 
Elbridge  in  1835.  He  was  born  in  Ashfield,  Mass.,  November  8,  1815,  and  for  many 
years  was  a  prominent  temperance  speaker  and  staunch  supporter  of  Abolitionism. 
He  has  resided  in  Elbridge  since  1852,  and  has  served  as  supervisor  and  three  terms 
as  member  of  assembly,  and  was  for  a  time  an  active  surveyor.  James  Lewis,  jus- 
tice of  the  peace  many  years  and  father  of  Kirby  Lewis,  residing  on  the  homestead. 
Theron  S.  Hubbell  established  the  Elbridge  Marble  and  Granite  Works  in  1844,  and 
continued  them  until  his  death  in  June,  1895,  aged  eighty,  when  he  was  succeeded 
by  his  son,  Elliston  E.,  who  had  been  his  partner  for  several  years.  William  W. 
1  >awley  was  a  long  time  resident  farmer  of  this  town,  near  Elbridge  village;  in  1889 
he  moved  to  Fayetteville,  where  he  now  resides.  The  following  are  also  deserving 
of  mention:  Dr.  Alfred  Hutterfield,  Hon.  Charles  C.  Cole,  George  B.  Garrison,  Alex- 
ander Jones,  A.  1).  Lewis,  L.  II.  Mason,  Enoch  C.  Nicholson,  A.  D.  Peck,  Thomas 
ns,  John  T.  Thomas,  Peter   V.  and  James  L.  Voorhees,  Smith  Wood,  Gabriel 

1  This  name  seems  to  !>>•  erroneously  spelled.     Derived  Erem  "Darky  Jack"  and  the  rifts  in 
cabin  it  should   be,  properly,  Jack's  Rifts,  although  postal  authorities  give  it 
Reef. 


CHARLES   C.   COLE. 


THE  TOWN  OF  ELBRIDGE.  703 

Bell,  Patrick  Carson,  Charles  Morris,  Sidney  M.  Horton  (who  had  a  fulling  mill  on 
the  site  later  occupied  by  Garrison  &  Taylor's  bedstead  factory),  William  Richards, 
John  Stevens,  Archibald  and  Thomas  C.  Ward,  and  Oran  D,  Hates.  Marvin  W. 
Hardy  was  born  in  Manheim,  N.  V.,  in  1820,  came  to  Jordan  in  1864,  and  enj 
in  farming  and  paper  manufacturing.  Morgan  Grant  was  an  early  settler  near  Hart 
Lot;  he  died  in  1880.  Carolman  Copp,  also  a  prominent  citizen,  died  near  Jordan 
in  December,  1894.  Reuben  Weeks  was  another  early  comer  and  father  of  Charles, 
Benjamin,  William,  John,  and  Frank  Weeks.  Major  Theodore  L.  Poole,  present 
Congressman  from  this  district,  was  born  in  Jordan  in  April  10,  1840.  Many  others 
are  noticed  at  length  in  Part  III  of  this  work. 

Of  the  former  merchants  of  Jordan  there  should  be  mentioned  the 
names  of  Lewis  Green  and  sons,  D.  K.  and  Harry  (where  the  Rodger 
block  now  stands),  Homer  P.  Moulton  (opposite  the  present  Empire 
block),  Mr.  Thomas  and  his  brother-in-law,  Mr.  Rhoades,  James  Mc- 
Clure,  Benjamin  Coonley,  Alonzo  Case  (in  the  old  wooden  building  on 
the  site  of  the  Case  brick  block),  Ebenezer  Daggett  (who  also  manu- 
factured pumps  in  the  next  building  north),  Harry  Weed,  Marcus  T. 
Sperry,  Willis  P.  Pump,  and  Erastus  Baker. 

A  newspaper  called  the  Jordan  Courier,  was  started  in  Jordan  by 
Frederick  Prince  in  1831.  In  1849  P.  J.  Becker  established  the  Jordan 
Tribune,  which  in  1853  was  changed  in  name  to  the  Jordan  Transcript; 
among  its  later  publishers  were  Nathan  Burrill,  Charles  15.  Park,  and 
H.  P.  Winsor,  the  latter  for  many  years  and  until  his  death,  when  it 
was  sold  by  his  widow  to  the  Jordan  Intelligencer,  which  had  been 
started  in  the  mean  time.  In  1880  C.  H.  Bibbens  purchased  the  In- 
telligencer of  R.  D.  Curtis  and  published  it  until  January,  1882,  when 
he  discontinued  that  newspaper  and  started  the  present  Jordan  Times, 
of  which  he  has  since  been  the  proprietor.  The  Pearly  Fountain,  a 
monthly  periodical,  was  published  in  Jordan  a  short  time  by  Park  & 
Cheal,  with  John  G.  Cheal,  editor. 

In  1838  still  further  changes  were  inaugurated  in  the  town  by  the 
opening  of  the  Syracuse  and  Auburn  Railroad,  which  immediately 
gave  existence  to  the  hamlet  of  Skaneateles  Junction  (Hart  Lot  post- 
office),  and  soon  afterward  to  the  little  station  of  Half  Way,  where  a 
post-office  was  established  in  1868.  Around  the  Junction  a  number  of 
business  interests  finally  centered  mainly  within  recent  years;  at  one 
period  large  quantities  of  barrels  were  manufactured  there.  Hart  Lot 
received  its  name  from  Josiah  Hart,  who  owned  about  640  acres  in  that 
vicinity,  and  who  sold  the  tract  in  1812  and  later  to  Elijah  Cole,  Medad 
Harmon,  Hezekiah  Earll,  Ezra  Leonard,  Reuben  Harmon   and    Hairy 


704  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Mandeville.  In  1878  Alexander  Van  Vleck  and  R.  B.  Wheeler  en- 
gaged in  the  coal  and  lumber  trade,  and  the  next  year  William  G. 
Cottle  began  as  a  general  merchant;  since  1889  the  firm  has  been 
Cottle  Brothers.  Among  the  postmasters  have  been  Albert  L.  Chat- 
field,  W.  G.  Cottle,  and  Dennis  J.  Flynn,  incumbent.  From  time  to 
time  the  subject  of  extending  the  Skaneateles  railroad,  connecting 
Hart  Lot  with  Skaneateles  village,  to  Elbridge  and  Jordan  has  been 
agitated.  In  1841  a  charter  was  obtained  for  this  purpose,  but  the 
work  was  never  begun.  - 

By  the  year  1840  the  Episcopalians  had  gathered  numerical  strength 
sufficient  to  form  a  church  of  their  faith  in  Jordan  and  on  November 
30  Christ  Parish  was  organized  with  James  Riggs  and  Cyrus  Andrews 
wardens,  and  Lemuel  B.  Raymond,  William  Porter,  jr.,  David  Pierson, 
Samuel  Tucker,  Holland  W.  Chadwick,  Daniel  K.  Green,  Alonzo 
Wood,  and  George  A.  Mason,  vestrymen.  The  first  rector  was  Rev. 
Thaddeus  Leavenworth,  who  was  followed  by  Rev.  Isaac  Swart,  Mason 
Gallagher,  O.  P.  Holcomb,  Beardsley  Northrop,  and  others.  The  lat- 
ter on  Jidy  27,  1845,  baptized  the  first  adult  persons  in  the  parish — Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Henry  Daboll,  of  Van  Buren.  On  December  23,  1845,  the 
contract  to  build  a  church  was  let  to  William  Gibson,  for  $1,157;  the 
building  was  partially  enclosed  by  July  11,  1840,  when  it  was  blown 
down;  it  was  rebuilt  and  consecrated  January  20,  1847,  by  Bishop  De 
Lancey.  A  new  brick  edifice  was  completed  and  dedicated  December 
29,  L863,  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  J.  G.  Webster,  and  in  1887  it  was 
partly  reconstructed  and  refitted.  The  rectory  was  purchased  Decem- 
ber 13,  1875,  for  $2,600. 

On  January  12,  1842,  the  Jordan  Academy  was  incorporated  and 
soon  afterward  a  building  was  erected.  It  maintained  an  active  exist- 
ence many  years  until  the  public  school  system  of  the  State  diverted 
educational  interests  into  other  channels,  when  it  ceased  its  usefulness. 
On  January  25,  1807,  the  Jordan  Academy  and  Union  Free  School  was 
incorporated  with  the  old  academy,  the  district  having  been  formed  in 
1863  by  the  consolidation  of  districts  14,  10,  and  17.  The  first  Board 
of  Education  consisted  of  Harry  Weed,  president;  John  Dales,  clerk; 
Alexander  Van  Vleck,  M.  T.  Sperry,  and  George  Garrick.  The  old 
academy  property  was  acquired  by  act  of  the  Legislature  in  1875.  The 
presidents  of  the  board  have  been  William  Potter,  A.  F.  Tracy,  S.  L. 
Rockwell,  A.  D.  Lewis,  J.  W.  Murray,  and  A.  E.  Brace,  incumbent. 
The  present   school   building  was  erected  in  1890  at   a  cost  of  about 


THE  TOWN  OF  ELBRIDGE.  705 

$20,000,  and  contains  a  library  of  about  1,250  volumes,  laboratory, 
cabinet,  gymnasium,  etc.  The  academic  department  is  under  the 
Board  of  Regents.  Many  graduates  of  Jordan  Academy  have  attained 
prominence  in  professional  and  business  life  and  in  politics. 

On  April  1,  1848,  the  village  of  Elbridge  was  incorporated  under  an 
act  passed  December  7,  1847.  .  The  first  officers  were  Lucius  Milieu, 
president;  Harvey  Roberts,  Ezekiel  Skinner,  Alonzo  Wood,  and  Will- 
iam Van  Vechten,  trustees;  Cyrus  W.  Upham,  treasurer;  and  Charles 
McGowan,  clerk. 

Among  the  presidents  have  been  Alonzo  Wood,  W.  P.  Van  Vechten,  William  C.Van 
Vetchen,  J.  D.  Rhoades,  Squire  M.  Brown,  John  Rice,  C.  W.  Hilliard,  Nathan  Munro, 
Charles  G.  McGowan,  H.  M.  Lamson,  M.  W.  Lyon,  W.  P.  Smith,  B.  A.  Wood, 
Charles  O.  Baker,  S.  M.  B.  Rhoades,  John  S.  Markell,  James  H.  Lankton,  and 
George  H.  Hunsiker,  incumbent. 

The  village  has  a  small  fire  department,  equipped  with  a  hand  engine 
and  a  hook  and  ladder  truck. 

In  1853  the  direct  line  of  the  New  York  Central  and  Hudson  River 
Railroad  was  completed  and  opened  with  a  station  at  Jordan.  This 
marked  the  beginning  of  a  gradual  business  depression  in  the  two  vil- 
lages and  withdrew  in  a  measure  the  elements  of  their  prosperity. 
Trade  was  diverted  toward  larger  centers  of  population,  while  manu- 
facturing lost  to  some  extent  its  activity  through  distant  competition. 
Leading  citizens  subscribed  for  stock  to  aid  in  building  the  road  and 
upon  its  completion  sold  their  stock  for  cash.  In  a  few  years  the  vil- 
lages, and  especially  Jordan,  retrograded  fully  25  per  cent. 

Between  1854  and  1857  the  State  deepened  the  channel  of  the  Seneca 
River  at  Jack's  Rifts  at  a  cost  of  $150,000;  the  work  was  in  charge  of 
Hon.  George  Geddes.  About  200,000  yards  of  rock  cuttings  were 
removed  and' the  marshes  were  drained  as  far  west  as  Mosquito  Point. 

On  July  14,  1856,  No.  38(3,  F.  &  A.  M.,  was  instituted  with  John  G. 
Webster,  W.  M.  ;  James  McClure,  S.  W. ;  and  Alonzo  Case,  J.  W. 
Elbridge  Lodge  No.  275,  I.O.O.F.,  was  organized  April  19,  1871,  with 
nine  members.  H.  H.  Porter  was  N.  G. ;  James  M.  Halsted,  V.  G. ;  and 
R.  M.  Cole,  C.  S.  Jordan  Lodge  No.  230  was  much  older  than  this, 
having  been  instituted  June  30,  1846,  with  W.  T.  Graves  as  X.  G. ;  C. 
W.  Upham,  V.  G. ;  George  W.  Green,  secretary;  H.  T.  Sheldon,  treas- 
urer. It  was  subsequently  reorganized  as  Jordan  Lodge  No.  215, 
I.  O.  O.  F. 

St.  Patrick's  Roman  Catholic  church  in  Jordan  was  built  in  ISi;|  65 
89 


706  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

by  Father  William  McCallion  of  Camillus;  at  the  same  time  a  cemetery 
was  opened.  The  parish  now  contains  about  eighty-five  families  and 
has  always  been  connected  with  the  Camillus  charge. 

Some  of  the  early  manufacturing  industries  of  Jordan,  not  already 
noticed,  are  here  recalled,  prominent  among  which  was  the  works  of 
Amos  Miner  (more  fully  described  in  Chapter  XLV),  who  very  early 
located  in  Jordan  and  with  his  oldest  son  Frank  had  a  tub,  churn,  and 
pail  factory  at  the  head  of  Jackson's  mill  race;  they  afterwards  manu- 
factured pumps  and  developed  a  large  business.  In  1833  a  dam  was 
thrown  across  the  creek  at  this  point  and  Ebenezer  Daggett  and  T.  L. 
Carson  subsequently  built  a  saw  mill  here.  The  latter,  with  Thomas 
Payne,  soon  succeeded  to  the  Miner  factory  and  in  1835  moved  the 
machinery  into  an  old  storehouse  erected  by  James  Cornwall  in  1825, 
which  now  forms  the  west  part  of  Charles  M.  Warner's  malt  house. 
Mr.  Payne  afterwards  sold  out  and  removed  to  Seneca  Falls;  finally 
Salmon  Greene  succeeded  Mr.  Carson,  and  the  firm  of  Daggett  & 
Greene  continued  many  years,  manufacturing  about  fifty  wooden  pumps 
each  week.  They  made  also  boilers,  engines,  and  plows,  and  estab- 
lished a  store.  About  1845  Ebenezer  Daggett  built  a  storehouse  from 
which  thousands  of  bushels  of  grain  were  shipped  to  Albany  during 
the  palmy  days  of  the  canal. 

James  Redfield  was  one  of  the  early  blacksmiths,  and  in  his  shop 
Denting  Boardman  carried  on  a  cooperage  several  years  until  180(3, 
when  it  was  converted  into  the  Peck  &  Tracy  foundry.  William  Board- 
man  was  long  a  prominent  citizen  and  business  man. 

On  the  site  of  the  old  "  Red  Mill,"  which  was  built  in  1824,  was  in 
later  years  the  bedstead  factory  of  Garrison  &  Taylor,  which  was 
burned  and  never  rebuilt.  The  site  is  now  occupied  by  the  electric 
plant,  which  supplies  electricity  to  the  villages  of  Jordan,  Elbridge,  and 
Skaneateles. 

About  1S50  a  wheelbarrow  manufactory  was  established  by  Sperrv  & 
Rockwell,  whose  successors  were  S.  L.  Rockwell  &  Co.  In  1865  the 
saw  and  strawboard  mill  of  George  Putnam  was  started  by  Hardy  & 
Putnam,  and  in  1872  a  second  wheelbarrow  factory  was  put  in  opera- 
tion by  A.  D.  Peck;  this  is  now  a  machine  shop. 

These  various  manufacturing  interests,  together  with  the  mercantile 
trade  of  Jordan  village,  called  into  existence  the  private  bank  of  West- 
fall  &  Co.,  which  ultimately  failed.  In  1870  a  private  banking  business 
was  established  by  R.  S.  Sperrv  &  Co.,  who  were  succeeded  by  Rodger 
<S  Co.  m  is;  i 


WILLIAM  C.  RODGER. 


708 


ONONDAGA'S  CENTENT 


from  1854,  or  earlier,  to  1880;  his  successors  have  bet 
1882-90;  Peter  R.  Grauel,  1881;  John  Y.  Andrews,  If 
Charles  E.  Morley,  1894-95. 

The  growth  of  the  town  is  shown  to  son 
statistics  of  population  at  different  dates : 

1830,3,357;   1835,   3,599;  1840,  4,647;  1845,   3,829;  It 


1   K.   Craner,   1880  and 
Eugene  E.  Mann,  18!t3; 

t  by  the  following 
,924;  1855,   4,561;   1860, 


4,509;  1865,  4,318;  1870,  3,796;  1875,  4,211;   1880,  4,087;        iO,  3,560;   1892,  3,808. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

THE  TOWN  OF  VAN  BUREN. 

The  survey  divisions  or  townships  of  Marcellus  and  Camillus  were 
two  of  the  twenty-five  laid  out  in  the  Military  Tract  (described  in  Chap- 
ter I)  by  Simeon  De  Witt  in  1790.  It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  these 
township  divisions  had  no  connection  with  later  c^anized  towns,  al- 
though the  latter  in  many  instances  retained  the  na  originally  given 
them.  In  the  formation  of  the  town  of  Marcellus  i  794  its  territory 
is  recorded  as  "  comprehending  the  townships  of  nillus  and  Mar- 
cellus, together  with  all  the  residue  of  the  Onondaga  Reservation  and 
the  residue  of  reserved  lands  lying  southwest  of  the  said  Salt  Lake." 
The  old  town  of  Marcellus  extended  north  to  the  Seneca  River  and  in- 
cluded the  territory  of  Van  Buren.  From  Marcellus  the  town  of  Ca- 
millus was  set  off  March  8,  1799,  and  also  took  with  ,  its  bounds  the 
town  of  Van  Buren,  which  was  not  organized  until  m 
Camillus  included  the  present  town  of  Elbridge,  about 
the  present  town  of  Camillus,  and,  as  stated,  the  whole 
town  of  Van  Buren.  Of  the  100  military  lots  compi 
Van  Buren  includes  thirty-six.  These  lots  approxoma 
many  of  them  slightly  exceeding  that  extent,  the 
averaging  about  620  acres  each.  In  adopting  the  line, 
lots  to  the  windings  of  the  Seneca  River,  which  for 
boundary  of  the  town  of  Van  Buren,  the  surveyors  assi 
tnde  in  the  quantity  of  land  assigned  to  each  lot.  The  e 
are  found  in  these  river  lots,  the  largest  being  probabl 
and  9,  in  the  western  part  of  the  town.  According  to 
figures  No.  17  contains  about  700  acres  and  No.  9  abo      'ii; 


ears  later, 
mirths  of 
ssent 
illus, 
each, 
ar  lots 
ie  the 
i  more 
mes  in 
nu  nbers 
e  surveyor's 
The 


acres. 


.  >'OWN  OF  VAN  BUREN.  709 

smallest  lots  are  nut  ol  43  and  7,  the  first  named  containing  about 
5-J4  acres  and  the  la',  m«  ittle  less  than  500  acres.  Each  soldier  in  the 
Revolutionary  arm  o  f  ntitled  to  500  acres  from  the  State  of  New- 
York,  and  100  acre  Congress,  thus  giving  him  one  whole  lot ;  but 
the  vState  made  the  .  only  when  the  soldier  gave  in  return  an  as- 
signment of  his  cong  fbnal  grant.  In  the  many  eases  when  this  as- 
signment was  not  ma«  the  State  reserved  100  acres  in  each  lot,  which 
was  laid  out  in  one  corner  of  the  lot.  These  reservations  were  sold 
about  1795  by  the  State  and  generally  passed  into  possession  of  spec- 
ulators. They  took  the  common  name  of  "State's  hundred  "  and  are 
still  thus  designated.  To  partially  provide  for  the  expense  of  survey- 
ing the  Military  Tract,  a  statute  of  1790  caused  an  assessment  of  forty- 
eight  shillings  (in  addition  to  all  other  fees)  on  each  lot.  If  this  assess- 
ment was  not  paid  within  two  years  the  surveyor-general  was  author- 
ized to  reserve  and  sell  at  auction  a  square  tract  of  fifty  acres  laid  out 
in  one  corner  of  the  lot.  In  very  many  cases  these  assessments  were 
not  paid  within  the  designated  time  and,  as  a  consequence,  the  fifty- 
acre  tracts  are  numerous  throughout  the  county;  fifteen  of  them  are 
situated  in  the  to  of  Van  Buren.  They  became,  and  still  are,  gen- 
erally known  as  ',  "  survey-fifty  "  tracts.  These  tracts  were  sold  by 
the  State  in  Julyl(  -.790,  and,  like  the  others  described,  passed  to  pos- 
session of  speculators  as  a  rule. 

The  Commissioners  of  the  Land  Office  were  authorized  by  the  law  to 
decide  upon  the  merits  of  the  applications  for  grants  in  the  Military 
Tract,  which  were  made  by  drawing  lots  for  the  locations.  The  draw- 
ing commenced  pn  July  3,  1790,  and  the  issue  of  patents  began  on  the 
same  day  an  mtinued  until  the  entire  2,500  lots  were  exhausted. 
Following  ,  ne   names  of  the  grantees  who   drew  the  lots  in   the 

present  tc  Van  Buren  : 

1,  Christi  ties,  private;  2,  Abraham  Swartwout,  captain;  3,  William  Noyes, 

sergeant;  y  Skaats,  corporal ;  5,   John  Welch,    matross;   6,    John   Johnston, 

matross;  ree_,  n  Epton,  private;  8,  Benjamin  Herring,  ensign;  9,  Patrick  Davis, 

private;'  mTen  Eyck,  lieutenant;   11,  reserved  lot;   12,  William  Lee,  cor- 

poral; 13,  l  P  downs,  private;  14,  William  Gurtley,   matross;  15,  reserved  lot; 

16,  William  L-  a1  ran,  matross;  17,  Michael  Connolly,  lieutenant;  18,  Henry  Pawling, 
captain;  19,  i  i  x  Davis,  private;  20,  John  House,  private;  21,  Nathan  Whipple, 
private;  22,  A  [acobs,  matross;  23,  James  Rosekrans,  major;  24,  Janus  Lewisj 
matross;  25,  i  acis  Horner,  matross;  26,  George  Houseman,  private;  27,  Henry 
Swartwou',  lie  tenant;  28,  Jacob  Haring,  private;  29,  John  Corter,  private;  37, 
Joseph  Cdllins,.  rivate;  38,  John  Cunningham,  bombardier;  39,  Daniel  Tappen, 
sergeant;  40,  J  me  ycott,  rifer;  41,  John  F.  Vacher,  surgeon;  12.  John  Williams, 
private;  43,  Danie         jeraa,  surgeon. 


710  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL 

Six  lots  in  the  town  were  set  aside,  as  provided  by  the  law,  for 
special  purposes,  one  for  the  support  of  literature,  and  four  for  other 
purposes.  Lot  15  was  designated  as  reserved  for  "literature,"  and  in 
1813  was  granted  to  Pompey  Academy  by  act  of  Legislature.  Lot  11 
remained  public  property  many  years  and  finally  passed  into  private 
hands.  In  the  land  patents  the  State  reserved  title  to  all  gold  and 
silver  mines,  and  five  acres  of  every  100  for  highways. 

During  the  five  years  succeeding  the  date  of  the  close  of  the  war, 
scarcely  any  settlements  were  made  on  the  Military  Tract ;  it  was  a 
wilderness,  very  little  known  to  people  at  large,  and  especially  to  the 
men  who  had  fought  on  the  fields  of  the  Revolution;  hence  it  is  not 
surprising  that  the  veterans  were  ready  to  accept  almost  any  considera- 
tion offered  for  their  grants.  It  is  generally  believed  that  a  drink,  or 
or  other  small  quantity  of  rum,  was,  in  some  cases,  the  only  price  paid 
for  a  patent.  Out  of  thirty-four  soldiers  who  drew  lots  in  Van  Buren 
only  one  became  an  actual  settler  on  his  land,  and  this  occurred  through 
his  repurchase  of  the  patent  which  he  had  sold.  This  was  lot  38, 
granted  to  John  Cunningham. 

The  sale  of  claims  began  immediately  after  the  close  of  the  war;  that 
of  William  Gurtley,  lot  14,  was  assigned  as  early  as  June  23,  1783;  that 
of  John  Williams,  lot  42,  was  transferred  in  the  same  year,  and  twenty 
of  the  thirty- four  grantees  of  lots  in  what  is  now  Van  Buren  assigned 
their  claims  before  the  allotment  of  1790.  In  some  instances  the  con- 
sideration was  reasonably  valuable,  like  those  of  Patrick  and  Peter  Davis, 
who  sold  lots  !)  and  19  in  1785  for  fifty  pounds  each.  On  the  other  hand 
James  Skaats  sold  lot  4  for  ^4;  John  Welch  sold  lot  5  for  jQd  14s. 
8d.  ;  Francis  Horner  sold  lot  25  for  £3  4s.,  etc.  Of  the  fourteen  Van 
Buren  grantees  who  retained  their  claims  until  after  the  allotment 
of  1790,  eleven  at  least  sold  before  the  close  of  1794. 

The  last  ones  to  part  with  their  grants  were  the  holders  of  lots  21 
and  41,  with  perhaps  also  the  holder  of  lot  3.  Nathan  Whipple,  the 
holder  of  lot  21,  was  in  1796  a  resident  of  Petersburgh,  Rensselaer 
county,  and  sold  his  title  by  a  deed  dated  January  13,  1796.  John 
F.  Vacher,  the  holder  of  lot  41,  was  a  resident  of  Morris  county,  N.  J., 
and  held  his  land  until  November  14,  1796,  when  he  also  sold  out. 
While  most  of  the  purchases  of  these  claims  were  mere  speculations, 
others  were  legitimate  investments,  bought  to  hold  the  lands  indefi- 
nitely, to  be  sold  in  later  years  at  a  greatly  advanced  price.  During  the 
decade    L791    L800  the  Van  Buren  lots  averaged  in  price  from  sixty  to 


THE  TOWN  OF  VAN  BUREN.  711 

eighty  cents  per  acre,  and  the  actual  settlers  of  that  period  paid  about 
these  prices.  John  McHarrie  agreed  to  pay  seventy-five  cents  per  acre 
for  his  purchase  in  1795,  and  David  Haynes's  purchase  of  Kits  was  at 
sixty-six  cents  per  acre. 

Among  the  holders  of  lots,  or  parts  of  lots,  in  the  Van  Buren  terri- 
tory in  early  years  were  men  of  national  reputation,  not  only  citizens 
of  this  State  but  of  others.  Aaron  Burr  held  a  part  of  lot  29 
for  a  time,  and  Lieutenant-Governor  Jeremiah  Van  Rensselaer  was  in- 
terested in  lot  13.  Governor  De  Witt  Clinton  held  a  part  of  lot  8  from 
1796  to  1821,  while  other  noted  men  in  Philadelphia,  the  State  of  New 
Jersey,  New  York  city,  and  in  the  eastern  part  of  this  State,  were  land 
owners  in  this  town  during  periods  of  varied  length  in  early  years.  The 
period  of  land  speculation  in  much  of  the  Military  Tract  closed  about 
1820,  by  which  year  most  of  the  lands  had  passed  into  possession  of 
residents.  The  reader  of  Chapter  I.  (Military  Tract)  in  this  volume 
has  learned  of  the  protracted  trouble  that  arose  over  titles  to  lots  in  the 
tract  and  how  they  were  finally  ended.  In  those  troubles  Van  Buren 
had  its  share.  Considerable  of  the  difficult}'  arose  through  repeated 
sales  of  the  same  lot  by  unscrupulous  grantees.  For  example  John 
Williams  sold  lot  42  in  1783,  again  in  1790,  1791,  and  a  fourth  time  in 
1796.  Lot  14  also  was  sold  three  times  by  William  Gurtley,  in  1 783,  1  J  85 
and  about  1787.  Lots  1,  7,  12,  20,  21,  22,  37,  and  40  were  all  sold 
more  than  once.  To  cause  further  trouble  and  litigation,  fraud  was 
practiced  by  forgeries  and  alterations  of  dates  in  papers;  and  squatters, 
with  no  pretence  of  right,  settled  on  lots  and  resisted  eviction.  Be- 
tween 1797  and  1801  all  the  contested  claims  were  settled,  about  forty 
of  which  were  in  Van  Buren  territory. 

The  surface  of  Van  Buren  is  level  and  undulating,  and  is  well 
drained  by  the  Seneca  River,  which  bounds  it  on  the  northerly  and 
westerly  sides,  and  many  small  streams.  The  soil  is  chiefly  a  sandy 
loam,  with  gravelly  loam  and  clay  to  a  limited  extent  in  some  localities. 
As  a  whole  it  is  well  adapted  to  the  growing  of  corn,  wheat,  oats,  and 
tobacco,  potatoes,  and  fruits.  A  dense  forest  of  hemlock,  beech  and 
pines  covered  the  hills  and  valleys,  in  which  wild  animals  roamed  in 
undisturbed  freedom.  The  southern  portion  of  the  town  is  slightly 
hilly  and  the  surface  has  a  general  slope  northward  to  the  river,  along 
which  are  considerable  marshes. 

There  are  several  sulphur  springs  in  the  town — one  at  the  1  'arrow- 
place,  one  mile  south  of  Baldwinsville;  two  or   three  on  I  )ead  Creek, 


712  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

and  perhaps  others  on  the  margin  of  the  river  on  or  near  lot  16.  The 
water  is  very  good,  but  the  springs  have  not  been  developed  to  any  ex- 
tent. There  are  many  deposits  of  excellent  marl  on  Dead  Creek  flats, 
and  in  the  vicinity  of  Warners.  Some  small  deposits  of  gypsum  have 
been  found  at  Jack's  Rifts.  From  specimens  examined,  it  is  presumed 
deposits  of  alabaster  are  to  be  found  in  the  hills  east  of  Ionia.  There 
is  considerable  clay  shale  in  the  town  in  the  vicinity  of  Ionia,  Jack's 
Rifts,  and  on  the  James  Williams  farm;  also  at  other  points  in  the 
town.  Red  shale  crops  out  along  Dead  Creek  in  considerable  quanti- 
ties. There  are  no  valuable  ledges  of  stone  in  the  town.  Limestone 
in  Van  Buren  is  not  a  product  in  quarries;  but  boulders  and  field  stones 
are  sufficient  for  building  purposes.  There  is  mere  or  less  of  chestnut 
and  white  pine  land  in  the' town.  On  Chestnut  Ridge  there  is  consider- 
able second  growth  chestnut,  and  also  on  lot  1. 

The  beautiful  Seneca  is  an  ever-flowing  stream  and  is  charming  and 
inviting.  It  is  of  especial  value  and  importance  to  Van  Buren,  and 
always  will  continue  to  be.  It  is  the  outlet  for  the  numerous  lakes  to 
the  west  and  southwest  of  Van  Buren,  and  drains  a  large  water-shed. 
The  public  roads  are  in  fine  condition,  and  have  been  much  improved 
within  two  decades  dating  from  1875  to  1895. 

Of  the  inhabitants  of  Van  Buren  prior  to  settlement  by  white  men, 
there  is  little  to  be  said.  Its  territory  constituted  a  part  of  the  hunting 
grounds  of  the  Iroquois,  and  the  treaty  of  1788  gave  them,  of  course, 
the  right  to  hunt  here,  as  it  did  in  all  other  parts  of  their  old  domain. 
The  valley  of  Dead  Creek  in  this  town  was  their  highway  from  the 
Onondaga  towns  to  the  Seneca  River,  and  a  trail  ran  north  and  south 
near  the  creek.  The  earlier  name  of  the  creek,  "Camp  Brook,"  was 
derived  from  the  fact  that  the  hunting  parties  made  their  numerous 
camps  along  its  banks.  A  small  Indian  village  was  situated  at  Jack's 
Rifts,  when  the  first  settlers  arrived,  and  remains  of  an  old  orchard 
were  in  existence  on  lot  3,  some  of  the  trees  of  which  were  preserved 
as  late  as  1873. 

Every  summer  the  Indians  came  up  from  the  south  to  hunt  and  fish, 
and  on  cold  nights  often  sought  the  shelter  of  the  pioneers'  cabins, 
where  they  would  be  permitted  to  lie  near  the  fire  wrapped  in  their 
blankets  through  the  night.  The  towns  in  the  western  and  northwest- 
ern  part  of  this  county  escaped  the  horrors  of  the  Indian  wars,  and 
after  settlers  arrived,  such  Indians  as  wandered  through  this  region 
were  well  disposed  and  friendly;  they  had  been  taught,  to  their  great 


■ 


. 


% 


THE  TOWN  OF  VAN  BU11EN.  713 

cost,  that  they  must  submit  to  the  rule  of  the  white  man.  The  deep 
forests  that  originally  covered  the  town  harbored  many  wild  animals 
long  after  settlement  began,  and  the  pioneer  who  was  compelled  to 
pass  one  or  more  nights  in  the  open  air,  or  in  a  frail  shanty,  prudently 
kept  a  fire  burning  to  frighten  away  the  wolves. 

The  first  settlers  in  the  town  of  Van  Bureu  were,  like  those  in  several 
other  sections  of  the  county,  temporary  hunters  and  trappers  who 
came  in  and  "squatted"  wherever  the  surroundings  offered  the  best 
promise  for  their  vocation.  The  first  of  these  is  not  even  known  by 
name,  and  was  found  when  the  first  surveyors  entered  the  town  (prob- 
ably in  1791),  living  alone  on  lot  40,  about  on  the  site  of  the  Warners 
hamlet.  The  surveyors  made  his  cabin  their  headquarters  while  work- 
ing near  by.  On  returning  from  their  labor  one  night,  they  found  the 
trapper  dead  on  his  bed.  He  was  buried  in  the  forest  near  the  north 
line  of  the  lot,  leaving  no  record  to  tell  the  pioneers  further  of  this  ad- 
venturous dweller  in  the  wilderness. 

Another  settler  who  came  in  about  1791  was  John  Dunn,  who  cleared 
a  space  and  built  a  cabin  on  lot  12,  across  the  road  from  the  site  of  the 
house  of  the  late  Luther  Hay.  Dunn  lived  there  several  years,  when 
his  wife  died  and  he  moved  elsewhere. 

The  first  permanent  settler  in  the  town  was  John  Wilson,  a  native  of 
Limerick,  Ireland,  whence  he  emigrated  when  his  son  Robert  was 
seven  years  old.  He  lived  for  a  time  in  Washington  county,  and  set- 
tled in  this  town  in  1792  on  the  "  survey-fifty"  of  lot  38,  and  died  there 
early  in  the  present  century,  leaving  several  children,  from  whom  are 
descended  many  families  now  resident  in  the  town.  His  remains  were 
buried  in  the  old  cemetery  at  Ionia.  James  and  Robert  Wilson  were 
sons  of  the  pioneer,  and  of  his  daughters,  Martha  married  David 
Haynes,  Elizabeth  married  William  Lakin,  and  Isabella  married  Samuel 
Marvin.  A  grandson,  also  named  Joseph,  was  prominent  in  the  town 
at  about  the  date  of  its  organization. 

John  McHarrie  was  the  first  permanent  settler  in  the  northern  part 
of  the  town,  where  he  located  probably  in  1792,  although  the  date  is 
given  1794  on  the  gravestone  of  his  son  John,  jr.,  who  died  in  1834. 
This  pioneer  was  of  Scotch  ancestry  and  a  veteran  of  the  Revolution. 
He  removed  his  family  from  Maryland  to  the  Seneca  country  and  thence 
proceeded  down  the  Seneca  River  to  lot  7  at  what  became  known  as 
"  McHarrie's  Rifts,"  near  Baldwinsville.  He  died  there  November  36, 
1807,  at  the  age  of  fifty-five  years,  and  was  buried  in  a  held  near  his 
90 


714  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

home.  This  burial  and  others  made  there  in  early  years  was  the 
nucleus  of  Riverside  Cemetery.  John  McHarrie,  jr.,  was  the  only  son 
of  the  pioneer  and  left  no  descendants  but  a  daughter,  Lydia,  who  married 
Gabriel  Tappen,  another  early  settler  noticed  further  on. 

Daniel  Allen  settled  on  lot  7  in  1793,  but  very  little  is  known  of  him. 
His  cabin  probably  stood  on  land  now  included  in  the  cemetery.  In  a 
list  of  the  electors  of  1807  Allen's  name  does  not  appear,  and  he  had 
probably  died  or  removed  before  that  date. 

David  Haynes  settled  in  Van  Buren  territory  about  1705.  Born  June 
0,  1771,  at  Lisbon,  N.  H.,  he  lived  in  early  manhood  near  Albany, 
where  he  met  a  man  named  McKnown  who  then  held  the  title  to  lot  12. 
McKnown,  as  it  is  related,  offered  Haynes  a  part  of  the  lot  if  he  would 
make  an  actual  settlement  on  it,  which  he  did.  On  May  14,  1708,  the 
owner  deeded  to  Haynes  150  acres  in  the  southeast  corner  of  the 
lot,  which  is  still  in  possession  of  the  family.  No  other  tract  has  re- 
mained in  one  family  during-  so  long  a  period.  A  few  years  after  his 
settlement,  Mr.  Haynes  married  Martha  Wilson,  and  in  1709  their 
daughter  was  born,  who  was  the  first  white  child  born  in  the  town. 
Some  years  later  Haynes  engaged  in  the  salt  business  at  Salina  and 
went  there  to  live;  but  in  1816  he  returned  and  after  that  his  time  was 
divided  between  Salina,  the  West,  and  on  his  homestead,  which  he  had 
increased  in  area  by  purchase.  He  died  on  his  farm  on  May  26,  1811, 
and  was  buried  in  Baldwinsville.  Of  his  nine  children  none  is  now  liv- 
ing, but  many  of  his  grandchildren  are  resident  in  the  town.  His  chil- 
dren were  Elizabeth,  who  married  Samuel  P.  Smith  in  Salina,  passed 
her  life  there  and  died  there  on  May  0,  1875;  John,  Cornelia,  Polly 
(wife  of  Philip  Farrington),  Thaddeus,  Edward,  Horace,  Brooks,  and 
fames.      Thaddeus  long  occupied  the  homestead. 

Ebenezer  Spencer  bought  150  acres  of  land  of  the  owner  of  lot  40  on 
October  LOj  L795.  The  deed  is  the  first  one  given  to  a  grantee  resi- 
dent within  the  limits  of  the  present  town.  Nothing  further  is  known 
of  Spencer,  and  his  stay  in  this  locality  was  short. 

Another  pioneer  of  whom  little  is  known  was  John  Wigent,  who  is 
to  have  settled  in  1706  just  east  of  the  site  of  Memphis,  whence 
the  family  removed  later  to  the  northern  part  of  the  town.  His  de- 
scendants are  still  resident. 

William    I. akin,    a  native  of  Croton,    Mass.,  where   he  was  born  on 

iber   11,    1758,   settled    in  this  town  about   1796.     He  had  served 

through  the  Revolutionary  war  and  was  wounded.      Finding  his  way  to 


THE  TOWN  OF  VAX   BUREN.  715 

Washing-ton  county,  N.  Y.,  he  there  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of 
Joseph  Wilson  (before  mentioned),  whom  he  followed  westward.  He 
settled  near  the  site  of  Memphis,  died  on  February  \N5,  1835,  and  was 
buried  at  Ionia. 

John  Tappen,  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  where  he  was  born  about 
1756,  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier  and  settled  in  this  town  west  ot  the 
site  of  Ionia  in  1796.  He  died  there  November  22,  1818,  and  four 
months  later  his  wife  passed  away;  both  were  buried  on  a  corner  of  his 
tract  which  he  had  set  aside  for  the  purpose  and  which  is  still  occupied 
by  the  old  cemetery.  His  children  were  Abram,  Gabriel,  Asher, 
Stephen,  William,  Betsey  (wife  of  Henry  Clark),  Nancy  (wife  of 
Elijah  Snow),  Electa  (wife  of  Stephen  Hart),  Sally  (wife  of  James 
Barber),  and  Phoebe  (wife  of  James  Williams).  (See  biography  of 
Wallace  Tappan  herein. ) 

Samuel  Marvin,  born  in  Connecticut  about  1779,  came  to  Van  Buren 
as  early  as  1799,  married  Isabella  Wilson,  daughter  of  the  pioneer, 
Joseph,  and  took  up  a  farm  on  lot  11,  where  he  died  in  1814.  He  was 
buried  on  a  now  neglected  site  on  lot  38.  Asher  T.  Marvin,  and  Mrs. 
Louisa  Williams,  two  of  his  children,  are  still  living,  advanced  in 
years. 

The  Taber  family,  who  settled  in  the  town  about  1800,  is  not  now 
represented  here,  but  was  somewhat  prominent  in  early  times.  Gard- 
ner and  Esek  Taber  were  probably  brothers,  and  Daniel  and  Benjamin, 
who  owned  land  on  lot  25  as  early  as  1805,  may  have  been  brothers  of 
Gardner  and  Esek.  The  first  marriage  within  the  town  limits  was  that 
of  James  Wilson  and  Roby  Taber.  Esek  Taber  died  in  1814  and  his 
will  mentions  his  wife,  Roby,  and  his  daughter,  Roby  Nicholas.  The 
death  of  Mrs.  Jonathan  Taber  is  stated  to  have  been  the  first  death  in 
the  town. 

While  various  accounts  have  given  the  names  of  other  settlers  prior 
to  1800,  they  are  probably  erroneous  if  we  abide  by  existing  original 
records.  These  pioneers  found  themselves  surrounded  by  circum- 
stances similar  to  those  encountered  in  other  localities.  Settlement  had 
progressed  in  Onondaga  county  ten  or  twelve  years;  but  the  town 
under  consideration,  lying  to  the  northward  of  the  great  Genesee  trail, 
or  road,  was  passed  by  many  pioneers  who  proceeded  on  westward,  or 
was  neglected  by  others  who  settled  nearer  to  the  great  thoroughfare. 
Asa  Danforth  had  been  clearing  land  in  Onondaga  Valley,  boiling  salt 
at  Salina,    and   grinding  grain   in   his  primitive   mill   near  the  site  of 


716  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Jamesville  four  or  five  years  before  the  first  permanent  settlement  was 
made  in  what  is  now  Van  Buren ;  and  adventurous  pioneers  had  located 
in  Pompey,  Manlius,  and  in  the  old  towns  of  Marcellus  and  Camillus, 
outside  of  what  is  now  Van  Buren,  before  1792.  The  Seneca  River 
between  Onondaga  Lake  outlet  and  Three  Rivers,  was  a  compara- 
tively busy  highway  and  was  much  traveled  long  before  its  course 
farther  westward  was  explored,  a  fact  that  led  to  the  establishment  of 
the  McHarrie-Baldwin  settlement  at  Baldwinsville,  while  the  region 
farther  west  was  somewhat  neglected  for  a  time.  As  settlement  spread 
southward  and  northward  from  the  Genesee  trail,  the  southern  section 
of  the  town  was  the  first  to  be  occupied,  other  pioneers  gradually  work- 
ing their  way  further  north.  The  early  waterway  from  the  east  to  the 
west  across  this  State  was  up  the  Mohawk  River,  through  Wood  Creek, 
Oneida  Lake  and  River  and  the  Seneca  River,  a  route  that  was  greatly 
improved  in  the  latter  part  of  the  last  century  by  the  Western  Inland 
Lock  and  Navigation  Company.  Over  this  route  an  active  boating 
traffic  sprang  up  and  many  of  the  pioneers  of  Central  and  Western 
New  York,  to  as  far  west  as  Palmyra,  transported  their  goods  through 
this  waterway.  The  natural  consequence  was  the  building  of  settlers' 
homes  along  the  Seneca  and  other  streams,  as  John  McHarrie  did  in 
Van  Buren  about  1792.  The  scanty  mail  for  the  pioneers  of  this  town 
stopped  at  Onondaga  Hollow  and  there,  in  the  stores  of  Roger  Ten- 
broeck,  George  Kibbe  and  others,  they  bartered  their  produce  for 
household  necessities,  on  their  way,  perhaps,  to  Danforth's  grist  mill. 
Newspapers  did  not  exist  in  Onondaga  county  until  1806  and  current 
news  passed  slowly  from  point  to  point  in  the  speech  of  the  people. 
Luxuries  in  homes  were  wholly  absent,  as  were  also  many  common 
conveniences  that  are  now  regarded  as  prime  necessities.  The  pioneers 
looked  at  the  sun  to  learn  the  time  of  day,  and  perhaps  notched  a  stick 
for  the  passage  of  each  day.  This  latter  device  served  its  purpose  as 
long  as  the  daily  notch  was  cut,  but  it  is  related  that  in  one  instance 
the  Haynes  family  neglected  this  important  act  and  thereby  lost  a  day. 
Sunday  came,  of  course,  a  day  too  late,  and  when  the  family  made 
their  customary  Sabbath  visit  to  the  McHarrie  family  and  found 
them  desecrating  the  day  by  chopping  in  the  woods,  there  was  con- 
sternation among  the  visitors.  A  comparison  of  records  discovered 
the  source  of  the  error.  The  distance  from  a  physician  was  another 
often  distressing  circumstance  to  the  pioneer.  A  story  is  told  of  Mrs. 
Haynes,  in  this  connection,  that  when  one  of  her  children  fell  from  a 


THE  TOWN  OF  VAN  BUREN.  717 

height   and  was  rendered  unconscious,  she  saddled  a  horse,    took  the 
child  in  her  arms  and  rode  eight  miles  southward  to  reach  a  physician. 

Recurring  again  to  the  settlements  in  the  town  which  continued  at 
the  beginning  of  the  present  century,  we  find  that  Phineas  Barns,  si\, 
of  the  town  of  Pompey,  Onondaga  county,  became  the  owner  of  land  in 
the  southwestern  part  of  Van  Buren  in  1801.  This  was  the  first  section 
to  receive  settlers,  and  kept  in  advance  of  other  localities  in  this  re- 
spect. Lot  25,  100  acres  of  which  passed  into  possession  of  the  Barns 
family,  was  owned  by  Peter  Tenbroeck  of  the  town  of  Onondaga.  The 
farm  sold  to  Barns  included  that  part  of  the  site  of  Ionia  lying  north 
of  the  east  and  west  road,  and  the  improvements  made  by  him  were 
the  beginning  of  the  little  village.  There  Phineas  Barns,  jr.,  settled 
in  1803.  His  log  house  was  superseded  in  1808  by  a  frame  dwelling, 
erected  by  or  for  him,  which  was  probably  the  first  frame  house  in  the 
town.  Phineas  Barns  was  prominent  in  the  early  history  of  the  town  ; 
died  August  6,  1825,  aged  forty-four  years,  and  is  buried  at  Ionia.  In 
the  same  year  (180)3),  in  the  same  locality  with  Barns,  Amos  Warner 
and  his  brother  Ezra  settled.  Amos  was  a  native  of  Stoekbridge, 
Mass.,  born  in  1780,  and  lived  in  Pompey  before  removing  to  Van 
Buren.  He  died  January  20,  1868,  and  is  buried  at  Warners.  1 1  is 
brother  Ezra  died  July  10,  1844,  aged  fifty-six  years. 

Eber  Hart,  a  native  of  Rhode  Island,  settled  in  the  town  in  1803; 
died  about  1842,  and  is  buried  at  "Sorrel  Hill." 

In  1785  Israel  Rogers  of  Ulster  county,  N.  Y.,  bought  the  land 
grants  of  Patrick  and  Peter  Davis,  thus  becoming  owner  of  lots  9  and 
1'.)  in  Van  Buren.  Moses  Rogers,  son  of  Israel,  came  on  westward,  and 
on  the  death  of  his  father  in  1805  became  the  owner  of  a  part  of  lot  19. 
He  settled  on  the  lot  probably  in  the  previous  year.  Jonathan  Molby, 
from  Connecticut,  purchased  a  part  of  lot  12  in  1804,  and  Joel  Foster 
of  Pompey  in  the  same  year  bought  part  of  lot  25.  He  died  June  I  ;. 
1834,  at  the  age  of  fifty-one  years,  and  is  buried  at  Ionia. 

In  1805  the  names  of  Benjamin  and  Daniel  Taber  (before  mentioned) 
and  Henieal  Warner  and  Reuben  Woodward  appear  as  grantees  on  lot 
25.  Benjamin  Taber  sold  out  in  L815,  and  Daniel  in  L818;  they  prob- 
ably then  removed  elsewhere.  Henieal  Warner  also  sold  his  farm  in 
1813,  and  may  have  left  the  town.  About  L805  John  Clark  bought  of 
David  Haynes  part  of  lot  12  and  sold  it  in  1818  to  a  man  with  the  same 
name  as  his  own. 

About  180G-7  Ebenezer  Wells  of   Wetherstield,    Mass..    and    Reuben 


718  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Smith  of  Westford,  Mass.,  settled  on  lot  7.  Wells  was  born  in  1756, 
lived  for  a  time  in  Rensselaer  county,  where  his  son  James  (born  in 
1783,  died  May  8,  1873)  and  died  February  22,  1812,  and  his  remains 
lie  in  the  academy  lot  on  the  Baldwinsville  north  side. 

In  1806  Aaron  Smith  settled  on  lot  27-;  his  cabin  burned  in  1811  and 
he  left  the  town.  About  the  same  time  Ebel  Goddard  came  from 
Massachusetts  and  settled  on  lot  7.     He  subsequently  removed  west. 

In  the  year  1807  a  State  canvass  was  taken  of  all  citizens  who  were 
entitled  to  vote  by  reason  of  owning  or  occupying  land.  This  list  is 
very  valuable  for  its  information  relative  to  permanent  residents  at 
that  early  date.  The  old  town  of  Camillus  had  203  electors,  thirty- 
eight  of  whom  can  be  recognized  as  of  the  Van  Buren  territory.  They 
are  as  follows: 

Phineas  Barns,  Ira  Barns,  John  C.  Briton,  John  Clark,  Peleg  Cornell,  Stephen 
Crego,  Isaac  Earll,  Jonathan  Foster,  David  Haines,  Eber  Hart,  William  Laken, 
Isaac  Lindsay,  John  McHarrie,  Daniel  McQueen,  Peter  McQueen,  David  Parish 
Jonathan  Parish,  Josiah  Parish,  Samuel  Parish,  Elijah  Rice,  Joseph  Robinson,  Abra- 
ham Rogers,  Moses  Rogers,  Benoni  Sherman,  Benjamin  Tabor,  Daniel  Tabor,  A  slier 
Tappen,  Gabriel  Tappen,  John  Tappen,  Amos  Warner,  Hannel  Warner,  Seth  War- 
ner, Calvin  Waterman,  Joseph  Wilson,  Reuben  Woodward,  John  Wygent,  James 
Young. 

John  C.  Britton,  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  came  from  New  Jersey  and 
settled  near  Ionia;  he  died  in  1842.  Jonathan  Foster  also  lived  near 
there,  and  died  in  1830;  also  did  Ira  Barns,  who  died  October  8,  18(34, 
aged  eighty-one  years.  Abraham  Rogers  was  probably  a  son  of  Moses 
Rogers,  and  Gabriel  Tappen  and  Asher  Tappen  were  sons  of  John 
Tappen.  Elijah  Rice  was  an  early  settler  on  lot  39,  and  Benoni  Sher- 
man near  by  on  lot  27.  Seth  Warner,  born  about  1775,  came  into  the 
town  in  1807,  was  a  prominent  citizen  and  died  at  an  advanced  age. 
He  and  Henry  Warner  settled  on  lot  39.  Daniel  McQueen  settled 
early  on  lot  12,  and  Peter  McQueen  was  a  land  owner  in  1814  on  lot  43. 
In  the  eastern  part  of  the  town  a  number  of  the  above  list  of  electors 
settled,  among  them  Isaac  Earll,  Calvin  Waterman  and  James  Young, 
near  Van  Buren  Corners;  Joseph  Robinson  and  the  four  Parishes  were 
in  the  extreme  southeast  region;  Stephen  Crego  on  lot  23,  and  Isaac 
Lindsay  on  lot  29.  Isaac,  William  and  Elijah  Lindsay,  brothers,  prob- 
ably removed  from  southern  Camillus  to  Van  Buren  territory  about 
L807,  and  Heman  Warner,  brother  of  Seth,  settled  on  lot  40  about  the 
same  time.  Abner  Hitchcock,  blacksmith,  was  also  a  settler  on  lot  40, 
and  John  Sherman  on  lot  12. 


y^c 


THE  TOWN  OF  VAN  BUREN.  719 

A  pioneer  of  some  note  who  settled  on  lot  38  in  ls<)8  was  John  Cun- 
ningham, a  Revolutionary  veteran  who  belonged  to  Machin's  com- 
pany of  artillery  and  shared  in  the  expedition  against  the  (  >nondagas  in 
1779.  He  came  to  Van  Buren  from  Newburgh,  X.  V.  His  son,  also 
named  John,  passed  his  life  in  this  town,  but  no  descendants  arc  left. 
Robert  H.,  another  son,  was  killed  by  accident  in  1825.  Catherine, 
daughter  of  the  pioneer,  married  Samuel  Howe,  and  from  them  are  de- 
scended members  of  the  Howe,  Haynes,  Crum,  Van  Wie,  Reed.  O'Brien 
and  other  families.     John  Cunningham,  sr. ,  died  about  1820. 

Others  who  are  known  to  have  settled  in  the  town  in  1808  are  Levins 
Squire,  on  lot.  2-7,  and  Delanson  Foster,  Jonathan  Skinner,  Samuel 
Skinner,  Aaron  Foster  and  Samuel  Willard  on  lot  40.  Philip  Hodges 
was  a  land  owner  on  lot  22,  and  about  this  time,  probably,  Augustus 
Harris  settled  on  lot  14,  the  land  having  come  into  possession  of  the 
family  in  1804. 

In  1809  Alvin  Bostwick  settled  on  lot  27,  and  about  this  time  Nathan 
and  Isaac  Bentley  located  on  lot  39.  Jonathan  Taber  owned  land  in 
1809  on  lot  39,  Charlton  Britton  on  lot  12  and  Benjamin  Depuy  on  lot 
7.  In  the  next  year  (1810)  Esek  Taber  owned  land  near  Ionia,  and 
James  Wells  (son  of  Ebenezer)  on  lot  7.  Charles  H.  Toll  settled  at 
Ionia  about  1810. 

A  few  persons  known  to  be  early  settlers  in  the  town,  who  kept  little 
record  of  their  lives,  were  Benjamin  Bolton,  mentioned  in  Clark's  On- 
ondaga as  located  early  at  Jack's  Rifts;  Gilbert  Totten,  also  at  the 
Rifts;  the  Delano  family,  on  lot  12;  Daniel  Bartholomew,  in  the  west- 
ern part  of  the  town;  Atchison  Mellin,  in  the  northern  part,  and  Abel 
Goddard,  on  lot  7. 

Settlement  was  now  progressing  rapidly  as  the  many  attractions  of 
the  locality  became  better  known.  There  was  not  yet  a  school  or  a 
church  in  the  town,  and  little  business  of  any  kind  aside  from  agricul- 
ture. But  there  were  indications  of  the  situation  of  the  later  villages 
and  hamlets.  This  was  especially  noticeable  at  "  McHarrie's  Rifts, " 
as  it  was  called,  the  settlement  made  by  John  McHarrie  in  L792,  as 
before  noted,  on  the  site  of  the  first  ward  of  Baldwinsville.  This  site 
is  on  lot  7,  granted  to  Benjamin  Epton  in  1790,  who  sold  twice,  the 
successful  purchaser  being  Charles  F.  Weisenfels.  He  sold  to  William 
T.  Vredenburgh,  and  he  to  Samuel  Meredith  of  Philadelphia,  all  in 
1790.  McHarrie  had  discovered  an  ideal  spot  for  his  wilderness  home 
Fish  and  game   abounded,    and    he   found   considerable   occupation    in 


720  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

helping  boats  through  the  rifts  on  their  up-river  trips.  Daniel  Allen 
settled  in  1793  a  little  farther  up  the  river,  and  both  contracted  for 
land  with  Meredith.      Allen  received  his  deed  for  100  acres  in  1703. 

During  a  number  of  years  early  in  the  century  there  was  a  road 
coming  from  the  south  which  crossed  straight  down  to  the  river  bank 
in  a  northeasterly  direction,  passing  through  the  present  cemetery 
property  and  ending  near  the  site  of  McHarrie's  cabin.  A  ford  crossed 
the  river  at  that  point.  This  road  was  resurveyed  in  1814,  but  was 
abandoned  a  few  years  later.  About  180(>  the  State  road  to  Oswego 
was  laid  out,  crossing  the  river  at  the  rifts.  Dr.  Jonas  Baldwin  had  at 
an  earlier  date  purchased  land  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  and  there 
laid  the  foundations  of  Baldwinsville.  He  built  the  toll  bridge  under 
authority  of  a  legislative  act  of  April  7,  1807,  and  later  constructed  a 
dam,  canal,  mills,  etc.  (See  history  of  Lysander  herein. )  Meanwhile 
McHarrie  died  in  1807,  not  having  received  a  deed  of  his  500  acre  pur- 
chase. In  1808  the  deed  was  given  to  his  heirs.  The  State  road 
having  opened  the  land  to  settlement,  several  of  the  pioneers  already 
mentioned,  and  others,  took  up  tracts  in  that  vicinity,  but  very  little 
excepting  farm  improvements  was  accomplished  in  the  hamlet  until 
about  1820-25.  Considerable  travel  centered  at  the  Baldwin  bridge, 
and  as  early  as  1814  highways  leading  to  the  settlement  at  Ionia  were 
established  'about  where  Canton  street,  Water  street,  and  Downer 
street  now  lie. 

During  the  period  under  consideration  the  families  of  Seth,  Amos, 
and  Heman  Warner  had  given  the  name  "Warners"  to  the  settlement 
on  lots  39  and  40,  and  in  1813  a  school  house  was  built  at  the  corners 
on  lot  39,  and  two  years  later  the  Baptist  Society,  the  first  religious 
organization  in  the  town,  came  into  existence,  as  noted  further  on. 

The  names  of  Samuel  Beckworth,  and  Elisha  and  Peter  Peck,  on  lot 
41 ;  Daniel  Savage,  in  the  same  section,  on  lot  22,  and  David  Cornell  on 
lot  29,  appear  as  pioneers  of  1811.  James  Rogers,  son  of  Moses, 
became  a  land  owner  on  lot  19,  in  this  year,  and  Thomas  Marvin,  with 
his  sons,  George,  Morton,  Joseph,  Warren,  Henry,  and  Ralph,  settled 
on  lot  40. 

Some  of  the  principal  settlers  of  1812  were  John  Ingelsbee,  Moses 
Howe,  Luther  Seaver,  and  Phineas  Meigs,  in  the  "Sorrel  Hill"1 
region;  John   Wright,    who    bought    land  near  Ionia;  Nathaniel  Cor- 

1  Said  i"  have  been  named  in  ridicule  of  the  great  quantity  of  the  worthless  weed,  wild  sorrel, 
vicinity. 


THE  TOWN  OF  VAN  BUREN.  721 

nell,   sr.,   and  Cyrus   H.  Kingsley,   near  Van  Buren;  Nicholas  Vader, 

near  the  northwestern  part  of  the  town.  In  this  year  Thaddeus  Sweet, 
Clark  Eldred,  Ephraim  Smith,  and  Reuben  Smith  had  land  on  lot  13, 
which  they  lost  a  little  later,  their  titles  proving  worthless. 

The  records  show  that  in  1813  James  Clark  and  Ethan  Daniels  were 
on  lot  8,  and  in  that  section  were  also  located  Elijah  Barnes,  Eli 
Ketchum,  and  one  Walker.  In  the  eastern  part  of  the  town  were  John 
Patch,  Holder  and  John  Cornell,  Benjamin  Parish,  and  on  lot  11  John 
H.  Lamerson  and  John  Sears.  In  the  northern  part  were  Nathan 
Williams,  lot  10;  Chester  Holby,  lot  11;  John  Williams,  lot  7,  and 
Charles  Turner,  lot  14. 

Settlement  at  this  time  received  a  considerable  check  in  most  parts 
of  the  county,  through  the  effects  of  the  war  that  had  broken  out  in 
1812.  Sackett's  Harbor,  Oswego  and  other  frontier  posts  had  been 
garrisoned  by  the  Americans,  who  in  the  winter  of  1813-4  carried  the 
struggle  upon  the  lakes.  When  Oswego  was  threatened  by  the  appear- 
ance of  a  British  fleet  in  the  harbor,  the  militia  was  called  out  for 
service.  Onondaga  county  responded,  and  among  the  companies  who 
hastened  to  the  threatened  post  were  those  of  Gabriel  Tappen  and 
Stephen  Tappen,  of  Van  Buren.  The  reader  of  the  early  chapters  of 
this  volume  has  learned  that  most  of  the  militia  from  this  region 
arrived  at  Oswego  too  late  to  be  of  much  service,  and  generally  re- 
turned home  after  a  few  days.  In  1813  the  militia  of  Van  Buren  sec- 
tion was  apart  of  the  16th  Regiment.  Stephen  Tappen  was  lieutenant- 
colonel  of  the  172d  Regiment,  organized  in  1816,  and  Gabriel  Tappen 
was  colonel.  On  the  old  militia  rolls  prior  to  1821  are  found  many 
other  Van  Buren  names,  as  shown  in  the  following  list  of  officers: 

Regimental  staff — Abraham  Rogers,  quartermaster  in  1809;  Charles  H.  Toll, 
quartermaster  in  1816,  adjutant  in  1819,  major  1820;  John  McHarrie,  paymaster  in 
1819;  U.  H.  Dunning,  surgeon  in  1820. 

Captains— Gabriel  Tappen,  1809;  Stephen  Tappen,  1811;  Henry  B.  Turner.  1812; 
David  Parish,  1814;  Seth  Warner,  1816;  John  L.  Cooper.  Henry  Warner,  Levi  Pad- 
dock, 1818;  John  Inglesbee,  Richard  Lusk,  1819;  Delanson  Foster,  1820. 

Lieutenants— Seth  Warner,  Gabriel  Tappen,  1806;  David  Parish,  1812;  Josiah 
Parish,  jr.,  Stephen  Shead,  1814;  Ira  Barnes,  John  L.  Cooper,  1816;  James  Wells, 
John  Inglesbee,  Richard  Lusk,  Jost  C.  Finck,  1818;  Delanson  Foster,  L819;  Phineas 
Meigs,  1820;  C.  H.  Kingsley,  1821. 

Ensigns — Ira  Barnes,  1819;  Henry  Warner,  James  Wells,  1816;  Delanson  Foster, 
James  Rogers,  Daniel  Cornell,  1818;  Phineas  Meigs,  Stephen  Britton,  1819;  Abram 
H.  Hamblin,  John  Lakin,  1821. 

With  the  close  of  the  war  settlements  in  new  localities  revived,  and 

91 


722  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

progress  was  rapid.  In  1814  Eleazer  Dunham,  Loami  Wilcox,  James 
and  Jonathan  Paddock,  Robert  Wilson,  and  Stephen  Shead  were  located 
near  Ionia,  giving  further  prominence  to  that  section.  John  Tappen 
had,  a  few  years  earlier,  donated  land  a  little  west  of  the  corners  for 
the  first  burial  ground  in  the  town,  and  near  by  the  first  school  house 
in  town  was  built  about  1813.  When  the  State  road  was  opened  in 
about  the  same  year,  and  became  considerably  traveled,  and  with  a 
bridge  crossing  the  Seneca,  this  hamlet,  then  known  as  "  Barns's  Cor- 
ners," assumed  still  more  prominence.  A  post  route  was  opened  over 
the  new  highway,  and  Charles  H.  Toll  built  and  kept  a  tavern  at  the 
corners  for  the  accommodation  of  the  post-riders  and  other  travelers. 
A  justice's  court  was  established  in  1814,  with  Mr.  Toll  justice  of  the 
peace.  He  also  opened  a  store,  and  about  1816  the  first  post-office  in 
the  town  was  established  here  with  the  name  Ionia,  and  with  Mr.  Toll 
postmaster.  These  improvements  brought  in  a  further  influx  of  set- 
tlers, among  those  of  1815  occurring  the  names  of  Pardon  Hart,  Peleg 
Taber,  James  Rice,  Levi  Carter,  Thomas  Smith,  and  Dr.  Jonathan  S. 
Buell,  the  first  physician  in  the  town.  In  1816  the  vicinity  of  Ionia 
was  further  populated  by  Henry  Cook  and  Richard  McLaury,  and 
with  the  arrival  in  1818  of  Theodore  Popell,  the  first  lawyer,  and  about 
the  same  time  of  Dr.  Uriah  H.  Dunning,  the  little  village  seemed  to  be 
on  the  high  road  to  prosperity. 

Henry  Spores  and  Douw  Smith  settled  on  lot  20  in  1814;  the  latter 
died  in  1841  at  the  great  age  of  104  years.  John  Morley  and  Rudol- 
phus  Auchampauch  were  on  lot  28  in  that  year  and  David  Tillotson 
on  lot  40.  In  the  eastern  section  Joshua  S.  Hulse  was  on  lot  22, 
Josiah  Hodges,  and  Vine  Branch  on  lot  23,  Elijah  Waterman  on  lot  29, 
the  Brewster  and  McAllister  families  on  lot  15  and  Jost  C.  Finck  on  lot 
10.  In  1815  Frederick  Ouderkirk  and  a  family  named  McGee  settled 
on  lot  4. 

The  year  1816  saw  a  considerable  increase  in  the  land  owners  of  the 
town,  including  Marcus  Rice,  Robert  Rogers,  Alfred  Little,  Isaac  Sax- 
ton,  John  C.  Weeks,  and  David  Calkins  on  lot  9;  Thomas  W.  Curtis 
and  Simon  Rouse  on  lot  19;  Hazael  Henderson,  Samuel  Howe  and 
Waty  Meigs  on  lot  20 ;  Enos  Talmage  on  lot  21 ;  Thomas  Bowen, 
Nicholas  Lamerson  and  Benoni  E.  Danks  on  lot  22;  John  L.  Cooper 
and  Holden  L.  Albro  on  lot  23;  John  Savage  and  Zar  Patch  on  lot  42; 
John  Bowman  and  Daniel  Nelson  on  lot  43. 

It  is  manifestly  impossible  to  follow  the  details  of  town  settlement 


THE  TOWN  OF  VAN  BURKN.  723 

after  the  date  under  consideration,  though  the  arrival  of  many  prom- 
inent families  will  be  noted  as  we  proceed.  With  all  the  settlement 
thus  far  made,  the  town  was  scarcely  out  of  the  frontier  stage  of 
growth  in  1815.  As  late  as  1814  Benoni  Sherman  was  down  on  the 
list  of  those  who  were  paid  $10  each  for  wolf  scalps.  His  name  is 
followed  in  1816  by  Jonathan  Howe;  in  181G  by  David  Cornell,  Will- 
iam Lindsay,  Benjamin  Weaver,  John  Paddock,  and  Hiram  Nichols, 
and  in  1817  by  Isaac  Lindsay.  In  1819  Abel  Weaver  and  William 
Lavin  were  given  a  bounty  for  killing  wildcats. 

Under  the  law  of  June  19,  1812,  which  inaugurated  the  school  dis- 
trict system  in  every  town  in  this  State,  the  school  commissioners  of 
the  old  town  of  Camillus  reported  their  division  of  the  town  into  dis- 
tricts on  September  4,  1813.  Of  the  seventeen  districts  seven  were 
wholly  or  partly  in  Van  Buren  territory,  and  were  described  in  the  re- 
port as  follows : 

District  No.  8,  by  Mr.  Parish,  comprehends  the  inhabitants  on  lots  14,  15,  22,  23, 
29,  42,  43,  the  north  part  of  lot  44,  the  northeast  part  of  lot  55  to  the  Beavermeadow 
Brook  and  a  part  of  lot  41,  including  Ehhu  Peck. 

District  No.  9.  by  Lieutenant  Warner's,  comprehends  the  inhabitants  on  lots  27, 
39,  40,  east  on  lot  41  to  include  Captain  Peck's,  south  on  lot  53  as  far  as  the  swamp, 
the  east  parts  of  lots  26  and  38  and  fifty  acres  off  the  southeast  corner  of  lot  19. 

District  No.  10,  by  Captain  Robinson's,  comprehends  the  inhabitants  of  lots  13,  20 
21,  28,  and  the  east  half  of  lot  12. 

District  No.  11,  by  Mr.  Barns's,  comprehends  the  inhabitants  on  lots  25,  37,  24,  35, 
18,  the  west  half  of  lots  26  and  38,  the  south  third  of  lot  19,  except  fifty  acres  lying  in 
the  southeast  corner  of  said  lot,  the  north  half  of  lot  51  and  the  farms  of  Elijah  Lind- 
say and  Richard  McClaughry  on  lot  50. 

District  No.  14,  by  Captain  Tappen's,  comprehends  the  inhabitants  on  lots  4,  5,  6, 
7,  11,  the  west  half  of  lot  12,  the  east  half  of  lot  10  and  two-thirds  of  lot  19  on  the 
north. 

District  No.  15,  on  lot  8,  comprehends  the  inhabitants  on  lots  1,  2,  3,  8,  !»,  16,  IT, 
and  the  west  half  of  lot  10. 

District  No.  17,  by  Mr.  Springsted's,  comprehends  the  inhabitants  on  lot  66  and 
western  550  acres  on  lot  54,  that  part  of  lot  79  north  of  the  cedar  swamp  and  part  of 
lot  41  to  include  Mr.  Beckworth,  John  Lamerson  and  Captain  Sears's  farms. 

Before  1816  school  houses  had  been  built  in  most  of  these  districts, 
the  one  at  Ionia,  before  mentioned,  probably  being  the  first  one.  That 
for  District  No.  9  was  situated  on  lot  39  at  the  northeast  corner  of  the 
junction  of  the  roads.  The  land  was  deeded  to  the  district  by  Henry 
Warner  on  January  1,  1814,  for  $5.  A  little  farther  east,  on  lot  2 1 
John  Woodworth  deeded  land  for  the  house  of  district  No.  10.  Still 
farther  east  at   Van  Buren  Corners,  on  lot  22,  was   the  house  of  dis- 


724  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

trict  No.  8.     In  the  western  part  of   the  town  on  lot  8  was  the  district 
and  house  of  No.  14. 

In  1815  the  creation  of  new  districts  began  and  changes  in  bound- 
aries took  place  almost  yearly,  until  the  needs  of  the  town  are  now 
supplied  by  sixteen  districts  with  fifteen  school  houses.  In  1830  there 
were  nineteen  districts.  The  first  teacher  in  the  town  is  said  to  have 
been  Augustus  Robinson,  of  whom  very  little  is  now  known.  There 
are  at  the  present  time  (1895)  about  650  children  enrolled  in  the  town. 
The  first  library  in  the  town  was  established  at  a  meeting  held  in  April, 
1816,  in  the  old  school  house,  and  was  called  the  Alexandrian  Library. 
The  first  trustees  were  Stephen  V.  Barns,  Phineas  Barns,  Levi  Carter, 
Seth  Cushman,  and  Charles  H.  Toll.  The  second  church  society, 
called  the  Christian  church,  was  organized  at  Ionia  in  1818. 

Highways,  too,  had  been  considerably  extended  by  1816  and  several 
important  roads  crossed  this  town.  The  first  of  these  was  probably 
the  old  State  road  to  Oswego,  ordered  surveyed  in  1804,  crossing  the 
eastern  part  of  the  town  from  Baldwinsville  to  Belle  Isle.  These  State 
roads  were  popular  in  the  early  years  of  the  century,  and  each  succes- 
sive Legislature  made  provision  for  more  or  less  of  them,  some  of 
which  extended  hundreds  of  miles.  They  were  powerful  aids  in  the 
development  of  the  county  and  could  not  have  been  provided  so  early 
by  any  other  means.  The  route  of  the  old  State  road  in  question  was 
stated  in  the  act  of  Legislature  simply  as  "From  the  court  house  in 
Onondaga  to  Ox  Creek  near  where  it  empties  into  the  Oswego  River 
and  from  thence  to  the  village  of  Oswego."  It  is  believed  that  the 
highway  was  laid  out  over  a  nearly  untraveled  route,  and  it  is  tradi- 
tionally related  that  the  commissioners  paid  little  attention  to  a  quest 
for  a  desirable  route,  but  laid  it  out  from  one  settler's  cabin  directly  to 
another,  so  as  to  be  sure  to  reach  a  dwelling  at  each  recurring  meal 
time.  At  any  rate,  the  road  was  of  great  importance,  hastened  the 
settlement  of  that  section  of  the  town,  and  became  especially  useful  in 
the  war  of  1812.  The  old  Camillus  road-book  shows  that  the  portion 
south  of  the  Seneca  River  was  resurveyed  in  1814,  while  other  parts 
were  resurveyed  in  1830  and  in  later  years. 

Another  State  road  which  was  ordered  laid  out  by  an  act  of  March 
29,  1811,  was  to  run  "from  the  bridge  over  Sodus  Bay,  on  the  most 
direct  and  eligible  route,  to  the  new  bridge  over  the  Seneca  River,  at 
Adams's  Ferry  and  from  thence,  on  the  most  direct  and  eligible  route, 
to  the  house  of  Gideon   Brockway   in  the  town   and   county  of  Onon- 


THE  TOWN  OF  VAN  BUREN.  725 

daga. "  The  bridge  mentioned  was  Snow's  bridge  which  spanned  the 
river  from  the  town  of  Lysander  to  lot  9  on  the  Van  Bnren  side.  In 
the  following  year  the  northern  terminus  of  the  road  was  changed, 
and  the  survey  was  probably  made  in  1813.  The  road  is  the  one  that 
runs  eastward  from  Ionia  towards  Warners  and  westward  towards  the 
river,  and  its  opening  brought  through  this  town  a  great  amount  of 
travel  and  gave  an  impetus  to  the  growth  of  the  settlements  of  Ionia, 
Warners,  and  Van  Buren.  The  construction  of  the  Erie  Canal  dimin- 
ished the  usefulness  of  the  highway,  and  ten  years  later  the  abandon- 
ment of  the  bridge  over  the  Seneca  ended  its  importance  as  far  as  tins 
town  is  concerned. 

Jonathan  Wood  is  the  first  whose  name  appears  signed  to  numerous 
surveys  of  1813.  Joseph  White  and  Elijah  White  followed,  the  latter 
having  laid  out  roads  in  the  eastern  and  central  parts  of  the  town, 
while  Wood  worked  in  the  western  part.  Squire  Munro  made  some 
surveys  in  1815  to  1819.  Angustus  Harris  was  a  prominent  surveyor 
after  Van  Buren  was  organized;  others  who  surveyed  prior  to  L829 
were  James  McClure,  James  Ransom,  Daniel  Reed,  George  W.  Robin- 
son, and  Asa  Baker.  From  the  date  of  the  beginning  of  the  old  Camil- 
lus  road  record,  March  30,  1811,  highway  development  was  compara- 
tively rapid.  When  the  salt  industry  at  Salina  became  extensive, 
about  1820,  highways  existed  leading  clown  to  the  boat  landings  along 
the  river,  to  which  wood  was  drawn  for  shipment.  These  have  been 
abandoned  in  recent  years,  and  many  changes  in  other  roads  have 
been  made  for  various  reasons.  When  the  town  of  Van  Buren  was 
created  in  1829  it  contained  thirty  five  road  districts,  with  the  follow- 
ing list  of  road  overseers : 

1,  Elnathan  McLaughlin  ;  2,  Josiah  Hodges;  3,  Calvin  Ford  4,  Peter  H.  Rogers; 
5,  Daniel  Betts;  6,  Russell  Foster;  7,  Justin  S,  Cornell;  8,  David  Scoville;  9,  Darius 
Hunt;  10,  George  Marvin;  11,  Philander  W.  Alcott;  12,  Origen  B.  Herrick  ,  13, 
Benoni  E.  Danks;  14,  Jabez  Grippen ;  15,  William  McLane;  16,  Abel  Weaver;  17, 
Oliver  Nichols;  18,  Ralph  Russ;  19,  Warren  Russell;  20,  Browning  Nichols:  21, 
Phineas  Barnes;  22,  James  Paddock;  2:5,  George  Hawley;  24,  John  H.  Lamerson; 
25,  Joel  S.  Barnes;  26,  Edmnnd  Holcomb;  27,  Peter  McQueen;  28,  William  Jones; 
29,  John  Griswold;  30,  Jerome  .Sweet ;  31,  Amos  Warner:  32,  David  I).  Prouty;  33, 
Nathaniel  S.  Hungerford. 

Following  is  a  list  of  postmasters  at  the  Corners: 

1829,  Charles  Turner;  183d,  James  T.  Hough;  1831,  Adonijah  White;  is:;;.  Heze- 
kiah  Dow;  1840  Isaac  Earll ;  1842,  Christopher  C.  Clapp ;  1843,  Asahel  K.  Clark; 
1849,  Lyman  Peck;  1851,   John  Bowman;    1852,  Solomon   Keller;   L856,    Horatio  X. 


726  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL 

Howe;  1856,  Hezekiah  R.  Dow;  1861,  Solomon  Keller;  1862,  Emeline  Keller;  1866, 
office  discontinued ;  1867,  Rufus  Foster;  1871,  Augustus  W.  Bingham. 

Following  is  a  list  of  postmasters  at  Memphis: 

1828,  Charles  H.  Toll;  1830,  Oliver  Nichols;  1835,  Job  Nichols;  1838,  David  C. 
Lytle;  1839,  John  D.  Norton;  1843,  Leonard  Mason;  1849,  Abel  H.  Toll;  1851, 
Charles  H.  Toll;  1853,  John  Lakin;  1857,  Andrew  B.  Conover;  1858,  Wilson  Bates; 
1861,  Anson  Dunham;  1866,  Charles  D.  Barnes;  1867,  David  Shapley;  1869,  Seabury 
M.  Higgins;  1871,  Henry  Crouse;  1885,  Irvin  R.  Burch ;  1889,  Dwight  M.  Warner; 
1893,  Irvin  R.  Burch. 

Following  is  a  list  of  postmasters  at  Warners : 

1837,  John  Skinner;  1849,  George  W.  Marvin;  1853,  John  Boley ;  1854,  Sherburne 
Noble;  1854,  Stephen  W.  Betts;  1872,  George  W.  Davis;  1884,  Alvah  L.  Spaulding; 
1885,  Duane  Van  Alstyne;  1089,  Thomas  H.  Marvin;  1894,  Ann  McAuliffe. 

Frontier  scenes  and  conditions  were  now  passing  away.  Population 
poured  into  this  region  with  a  character  that  could  not  fail  to  promote 
the  best  interests  of  the  community;  and  while  the  settlers  had  their 
trials,  general  advancement  was  made.  The  remarkable  cold  season  of 
1816  caused  much  distress  in  this  vicinity  and  many  families  found 
themselves  without  food;  but  its  effects  were  soon  dispelled.  The 
post-office  at  Ionia  was  established  in  1816,  or  a  little  later,  with  a  mail 
route  on  the  State  road,  and  in  1817  the  new  post-office  at  Baldwins- 
ville  placed  another  mail  route  on  the  eastern  State  road.  The  old 
town  of  Camillus  was  at  this  time  an  important  member  of  the  county 
group,  and  the  bringing  of  the  supervisorship  into  Van  Buren  territory 
in  1818  marks  the  growing  importance  of  the  latter.  The  villages  of 
Camillus  and  Ionia  were  only  second  to  Elbridge,  while  in  later  years 
Canton  (Memphis)  rivaled  Elbridge.  From  1814  to  1829  the  town 
clerk's  office  was  in  the  present  Van  Buren,  Linus  Squire  holding  the 
office  of  town  clerk  several  years.  He  was  chosen  supervisor  in  1818, 
the  first  representative  from  the  northern  part  of  the  old  town.  His 
successors  as  town  clerk  down  to  1829  were  Charles  H.  Toll,  1818-20- 
22-24;  Lewis  Squires,  1825;  David  C.  Lytle,  1826-27;  Abel  Lyon, 
1828-29.  Mr.  Lyon  was  elected  the  first  clerk  of  the  new  town  of  Van 
Buren. 

Pol lowing  is  a  list  of  the  supervisors  of  Van  Buren  from  its  organiza- 
tion: 

Gabriel  Tappen,  1829-30;  Cyrus  H.   Kingsley,  1831;  Gabriel  Tappen,  1832;  John 

Bowman,  1833;  John   Lakin,  1834;  Gabriel  Tappen,    1835-6;  David  C.  Lytle,  1837; 

(1838   to    1814,   records  not  accessible);    1845-6,    Belden  Ressigue;    1847,   Thaddeus 

Haynes;  1848,  Cyrus  H.  Kingsley ;  1849,  Heber  Wetherby ;  1850,  E.  B.  Wigent;  1851, 

tel  Maltby;    1852-3,  Thaddeus  Haynes;  1854,    Hezekiah  R.  Dow;    1855-6,  De 


THE  TOWN  OF  VAN  BUREN.  7-7 

WittC.  Greenfield;  1857,  Wilson  Bates;  1858-9,  W.  H.  Downer;  I860,  Rufus  Sears; 
1861,  D.  C.  Greenfield;  1862-3,  Warren  S.  White;  1864-5,  Harvey  Tappan;  1866-?,' 
Asahel  K.  Clark;  1868-9,  Charles  G.  Kenyon;  1870,  H.  Tappan;  1871,  A.  K.  Clark'; 
1872,  Hiram  Bowman;  1873-5,  Richard  P.  Newport;  1876-7,  Augustus W.  Bingham; 
1878-9,  A.  T.  Hotaling;  1880,  Thomas  O'Brien;  1881-2,  1).  M.  Warner;  16 
Edwin  McDowell;  1885-6,  Willard  L.  Frazee;  1887-8,  Chas.  M.  Snow;  1889,  John  [. 
Gibson;  1890-2,  J.  Edward  Davis;  1893-5,  Martin  Harrington. 

The  rapid  settlement  of  this  town  during  the  decade  preceding  L830, 
like  that  in  many  other  towns  in  Onondaga  and  other  counties,  was  in 
a  considerable  degree  due  to  the  completion  of  the  Erie  Canal,  the 
middle  section  of  which  was  finished  in  1819.  The  opening  of  the 
great  waterway  also  changed  to  some  extent  the  trade  centers  and  the 
localities  favored  for  settlement.  The  State  road,  and  its  traffic  to 
which  the  settlements  of  Ionia,  Warners  and  Van  Buren  were  due, 
diminished  in  importance,  and  the  same  is  true  of  the  Seneca  River 
and  the  old  water  route  eastward.  Canal  villages  sprang  up  with  re- 
markable rapidity,  and  in  Van  Buren  the  older  hamlets  were  soon  de- 
prived of  much  of  their  trade  and  importance  by  Canton  (Memphis). 

From  1820  to  the  town  organization  in  1819  the  record  shows  con- 
tinued prosperity.  The  forests  were  rapidly  falling,  to  be  converted 
into  wood  for  the  Salina  salt  boilers,  or  into  lumber  in  the  many  saw 
mills  noticed  farther  on.  The  hamlet  of  "  Macksville  "  (Baldwinsville) 
was  becoming  a  busy  settlement.  Baldwin  and  his  associate  capitalists 
built  mills  on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  giving  the  place  an  impetus 
which  twenty  years  later  made  it  a  successful  rival  of  Canton. 

The  political  life  of  the  town  in  early  times  had  its  period  of  interest 
the  same  as  in  later  years,  and  the  old  Federalist  and  Republican  par- 
ties waged  their  warfare  until  the  disbandment  of  the  former  in  this 
county  in  1817.  Then  followed  the  bitter  strife  between  the  Clinton- 
ians  and  the  Bucktails,  both  claiming  to  be  of  the  Republican  party. 
The  death  of  Clinton  in  1828  deprived  his  faction  of  a  leader  and  led  to 
readjustment  of  party  lines,  and  the  old  Republican  party  about  this 
time  took  the  familiar  name  of  Democrats.  In  January,  1S"2S,  the 
Anti-Masonic  party  was  organized  in  this  town,  and  polled  592  votes  in 
that  year. 

With  the  growth  and  changes  thus  briefly  noticed,  came  the  estab- 
lishment of  various  industries,  schools  and  churches.  What  was  prob- 
ably the  first  saw  mill  in  Van  Buren  was  built  at  "  Bangall,"  in  L815, 
by  Nathan  Skeels  and  Solomon  Paddock,  on  lot  IS.  on  the  little  brook 
that  later  supplied  power  to  other  mills  and  shops.     It  did  not  long  en- 


728  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

dure  and  was  succeeded  in  1822  by  the  Elsworth  mill  a  little  further 
down  the  creek.  The  latter  was  built  by  Reuben,  Levi  and  Daniel 
Elsworth.  Reuben  died  about  1827,  when  his  son-in-law,  Horace 
Rewey,  took  the  mill  and  operated  it  several  years;  Ira  Barnes  was 
associated  with  him.  The  pond  here  became  a  source  of  ill  health,  the 
site  was  abandoned,  and  about  1832  Ira  Barnes  built  a  mill  on  the  old 
Paddock  site.  This  was  rebuilt  in  later  years  by  George  Wood,  and 
was  operated  at  different  periods  by  various  persons. 

Bangall,  on  lot  18,  once  gave  promise  of  becoming  a  considerable 
village.  With  excellent  water  power  and  its  early  mills,  a  numerous 
settlement  was  gathered  there  at  an  early  day;  but  the  later  business 
attractions  of  other  points  destroyed  the  prospects  of  the  place. 

John  McHarrie  and  Gabriel  Tappen  built  an  early  mill  on  lot  7,  out- 
side of  the  present  corporation  line.  It  was  abandoned  about  1845, 
was  rebuilt  by  others  but  was  not  operated  very  long. 

The  first  grist  mill  was  also  built  in  the  Bangall  region  on  lot  19 
about  1817  by  James  Paddock.  It  passed  to  Thomas  W.  Curtis  in  1820 
and  to  Robert  M.  Rogers  in  1822.  About  1825  it  became  the  property 
of  Calvin  and  Chauncey  Goodrich  who  built  and  carried  on  a  distillery 
in  connection.  They  sold  out  to  Charles  H.  Toll  and  Robert  Rogers. 
It  subsequently  passed  to  Theodore  Cook  of  Utica  and  did  a  thriving 
business.  It  did  not  run  long  after  1850.  Another  early  grist  mill  was 
built  after  1840  on  lot  18,  by  Albion  J.  Larkin.  This  was  later  changed 
to  a  cotton  mill. 

In  1824  Stephen  W.  Baldwin  bought  from  John  McHarrie  for  $511  a 
a  thirteen-acre  tract  including  the  land  north  of  Water  street  and  the 
whole  river  front.  On  this  land  he  planned  a  canal  similar  to  the  one 
on  the  north  side,  a  part  of  which  was  built  in  1825,  and  at  the  same 
time  Baldwin  and  Johnson  built  the  saw  mill  on  the  site  of  the  raw 
hide  factory.  The  canal  was  never  carried  across  the  State  road. 
Another  purchase  was  made  by  Mr.  Baldwin  in  1825  for  which  he  paid 
the  McHarries  $613  for  the  tract  now  enclosed  by  Canton,  Downer, 
and  McHarrie  streets. 

The  first  grist  mill  at  Baldwinsville  on  the  south  side  was  built  on  the 
site  of  the  Mercer  &  Clark  mill  by  Stephen  W.  Baldwin  about  1827, 
and  in  the  latter  year  John  McHarrie  bought  a  half  interest.  It  has 
been  rebuilt  more  than  once.  A  second  mill  was  built  here  in  1830  by 
Sand  lord  S.  Parker,  on  the  site  of  the  present  stone  mill,  and  was 
burned  in  the  sixties.  A  small  distillery  was  established  on  lot  20 
about  L835  by  Henry  Strong;  it  was  closed  about  two  years  later. 


THE  TOWN  OF  VAN  BUREN.  729 

In  the  same  year  that  Baldwin  built  the  grist  mill,  John  McHarrie 
laid  out  the  first  village  lot  on  the  south  side  and  sold  it  to  Amasa  Sco- 
ville ;  it  was  on  the  southwest  corner  of  Water  and  Syracuse  streets. 
A  little  later  Mr.  Baldwin  had  surveyed  a  series  of  village  lots  on  the 
east  side  of  the  State  road,  a  part  of  which  were  sold. 

About  the  year  1827  the  McHarries  built  the  old  red  school  house  on 
the  corner  of  Canton  and  Downer  streets ;  it  was  then  some  distance 
from  the  settlement.  In  January,  1828,  McHarrie  sold  to  James  John- 
son the  tract  now  enclosed  by  Syracuse,  Water,  Canton  and  Downer 
streets  excepting  Scoville's  lot  for  $623.  Water  street  was  then  the 
center  of  business,  and  James  Johnson  was  an  early  storekeeper.  He 
met  with  reverses  in  1831  and  his  large  property  interests  on  the  south 
side  were  sold,  much  of  it  to  Reuben  Smith,  who  soon  took  a  leading 
place  in  the  community.  Mr.  Smith  died  in  1878.  In  1828  some  effort 
was  made  to  supersede  the  name  "Macksville  "  with  "Wellington," 
but  it  was  not  successful.  In  1830  street  names  were  introduced  on 
both  sides  of  the  river,  and  continued  as  new  ones  were  opened.  Be- 
tween 1830  and  1840,  many  lots  had  been  sold  on  the  south  side,  the 
principal  residents  of  that  period  being: 

Amasa  Scoville,  Ira  Welch,  Otis  Bigelow,  David  S.  Chapin,  Walter  D.  Herrick, 
Russell  B.  Frisbie,  Jonas  C.  Brewster,  Austin  Baldwin,  George  S.  Wells,  Reuben  U. 
Smith,  Stephen  Prouty,  James  A.  Scoville,  Garret  L.  Cotton,  Horace  D.  Putnam, 
Joseph  W.  Heath,  Jonathan  A.  Ormsbee,  Andrew  Brown,  Harlow  Chapman,  Patrick 
Carroll,  Ebenezer  Merrick,  David  Penoyer,  Samuel  L.  Allen,  Origen  B.  Herrick  and 
Sandford  C.  Parker. 

About  1832  a  tavern  long  known  as  the  "Travelers'  Home,"  was 
built  on  Syracuse  street,  on  the  site  of  the  Harder  residence.  The 
first  town  meeting  held  in  Macksville  was  in  that  house  in  1835.  About 
1838  it  passed  to  George  B.  Parker,  and  after  being  conducted  by  vari- 
ous persons  was  torn  down  about  1855.  A  rival  of  the  old  tavern  was 
built  in  1839  on  a  corner  of  Water  and  Syracuse  streets,  by  the  Mc- 
Cabe  family,  and  called  ' '  The  Exchange. "  It  was  subsequently  burned. 
Between  1830  and  1840,  the  old  name  of  the  south  side  began  to  take 
the  title  of  Baldwinsville,  and  when  the  village  charter  was  granted  in 
1848  it  became  legally  a  part  of  Baldwinsville.  Sometime  after  1830 
the  old  south  side  academy  was  started  in  a  building  on  Tappen  street. 
The  school  was  organized  by  Reuben  U.  Smith,  and  through  his  in- 
terest it  became  known  to  some  extent  as  "  Smith's  Academy."  From 
1841  to  1843  it  was  managed  by  E.  D.  Barber,  assisted  by  Miss  Fosdick, 
92 


730  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

and  later  Lewis  A.  Miller  was  principal.  It  was  closed  before  1850. 
The  old  red  school  house  was  removed  from  its  site  and  the  white  school 
house  was  built  in  its  place.  When  this  was  abandoned  the  new  brick 
building-  was  erected.  The  south  side  was  a  part  of  old  district  No.  11 
when  Van  Buren  was  taken  from  Camillus  and  at  that  time  was  re- 
numbered 18.  So  it  remained  until  absorbed  in  the  Baldwinsville 
Union  Free  School  district  in  1864. 

Sandford  C.  Parker  settled  at  Macksville  about  1835  and  for  twenty 
years  was  a  leading  citizen.  He  was  the  first  lawyer  in  the  place  and 
also  carried  on  a  store.  In  1836  he  built  the  old  stone  grist  mill  on  the 
site  of  the  Hotaling  mill.  Something  of  a  politician,  Mr.  Parker  was 
elected  to  the  Assembly  at  the  time  he  came  to  the  place ;  was  president 
of  Baldwinsville  village  in  1853-4  and  was  a  defeated  nominee  for  Con- 
gress in  the  latter  year.  Later  in  life  he  met  with  business  reverses 
and  died  April  26,  1861. 

The  early  manufacture  of  potash  was  extensively  followed,  and  un- 
til wood  became  more  valuable  was  a  source  of  considerable  income  to 
the  settlers.  Among  those  who  carried  on  asheries  were  Luther  Sea- 
ver,  who  had  one  on  lot  27  in  1813;  Abijah  Hudson,  who  operated  one 
at  Warners  settlement  as  early  as  1825;  Isaac  Hill,  about  the  same 
time  had  one  at  Canton,  and  there  was  one  in  the  northwest  part  of  the 
town. 

A  man  named  Mead  started  a  tannery  about  1807  at  what  became 
»  Ionia  and  sold  out  to  Daniel  Betts  who  operated  it  many  years.  An 
early  tannery  at  Warners  settlement  was  owned  by  David  Tillotson 
who  was  succeeded  by  Anion  Dayton  and  Ambrose  S.  Worden. 

At  an  early  date,  probably  about  1807,  Alvin  Bostwick  had  a  shop 
on  lot  27,  where  the  brook  crosses  the  road,  which  was  carried  by  a 
large  overshot  wheel.  There  he  made  spinning  wheels  and  other 
household  devices  until  1859. 

Jonathan  Birge  had  a  wood  turning  shop  at  Bangall  between  1830 
and  1840,  and  in  1848  F.  R.  Nichols  and  John  Boley  began  making 
grain  cradles  at  Warners,  which  they  successfully  continued  until  1853. 
Not  long  after  1830  O.  B.  Herrick  established  a  wire  sieve  factory  at 
Baldwinsville  which  he  conducted  many  years.  A  small  foundry  was 
operated  at  Memphis  by  Levi  Elsworth  as  early  as  1829  and  another 
was  carried  on  south  of  Baldwinsville  by  John  Gayetty  and  Alexander 
Rogers  about  1845  and  continued  nearly  twenty  years. 

The  Darrow  earthenware    pottery,   started  at  Baldwinsville  on  the 


THE  TOWN  OF  VAN  BUREN.  731 

north  side  in  1845,  and  was  removed  to  its  later  location  near  the 
sulphur  springs  in  1848,  where  it  was  operated  by  the  firm  of  J.  Darrow 
&  Son,  until  1876.  In  1852  it  was  changed  from  an  earthenware  to  a 
stoneware  pottery. 

Stephen  Tincker,  who  came  into  Van  Buren  about  1830,  built  a  saw 
mill  at  Bangall  in  1839,  which  he  sold  to  Timothy  J.  Handy.  Subse- 
quently it  passed  to  Albion  J.  Larkin  who  transformed  it  into  a  grist 
mill.  On  Crooked  Brook,  lot  13,  above  the  McHarrie  and  Tappen  mill, 
before  mentioned,  Hiram  H.  and  James  A.  Scoville  built  a  saw  mill 
about  1824.  It  afterward  passed  through  the  ownership  of  Charles 
Turner,  one  Healey,  Peter  Barber,  John  Hall,  and  finally  to  Augustus 
and  Maynard  Smith.  Farther  south  on  lot  21  Joseph  Hopkins  built  a 
mill  in  early  years  which  was  operated  until  after  1850.  On  lot  :;:i 
Isaac  Bentley  built  a  saw  mill  about  1844  which  was  in  operation  until 
recent  years  by  various  persons.  Another  existed  early  on  lot  23, 
which  was  long  ago  abandoned.  James  Johnson  built  a  saw  mill  on  the 
south  side  at  Baldwinsville  in  1825,  which  ran  until  later  than  L850. 
West  of  Dead  Creek  on  Lot  3  was  the  old  Vader  Mill,  built  about  L825 
by  Isaac  Hill,  the  Canton  merchant.  His  dam  broke  away  before  the 
end  of  the  first  year  and  he  sold  out  to  Nicholas  Vader.  This  mill  was 
quite  successful  and  was  operated  at  different  periods  by  the  Waders, 
later  by  them  for  Col.  James  Voorhees  and  George  W.  Bowen,  by 
Russell  D.  Bentley  or  his  employees,  Abram  Cornell  and  John  Pickard. 
Howard  Tillotson  bought  it  in  1859,  improved  it  and  added  a  cider  mill. 
He  sold  to  Philip  Pelton  in  1877,  who  later  leased  it  in  turn  to  Jacob 
Vader  and  Phineas  Smith.  It  was  closed  up  in  1886.  With  the  disap- 
pearance of  the  forests  these  old  saw  mills  were  necessarily  abandoned, 
many  of  them  between  1850  and  1860.  More  recent  manufactures  are 
included  in  the  history  of  Baldwinsville. 

While  these  various  industries  were  being  established  and  carried  on 
for  the  upbuilding  of  Van  Buren,  the  town  was  advancing  in  other 
directions  in  corresponding  ratio.  The  following  list  of  property 
owners  on  each  lot  in  Van  Buren  in  1825  is  worthy  of  preservation  in 
this  connection : 

Lot  1,  Elihu  Wright. 

Lot  2,  Thomas  Chapman,  Dunham  Ely,  Jacob  Spore,  Henry  Spore,  Nicholas 
Veeder. 

Lot  3,  Daniel  Diltz,  John  Diltz,  Maurice  Diltz,  John  C.  Finck,  Joseph  Ouderkirk, 
Nicholas  Ouderkirk,  David  Prouty,  John  Tarpenny,  Nicholas  Veeder. 

Lot  4,  Frederick  Howard,  Margaret  Mellin,  Frederick  Ouderkirk.  Peter  P.  Ouder- 
kirk, Richard  B.  Ouderkirk,  Gabriel  Tappen. 


732  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Lot  5,  Elijah  Lindsay,  George  Rouse,  Jonathan  Safford,  AsherTappen,  Gabriel 
Tappen,  John  Wigent  heirs,  Samuel  Wigent,  John  Williams. 

Lot  6,  Henry  Clark,  Nathan  Gillet,  William  Malby,  William  Rouse,  David  Scoville, 
Gabriel  Tappen. 

Lot  7,  Jonas  C.  Baldwin,  Warren  S.  Baldwin,  John  McHarrie,  Gabriel  Tappen, 
James  Wells. 

Lot  8,  James  Clark,  James  Johnson,  Eli  S.  Ketchum,  Marcus  Rice,  Daniel  Saxton, 
Levi  Weston,  Rufus  Whitcomb,  Joseph  Wilson. 

Lot  9,  Phineas  Barns  heirs,  Anna  Calkins,  William  Calkins,  George  Kill,  Sylvanus 
Marvin,  John  McGee,  James  Rice,  Isaac  Saxton,  George  Stephens,  Calvin  Taylor. 

Lot  10,  John  C.  Finck,  James  Sweet,  Nicholas  Veeder,  John  Wright. 

Lot  11,  Henry  Clark,  Chester  Malby,  Nathan  Marvin,  Jonathan  Odell,  Isabel 
Pelton,  Belden  Resseguie,  Justus  Wever,  John  Wigent  heirs,  Isaac  Wilcox,  James 
Williams. 

Lot  12,  John  Brittin,  jr.,  John  G.  Clark,  David  Haynes,  Isaac  Malby,  Jacob  Malby, 

Lot  13,  John  L.  Cooper,  Assalum  Culver,  Ira  Earll,  Hawley&  Patch,  John  Herrick, 
Stephen  How,  Oliver  Leonard,  David  Penoyer,  Levi  Perry,  James  A.  Scoville, 
Albert  G.  Wells. 

Lot  14,  Augustus  Harris,  Jacob  F.  Springsted,  Charles  Turner. 

Lot  15,  Decker  &  Crego,  William  Jones  of  Onondaga,  Asahel  Kmgsley,  Daniel 
Nelson,  John  H.  Newberry,  John  Patch,  Widow  Starkweather,  Amos  Taft,  Peter 
Taft,  Nathaniel  Tompkins. 

Lot  16,  owners'  names  unknown. 

Lot  17,  Dunham  &  Miller,  Jonathan  Foster,  John  Gridley,  John  Griswold,  Horatio 
Griswold,  Abraham  H.  Hamblin,  Robert  Parks,  Daniel  Stilson,  Aaron  Warner. 

Lot  18,  Edward  B.  Angel,  Ira  Barnes,  Phineas  Barns  heirs,  Obadiah  Bates, 
Aaron  Bell,  Lyman  Burrill,  Ethan  Campbell,  George  Casler,  Moses  Dunning,  Daniel 
Elsworth,  John  C.  Finck,  Augustus  Foster,  Joel  Foster,  Jonathan  Foster,  Noah 
Marshall,  Simon  and  Harlow  Marshall,  Solomon  Rhoades,  Marcus  Rice,  Thomas 
Smith,  Amos  Warner,  Seth  Warner,  Benjamin  Wever,  Elijah  White,  Cornelius 
Young. 

Lot  19,  Ira  Barnes,  Pardon  Hart,  Stephen  Hart,  Phineas  Meigs,  James  Paddock, 
Simon  Rouse,  James  Rogers,  Peter  H.  Rogers,  Robert  M.  Rogers,  Solomon  Suther- 
land, Nathan  Williams. 

Lot  20,  Amos  Hall,  Pardon  Hart,  David  How,  Samuel  How,  Phineas  Meigs,  jr., 
Simon  Rouse,  Amasa  Scoville,  Abijah  Sears,  Arza  Sears,  Augustus  Smith,  Nathan 
Weaver,  Nathan  Williams. 

Lot  21,  Darius  Armstrong,  William  Bartholomew,  Thomas  Bowen,  Nathaniel 
Cornell,  jr.,  Joseph  Hopkins,  William  Lindsay,  Ebenezer  Morley,  John  Morley, 
Philander  Olcott,  John  Robinson,  Henry  Springsted,  Enos  Talmage,  John  R. 
Waterman. 

Lot  22,  John  S.  Allen,  Roderick  Burroughs,  Nathaniel  Cornell,  Nathaniel  Cornell, 
jr.,  Benoni  E.  Danks,  Azor  Daton,  Isaac  Earll,  Asahel  Kingsley,  Cyrus  H.  Kingsley, 
John  Patch,  William  Ware,  Benjamin  Wilkinson. 

Lot  23,  George  Borden,  Marcus  Earll,  Isaac  Mann,  William  McClain,  Mullet  & 
Barber,  David  Munro,  Jacob  Orr,  John  Patch,  Abijah  Ware. 

Lot  24,  Levi  Ross. 


THE  TOWN  OF  VAN  BUREN.  733 

Lot  25,  Ira  Barnes,  Phineas  Barns  heirs,  Daniel  Betts,  Joel  Foster,  Jonathan 
Foster,  Joshua  L.  &  L.  Davis  Hardy,  Eber  Hart,  jr.,  Ezra  Loomis,  Stephen  Mead, 
Stephen  Ostrander,  Horace  Rewey,  Marcus  Rice,  Amos  Warner,  Ezra  Warner, 
Thomas  Warner,  William  Welch,  Reuben  Woodard. 

Lot  26,  Jonathan  Barney,  Phineas  Barns  heirs,  Henry  Cook,  Asa  Crossman,  Archi- 
bald Green,  Moses  How,  Asahel  Hungerford,  Levi  Paddock,  Loren  Shead,  Sylvester 
Shead,  Aaron  Steele,  Joseph  Wilcox. 

Lot  27,  Alvin  Bostwick,  John  Clark,  jr.,  John  Crumb,  Alpheus  Earll,  David  How, 
Jonathan  How,  John  Inglesbee,  Michael  Redman,  Abijah  Sears,  Hiram  Warner. 
Andrew  Warner. 

Lot  28,  Asa  Barnes,  William  Hall,  Norton  F.  Marvin,  Hiram  Nichols,  Dudley 
Norton,  Holden  L.  Olbro,  Isaac  Peck,  Benjamin  Pulsopher,  Warren  Russell,  Samuel 
Skinner,  Eli  Sprague,  Joel  Warner,  James  Williams. 

Lot  29,  David  Cornell,  Holder  Cornell,  John  Cornell,  PelegCornell,  Augustus  Harris, 
Isaac  Linsday,  Isaac  Peck,  Peter  Peck,  Bennet  Rusco,  Calvin  Waterman,  Eleazer 
Waterman,  Elijah  Waterman,  Thomas  Waterman. 

Lot  37,  Edward  B.  Angel,  Hiram  Barns,  Phineas  Barns,  jr.,  Daniel  Betts,  Daniel 
Calkins,  John  Conant,  Eleazer  Dunham,  Uriah  H.  Dunning,  Joshua  L.  and  L.  Davis 
Hardy,  Isaac  Hill,  William  Kester,  John  Laird,  Abraham  Lipe,  Oliver  Nichols, 
Abram  Rogers,  Benjamin  Simpson  heirs,  Thomas  Smith,  Charles  H.  Toll,  Loammi 
Wilcox. 

Lot  38,  William  Caine,  Henry  Cook,  John  Cunningham,  Robert  B.  Cunningham 
heirs,  Dunning  &  Laughlin,  Samuel  Eaton  (innkeeper).  John  Ford,  Joshua  Hardy, 
Isaac  Hill,  Samuel  Hoat,  Samuel  How,  Cyrus  Ladd,  John  Lakin,  David  C.  and 
Samuel  Lytle,  Francis  D.  Miner,  Oliver  Nichols,  Alvah  Scofield. 

Lot  39,  Isaac  Bentley,  James  Drew,  Samuel  Nelson,  Browning  Nichols,  Francis 
Nichols,  Linus  Squire,  Henry  Warner  heirs,  Jonathan  Warner,  Seth  Warner. 

Lot  40,  Delanson  Foster,  William  N.  Higgins,  Abijah  Hudson,  George  W.  Marvin, 
Dudley  Norton,  Isaac  Peck,  Aaron  Quimby,  Jonathan  Skinner,  Samuel  Skinner, 
Truman  Skinner,  Linus  Squire,  David  Tillotson. 

Lot  41,  John  H.  Lamerson,  Almon  Peck,  Elihu  Peck,  Isaac  Peck,  Peter  Peck,  John 
Sears. 

Lot  42,  William  Bartholomew,  John  Bowen  Henry  Brand,  John  Curtis,  David 
Dolph,  Abel  Dwight,  Isaac  Earll,  Daniel  Hay,  David  Parish,  Elihu  Peck,  Joseph 
Robinson,  Reuben  Robinson. 

Lot  43,  Peter  Bowman,  John  Bowman,  Sylvenus  Hodges,  Daniel  Loveless,  Peter 
McQueen,  Jonathan  Parish,  Stephen  Robinson,  George  Schrader. 

Another  series  of  interesting  facts  is  found  in  local  records  in  the  shape  of  refer- 
erences  to  town  officers  while  Van  Buren  was  a  part  of  the  old  town  of  Camillus. 
The  offices  of  supervisor  and  town  clerk  have  already  been  noted.  From  scattered 
sources  are  gathered  the  following  additional  facts: 

Benjamin  Weaver  was  assessor  in  1813,  Gabriel  Tappen  in  1816  and  1817,  Phineas 
Barnes  in  1819,  1822,  1823  and  1824,  and  John  Bowman  in  1824. 

Gabriel  Tappen  was  trustee  of  the  public  lots  in  1816,  Seth  Warner  in  1822,  1823 
and  1824,  and  Cyrus  H.  Kingsley  in  1824. 

Gabriel  Tappen  was  commissioner  of  highways  in  1813,  Josiah  Parish  in  181  I. 
Isaac  Lindsay  in  1814,  James   Paddock   in  1815  and  1816,  Phineas  Barnes  in  1816, 


734  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL 

1817,  1818,  1819  and  1820,  Henry  Cook  in  1820,  1821,  1822,  1823  and  1824,  Augustus 
Harris  in  1821  and  1822,  Enos  Talmage  in  1824,  1825  and  1826,  Benjamin  Weaver  in 
1826  and  1827,  Cyrus  H.  Kingsley  in  1828  and  1829. 

Gabriel  Tappen  was  commissioner  of  common  schools  in  1817  and  1819,  Benjamin 
Weaver  in  1824  and  1825,  D.  C.  Lytle  in  1824  and  1825,  Adonijah  White  in  1827  and 
1828. 

Heman  Warner  was  overseer  of  the  poor  in  1817,  1818  and  1819,  Phineas  Barnes  in 
1818. 

Abram  Rogers  was  constable  in  1813  and  1814,  Stephen  Shead  in  1818  and  1820, 
John  Lakin  in  1819,  1820,  1821,  1822  and  1825,  John  Patch  in  1822,  1823  and  1824. 

Justices  of  the  peace  were  appointed  from  Albany  up  to  1827.  Among  those  so 
appointed  were  Heman  Warner  about  1812,  C.  H.  Toll  in  1814,  Isaac  Earll  in  1815, 
Phineas  Barnes  in  1815,  Linus  Squire  in  1820.  These  held  office  for  many  years 
each.  After  1827  justices  were  elected.  John  Lakin  was  chosen  in  that  year,  and 
held  over  until  after  Van  Buren  was  created.  John  Patch  was  also  elected  in  1827, 
and  re-elected  in  1828. 

The  division  of  the  old  town  of  Camillas  into  three  parts  came  before 
the  Legislature  in  the  winter  of  1828-9.  Hiram  F.  Mather,  of  Elbridge, 
was  then  State  senator,  and  Herman  Jenkins,  of  Jordan,  was  assembly- 
man. The  law  was  finally  passed  on  March  26,  1829.  The  section  de- 
fined in  the  act  for  the  town  under  consideration  was  given  the  name 
Van  Buren  in  honor  of  Martin  Van  Buren,  then  governor  of  this  State 
and  afterward  president  of  the  United  States.  Following  is  a  record  of 
the  proceedings  of  the  first  town  meeting  held  March  20,  1829,  the 
names  of  the  overseers  of  highways  as  given  on  a  preceding  page, 
omitted : 

At  the  Annual  meting  of  the  Inhabitants  of  the  Town  of  Vanburen  held  at  the 
house  of  Elezer  Dunham  Agreeable  to  an  act  passed  by  the  Legislature  of  the  State 
of  New  York  on  the  26  Day  of  March  1829 

The  following  persons  were  elected  for  the  ensuing  year,  April  28th  1829.     Viz., 

Gabriel  Tappen  Supervisor 

Abel  Lyon  Town  Clerk 

Belding  Resseguie  Cyrus  H  Kingsley  Asa  Barnes  Assessors 

Charles  Turner  Henry  Cook  David  Wiles  Com  of  Highways 

Daniel  Betts  Orvis  Foot  Isaac  Earll  Trustees  of  Public  Lot 

Elnathan  McLaughlin  Isaac  Hill  Adonijah  White  Com  of  Common  Schools  ' 

Peter  Peck  &  Amos  Warner  Overseers  of  the  Poor 

Wareham  Root  James  Abrams  Jr  Thomas  Warterman  Inspectorsof  Common  Schools 

David  Penoyer  Collector 

Voted  that  the  Collector  have  three  cents  on  the  Dollar  for  Collecting  the  Tax 

Voted  that  we  have  four  constables  in  said  Town  The  following  persons  were 
Chosen  Constables 

Henry  Olds  Joseph  L  Marvin  Oliver  Leonard  and  David  Penoyer  Constables 

The  following  persons  were  chosen  Overseers  of  the  highways 

[Names  here  follow.'] 


COL.   GABRIEL  TAPPEN, 


THE  TOWN  OF  VAN  BUREN.  :.;:, 

Then  Voted  by  Ballot  for  the  place  of  holding  town  meeting  next  year 
Carried  by  a  Large  majority  to  Eleser  Dunhams 

Then  Adjourned  to  the  third  Tuesday  of  April  next  1830  at  the  house  of  Elezer 
Dunhams  In  Van  Buren 

Most  of  these  officers  were  farmers.  Abel  Lyon,  was,  however,  a 
merchant  of  Ionia.  Isaac  Hill  was  a  merchant  at  Canton,  and  Dr. 
Wareham  Root  was  also  from  that  village. 

Justices  of  the  Peace  were  elected  under  a  special  act  in  June  of  that 
year,  when  the  following  men  were  chosen:  Isaac  Earl]  of  Van  Buren, 
Jonathan  Skinner  of  Warners  and  David  Corkins  of  Memphis.  'Flic 
fourth  justiceship  was  already  held  by  John  Lakin,  who  was  superseded 
in  the  regular  election  in  November  by  John  McHarrie. 

Gabriel  Tappen,  the  first  supervisor,  was,  during  many  years,  one  of 
the  leading  citizens  of  the  town.  He  was  born  in  Morristown,  X.  |., 
on  June  20,  1783,  and  came  to  this  town  with  his  father,  John  Tappen, 
in  1796.  He  married  a  daughter  of  the  elder  John  McHarrie.  He 
took  a  company  of  militia  to  Oswego  in  the  war  of  1812  ;  was  conspicu- 
ous in  organizing  the  schools  and  churches  and  held  various  town  of- 
fices.     He  died  on  August  4,  1865. 

The  first  Baptist  church  in  the  old  town  of  Camillas  was  established 
in  1813  at  Camillas,  and  the  second  Baptist  church  was  organized 
around  the  corner  on  lot  39  in  1815.  The  old  school  house  at  the  cor- 
ners served  for  a  meeting  place  for  years,  and  meetings  were  also  held 
in  private  dwellings.  The  growth  of  the  village  of  Canton  (Memphis) 
brought  to  the  congregation  an  increase  of  members,  and  occasional 
meetings  were  held  there.  The  first  meeting  held  at  Canton  was  in 
the  village  school  house  on  February  25,  1826,  and  the  society  was 
organized  March  30,  1830.  The  first  trustees  were  Charles  II .  Toll. 
Chester  Marshall,  and  Isaac  Hill.  After  the  organization  meetings 
were  held  for  a  time  alternately  at  Canton  and  Warners,  and  in  the 
winter  of  1833-4  a  church  was  erected  at  Canton.  People  in  the  eastern 
part  of  this  town  aided  in  organizing  a  congregation  at  Belle  Isle  in 
1830,  although  it  was  outside  of  the  limits  of  the  town.  In  lxii  it 
joined  with  the  society  at  Camillus.  The  Baptist  society  at  Baldwins- 
ville  dates  its  connection  with  the  town  of  Van  Buren  from  IS  In.  It 
had  been  organized  since  about  1818  in  the  town  of  Lysander,  but  was 
subsequently  removed  to  Canton  street,  and  in  January,  1841,  changed 
its  name  to  the  "First  Baptist  Society  of  Lysander  and  Van  Buren." 
In  1865  a  lot  was  purchased  on  Grove  street  and  a  brick   parsonage 


736  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

built,  which  was  followed  in  1871  by  the  purchase  of  the  present  site 
and  the  building  of  a  new  church. 

Presbyterianism  has  never  had  a  society  of  its  own  in  this  town,  but 
one  was  formed  in  Baldwinsville  in  about  1813,  and  two  years  later  it 
was  incorporated  as  the  "Lysander  and  Camillus  First  Religious  So- 
ciety. "  After  a  weak  existence  of  about  ten  years  it  was  reincorporated 
in  October,  1826,  at  the  school  house  in  Baldwinsville.  Two  of  the 
trustees,  Gabriel  Tappen  and  John  Williams,  were  on  the  south  side  of 
the  river.  In  1840  another  organization  was  effected,  and  Van  Buren 
names  are  prominent  in  the  work.  The  same  is  true  of  the  society  or- 
ganized in  1817  at  Camillus  village  Presbyterians  were  numerous 
among  the  organizers  of  the  Union  Society  at  Warners  in  1831.  About 
1841  they  seceded  and  held  separate  meetings,  and  apparently  made  a 
formal  organization  as  a  Congregational  society.  In  1845  a  Presbyte- 
rian society  was  organized  at  Amboy,  and  those  Presbyterians  at  War- 
ners went  to  it  in  a  body. 

The  small  denomination  of  the  Christian  connection  followed  the 
Baptists  with  an  organization  in  this  town  in  December,  1818.  Thirty- 
five  names  were  signed  to  an  agreement  in  that  connection.  On 
January  26,  1829,  the  "Congregation  of  People  called  Christians  "  met 
in  the  Ionia  school  house  and  elected  as  trustees  Henry  McDowell,  jr., 
Solomon  Sutherland,  Joel  Foster,  David  Corkins,  Robert  Rogers,  and 
John  Ford.  The  incorporation  papers  were  filed  April  3,  and  a  deed 
was  passed  for  land  on  lot  37  south  of  Ionia.  There  the  first  church 
edifice  in  the  town  was  built.  After  a  long  period  of  rather  weak  exis- 
tence a  reorganization  was  effected  in  1854,  and  subsequently  the  old 
church  was  abandoned  and  the  present  one  built  at  Memphis  in  1868. 

A  Congregational  society  was  in  existence  for  a  time  at  Ionia  in  early 
years,  but  died  out.  A  meeting  was  held  in  the  Ionia  school  house 
May  19,  1827,  where  the  "  Central  Congregational  Society  of  Camillus" 
was  formed.  The  trustees  chosen  were  Cyrus  Ladd,  James  Rogers, 
and  Jonathan  Paddock.  Another  society  that  was  Congregational  in 
form  was  the  Union  Society,  organized  at  the  brick  school  house  in 
Warners,  January  18,  L831,  Methodists,  Universalists  and  Presbyterians 
uniting  for  the  purpose.  A  church  was  at  once  built,  and  about  1841 
the  Presbyterian  element  seceded  and  organized  "  The  First  Congrega- 
tional Society  of  the  Town  of  Van  Buren"  on  May  10,  1841.  The 
trustees  elected  were  Enos  Peck,  James  Van  Alstyne,  and  Henry  L. 
Warner.     This  society  probably  never  had  an  active  existence.     The 


THE  TOWN  OF  VAN  BTTREN.  737 

old  Union  society  continued  until  184G,  when  it  was  absorbed  by  the 
Methodists. 

The  early  circuit  preachers  of  Methodist  doctrine  held  meetings 
throughout  the  towns  of  Camillus,  Lysander  and  Marcellus.  The 
Methodists  were  prominent  in  organizing  the  Union  society  mentioned, 
and  about  1830  they  began  to  organize  at  Warners  and  formed  a  class. 
The  place  probably  became  a  permanent  station  in  183s,  when  William 
C.  Mason  was  reported  as  the  local  preacher.  In  1846  the  Union  society 
was  reorganized  in  the  Methodist  faith,  and  in  March  Jacob  Steves, 
Lawrence  Uamerson,  Aaron  Quinby,  Francis  R.  Nichols,  and  Ezra 
Nichols  were  chosen  trustees.  In  1869  the  old  church  was  rebuilt  to  its 
present  form.  A  Methodist  Protestant  church  was  organized  at  Van 
Buren  Corners  in  1842,  but  it  became  weak  and  dissolved. 

About  1849  the  Catholics,  who  had  become  numerous  in  Baldwins- 
ville,  began  to  hold  services  at  the  corner  of  Water  and  Canton  streets, 
pastors  coming  from  Syracuse.  In  1851  a  society  was  organized,  land 
was  purchased  and  a  church  erected.  In  1867  a  permanent  pastor  was 
placed  over  the  church,  and  it  has  since  been  a  prosperous  parish. 

During  the  period  since  the  close  of  the  Civil  war  Van  Buren  has 
continued  essentially  an  agricultural  community.  As  such  it  has  in 
common  with  many  other  interior  towns  shown  very  slow  growth  in 
population  through  the  gradual  exodus  of  its  younger  generation  to 
more  populous  business  centers,  particularly  Syracuse.  As  an  agricul- 
tural district  it  is  not  behind  any  section  of  the  county,  and  has  met  the 
gradual  change  in  farming  methods,  the  character  of  crops,  etc.,  with 
success.  It  ranks  with  Lysander  in  growing  tobacco  and  other  crops, 
and  dairying  is  successfully  conducted.  The  Central  Railroad  skirting 
its  southern  side  and  the  Oswego  and  Syracuse  road  its  eastern  side, 
give  it  ample  shipping  facilities  reasonably  near,  but  in  other  respects 
they  cannot  be  said  to  have  materially  benefited  the  town;  they  make 
it  easy  for  a  large  volume  of  trade  to  seek  other  points. 

The  population  of  Van  Buren  at  different  dates  has  been  follows : 

In  1830,  2,890;  188.3,  2,903;  1840,  3,021;  1845,  3,057;  1850,  3,873;  1855,  3,085;   I860, 
3,037;  1865,  3,031;  1870,  3,038;  1875,  3,074;  1880,  3,091;  1890,3,444;  1892,  3,575. 
93 


738  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 


CHAPTER    XXXIV 
THE    TOWN    OF    LYSANDER. 

In  the  twenty-five  original  townships  of  the  Military  Tract,  No.  1  was 
called  Lysander.  It  included  what  are  now  the  civil  towns  of  Granby 
and  Hannibal  in  the  county  of  Oswego.  The  erection  of  that  county 
took  away  from  Lysander  thirty-three  of  its  lots,  numbered  from  one 
to  thirty-three,  leaving  sixty-seven,  numbered  from  thirty-four  to  one 
hundred.  In  the  drawing  of  these  lots  for  military  service  in  the  Revo- 
lution, they  fell  to  the  following  persons,  excepting  numbers  34  and  35 ; 
the  names  of  the  grantees  of  these  are  not  accessible : 

36,  Jonathan  Palmore  (Palmer);1  37,  John  Space;  38,  Chapman  Davis;  39,  Adam 
Armstrong;  40,  Lieutenant  Christopher  Hutton;  41,  Abraham  Dickerson ;  42,  John 
Stagg ;  43,  John  Clarke ;  44,  John  Campbell ;  45,  Richard  Robinson  ;  46,  Michael  Har- 
rin  ;  47.  Solomon  Meeker ;  48,  Captain  Edward  Dunscomb ;  49,  Samuel  Abby ;  50,  Joseph 
Clift;  51,  Christopher  Leach;  52,  Captain  James  Stewart;  53,  John  Stockbridge;  54, 
Captain  Jonathan  Titus;  55,  Thomas  Taber;  56,  Thomas  Cannon;  57,  Joshua  Bishop; 
58,  William  Boyd;  59,  Lieutenant  Benjamin  Gilbert;  60,  John  Cronck;  61,  Nicholas 
Schuyler,  surgeon ;  62,  Zacheus  Kilburn ;  63,  Joseph  Carman ;  64,  Captain  Joseph 
Thomas;  65,  Samuel  Streel ;  66 ;  Reserved  for  Gospel,  etc.  ;  67,  Lieutenant  John  Burn- 
side;  68,  Robert  Daily;  69,  Ensign  Samuel  Dodge;  70,  Captain  George  Sytez;  71, 
Captain  Charles  Newkerk ;  72,  Lieutenant  Francis  Brindley ;  73,  George  Rider ;  74, 
Henry  Hawkey ;  75,  Lieutenant  Levi  Stockwell;  76,  Colonel  Philip  Van  Cortlandt; 
7i.  Captain  Dirck  Hansen;  78,  Captain  D.  P.  Ten  Eyck ;  79,  Captain  Jonathan  Titus; 
80,  Richard  Davis;  81,  Captain  Charles  Parsons;  82,  Nicholas  Keltz;  83,  Captain 
Dirck  Hansen;  84,  John  Larlure;  85,  Pete  Scriber;  86,  Reserved  for  Gospel,  etc.  ;  87 
General  James  Clinton;  88,  Lieutenant-Col.  Marinus  Willet;  89,  John  Van  Atter;  90, 
Timothy  Bennet;  91,  Joseph  Evans;  92,  Gen.  Alexander  McDougall ;  93,  David  Smith; 
94,  Henry  Ash;  95,  William  Benson;  96,  Henry  Spring;  97,  James  Robertson ;  98, 
Thomas  Jackson;  99-100,  Reserved  for  Gospel,  etc. 

The  situation  of  these  lots  and  the  shape  of  some  of  them  are  peculiar 
owing  to  the  long  and  winding  river  line  of  the  eastern  and  southern 
boundary  of  the  town.  The  surface  of  the  town  is  generally  level  or 
slightly  rolling,  and  the  soil  is  a  fertile  sandy  or  gravelly  loam.  The 
beautiful  Seneca  River,  which  for  many  miles  forms  the  town  bound- 

ed  as  1  hey  appear  in  I  tie  records.    Many  of  them  are  obviously  wrong. 


THE  TOWN  OF  LYSANDER.  739 

ary,  has  a  fall  of  about  nine  feet  at   Baldwinsville,  constituting  a  very 

valuable  water  power,  which  has  been  largely  utilized  from  the  first 
settlement  to  the  present  time.  Cross  Lake  borders  the  southwestern 
part  of  the  town,  the  town  line  passing  through  it,  and  the  small  Beaver 
or  Mud  Lake,  with  an  area  of  :}00  acres,  is  on  lots  :>.">  and  •;."».  A  few 
small  streams  exist  in  the  northern  and  western  parts,  which  in  early 
years  supplied  power  for  saw  mills;  btit  they  are  now  nearly  dry  in 
summer  months. 

With  the  erection  of  Onondaga  county  in  L794,  Lysander  kept  its 
classical  name  and  was  given  a  large  additional  area  of  territory,  in- 
cluding not  only  what  are  now  Hannibal  and  Granby,  but  also  what  now 
constitute  the  civil  towns  of  Cicero  and  Clay.  The  former  of  these  was 
set  off  in  1807  and  included  the  territory  of  Clay,  which  was  not  erected 
until  1827. 

The  town  of  Lysander  came  into  being  under  somewhat  untoward 
circumstances.  The  same  causes,  especially  its  comparative  remote- 
ness from  the  great  east  and  west  line  of  pioneer  travel,  which  had  pre- 
vented it  from  being  a  dwelling  place  or  even  a  favorite  resort  for  the 
Indians,  contributed  to  postpone  its  settlement,  while  a  period  of  ex- 
treme unhealthfulness  in  early  years,  caused  some  settlers  to  shun  its 
borders.  The  Seneca  and  Oswego  Rivers  were  often  traveled  bv  the 
Indians'  canoes,  and  hunting  parties  of  Onondagas  and  Cayugas  came  up 
into  this  region  in  summer  months,  but  there  is  no  evidence  of  their 
remaining  here  with  any  permanence.  This  part  of  the  county  escaped 
the  distressing  Indian  wars,  chiefly  also  on  account  of  its  situation,  and 
after  the  arrival  of  settlers  such  Indians  as  were  seen  were  generallv 
friendly.  The  pioneers  had  to  battle  only  with  the  wild  animals,  par- 
ticularly wolves,  which  were  very  numerous  and  in  man}'  instances 
ferocious.  The  dense  forests  of  pine  and  other  trees  abounded  with 
game  and  the  Seneca  River  with  fish,  both  of  which  helped  to  supply 
the  tables  of  the  early  settlers,  and  the  fishing  in  the  river  became  a 
source  of  considerable  revenue. 

Almost  nothing  was  accomplished  toward  settlement  in  Lysander 
until  about  the  beginning  of  the  present  century.  Major  Rial  Bing- 
ham, who  had  settled  near  Fort  Brewerton  in  L791,  went  to  Three  River 
Point  in  1793,  but  he  can  scarcely  be  considered  a  permanent  settler  of 
this  town,  for  he  removed  to  Salinanot  later  than  1  ;  96,  where  he  was  the 
first  justice  of  the  peace  and  was  identified  with  early  salt  making. 
Upon  the  erection  of  the  civil  town  of  Lysander,  when  the  county  was 


740  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

formed,  the  first  town  meeting  was  ordered  held  at  the  house  of  Rial 
Bingham  ;  but  this  was  not  done,  and  at  the  first  town  meeting  in  Onon- 
daga Hollow  the  town  was  not  represented.  Neither  was  it  at  an  ad- 
journed meeting  held  at  the  house  of  Othniel  Palmer,  in  the  town  of 
Onondaga  on  the  19th  of  August,  1794,  but  the  board  in  its  proceedings 
established  the  value  of  taxable  property  in  the  town  at  400  pounds  and 
assessed  the  tax  at  five  pounds.     The  following  resoulution  was  adopted  : 

Resolved,  That  the  clerk  of  the  board  notify  the  town  of  Lysander  to  organize 
themselves  before  the  next  session  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  to  be  held  in  and 
for  the  county  of  Onondaga  on  the  last  day  of  December,  1794.  otherwise  they  may 
be  deprived  of  the  privilege  of  their  sister  towns,  or  perhaps  the  rigor  of  the  law  en- 
forced upon  them. 

The  next  meeting  was  held  at  the  house  of  Asa  Phillips  in  the  town 
of  Scipio,  on  the  first  day  of  December,  1794,  and  again  the  town 
was  not  represented.  The  board  thereupon  ordered  "the  town  to 
organize,  on  or  before  the  next  annual  meeting  agreeable  to  law, 
otherwise  the  penalty  of  the  law  shall  be  required  of  them. "  With- 
out the  fear  of  the  law  before  their  eyes  the  few  settlers  in  the 
town  still  for  a  few  years  neglected  to  organize  and  sent  no  representa- 
tive to  the  supervisors'  meetings.  On  the  30th  of  May,  1797,  a  census 
was  taken  which  showed  the  number  of  inhabitants  in  the  then  great 
town  to  be  only  fifteen  and  the  taxable  property  with  a  value  of  $1,500. 
In  the  next  year  (1798)  Asa  Rice,  who  had  settled  at  Union  Village,  a 
few  miles  west  of  Oswego,  in  1797,  was  elected  supervisor,  but  if  he 
attended  any  meeting  of  the  board  the  records  do  not  show  it.  The 
earliest  records  of  this  town  of  which  there  is  any  knowledge  are  for 
the  year  1808,  when  Elijah  Snow  was  elected  supervisor;  he  was  father 
of  Elijah  Snow,  jr.,  who  was  uncle  of  Wallace  Tappan.  In  the  mean 
time  the  town  of  Hannibal  was  set  off  in  1806,  and  in  the  following 
year  all  the  territory  east  of  the  Seneca  River  was  taken  off  to  form  the 
town  of  Cicero.      By  this  time  settlement  had  considerably  progressed. 

Aside  from  Rial  Bingham,  before  mentioned,  it  is  probable  that 
Jonathan  Palmer  was  about  the  first  settler  in  what  is  now  the  town  of 
Lysander.  He  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  as  were  his  six  brothers, 
and  drew  lot  36  on  which  a  part  of  the  little  village  of  Jacksonville 
stands.  The  early  settlement  at  this  point  was  given  the  name 
"  Palmertown,"  afterward  called  Jacksonville,  which  name  it  retained 
until  the  post-office  at  Little  Utica  was  removed  there  in  the  adminis- 
tration of  James  K.  Polk,  when  it  was  named  "Polkville."  The  post- 
office  was  removed  back  to  Little  Utica  during  the  last  administration 


THE  TOWN  OF  LYSANDER.  741 

of  President  Lincoln,  where  it  now  remains.  Descendants  of  Jonathan 
Palmer  still  live  in  the  vicinity.  Nathaniel  Palmer,  one  of  the  brothers 
of  Jonathan,  was  an  early  settler  in  the  same  locality;  as  also  the 
Bogarduses,  Fanchers,  and  Bakers,  of  which  family  Ezra  Baker  was  a 
physician  and  had  an  extensive  practice;  several  of  their  descendants 
now  reside  there.  Later  on  it  became  the  residence  of  Dr.  Andrew 
P.  Hamil,  a  prominent  man  in  town  matters  and  a  skillful  practitioner 
in  his  profession. 

Between  the  date  of  Jonathan  Palmer's  settlement  and  the  year  1800 
a  few  other  pioneers  located  in  the  town,  among  them  Col.  Thomas 
Farrington,  Adam  and  Peter  Emerick,  Elijah  and  Solomon  Hall,  Abner 
and  Manly  Vickery,  Job  Loomis,  John  P.  Schuyler,  Ebenezer  Wells, 
James  Cowan,  Elijah  Mann.  Of  most  of  these  little  is  known.  The 
first  ten  years  of  the  present  century  saw  large  accessions  to  the  popu- 
lation of  the  town. 

The  reader  has  already  been  told  in  the  history  of  Van  Buren  (Chap- 
ter XXXIII)  of  the  settlement  of  John  McHarrie,  probably  in  1792 
and  certainly  before  1794,  on  the  south  side  of  the  river  on  the  site 
of  Baldwinsville.  There  he  built  a  cabin  and  found  a  little  business 
in  helping  ascending  boats  up  the  rapids  as  they  passed  by  the  lands 
of  Lysander  in  quest  of  more  attractive  fields  farther  west.  The 
place  became  known  as  "  McHarrie's  Rifts."  Daniel  Allen  settled  on 
the  river  a  little  farther  up  in  1793.  A  road  came  from  the  south  in  a 
northeasterly  direction  and  ended  at  McHarrie's  cabin,  where  a  ford 
crossed  the  river;  this  road  was  surveyed  in  1814,  but  was  soon  after- 
ward abandoned.  The  State  road  from  Onondaga  to  Oswego,  laid 
out  in  1806-7,  crossed  the  river  at  these  rifts,  and  was  ordered  im- 
proved between  the  river  and  Oswego  in  1811.  In  1800  a  mail  route 
was  established  between  Onondaga  and  Oswego.  This  brings  us  to 
the  consideration  of  a  very  important  event  in  the  history  of  the 
town. 

Among  the  heroes  of  the  Revolution  was  Samuel  Baldwin,  son  of  a 
Boston  clergyman.  He  was  distinguished  as  well  for  his  piety  and 
benevolence  as  for  gallantry  in  the  army.  He  died  at  Windsor,  Mass., 
at  an  advanced  age.  Jonas  C.  Baldwin,  son  of  Samuel,  was  born  in 
Windsor,  June  3,  1768.  He  was  educated  at  Williams  College  and 
finished  medical  study  in  Albany,  where  he  also  practiced  a  short 
time.  While  there  he  was  appointed  physician  to  the  Inland  Lock  and 
Navigation  Company,  whose  large  force  of  laborers  was  then  building 


742  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL 

the  canal  at  Little  Falls.  There  Dr.  Baldwin  remained  until  the  work 
was  finished.  Meanwhile  he  married  and  in  1797  started  with  his  family 
for  Ovid,  Seneca  county,  where  he  owned  a  military  lot,  on  which  he 
settled  and  lived  until  1801-2,  when  he  removed  to  Onondaga  East 
Hill.  Dr.  Baldwin  had  bought  and  improved  a  comfortable  home  in 
Little  Falls,  which  Mrs.  Baldwin  left  with  regret;  she  was  conciliated 
by  her  husband  with  a  promise  that  he  would  purchase  the  first  place 
on  their  route  westward  which  she  might  select.  It  may  be  believed 
that  they  passed  many  beantiful  spots  in  the  wilderness  along  the  Mo- 
hawk. Wood  Creek,  Oneida  Lake  and  River,  and  the  Seneca;  but  none 
presented  to  Mrs.  Baldwin  the  loveliness  of  the  scene'  at  McHarrie's 
Rifts  as  they  rounded  the  bend  into  the  beautiful  bay  just  below  the 
village  site  on  a  bright  autumnal  morning.  The  lady  was  charmed 
and  remarked  to.  her  husband  that  if  their  property  was  situated  there 
she  would  be  content  to  dwell  there  for  life,  lonely  and  remote  as  it 
seemed.  They  carefully  explored  the  vicinity  while  getting  their  boats 
over  the  rapids,  both  becoming  still  more  pleased  with  the  situation, 
and  lodged  that  night  with  Mr.  McHarrie.  Of  him  Dr.  Baldwin 
learned  the  name  of  the  owner  of  the  land,  and  in  the  following  year 
he  went  to  Philadelphia  and  purchased  it.  Dr.  Baldwin  lived  at  Onon- 
daga East  Hill  until  1807,  when  in  the  spring  he  received  a  memorial 
signed  by  many  of  the  settlers  within  a  number  of  miles  of  McHarrie's 
location,  asking  him  to  improve  his  valuable  water  power  by  the  erec- 
tion of  much-needed  mills.  Previous  to  that  time  the  nearest  mills  to 
the  residents  north  of  the  river  were  at  Nine  Mile  Creek  (now  Camil- 
lus. )  Although  Dr.  Baldwin  intended  to  carry  out  this  proposition  at 
some  future  time,  he  yielded  to  the  request  and  promptly  began  work. 
Gathering  a  force  of  workmen  he  proceeded  to  the  proposed  site  of  the 
mills  where  he  had  already  provided  for  the  erection  of  the  log  cabins 
for  the  workmen.  On  arriving  he  found  nothing  done  but  the  erection 
of  the  log  cribs,  which  were  without  floors  or  roofs.  These  were  soon 
made  habitable  and  were  the  first  buildings  in  that  part  of  the  town. 
It  was  his  expectation  that  the  small  stream  emptying  into  the  river 
there,  with  the  addition  of  what  water  might  be  thrown  into  it  by  a 
wing  dam  extending  some  distance  into  the  river,  would  give  him  suffi- 
cient power  for  a  grist  and  saw  mill.  The  work  was  vigorously  prose- 
cm  ed  until  in  about  the  middle  of  August,  when  a  most  distressing- 
sickness  prevailed  among  the  workmen;  this  has  since  been  designated 
as  "the  sickly  season."    Within  one  week  every  workman  was  attacked 


THE  TOWN  OF  LYSANDER. 


'43 


with  a  malignant  fever.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baldwin  and  a  Revolutionary 
soldier  called  "  Uncle  Bill  Johnson"  were  the  only  persons  not  stricken 
with  the  disease,   and  their  whole  time  was  devoted  to  caring  for  the 

sick,  and  burying  the  dead.  A  new  corps  of  workmen  was  engaged  as 
soon  as  possible,  but  they,  too,  were  stricken  down  within  a  fortnight. 
The  season  being  now  far 
advanced  the  work  was 
postponed  until  the  fol- 
lowing spring,  when  it 
was  renewed  with  vigor, 
and  before  the  sickness 
again  came  on  the  dam, 
mill  and  raceway  were 
finished.  Another  diffi- 
culty n  o  w  appeared. 
Through  a  mistake  in 
laying  out  the  level  it  was 
found  that  the  water 
would  not  flow  into  the 
race,  leaving  only  the 
small  stream  as  a  source 
of  power.  Dr.  Baldwin 
faced  the  trouble  with 
characteristic  energy,  and 
immediately  began  the 
extension  of  his  dam  clear 
across  the  river;  but  be- 
fore it  was  completed 
the  workmen  were  again 
attacked  by  the  sickness, 
and  it  was  not  till  in  the 

autumn  that  the  work  was  accomplished  and  the  mill  supplied  with  plenty 
of  water.  While  it  supplied  a  much-needed  convenience  to  the  settlers,  it 
had  been  a  costly  work  in  personal  sacrifice ;  and  during  several  years  the 
same  fatal  disease  prevailed,  carrying  many  to  their  graves  and  seriously 
retarding  settlement.  The  Seneca  was  a  public  highway  and  constituted 
a  part  of  the  Inland  Navigation  Company's  system,  on  which  account 
Dr.  Baldwin  was  forced  to  provide  a  passage  for  boats  around  his  dam. 
In  1808  he  petitioned   the  Legislature  for  permission  to  build  a  canal 


Jonas  C.   B  \\  dwin. 


744  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

and  locks.  The  State  having'  already  transferred  such  rights  to  the 
Navigation  Company,  could  not  grant  his  petition.  He  thereupon 
bought  of  the  company  their  rights  in  the  waters  between  the  outlet  of 
Oneida  River  and  Cayuga  Lake.  In  1809  the  State  granted  his  petition 
and  the  extensive  improvements  were  effected.  Dr.  Baldwin  was 
given  the  right  to  levy  certain  tolls  on  passing  boats  for  a  period  of 
twenty  years.  This  arrangement  was  abrogated  when  the  State  took 
the  system  of  internal  improvement  under  its  own  control.  The  com- 
pletion of  the  middle  section  of  the  Erie  Canal  cut  off  all  revenue  from 
this  source.  In  1809  a  heavy  freshet  carried  away  the  dam  and  a  new 
one  was  constructed  in  the  year  following,  and  ere  long  Dr.  Baldwin 
had  six  saw  mills  in  operation  under  one  roof.  The  pine  forests  of  the 
town  supplied  these  with  logs,  in  turn  giving  the  settlers  ample  lumber 
for  building  their  homes. 

In  1809  Dr.  Baldwin  built  a  toll  bridge  on  the  site  of  the  present 
bridge.  Baldwinsville,  thus  founded,  soon  became  an  active  frontier 
place.  Soon  after  building  the  new  dam  Dr.  Baldwin  erected  a  new 
and  larger  grist  mill  near  the  site  of  the  subsequent  woolen  factory ; 
this  was  afterwards  converted  into  a  woolen  factory  and  burned.  The 
village  continued  prosperous  until  about  1820,  when  the  diversion  of 
business  to  the  Erie  Canal  temporarily  checked  its  growth.  Dr.  Bald- 
win continued  until  near  his  death  the  active  and  liberal  promoter  of 
all  public  affairs. 

There  was  a  service  which  he  rendered  during  the  war  of  1812  which  ought  not  to 
be  overlooked.  Baldwinsville  being  on  the  direct  route  to  the  frontier,  and  only 
twenty-four  miles  distant,  he,  perceiving  the  great  want  of  effective  firearms,  pro- 
cured a  loan  from  Governor  Tompkins  of  several  hundred  stand,  which  he  issued  to 
such  as  were  not  provided,  and  who  were  on  their  way  to  meet  the  enemy,  who  were 
daily  expected  at  Oswego,  taking  for  each  stand  so  delivered  a  receipt.  This  duty 
he  continued  to  discharge  without  pay,  and  at  the  close  of  the  war  returned  the  arms 
to  the  government.  He  also  built  a  large  flotilla  of  boats,  which  were  in  the  service 
of  the  United  States  during  most  of  the  war.  He  commanded  a  company  of  soldiers 
at  the  battle  of  Oswego,  where  he  received  a  slight  wound. 1 

In  1819-20  such  parts  of  the  village  site  as  had  not  already  been  sold, 
passed  to  Stephen  W.  and  Harvey  Baldwin,  the  two  elder  sons  of  Dr. 
I '.aid  win,  and  from  them  to  later  owners.  They  made  many  important 
improvements  in  the  village,  rebuilt  the  toll  bridge,  which  stood  until 
about  the  close  of  the  war;  enlarged  the  canal  and  locks,  rebuilt  the 
dam,  purchased  land  on  the  south  side  of  the  river  which  they  divided 

1  Clark's  Onondaga,  vol.  II,  p.  160. 


THE  TOWN  OF  LYSANDER.  745 

into  lots  and  sold ;  built  mills  on  that  side  and  otherwise  carried  out 
projects  for  the  mutual  advantage  of  the  village  as  a  whole.  Dr.  Bald- 
win died  at  Onondaga  Hill,  whither  he  had  gone  on  a  visit,  on  the  3d 
day  of  March,  1827. 

When  Dr.  Baldwin  arrived  in  1S07  the  place,  what  there  was  of  it, 
was  called  "  Columbia,"  a  name  that  clung  to  it  until  1817,  when  a  post- 
office  was  established  with  the  name,  "Baldwin's  Bridge."  This  soon 
became  shortened  to  the  present  name.  Dr.  Baldwin  was  the  first  post- 
master, and  among  his  early  successors  were  Stephen  \Y.  Baldwin, 
Otis  Bigelow,  Austin  Baldwin,  Dr.  L.  B.  Hall,  Dr.  Daniel  T.  Jones, 
E.  B.  Wigent,  Irvin  Williams,  and  David  S.  Wilkins.  Prior  to  L811 
mail  went  through  from  Onondaga  to  Oswego,  but  any  person  visiting 
Onondaga  brought  home  mail  for  his  neighbors.  Otis  Bigelow  related 
that  he  used  to  get  his  mail  in  181 G  at  Three  River  Point,  where  it  was 
left  with  a  Mr.  Sweet  who  then  kept  a  tavern  on  the  Lysander  side. 
After  the  establishment  of  the  post-office  stages  began  running  to  On- 
ondaga or  to  Syracuse.  Stephen  W.  Baldwin  at  one  time  ran  a  small 
boat  to  and  from  Syracuse,  by  way  of  the  river,  the  outlet  and  Onon- 
daga Lake,  carrying  passengers. 

The  first  apple  trees  that  were  set  out  in  the  town  of  Lysander  were 
planted  on  lot  57,  about  three  and  a  half  miles  northwest  of  Baldwins- 
ville,  on  the  margin  of  Beaver  Meadow.  They  were  put  out  by  John 
McHarrie,  about  the  year  1798.  They  stood  where  they  were  planted 
until  about  1886,  and  were  then  cut  down.  The  first  grass  was  cut  in 
Lysander  on  Beaver  Meadow  by  John  McHarrie  in  about  1790.  It  was 
"wild  grass,"  there  being  no  other  grass  to  be  found  in  this  section  at 
that  period.  The  cured  grass  was  drawn  to  Macksville  through  the 
woods  by  ox  teams,  and  afforded  wild  hay  for  cattle  and  sheep,  instead 
of  brush  fodder. 

Dr.  Baldwin  opened  a  store  at  Baldwinsville  in  1807  and  continued 
in  trade  until  1813.  In  the  latter  year  Otis  Bigelow  opened  a  store  and 
continued  in  business  until  1863.  Otis  Bigelow  was  a  native  of  Wor- 
cester, Mass.,  born  Feb.  1,  1785.  His  father  was  Asahel  Bigelow,  a 
Revolutionary  soldier.  At  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  of  1812  young 
Bigelow  joined  the  army  and  served  a  year  at  Sackett's  Harbor.  In 
the  spring  of  1813  he  settled  at  Baldwinsville  and  opened  his  store. 
He  was  appointed  justice  of  the  peace  in  L821;  was  appointed  post- 
master in  1828  and  served  twelve  years.  In  L828  he  was  appointed 
judge  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  and  held  the  oilier  ten  years.  In 
94 


746  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

1831  he  was  elected  to  the  Assembly.  He  was  a  man  of  sterling  char- 
acter, excellent  business  capacity,  and  acquired  wealth.  He  married 
in  1813  Mary  Payne  and  they  had  ten  children,  among  whom  was  the 
late  Payne  Bigelow,  long  a  leading  citizen  of  Baldwinsville.  Judge 
Bigelow  died  June  21,  1864. 

John  Hamill  opened  a  store  in  Baldwinsville  in  1816;  he  was  a  prom- 
inent citizen,  was  supervisor  at  the  time  of  his  death  in  1827  and  held 
other  public  positions.  Jonas  C.  Brewster  was  an  early  merchant,  had 
a  store  in  1821,  and  at  one  period  carried  on  business  on  both  sides  of 
the  river. 

Austin  Baldwin,  before  mentioned,  was  a  son  of  Dr.  Jonas  C,  was 
postmaster  at  one  time,  and  went  to  California  during  the  gold  excite- 
ment and  was  reported  killed. 

Reuben  S.  Orvis  was  the  first  lawyer  to  settle  in  Baldwinsville;  he 
began  practice  in  1816,  and  his  name  appears  in  the  list  of  Oswego 
county  officers  at  the  date  of  the  erection  of  that  county,  1816.  In 
L814  Dr.  Cyrus  Baldwin  established  himself  as  a  physician,  and  two 
years  later  he  was  joined  at  the  settlement  by  Dr.  Silas  Wallace. 

During  the  period  of  growth  enjoyed  by  Baldwinsville  prior  to  the 
opening  of  the  Erie  Canal  (1819-20)  many  other  pioneers  came  there  or 
settled  in  other  parts  of  the  town. 

Jacobus  De  Puy  arrived  at  Baldwinsville  from  Orange  county  in  1  si  15, 
and  bought  a  large  tract  of  land  just  east  of  the  village,  for  which  he 
paid  $1.25  per  acre  in  cash;  tradition  says  he  had  just  half  a  bushel  of 
silver  dollars  left.  He  began  clearing  on  the  hill,  known  as  the  Cramer 
farm,  cleared  fifty  acres  the  first  year  and  sowed  it  to  wheat  the  second  ; 
this  field  he  cut  with  a  sickle.  It  is  related,  as  indicating  the  number 
and  ferocity  of  wolves  in  those  days,  that  Cobas  and  John,  sons  of  the 
pioneer,  went  one  night  from  their  home  to  Baldwinsville,  and  on  their 
return  had  to  run  for  their  lives  from  a  pack  of  the  ravenous  animals. 
The  boy  who  gained  the  door  first,  threw  his  weight  against  it,  broke 
it  in  and  fell  his  whole  length  on  the  floor  with  his  brother  on  top  of 
him. 

Levi  Calkins  removed  from  Rutland  county,  Vt.,  in  1808  or  1809,  and 
settled  on  lot  X'.i,  where  he  built  a  log  house.  Many  of  his  descendants 
arc  resident  in  this  section.  In  1810  Jacob  Dykeman  settled  on  lot  90, 
made  a  clearing  and  set  two  orchards.  The  remains  of  his  old  house 
arc  still  visible  near  the  school  house  in  district  No,  20.  Later  he 
moved  to  the  farm  now  owned  by  Jonathan   Peacock,   where  he  died. 


THE  TOWN  OF  LYSANDER.  7  17 

George  White  came  in  IS]  1  with  his  parents  and  several  brothers  and 
settled  on  lot  86,  where  he  came  into  possession  of  200  acres  of  land 
which  he  cleared,  selling  the  wood  on  the  bank  of  the  river  for  50  cents 
a  cord.  Five  generations  of  his  family  are  still  represented  in  this  vicin- 
ity. Eliphalet  Frazee,  grandfather  of  Eliphalet  Z.  Frazee,  the  pr< 
tobacco  dealer,  became  a  settler  prior  to  L811  on  the  west  side  of  the 
river  at  New  Bridge  (Belgium).  He  came  from  Schoharie  county, 
whither  he  returned  for  his  family  and  stock;  but  on  his  wav  to  his  new 
home  he  stopped  at  Oneida  Castle,  where  he  met  a  Dr.  Carson,  who  had 
practiced  along  the  Seneca  River,  and  he  advised  Mr.  Frazee  to  not 
bring  his  family  here.  He  accordingly  rented  a  farm,  and  stopped 
where  he  was  for  a  period,  but  came  later.  Lyman  McHuron  came  in 
1817,  and  had  been  preceded  by  his  father.  He  walked  the  journey 
from  Vermont,  carrying  his  personal  property  in  a'bundle  on  his  back. 
He  related  that  he  reached  Green  Point  with  only  a  shilling  in  money, 
with  which  he  bought  a  card  of  gingerbread,  and  he  slept  in  a  salt 
block.  A  few  years  later  he  owned  the  farm  on  which  he  lived  and 
died,  leaving  numerous  descendents.  His  brother  Hiram  came  to  the 
town  at  a  little  later  date  probably.  Thomas  Doolittle  came  with  his 
wife  from  Middlebury,  Vt.,  before  1820  and  located  just  west  of  the 
Evans  corners. 

James  Slauson  removed  from  the  western  part  of  the  town  in  l^-.'>; 
and  settled  on  lot  89,  where  he  built  a  log  house  a  little  west  of  the 
residence  of  the  late  Lewis  Calkins.  He  ultimately  became  the  owner 
of  about  400  acres  of  land,  most  of  which  he  cleared.  What  has  been 
known  as  Drake's  Landing,  east  of  Baldwinsville,  was  settled  early,  and 
took  its  name  from  a  family  of  that  name,  the  members  of  which  num- 
bered fifteen.  The  head  of  the  family  was  named  Otis  Drake,  and  as 
each  one  of  his  children  married  he  built  a  house  for  the  young  couple. 
This  collection  of  dwellings  took  the  name  of  "  Drake's  Settlement." 

Among  the  earliest  settlers  on  the  site  of  Lysander  village  or  in  that 
vicinity  were  Richard  Smith,  Richard  Lusk,  Grover  Buel,  Abram  Van 
Doren,  John  Slauson,  and  his  brother  Zalmon  I).  Slauson.  John  Hal- 
stead,  George  W.  Brown,  and  Isaac  and  Alfred  Smith, 

One  of  the  earliest  of  the  arrivals  (according  t<>  the  reminiscences  of 
Richard  L.  Smith)  was  a  family  named  Starr,  who  settled  near  the  site 
of  Lysander  village  about  the  year  1804.  They  were  possessed  of 
peculiar  characteristics,  were  guarded  in  their  communications  with 
neighbors,  secretive  in   their   affairs,    and    lived  entirely  to  themselves. 


748  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

The  head  of  this  family  was  grandfather  of  John  Halstead,  who  was 
born  in  Ulster  county  in  1800,  was  brought  to  Geddes  by  his  parents 
and  taken  to  Ohio  in  the  spring  of  1804,  where  his  father,  Jonas,  died. 
Very  soon  thereafter  the  lad  went  to  live  with  his  grandfather  Starr. 
The  latter  died  at  the  age  of  eighty,  when  Halstead  purchased  a  farm 
on  lot  53,  built  a  log  house,  and  there  lived  a  lonely,  self-contented 
bachelor's  life,  his  whole  energies  given  to  making  and  saving  money, 
until  1869;  after  that  he  removed  to  the  residence  of  his  niece,  where 
he  resided  until  his  death.  As  far  as  success  is  determined  by  the 
gaining  of  wealth  Mr.  Halstead  was  successful,  and  at  his  death  he 
willed  his  property  for  the  benefit  of  the  schools  of  the  town;  but  the 
terms  of  the  will  were  such  and  the  succeeding  litigation  was  so  costly 
that  the  schools  have  not  received  the  slightest  benefit  under  the  will. 

Richard  Smith,  father  of  Richard  L.  Smith,  settled  in  Pompey  at  the 
beginning  of  the  century,  and  located  in  Lysander  in  1808,  purchasing 
100  acres  about  a  mile  from  Lysander  village,  built  a  log  cabin  and  pro- 
ceeded to  clear  his  land.  He  and  his  family  passed  through  all  the 
vicissitudes  of  the  pioneer's  life,  were  successful  in  the  best  sense  of  the 
expression,  and  lived  on  his  homestead  until  his  death  in  1865 ;  the 
farm  is  still  owned  by  his  descendants.  His  son,  Richard  L.  Smith, 
has  long  been  a  prominent  citizen  of  the  town,  and  a  sketch  of  his  life 
will  be  found  in  its  proper  place  in  these  pages. 

About  1810-11  a  family  named  Vickery  (probably  Abijah  and  Manly) 
settled  near  the  site  of  Lysander  village,  and  from  them  the  place  took 
the  name  of  "  Vickery 's  Settlement. "  Little  now  is  known  of  this 
family. 

Richard  Lusk  was  an  early  settler  and  a  farmer;  his  son,  De  Witt  C. 
Lusk,  was  in  trade  at  Baldwinsville  with  C.  H.  Toll.  On  account  of 
failing  health  he  went  to  the  Sandwich  Islands  and  died  there. 

George  Buell  located  on  lot  43  at  an  early  date,  and  might  be  properly 
said  to  be  one  of  the  pioneers.  He  was  a  man  of  no  education,  but  of 
good  natural  ability  and  indomitable  energy  and  a  perseverance  that 
enabled  him  to  triumph  over  all  obstacles,  becoming  the  owner  of  150 
acres  of  land,  cleared  it  off  with  his  own  hands,  and  at  the  time 
of  his  decease  was  the  possessor  of  considerable  wealth.  He  died 
February  18,  1874,  aged  seventy-nine  years.  His  wife  died  September 
22,  1879,  aged  eighty-two  years.  He  had  three  daughters  and  a  son, 
only  one  of  whom  is  now  living,  Harriet,  the  wife  of  James  Terwilleger. 
His  son  Simon  was  born  on  the  farm  in  1827,  and  died  February 
18,  1882. 


THE  TOWN  OF  LYSANDER.  749 

Abram  Van  Doren  was  a  successful  farmer.  Zalmon  B.  Slauson  was 
blind,  having-  become  so  at  the  age  of  seven  years,  but  in  the  fac< 
this  great  deprivation  he  carried  on  farming  and  cabinet  making  with 
success.  In  wood  working  he  was  an  exceptionally  fine  workman,  even 
in  comparison  with  those  who  could  see.  John  Slauson  and  George  \V. 
Brown  were  successful  farmers,  and  lived  a  number  of  years  near  the 
village.      Isaac  and  Alfred  Smith  were  farmers  north  of  the  village. 

In  1817  Chauncey  Betts  and  his  wife's  brother  Mr.  Skinner,  removed 
from  Troy  to  Vickery's  Settlement,  and  a  year  or  two  later  Jared 
Betts,  brother  of  Chauncey,  and  Nathan  Betts,  father  of  both  and 
a  Revolutionary  soldier,  located  there.  They  were  an  energetic  family 
and  Chauncey  Betts  and  Mr.  Skinner  built  a  log  store,  which  was  con- 
ducted by  Mr.  Skinner,  while  Mr.  Betts  built  a  potash  manufactory, 
enabling  the  settlers  to  dispose  of  surplus  wood  and  ashes.  He  also 
built  a  distillery  to  make  the  whisky  that  was  then  considered  indis- 
pensable in  most  families  In  Richard  Smith's  reminiscences  it  is 
stated  that  he  had  been  told  that  the  course  followed  in  the  distillery 
was  to  run  off  a  pail  of  whisky  during  the  day,  bring  it  to  the  store  in 
the  evening,  and  then  blow  a  tin  horn  to  notify  their  customers  that  the 
article  was  on  tap.  The  prominence  of  Mr.  Betts  in  the  little  hamlet 
soon  gave  the  place  the  new  name  of  "  Betts's  Corners,''  which  it 
remained  until  the  post-office  was  established,  when  it  was  given  its 
present  name  of  Lysander.  Mr.  Betts  was  the  first  postmaster.  He 
also  was  member  of  assembly  in  1826-7. 

About  1820  Cornelius  C.  Hubbard,  from  Montgomery  county,  settled 
in  the  village  and  opened  a  store  where  he  carried  on  a  successful 
trade;  he  built  also  a  potashery  and  was  postmaster.  Thomas  Ambler 
came  there  early  and  built  a  grist  mill  on  the  small  stream  near  the 
village,  which  was  a  great  convenience.  The  first  physician  in  the 
village  was  Dr.  Dennis  Kennedy,  who  also  built  and  kept  the  first 
tavern;  the  building  now  constitutes  a  part  of  the  present  hotel  In 
the  latter  part  of  his  life  he  gave  up  medical  practice  and  purchased 
the  mill  property  near  Lysander.  He  was  father  of  the  late  Dennis  M. 
Kennedy,  and  of  Bradford  Kennedy,  prominent  hardware  merchants 
of  Syracuse.  Dr.  Kennedy  died  April  24,  L863,  aged  ;;;  years.  Dr. 
George  Morley  located  there  early,  from  Pompey,  and  was  justice  of 
the  peace.  Some  others  who  settled  early  in  this  section  and  whose 
descendants  in  many  instances  still  live  in  the  town  were  Charles  Royce, 
wTho  held  the  office   of  justice  of  the  peace;  Aaron  F.  Vedder,  a  ear- 


750  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL 

penter  and  joiner,  and  many  of  the  buildings  in  the  village  and  vicinity 
are  the  work  of  his  hands.  Ralph  Russ  settled  in  1827,  father 
of  Harvey  H.  and  Chauncey  Russ;  the  latter  died  in  August,  1885; 
David  L.  Relyea,  Alonzo  North,  George  Curtis,  Clark  Berry,  a  wagon- 
maker,  and  at  one  time  justice  of  the  peace  and  supervisor,  resided 
one  and  a  half  miles  north  at  the  place  called  Baird's  Corners.  Andrew 
W.  Baird  moved  in  there  at  an  early  day  and  put  up  a  blacksmith  shop, 
hence  its  name.  Joseph  P.  Brown,  a  shoemaker,  who  held  the  office 
of  justice  of  the  peace;  Willard  P.  Bump,  who  succeeded  Cornelius  C. 
Hubbard,  and  was  at  one  time  postmaster,  and  later  on  among  those 
who  held  the  office  was  George  A.  Allen,  Barclay  Wooster,  H.  W. 
Andrews,  William  Culver,  Richard  L.  Smith,  Sara  C.  Winchel,  William 
C.  Winchell,  George  S.  Hayden,  and  James  E.  Decker,  the  present  in- 
cumbent. 

Samuel  Richards  was  among  the  early  settlers,  who  built  a  tannery 
and  carried  on  the  business  for  several  years.  Later  on  it  was  pur- 
chased and  run  by  Leander  Ballard  &  Co. 

In  the  vicinity  of  what  is  now  Plainville,  in  the  southwestern  part  of 
the  town,  settlement  was  largely  advanced  during  the  period  under  con- 
sideration. Here  William  Wilson,  the  first  of  three  or  four  genera- 
tions of  that  name,  settled  in  1806,  and  the  place  took  the  name  of 
"Wilson's  Corners."  Near  by  settled  in  1810  Amasa  B.  and  Silas 
Scofield;  the  former  was  a  farmer  north  of  the  hamlet.  Simon  Towrn 
also  settled  in  that  year  west  of  the  village;  he  was  father  of  J.  W. 
Town.  David  Carroll  was  another  pioneer  of  1810  in  that  locality.  In 
1813  Peter  Voorhees  settled  in  that  vicinity  and  died  in  1816.  His  son, 
Col.  James  L.  Voorhees,  became  a  leading  citizen  and  was  prominently 
identified  with  the  business  interests  of  Baldwinsville  and  Syracuse;  in 
the  latter  place  he  erected  the  Voorhees  House,  now  the  Empire  House, 
of  which  he  became  sole  owner  in  1850.  He  held  many  town  offices. 
Rulef  (or  Rulof)  Schenck  settled  herein  1815,  and  was  father  of  a  con- 
spicuous family.  He  died  June  28,  1888,  aged  sixty  years.  His  son, 
Dr.  Benjamin  Baird  Schenck,  was  six  years  old  when  his  parents 
settled  in  this  town.  Ill-health  prompted  him  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
three  years  to  take  up  the  study  of  medicine,  which  he  did  with 
Dr.  |.  11.  Skinner  of  Plainville;  attended  lectures  at  Fairfield,  and 
graduated  at  Geneva  in  1838.  Until  1876  he  practiced  at  Plainville, 
adopting  homoeopathy  in  1851.  He  was  prominent  in  the  militia;  was 
postmaster  from   L849  to  1853,  was  again  appointed  in  1863  and  held  the 


WILLIAM  WILSON, 


THE  TOWN  OF  LYSANDER.  :;,l 

office  at  his  death  March  22,  1883.  John  was  a  brother  of  Rulef  and  a 
leading-  farmer.  Abram  Daily  settled  here  in  1815,  as  also  did  John 
Buck,  who  was  an  early  merchant  many  years  and  postmaster.  Marvin 
Adams  located  in  1815  south  of  the  village,  and  in  that  vicinity  John 
Bratt  settled  in  1816.  A  post-office  was  established  here  in  1S21  and  a 
weekly  mail  was  received  from  Camillus,  going  on  to  Lysander.  The 
office  was  kept  at  first  a  mile  and  a  half  south  of  Plainville,  with  a  Mr. 
Stoddard  postmaster.  Lyman  Norton  was  an  early  merchant  and 
postmaster  succeeding  Dr.  Sehenck's  first  term;  he  engaged  also  in 
contracting  and  acquired  wealth,  and  was  member  of  Assemblvin  L852. 
He  left  descendants  in  this  town  and  elsewhere. 

When  William  Wilson,  the  pioneer  at  Plainville,  made  his  settlement 
in  1806,  he  brought  with  him  a  son  of  the  same  name  who  was  then  six 
years  old.  He  grew  to  manhood,  was  twice  married  and  had  eleven 
children,  the  eldest,  a  son,  receiving  the  name  William  and  occupying 
the  homestead. 

Benajah  C.  Upson  settled  in  the  Plainville  region  in  IS  12  and  was  a 
prosperous  farmer,  and  died  July  24,  1891,  aged  eighty-four  years;  he 
was  father  of  James  W.  Upson,  builder  of  the  Upson  block,  the  Seneca 
Hotel,  and  other  structures  in  Baldwinsville.  Thomas  S.  Martin  was  a 
farmer  of  a  later  date  near  Plainville,  and  died  in  1893  at  the  age  of 
ninety  years.  Edmund  Mills,  another  farmer  of  that  vicinity,  died 
December  10,  1891,  aged  ninety-four  years;  his  son  occupies  the  home- 
stead. 

Frederick  W.  Fenner,  a  native  of  Pompey,  born  in  L811,  was  brought 
by  his  parents  to  this  town  in  1817.  He  married  a  sister  of  Dr. 
Sehenek,  was  a  prominent  citizen  and  died  in  February,  L875,  leaving 
descendants  in  the  town. 

Amasa  Fuller  settled  early  on  a  farm  at  the  point  that  took  from  him 
the  name  of  "Fuller's  Corners."  He  was  a  carpenter,  and  from  him 
his  son,  William  L.,  learned  the  trade  and  they  built  many  of  the  early 
buildings  of  the  town.  William  L.  was  born  in  Columbia  county  in 
1819,  and  in  1850  he  removed  temporarily  to  Fulton  where  he  erected 
numerous  buildings.  In  18<J0  he  located  in  Baldwinsville,  built  many 
structures,  and  in  1866  joined  with  C.  X.  Bliss  in  manufacturing  sash 
and  doors. 

The  vicinity  of  Little  Utica  was  first  settled  by  Reuben  Coffin  who 
was  collector  in  1812,  and  whose  descendants  still  live  in  that  section. 
one  of  whom  now  bears  the  name  of  the  pioneer;  his  mother  was  a  cen- 


752  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

tenarian  at  her  death;  John  Butler,  Benjamin  Rathbun,  Sanford  Dun- 
ham, John  H.  Lamson,  Elijah  Fairbanks,  who  was  the  first  merchant 
there,  Peter  Earll,  Samuel  White,  Lucius  Gunn,  B.  M.  Ells,  Nicholas 
and  Carmi  Harrington,  a  prominent  family,  Dr.  Ezra  Baker,  a  mile 
from  the  hamlet,  and  others. 

The  post-office  was  established  in  1832,  with  Noah  Payne  postmaster, 
under  the  name  of  "  Paynesville;  "  several  years  later  the  name  was 
changed  to  Little  Utica.  Mr.  Payne  was  long  a  merchant  there  and 
carried  on  farming  also.  He  was  prominent  in  the  local  militia,  held 
several  town  offices  and  was  a  good  citizen.  Under  the  administration 
of  James  K.  Polk  the  post-office  was  removed  to  Jacksonville  and  the 
name  changed  to  Polkville,  where  it  remained  until  the  administration 
of  President  Lincoln  when  it  was  removed  back  to  Little  Utica  and  is 
still  continued  there. 

Other  early  settlers  of  whom  only  brief  notes  can  be  made  were 
Peter  Emerick,  who  settled  at  the  beginning  of  the  century  two  miles 
west  of  Baldwinsville  on  lot  78,  coming  with  Col.  Thomas  Farrington. 
The  Emerick  homestead  has  been  noted  for  its  beauty.  John  Petley 
settled  three  miles  east  of  Baldwinsville,  near  Belgium,  and  died  July 
14,  1883,  at  the  age  of  eighty-one  years;  John  L.  Fenner,  who  died  May 
11,  1885;  William  Fancher,  died  at  Jacksonville  June  11,  1886,  aged 
seventy- eight;  Sanford  Dunham  and  his  son,  N.  C.  Dunham;  the  latter 
was  born  in  the  town  and  died  in  1886  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight;  P. 
M.  Houghtaling,  a  farmer,  who  died  in  April,  1888,  aged  sixty- seven; 
David  Haynes,  a  pioneer,  and  his  son,  James;  the  latter  died  in  March, 
1889,  aged  seventy-two;  Josiah  Butts,  an  early  settler,  whose  son, 
James  L.,died  April  18,  1892,  aged  eighty- three ;  Lewis  Van  Doren,  a 
farmer,  died  July  24,  1894,  aged  eighty-four;  Jeremiah  Dunham,  a 
native  of  this  country,  born  in  1802,  died  in  1874;  he  was  father  of 
Joseph  Dunham  who  married  a  daughter  of  De  Witt  C.  Greenfield. 

What  had  these  numerous  hardy 'and  energetic  pioneers  accomplished 
in  the  first  quarter  of  the  century?  First  and,  perhaps,  most  important 
of  all,  many  of  them  who  settled  on  farms,  cleared  and  cultivated  their 
lands,  improved  their  dwellings  and  other  buildings  and  laid  the 
foundations  of  the  many  beautiful  homes  that  now  belong  to  their  pos- 
terity. ( )thers  built  mills,  especially  saw  mills,  which  sprang  up  in 
great  numbers  on  the  Seneca  and  a  few  on  the  small  streams  of  the 
town.  They  were  of  great  importance  until  the  forests  were  largely 
i  leared  away,  when  most  of  them  fell  into  disuse.     Others  engaged  in 


THE  TOWN  OF  LYSANDER.  7.r,3 

trade,  bringing  their  goods  in  early  years  from  the  cast  on  long  jour- 
neys by  the  well  known  water  route,  or  in  the  winter  by  teams,  and 
marketing  such  surplus  products  as  the  farmers  could  spare.  And  all 
labored  to  promote  the  general  welfare. 

At  the  first  town  meeting  of  which  there  are  existing  records,  held 
on  the  first  Tuesday  in  April,  1808,  Cyrus  Baldwin,  moderator,  the  fol- 
lowing officers  were  chosen : 

Elijah  Snow,  supervisor;  James  Adams,  town  clerk;  Henry  Emerick,  William 
Wilson,  and  James  Clark,  assessors;  Thomas  Clark,  collector;  Adam  Emerick  and 
Reuben  Clark,  poormasters;  Job  Loumis,1  Abner  Vickery,  Adam  Emerie,  commis- 
sioners of  highways;  Fry  Ferington,  Thomas  Clark,  constables;  William  Wilson, 
Silas  Scofield,  Benjamin  De  Puy,  fence  viewers  and  poundmasters ;  Parmenis  Adams, 
1st  ward,  Adam  Emerick,  2d  ward,  Thomas  Farington,  3d  war'1.  Reuben  Clark,  4th 
ward,  Abner  Vickery,  5th  ward,  William  Wilson,  (1th  ward.  Job  Loumis,  7th  ward, 
Alexander  Adams,  8th  ward,  overseers  of  highways;  Adam  Emerie,  Cyrus  Baldwin, 
commissioners  of  public  lots. 

It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  many  of  the  names  of  the  settlers  hereto- 
fore mentioned  are  found  in  this  list,  and  also  that  there  were  so  few  of 
them  in  the  town  that  some  had  to  accept  more  than  one  office, 
although  the  town  was  then  much  larger  than  now.  In  those  days  the 
office  usually  hunted  for  the  man. 

To  give  the  farmers  all  possible  opportunity  to  produce  pork,  their 
grain  crops  being  then  insignificant,  the  meeting  voted  that  hogs  should 
run  at  large;  but  in  1813  the  order  was  so  modified  that  if  the  hogs 
weighed  less  than  60  lbs.,  they  should  be  yoked.  It  was  also  voted  at 
this  meeting  that  "any  person  taking  cattle  to  run  on  the  commons 
shall  be  liable  to  ten  dollars  fine  for  each  head."  The  record  shows 
that  the  amount  of  license  money  due  the  town  for  1807  was  $32.17. 
William  Wilson  paid  a  license  of  $2.50,  and  others  about  the  same- 
amount.  For  support  of  the  poor  in  1807  $60.00  were  required,  and 
$250  for  roads  and  bridges. 

The  record  book  gives  information  showing  that  in  1805  Elizur 
Brace  was  supervisor  and  he  paid  $50  excise  money  to  the  town  In 
the  proceedings  of  the  meeting  in  1809  it  was  voted  to  impose  "ten 
dollars  fine  for  cattle  brought  into  town  to  feed  in  our  woods."  There 
was  voted,  also,  a  premium  of  "  ten  dollars  on  every  wolf's  seal  p  caught 
in  town  by  an  inhabitant  of  the  town,"  indicating  that  the  freeholders 
cared  as  much  for  keeping  the  revenue  at  home  as  they  did  for  having 
the  wolves  exterminated.     This  wolf  bounty  was  raised  to  $20  in  1815, 

'The  spelling  found  in  the  records  is  lull.. wed,  though  it  is  palpably  wrong  in  sojne  instances, 
95 


754  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

and  $5  on  bears.  A  penalty  was  imposed  in  1809  of  $5  "on  any  man 
letting"  Canada  Thistles  or  bnrweed  go  to  seed  on  his  farm." 

The  meeting  for  1810  was  to  be  held  at  "Widow  Emerie's,"  but 
nothing  of  importance  is  found  in  the  proceedings.  In  1811  the  people 
met  at  the  house  of  Abram  and  Peter  Emerick.  By  this  time  the  ques- 
tion of  road  construction  was  becoming  an  important  one.  The  overseer 
of  highways  in  those  days  had  an  exacting  time  if  he  did  his  duty. 
There  were  in  1811  thirteen  road  districts,  with  an  overseer  for  each. 
This  number  was  gradually  increased  to  fifteen  in  1812;  nineteen  in 
1813;  twenty-four  in  1814;  twenty  six  in  1816;  twenty-eight  in  1822; 
thirty  in  1823;  thirty-four  in  1824;  thirty-nine  in  1825;  forty-one  in 
1826;  forty-five  in  1827;  forty-eight  in  1828;  fifty-one  in  1830;  fifty-nine 
in  1831;  sixty-three  in  1834;  sixty-six  in  1835;  sixty-eight  in  1836; 
seventy-two  in  1838 ;  the  number  continued  to  increase  to  ninety-one 
in  1860.  In  1880  there  were  100  districts.  The  records  show  that 
eight  roads  were  surveyed  in  that  year;  three  in  1810;  five  in  IS  1 1  ; 
twelve  in  1812;  eight  in  1813;  two  in  1814;  five  in  1816;  five  in  1817; 
four  in  1818;  four  in  1819;  ten  in  1822;  twelve  in  1823;  seven  in  18-24, 
and  four  in  1825.  A  few  were  surveyed  in  nearly  every  year  until  about 
the  beginning  of  the  Civil  war,  since  which  time  there  has  been  little 
change  in  this  respect.  In  1818  the  inhabitants  were  assessed  for  974 
days'  work  on  the  roads.  Among  the  early  surveyors  of  roads  in  the 
town  are  found  the  names  of  R.  Burlingame,  Jos'eph  White,  Asahel 
North,  Henry  B.  Turner,  William  Moor,  Elijah  Colson,  Amos  Adams, 
Asa  Baker  Jireh  Baker,  and  George  W.  Robinson.  Some  of  these 
were  well  known  residents  of  the  town. 

Early  in  the  history  of  the  town,  officials  chosen  for  the  purpose  took 
up  the  matter  of  providing  facilities  for  educating  the  children.  School 
records  in  the  early  years  are  very  meager.  As  far  as  indicated  by 
them  the  first  school  inspectors  (as  they  were  then  termed)  were  elected 
in  1814;  Cyrus  Baldwin,  William  Wilson,  William  Wilson,  2d,  and 
John  Butler.  At  the  same  time  Cyrus  Baldwin,  William  Wilson, 
2d,  and  Seth  Cushman  were  chosen  commissioners  of  school  funds. 
In  1815  these  last  named  three  persons  are  called  commissioners  of 
schools  for  the  first  time,  and  Thomas  Rockwell,  Stephen  Tappen,  and 
Jared  Rundel  were  elected  school  inspectors.  The  school  expenses  in 
L815  were  about  $100.  In  1817  eight  inspectors  were  elected,  and  in 
L820  the  town  voted  to  raise  for  schools  double  the  sum  paid  by  the 
State,  a  policy  that  prevailed  many  years.      The  earliest  schools  were 


THE  TOWN  OF  LYSANDER.  755 

taught  in  diminutive  log  houses  and  sometimes  in  dwellings,  and  un- 
doubtedly the  first  ones  in  the  town  were  established  at  or  near  Bald- 
winsville.  In  the  reminiscences  of  Bradley  Abbott  he  says  that  district 
No.  1  was  organized  very  early  in  the  century,  and  that  district  No.  20 
was  organized  in  1833  or  1834,  taking  in  a  part  of  No.  I.  in  1819  a 
school  house  was  built  at  Plainville,  in  which  Amos  Adams  was  the 
first  teacher  and  Samuel  Richards  his  successor.  Between  1830  and 
1835  a  reorganization  of  school  districts  was  effected.  In  1845  the  num- 
ber was  twenty-one  and  there  has  been  little  change  since  then,  except 
to  alter  district  boundaries.  District  No.  25,  organized  in  1834,  com- 
prising lots  74,  75,  and  parts  of  63,  73,  76  and  84  was  dissolved  in  L849 
and  part  annexed  to  No.  5,  part  to  No.  8  and  part  to  No.  9.  District 
No.  10  (Clay  and  Lysander)  was  dissolved  and  part  annexed  to  No.  20 
and  part  to  No.  1.  The  legislative  act  of  March  30,  L864,  erected  the 
union  school  district  in  the  towns  of  Lysander  and  Van  Buren  and  cre- 
ated a  board  of  education;  it  comprised  districts  No.  "2  in  Lysander  and 
No.  18  in  Van  Buren,  and  was  called  Baldwinsville  Union  Free  School 
District.  James  Frazee,  John  P.  Shumway,  Abel  H.  Toll,  Henry  Y. 
Allen,  Silas  H.  Nichols,  Payne  Bigelow  were  made  a  corporation,  the 
"Board  of  Education  for  the  Baldwinsville  Academy  and  Union  Free 
School."  Henry  Y.  Allen  was  chosen  the  first  president  of  the  board, 
with  L.  H.  Cheney,  clerk;  Irvin  Williams,  treasurer;  John  J.  Widrig, 
collector;  J.  C.  B.  Wallace,  librarian.  Tuition  for  non-residents  was 
fixed  at  $4  for  the  primary  and  intermediate  departments,  and  $5  for 
the  higher  department;  classical  studies,  $6.  L.  H.  Cheney  was  ap- 
pointed principal  and  superintendent  at  a  salary  of  $1,000,  succeeding 
Dr.  J.  H.  French,  who  had  been  principal  before  the  new  order.  Seven 
teachers  were  appointed.  In  the  application  for  visitation  by  the  Re- 
gents, July  18,  1864,  it  is  stated  that  "the  academy  stands  on  alot  19  by 
99  feet,  which  was  purchased  in  1846  by  the  trustees  of  Union  school  dis- 
trict number  2,  town  of  Lysander,  for  $600,  the  title  of  which  is  now 
vested  in  the  Board  of  Education  of  Baldwinsville  Academy/'  A  fur- 
ther description  of  this  school  property  it  is  stated  that  the  academy 
building  was  40  by  60  feet  in  size,  two  stories  high  with  a  basement, 
and  valued  at  $6,0()(>.  There  were  41 6  books  in  the  library,  and  the  total 
value  of  academy  property  is  given  as  $7,3*3  L.40.  In  L865  the  principal 
was  instructed  to  prepare  a  code  of  regulations  and  a  course  of  study 
for  the  school.  At  a  meeting  held  April  1,  1867,  Wallace  Tappan  of- 
fered a  resolution  which  was  adopted,  that  a  special  act  of   Legislature 


756  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

be  procured  under  which  $17,500  should  be  raised  on  bonds,  $2,500  of 
which  should  be  used  in  repairing-  the  school  house  on  the  south  side, 
and  the  remainder  to  buy  a  site  and  build  a  large  and  modern  school 
house  on  the  north  side.  The  site  now  in  use  was  purchased  at  a  cost 
of  $7,000,  toward  which  about  $1,000  was  subscribed  by  citizens.  The 
last  of  the  bonds  issued  for  this  purpose  was  due  and  paid  in  January, 
1884.  In  1883  the  upper  room  of  the  academy  was  finished  for  use  at 
a  cost  of  $1,500.  In  the  same  year  a  resolution  was  adopted  that  ap- 
plication be  made  to  the  Legislature  for  passage  of  a  bonding  act  under 
which  $10,000  could  be  raised  for  the  erection  of  a  new  school  building 
in  the  district  on  the  south  side.  The  building  was  erected  in  1884  at 
a  cost  of  $8,000. 

The  folloming  is  a  list  of  the  presidents  of  the  Board  of  Education 
and  the  dates  of  their  election : 

James  Bolton,  January,  1869;  S.  C.  Suydam,  1870;  John  T.  Skinner,  1873;  S.  C. 
Suydam,  1875;  John  T.  Skinner,  1876;  S.  C.  Suydam,  1877;  W.  F.  Morris,  1879;  F. 
A.  Marvin,  1882;  A.  T.  Hotaling,  1892;  J.  F.  Williams,  1894-5.  Other  members  of 
the  present  board  are  Otis  M.  Bigelow,  S.  J.  Lonergan,  Elijah  P.  Clark,  John  W. 
Petley,  William  McGann,  N.  E.  Bartlet ;  M.  H.  Smith,  clerk. 

The  school  districts  of  the  town  at  large  in  1879  were  thus  described: 

No.  1,  Cold  Spring,  lot  42;  No.  2,  Little  Utica,  lot  38;  No.  3,  Hortontown,  lot  56; 
No.  4,  Spragueville,  "Cross  Lake,"  lot  92;  No.  5,  Plainville,  lot  73;  No.  6,  John  Hal- 
stead's  (brick  school  house),  lot  43;  No.  7,  Jacksonville,  lot  46;  No.  8,  Fenner,  lot  55; 
No.  9,  Plank  Road,  lot  77;  No.  10  (recorded,  not  organized),  joint  district,  Lysander 
and  Granby,  lot  36;  No.  12,  joint  district,  Lysander  and  Cayuga  county,  lot  52;  No. 
13,  Smoky  Hollow,  lot  68;  No.  14,  Stone  Quarry,  lot  67;  No.  15,  Chestnut  Ridge,  lot 
82;  No.  16,  Baldwinsville,  lot  85 ;  No.  17,  Lysander,  lot  43;  No.  18,  Baird's  Corners, 
lot  34;  No.  19,  Togg,  lot  98;  No.  20,  Cold  Spring  (brick  school  house),  lot  90;  No  21, 
Dingle  Hole  (Lamson's),  lot  39;  No.  22,  Wright's  Corners,  lot  40;  No.  23,  lot  60,  on 
lot^60;  No.  24,  West  Phoenix,  lot  42.  There  are  in  1895  in  the  town  twenty-one  whole 
and  two  joint  districts. 

While  these  efforts  were  in  progress  to  provide  for  the  secular  educa- 
tion of  the  young,  no  less  efficient  measures  were  early  adopted  for  the 
organization  of  Christian  churches  and  the  inauguration  of  public 
worship  among  the  inhabitants  of  the  town.  It  was  natural  that  the 
first  church  organization  should  be  in  the  Presbyterian  faith,  as  a 
missionary  was  sent  into  the  town  by  an  eastern  Presbyterian  asso- 
ciation in  the  person  of  Rev.  Ebenezer  Lazelle,  who  held  his  first 
service  in  a  barn  near  the  north  line  of  Baldwinsville  village.  A  so- 
ciety was  organized  by  him  on  July  13,  1813,  which  was  comprised  of 
the  following  fourteen  members:     Cyrus  and  Susan  Baldwin,   Thomas 


THE  TOWN  OF  LYSANDKl:.  757 

and  Betsey  Farrington,  George  and  Mary  White,  Eunice,  Sarah,  and 
Lucy  Porter,  Levi  Manasseh  and  Levi,  jr.,  Mary  Calkins,  and  William 
Van  Fleet.  Cyrus  Baldwin,  Thomas  Farrington  and  George  White- 
were  chosen  elders  November  12,  1813.  After  the  building  of  the 
school  house  in  the  village,  meetings  were  held  there  many  years.  A 
union  church  building,  afterwards  Herrick's  Hall,  was  finished  in  1830. 
The  building  became  the  Presbyterian  church.  The  present  church 
edifice  was  built  of  brick  in  18(55,  at  a  cost  of  about  $20,000 

In  the  vicinity  of  Lysander  village  were  many  early  Presbyterians 
and  some  of  the  Dutch  Reform  faith.  On  the  20th  of  October,  L820, 
the  "  Second  Presbyterian  Church  of  Lysander"  was  there  organized 
under  direction  of  Rev.  John  Davenport,  all  uniting.  The  following 
were  the  first  members:  William  Townsend,  Aaron  F.  Vedder,  Mar- 
garet Safford,  Harvey  Smith,  Altie  Voorhees,  Thomas  Ambler,  Cath- 
arine Ambler,  Henry  Perine,  and  Charlotte  Smith.  Services  were 
held  in  the  school  house  and  private  dwellings.  In  the  mean  time  the 
numbers  of  those  who  adhered  to  the  Dutch  Reform  faith  increased 
and  on  the  1st  of  March,  L828,  the  "First  Protestant  Dutch  Church  " 
was  organized  by  Rev.  James  Stevenson.  In  the  same  year  both  these 
organizations  united  and  erected  a  church.  Difficulties  arose,  litigation 
was  entered  upon  regarding  the  church  property,  and  after  several 
years  the  Dutch  Reform  organization  were  awarded  the  church.  This 
society  continued  prosperous  many  years;  but  by  is;-;  its  membership 
and  efficiency  had  greatly  decreased.  The  Presbyterians  built  a  church 
for  their  use  in  1833  and  prospered  many  years,  its  membership  at  one 
time  reaching  about  300.  But  in  course  of  time  this  society  also  be- 
came very  much  weakened  and  in  1877  under  an  order  of  the  court  the 
two  organizations  were  united  under  the  name  of  "The  Congrega- 
tional Church  and  Society  of  Lysander."  This  society  is  still  in  exist- 
ence. The  first  pastor  was  Rev.  Henry  T.  Sell;  his  successors  have 
been  Revs.  John  L.  Franklin,  Charles  H.  Curtis,  Charles  K.  Iloyt  and 
John  L.  Keedy,  who  is  the  present  pastor. 

The  Baptist  services  began  at  Cold  Spring  in  L813,  and  in  1818  under 
Rev.  Dudley  Lamb,  a  society  was  organized  called  "The  Second  Bap- 
tist Church  of  Christ  in  Lysander."  Services  were  held  in  the  school 
house,  but  the  society  did  not  gain  rapidly  and  in  1840  it  removed  to 
Baldwinsville;  on  the  3d  of  October  of  that  year  it  took  the  name  of 
"The  Baldwinsville  Baptist  Church."  A  church  edifice  was  built  and 
dedicated  on  January  1,  1841.  The  present  brick  church  was  dedicated 
in  December,  1871. 


758  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL 

Methodist  services  were  first  held  at  Baldwinsville  in  1821  on  the 
south  side  of  the  river,  by  James  Baldwin,  an  exhorter,  where  he 
formed  a  class.  In  1828  Baldwinsville  was  transferred  to  the  old 
Cayuga  district  and  Lysander  circuit.  In  1829  Baldwinsville  and 
Lysander  circuits  were  transferred  to  Oneida  Conference,  while  in  1836 
Baldwinsville  and  Lysander  appear  in  the  Oswego  district  of  that  con- 
ference. In  1838  the  Baldwinsville  class  had  twenty-five  members,  and 
in  the  next  year  meetings  were  held  in  the  school  house  on  the  north 
side  of  the  river.  In  1840  Baldwinsville  was  placed  in  the  Clay  circuit 
and  in  1843  was  made  a  station,  having  then  forty-five  members,  but 
no  church  property.  On  the  29th  of  August  of  that  year,  at  a  meeting 
called  for  the  purpose,  E.  Hickok,  A.  Dayton,  B.  Nichols,  T.  Nichols, 
and  D.  Derbyshire  were  elected  trustees  of  the  First  Methodist  church. 
A  lot  was  bought,  a  wooden  church  erected  and  dedicated  in  Decem- 
ber, 1844.  In  June,  1869,  the  society  having  outgrown  the  old  church, 
measures  were  taken  to  build  a  new  one.  The  present  building  was 
dedicated  October  20,  1870,  and  cost  about  $32,000. 

In  1830  or  1831  the  Rev.  Elijah  Barnes  and  Rev.  Benjamin  Rider 
"Were  appointed  to  the  Lysander  circuit,  and  through  their  efforts  a 
class  was  organized  at  "  Betts"s  Corners,"  as  Lysander  was  then  called. 
Previous  to  1844  services  were  held  in  the  school  houses  or  in  dwellings, 
but  in  that  year  a  wooden  church  was  built;  in  1849  a  parsonage  was 
purchased.      This  church  has  several  times  been  repaired  and  enlarged. 

The  origin  of  the  Methodist  church  at  Little  Utica  was  a  class  formed 
in  September,  1832,  called  the  "  Palmertown  Class,"  with  George 
Kellogg  leader.  A  church  was  built  in  1834,  which  was  repaired  and 
improved  in  1857  and  in  1875. 

The  White  Chapel,  at  Cold  Spring,  takes  its  name  from  George 
White,  under  whose  efforts  services  were  held  early  in  the  century.  A 
church  was  erected  in  1861. 

The  Christian  church  at  Plainville  originated  under  the  labor  of 
Elder  Obadiah  E.  Morrill  in  1820.  He  continued  with  his  flock  about 
twenty  years.  A  frame  church  was  erected  in  1831,  which  was  burned 
in  1852,  and  was  replaced  by  the  present  brick  structure. 

Grace  Church  (Episcopal),  Baldwinsville,  was  organized  July  27, 
1835,  with  Rev.  Richard  Salmon,  of  Geddes,  presiding.  James  D. 
Wallace  and  Norman  Kellogg  were  elected  wardens;  Stephen  W.  Bald- 
win, Clarence  S.  Bayley,  Nehemiah  B.  Northrop,  Benjamin  C.  Jeff- 
ries, Isaac  T.  Minard,  Horace  Baldwin,  E.  Austin  Baldwin,  and  Walter 


REV.   W.  M.   BEAUCHAMP. 


THE  TOWN  OF  LYSANDER.  759 

D.  Merrick,  vestrymen.  Services  had  been  held  by  Mr.  Salmon  as 
early  as  the  latter  part  of  1833,  and  were  continued  by  him  in  the 
Union  church,  later  Herrick's  Hall,  on  the  third  Sunday  of  each  month. 
With  Mr.  Salmon's  removal,  services  were  interrupted  nearly  three 
years,  and  were  renewed  in  1838  by  Rev.  George  B.  Engle,  missionary, 
who  held  services  on  alternate  Sundays.  There  were  then  only  three 
communicants,  one  of  whom  was  Mrs.  Eliza  M.  Baldwin,  to  whom  the 
parish  was  afterwards  deeply  indebted.  Rev.  Mr.  Engle  removed  west 
in  1841,  and  again  services  were  interrupted  five  years.  Rev.  Samuel  G. 
Appleton  officiated  a  short  time  in  18-46,  from  which  time  to  1850  the 
only  services  were  three  visitations  by  Bishop  De  Lancey.  In  that 
year  Rev.  Theodore  M.  Bishop  began  holding  services  in  a  school  house 
on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  and  continued  until  L854.  The  corner 
stone  of  the  present  church  edifice  was  laid  in  August,  1853,  but  owing 
to  the  falling  of  the  frame  in  a  high  wind  and  other  obstacles  the  build- 
ing was  not  finished  until  L860,  when  it  was  consecrated  on  the  13th  of 
November.  Rev.  Henry  Gregory,  D.D.,  officiated  in  the  pulpit  until 
1864,  and  on  the  1st  of  July,  1865,  Rev.  W.  M.  Beauchamp,  S.T.I).,  was 
chosen  rector,  and  has  officiated  to  the  present  time. 

St.  Mary's  (Catholic)  church,  Baldwinsville,  was  built  and  consecrated 
in  1851,  mainly  through  the  efforts  of  Rev.  Samuel  Mulloy.  Prior  to 
that  year  services  had  been  held  in  the  village  by  Row  Michael  Hackett 
and  Rev.  Joseph  Guerdet.  The  church  property  is  now  valuable  and 
the  membership  large 

Slavery  was  abolished  in  this  town  in  1821,  but  all  slaves  were  not 
free  until  1830.  There  were  epiite  a  number  of  slaves  brought  into  the 
town,  and  the  last  of  them  has  not  yet  passed  away.  Two  were 
brought  in  by  William  Reims  Willett,  a  Methodist  preacher  who  came 
from  the  South  and  settled  after  1820  near  Belgium,  where  he  bought 
1,000  acres  of  land  and  erected  a  typical  southern  homestead,  which  is 
still  occupied. 

By  the  year  1830  the  population  of  the  town  had  reached  3,228,  its 
increase  having  been  steady  and  healthful  during  the  preceding  decade. 
In  1835  it  had  grown  to  3,838,  and  from  that  time  to  1850  the  increase 
in  population  was  more  marked  than  at  any  other  period  in  the  history 
of  the  town.  In  1840  it  was  4,306,  and  at  the  half  century  had  reached 
5,833,  a  figure  that  has  never  been  exceeded.  While  general  prosperity 
prevailed  during  most  of  this  period,  the  several  village  communities 
of   the   town   experienced   their  seasons  of   "hard  times,"  particularly 


760  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

those  of  1837-8  and  1857,  in  common  with  larger  commercial  centers; 
but  the  situation  of  the  town  at  a  distance  from  the  main  thoroughfares 
of  travel,  which  in  its  earliest  years  operated  against  its  rapid  settle- 
ment, now  saved  it  from  the  consequence  of  expanded  values  and  over- 
speculation  ;  moreover  the  town  possessed  within  itself  natural  resources 
which,  with  its  manufacturing  industries,  rendered  it  largely  independ- 
ent of  the  business  fluctuations  that  were  disastrous  to  many  places. 

In  the  summer  of  1839  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  were  pleasantly 
agitated  by  the  formation  of  a  company  and  the  survey  for  a  railroad  to 
pass  through  Baldwinsville  and  the  heart  of  the  town.  Syracuse  al- 
ready had  a  railroad  running  through  it  east  and  west,  which  was  suc- 
cessful be5^ond  the  most  sanguine  expectations  of  its  projectors,  and 
which  was  of  great  benefit  to  the  towns  along  its  line — benefit  from 
which  Lysander  was  to  a  great  extent  excluded.  But  the  railroad  was 
not  to  come  for  several  years,  and  it  was  not  until  1847  that  the  com- 
pany was  finally  formed  and  ready  to  begin  work  on  the  road  bed.  So 
energetically  was  the  work  prosecuted  that  the  road — the  Syracuse  and 
Oswego — was  opened  for  traffic  in  October,  1848.  The  tendency  of 
railroads  to  sacrifice  small  villages  to  the  building  up  of  large  ones  and 
cities  is  well  understood ;  but  this  is  offset  in  large  measure  by  the  ad- 
vantages of  nearer  and  more  active  markets  and  the  consequent  general 
expansion  of  production.  Baldwinsville  and  its  vicinity  has  undoubtedly 
been  benefited  by  the  railroad  passing  through  it.  Besides  the  station 
at  Baldwinsville,  another  was  made  called  Lamson's  (from  a  prominent 
family  of  that  name)  in  the  north  part  of  the  town.  The  large  hotel 
at  that  place  was  built  by  Harvey  Slauson. 

At  about  the  time  when  the  railroad  was  approaching  the  town,  an- 
other factor  of  prosperity  was  developing,  the  local  influence  of  which 
was  to  prove  inestimable.  In  1845  the  culture  of  tobacco  was  begun  in 
a  small  way  at  Marcellus  by  Chester  Moses  and  Nathan  Grimes.  In 
1846  Mars  Nearing  had  ten  acres  in  Salina,  and  others  followed  in  the 
work  to  such  an  extent  that  in  1855  there  were  554,987  pounds  grown  in 
this  county.  The  culture  of  tobacco  in  Lysander  began  in  1850,  and 
during  the  succeeding  quarter  of  a  century  it  grew  to  a  great  industry, 
and  continues  so  to  the  present  time.  Lysander  and  Van  Buren  are 
now  the  leading  towns  of  the  county  in  this  industry.  Among  the  many 
who  have  been  large  and  successful  growers  in  this  town  are  James 
Selleck,  E.  W.  Tucker,  Daniel  Cramer  and  his  brothers,  J.  B.  Munn, 
John  Palmer,  William  Wilson  and  his  son  (producers  of  the  celebrated 


4^ 


THE  TOWN  OF  LYSANDER.  761 

Wilson    hybrid),    James    Decker,    Millard    Smith,    John    H.   Monroe, 

Charles  Selleck,  and  many  others  who  are  perhaps  equally  worth}'  of 
mention. 

The  establishment  of  the  various  institutions  and  enterprises  noticed 
in  preceding"  pages,  the  development  of  agricultural  interests  through- 
out the  town,  the  business  needs  of  the  several  hamlets  described,  all 
of  which  depended  for  many  years  upon  Baldwinsville  for  their  supplies 
as  well  as  for  a  market  for  surplus  products,  and  the  great  value  of  its 
water  power,  combined  and  contributed  to  give  that  village  a  command- 
ing position  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  county — a  position  which 
it  still  retains.  Its  progress  has  been  gradual  and  steady  from  the 
time  when  it  recovered  from  the  adverse  effects  of  the  Erie  Canal 
(about  1825),  and  the  village  has  never  given  stronger  evidence  of 
thrift,  enterprise  among  its  citizens,  and  future  growth  than  at  present. 
The  early  stores  and  mills  of  the  village  established  by  Dr.  Baldwin 
and  his  pioneer  contemporaries  have  been  mentioned.  They  were 
rapidly  followed  by  other  mills  that  were  demanded  for  the  reduction 
of  the  valuable  forests.  In  1S-24  Start  &  Mott  built  a  mill  with  two 
saws  and  carriages  Two  years  later  James  Johnson  erected  one  with 
four  saws,  and  Stephen  W.  and  Harvey  Baldwin  built  one  with  a  gang 
of  fifteen  saws.  Starts  Mott's  mill  burned  in  18:>4  and  was  rebuilt 
in  184?  by  Richard  M.  Beach.  In  1839  Thomas  P.  Campbell  built  a 
mill  with  two  saws  and  in  1>48  Howard  &  Cook  erected  one  of  the  same 
capacity.  In  1836-T  Sandford  C.  Parker  built  a  grist  mill  100  by  tin 
feet  and  four  stories  high  with  basement,  for  ten  runs  of  stone,  six  of 
which  were  at  first  put  in  operation.  The  mill  was  burned  in  L861  and 
rebuilt  in  the  next  year  by  Johnson,  Cook  &  Co.  In  L870  it  passed  to 
G.  H.  &  A.  T.  Hotaling,  who  changed  the  mill  to  the  roller  process 
and  otherwise  improved  it.  The  present  firm  is  Hotaling  &  Co.  On 
the  site  of  the  present  Amos  mills  was  erected  what  was  known  as  the 
red  mill  in  about  18:55  by  James  Johnson.  The  present  mill  was  built 
by  Jacob  Amos  in  1868  and  is  now  owned  by  his  son,  Jacob.  The  red 
mill  was  burned  with  the  first  woolen  factory  in  1842.  W.  L.  Wilkins 
built  a  flour  and  feed  mill  in  1854,  which  he  operated  more  than  twenty 
years;  it  is  now  run  by  John  Bellen.  The  mill  now  operated  by  the 
James  Frazee  Milling  Company  (incorporated  L892)  was  built  in  L859 
60  by  James  Frazee,  and  has  a  capacity  of  500  barrels  per  day.1      What 

1  James  Frazee  is  a  son  of  [acob,  who  came  to  Lysander  in  (823  and  died  in  1888  at  the  .<. 
96 


762  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

was  long  known  as  "the  Farmers'  Mill  of  Van  Buren  "  is  on  the  south 
side  and  was  formerly  operated  by  D.  &  G.  Morris,  from  whom  it  passed 
to  E.  P.  Clark  and  in  1880  to  Clark,  Mercer  &  Co;  it  has  a  capacity  of 
100  barrels. 

In  writing  of  the  village  in  1849,  Clark  says: 

There  are  at  present  over  two  thousand  inhabitants  in  the  village  of  Baldwinsville, 
seven  stores,  four  taverns,  seven  lawyers,  seven  physicians,  three  clergymen,  three 
meeting  houses.  There  is  an  extensive  woolen  factory,  called  Kellogg's  Woolen 
Factory,  two  tanneries,  a  set  of  planing  machines  and  sash  factory,  two  furnaces, 
two  plaster  mills,  four  carriage  making  shops,  seven  blacksmith  shops,  etc. 

In  186G  Fuller  &  Bliss  established  a  planing  mill  and  sash,  door  and 
blind  factory,  the  partners  being  William  L.  Fuller  and  C.  N.  Bliss. 
This  is  a  large  industry  and  still  in  operation  by  Bliss  &  Suydam.  In 
1862  Johnson,  Cook  &  Co.  built  a  structure  for  use  as  a  distillery  in 
connection  with  their  grist  mill.  In  this  in  1874  Schoonmaker  &  Co. 
(Andrew  S.  Schoonmaker,  now  deceased,  Theodore  Haines,  and  Jacob 
C.  Kenyon),  began  the  manufacture  of  straw  wrapping  paper.  This 
mill  is  now  in  operation  by  the  Kenyon  Paper  Company  and  manu- 
factures tissue  paper  only. 

In  1850  Ezekiel  Morris,  an  edge  tool  maker,  removed  from  Little 
Falls  to  Baldwinsville  and  established  a  factory  for  his  business.  He 
died  in  1869  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years,  and  was  succeeded  in  the 
business  by  his  sons,  H.  D.  and  William  F.  Morris,  in  1860,  and  in  1869 
William  F.  withdrew  from  the  business  and  was  chosen  cashier  of  the 
First  National  Bank.  In  1870  he  bought  out  the  centrifugal  pump 
manufactory  of  Heald,  Sisco  &  Co.,  which  had  established  a  successful 
business,  and  later  bought  up  the  entire  establishment.  A  large  busi- 
ness was  done,  and  the  manufacture  of  steam  engines  and  general  ma 
chine  work  added.  In  1892  the  works  were  taken  by  the  Morris  Ma- 
chine Works,  which  was  incorporated  with  a  capital  of  $300,000.  It  is 
a  very  large  and  prosperous  industry. 

In  June,  1876,  White,  Clark  &  Co.  established  the  centrifugal  pump 
works  in  the  building  in  which  was  formerly  the  axe  factory.  The 
pump  works  were  subsequently  removed  to  Syracuse. 

The  only  saw  mill  in  Baldwinsville  at  the  present  time,  of  all  those 
that  have  been  erected,  is  operated  by  Fairbanks  &  Taggart. 

The  New  Process  Rawhide  Company  was  organized  by  Syracuse  men 

!)0.    James  Frazee  settled  in  Baldwinsville  in  1  S4.">,  and  built  his  mills  in  1859,  which  he  remodeled 
in  1898  and  increased  their  capacity.     Mr.   Frazee  is  a  prominent  citizen  of  the  town  and  was  a 
the  Legislal  iwr  in  is:,;. 


THE  TOWN  OF  LYSANDER.  763 

and  occupies  a  factory  built  for  their  purpose.  It  is  a  successful  in- 
dustry and  manufactures  various  articles,  among  which  are  superior 
pinions  for  electric  motors. 

The  knitting  mill  now  conducted  by  J.  C.  &  J.  C.  Miller,  was  estab- 
lished in  1876  by  J.  C.  Miller.  About  200  hands  are  employed  chiefly 
in  the  production  of  white  underwear. 

Mercantile  operations  in  the  village  kept  pace  with  these  manufac- 
tures. In  the  same  year  that  John  Hamill  opened  his  store  (1816), 
Parker  &  Wallace  began  trade,  and  were  followed  by  [onas  C.  Bi 
ster  in  1821,  Luther  Badger  in  1823,  Robins  &  Wells  in  L832,  Sandfoid 
C.  Parker  in  1835  (president  of  the  village  in  18-5:5-4),  John  H.  Tom- 
linson  &  Co.  in  1838,  D.  C.  Lusk  &  Co.  in  1846,  and  John  Tomlinson, 
1838,  on  the  north  side.  All  this  time  and  for  nearly  twenty  years 
later  Otis  Bigelow  was  a  leading  merchant.  Others  who  have  been 
prominent  in  business  in  later  years  are  S.  M.  Dunbar,  Isaac  Dixon, 
M.  Donavan,  Alanson  Fancher,  John  Hax,  Irvin  S.  Williams,  Alex. 
Hamill,  G.  N.  Luckey,  S.  C.  Suydam,  Wallace  Tappan. 

The  professions  received  accessions  to  their  representatives  in  the 
persons  of  Samuel  H.  Hammond  in  1826,  Cornelius  Pugsley  soon  after- 
ward, Col.  Isaac  T.  Minard,  1833,  and  De  Witt  C.  Greenfield  in  L848; 
the  latter  still  in  practice.  These  were  attorneys,  and  in  later  years 
lawyers  Le  Roy  Morgan,  George  Hall,  X.  M.  White  (late  police  justice 
of  Syracuse),  F.  A.  Marvin,  J.  R.  Shea,  C.  M.  West  and  others  settled 
here.  In  1814  Dr.  Cyrus  Baldwin  began  practice,  and  Dr.  Silas 
Wallace  in  1816.  Dr.  Philip  Sharp  settled  a  little  west  of  the  village 
as  early  as  1823,  and  later  physicians  have  been   Drs.  H.  J.  Shumway, 

Farnsworth,   -       -   Lee,    Elijah    Lawrence,    John    Briggs,    Henry 

B.  Allen,  J.  Y.  Kendall  (still  in  practice),  J.  C.  B.  Wallace,  J.  F. 
Wells,  A.  H.  Marks,  L.  V.  Flint  and  others. 

To  provide  financial  facilities  for  these  various  business  interests,  the 
First  National  Bank  of  Baldwinsville  was  organized  February  2,  L864, 
with  James  Frazee,  president;  D.  C.  Greenfield,  vice-president;  Irvin 
Williams,  cashier.  In  1866  the  bank  erected  its  own  building  at  a  cost 
of  $8,000,  which  it  has  since  occupied.  The  capital  of  the  bank  was 
made  $140,000.  It  has  been  successfully  conducted  and  on  a  plan  of 
liberality  which  has  received  the  commendation  of  the  public.  In  L879 
Mr.  Frazee  having  resigned,  Richard  L.  Smith  was  chosen  president; 
W.  F.  Morris,  vice-president,  and  Walter  McMullin,  cashier,  who  are 
in  office  at  the  present  time;  the  capital  stock  was  reduced  to  $100,01  0 
in  1880. 


764  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

The  Baldwinsville  State  Bank  was  organized  in  May,  1875,  with  a 
capital  of  $50,000,  with  George  Hawley,  president;  G.  A.  Bigelow, 
vice-president;  S.  S.  Quivey,  cashier.  On  the  death  of  George  Hawley 
Payne  Bigelow  was  chosen  president,  and  at  his  death  Otis  M.  Bigelow 
was  chosen  and  holds  the  position  at  the  present  time;  G.  A.  Bigelow 
being  vice-president  and  S.  S.  Quivey  cashier.  The  capital  stock  has 
been  increased  to  $60,000. 

The  proximity  of  Baldwinsville  to  Syracuse  undoubtedly  delayed  the 
publication  of  a  newspaper  in  the  village  until  a  comparatively  recent 
date.  The  first  paper  was  started  in  the  spring  of  1844  by  Samuel  B. 
West,  and  was  called  the  Baldwinsville  Republican.  In  October,  1846, 
it  passed  to  C.  Mark  Hosmer,  who  changed  the  name  to  the  Onondaga 
Gazette.  In  January,  1848,  the  publishers  were  Shepard  &  Hosmer, 
who  sold  to  J.  M.  Clark.  He  was  a  successful  editor  and  during  many 
years  his  paper  was  popular.  He  sold  out  to  J.  F.  Davis,  but  ere  long 
repurchased  the  establishment  and  in  1869  sold  to  X.  Haywood,  who 
enlarged  the  paper.  In  1871  George  S.  Clark  purchased  the  business, 
and  on- the  1st  of  January,  1878,  it  was  again  sold  to  John  F.  Greene, 
who  changed  the  name  of  the  paper  to  the  Baldwinsville  Gazette. 
Under  Mr.  Greene's  management  the  paper  rapidly  improved  in  both 
make-up  and  news  matter.  In  1888  Mr.  Greene  admitted  as  partners 
Charles  B.  Baldwin  and  James  A.  Ward,  and  the  title  of  the  firm  was 
changed  to  the  Gazette  Publishing  Company,  Mr.  Greene  largely  de- 
voting his  attention  to  other  affairs.  In  January,  1894,  Greene  sold  his 
interest  to  W.  F.  Morris,  and  in  May  Ward  retired  from  the  firm.  In 
May,  1895,  the  Gazette  business  was  incorporated  with  a  capital  of 
$30,000,  under  the  title  of  the  W.  F.  Morris  Publishing  Company,  with 
the  following  officers :  William  F.  Morris,  president ;  Charles  G.  Baldwin, 
vice-president ;  Willard  W.  Lewis,  secretary  and  treasurer. 

The  Baldwinsville  Era  was  established  in  November,  1885,  by  its 
present  publisher  and  editor,  Charles  P.  Cornell.  After  six  months  in 
the  Fitzgerald  block,  the  office  was  removed  to  M.  H.  Smith's  block, 
where  it  remained  five  years  and  six  months,  when  it  was  removed  to 
the  new  Nettleton  block.  Mr.  Cornell  has  made  the  Era  successful  in 
a  business  way  and  influential  in  the  community. 

Baldwinsville  was  incorporated  on  June  3,  1848,  and  the  first  election 
thereafter  was  held  on  the  24th  of  that  month.  Le  Roy  Morgan  was 
chosen  president  of  the  village;  E.  A.  Baldwin,  Elisha  Hickok,  Irvin 
Williams,  and  Almon  Farr,  trustees;  E.  B.  Wigent,   clerk.     The  usual 


THE  TOWN  OF  LVSANDER.  765 

by-laws  and  ordinances  for  the  government  of  similar  villages  were 
adopted.  On  the  18th  of  June,  1850,  a  police  constable  was  elected  in 
the  person  of  D.  C.  Toll,  and  Hiram  Hull,  Irvin  Williams,  and  Henry 
Y.  Allen  were  elected  street  commissioners.  At  the  same  meeting  the 
trustees  were  authorized  to  build  a  watch  house,  or  to  lease  one,  and 
$75  were  appropriated  for  the  repair  of  the  fire  engine  and  the  purchase 
of  hose.  A  board  of  health  was  created  in  June,  L850,  and  in  the  next 
year  $100  were  voted  for  making  a  village  map;  the  map  was  made  by 
John  A.  Crawford.  In  1853  a  watch  house  was  leased  for  $40  for  the 
year. 

Down  to  the  time  under  consideration  the  facilities  for  extinguishing 
fires  in  the  village  had  been  rather  meager.  On  the  18th  of  March, 
1853,  Isaac  T.  Minard,  Seth  Dunbar,  and  S.  C.  Fancher  were  appointed 
a  committee  to  procure  a  fire  engine,  and  on  the  22d  of  September 
Colonel  Minard  was  made  a  committee  to  buy  200  feet  of  hose.  On  the 
1st  of  April,  1854.  John  E.  Todd,  James  G.  Smith  and  James  F.  Wells 
were  appointed  a  committee  on  hose  cart,  with  Colonel  Minard,  James 
B.  Wells,  and  James  G.  Smith,  committee  on  engine  house.  In  April, 
of  that  year  Colonel  Minard  was  sent  to  New  York,  where  he  paid  for 
the  new  engine  and  248  feet  of  hose.  A  special  meeting  was  held  on 
May  17,  1854,  to  act  upon  the  matter  of  appropriating  $200  for  a  lot  for 
an  engine  house,  watch  house,  etc.,  $600  for  erecting  such  a  building, 
$50  for  a  hose  cart,  and  $130  for  additional  hose.  Definite  action  was 
not  concluded  at  this  meeting,  but  on  June  10,  $300  were  appropriated 
for  buying  a  lot,  $700  for  a  building,  $25  for  hooks  and  ladders,  and 
the  other  sums  as  above  mentioned.  On  the  27th  of  May  a  (ire  com- 
pany was  formed  consisting  of  forty-four  members.  On  the  29th  of 
June  a  lot  was  purchased  of  Stephen  W.  Baldwin  on  Canal  street,  on 
which  was  a  building,  at  a  cost  of  $000.  This  building  was  converted 
to  the  purposes  intended  and  with  some  modifications  is  still  in  use. 
The  second  story  was  not  finished  until  185;.  In  February,  L875, 
steam  fire  engine  was  purchased  for  the  village,  and  in  1889  the  depart- 
ment was  equipped  with  1,000  feet  of  hose  and  an  extension  ladder. 
John  M.  Scoville  was  chosen  chief  engineer  of  the  steamer.  Since  the 
establishment  of  the  water  works  the  fire  apparatus  with  the  exception 
of  the  hose  carts,  is  almost  useless.  The  water  system  is  one  of  the 
best  in  the  State,  and  hydrants  are  so  located  that  danger  from  tire  is 
very  small. 

Baldwinsville  and  the  town  of  Lysander  responded  promptly  to  the 


766  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

calls  of  the  government  during  the  civil  war,  as  related  in  Chapter 
XXII.  The  local  newspapers  of  that  period  are  filled  with  accounts  of 
patriotic  meetings  held  in  Baldwinsville  and  the  various  smaller  vil- 
lages, the  prevailing  enthusiasm,  and  the  generous  acts  of  hundreds  of 
citizens  in  aid  of  the  Union  cause.  Measures  were  adopted  in  special 
town  meetings  for  raising  the  large  sums  of  money  paid  in  bounties  to 
volunteers,  of  whom  the  town  sent  out  her  full  complement,  many  of 
whom  gave  up  their  lives  for  their  coimtry,  or  came  home  maimed  and 
disfigured. 

Since  the  war  no  town  in  the  county,  probably,  has  met  with  a  greater 
degree  of  general  prosperity  than  Lysander,  while  the  village  of  Bald- 
winsville has,  particularly  in  quite  recent  years,  advanced  with  rapid 
strides.  Among  the  important  improvements  made  during  this  period 
are  the  rebuilding  of  the  iron  bridge  across  the  Seneca  River  in  1866- 
67  substantially  as  it  now  appears,  at  a  cost  of  about  $18,000;  the 
rebuilding  of  the  dam  in  stone  in  the  most  substantial  manner,  by  the 
State,  in  1895,  at  a  cost  of  more  than  $60,000;  the  building  of  the 
Howard  Opera  House  in  1881  by  H.  Howard,  and  the  erection  of  a 
large  number  of  handsome  modern  brick  blocks  during  the  past  ten 
years. 

About  the  year  1886  the  question  of  a  better  water  supply  for  Bald- 
winsville became  a  subject  of  discussion  among  leading  citizens,  and 
various  plans  were  proposed.  Action  was  finally  taken  by  the  purchase 
of  two  acres  of  ground  of  Reuben  Ham,  the  employment  of  a  civil  en- 
gineer, and  the  sinking  of  a  large  well,  from  which  water  of  excellent 
quality  and  unlimited  in  quantity  is  pumped  into  a  stand  pipe  situated 
on  Cramer  Hill  east  of  the  village.  The  first  board  of  water  commis- 
sioners was  appointed  June  18,  1889,  composed  of  C.  N.  Bliss,  C.  B. 
Baldwin,  J.  E.  Connell,  R.  Kratzer,  J.  C.  Kenyon,  G.  G.  Mercer,  and 
E.  Fairbanks.  Mr.  Bliss  was  chosen  president  of  the  board.  The 
village  was  bonded  for  $50,000  and  work  on  the  plant  was  commenced 
August  19,  1889,  by  Brown  Brothers,  of  Mohawk.  The  works  were 
tested  on  January  27,  1890,  and  accepted  by  the  village  authorities. 
The  issue  of  bonds  was  not  quite  sufficient  for  the  undertaking  and  an 
additional  loan  of  $8,000  was  procured.  A  pumping  house  and  requi- 
site machinery  were  erected  and  William  Rodgers  chosen  chief  engi- 
neer and  superintendent  at  a  salary  of  $50  a  month.  All  of  the  princi- 
pal streets  were  piped  and  sufficient  hydrants  put  in  to  provide  adequate 
hie  protection. 


^r  (/zi^^^^i 


THE  TOWN  OF  LYSANDER.  767 

The  village  is  now  lighted  by  electricity.  A  special  election  was  held 
on  October  13,  1887,  to  act  upon  two  propositions  which  had  been  re- 
ceived from  lighting  companies,  and  to  appropriate  $500  for  street 
lighting.  The  Edison  company's  proposition  to  supply  eighty-five 
incandescent  lights  to  run  all  of  every  night  for  $1,000  was  accepted 
and  the  plant  installed. 

The  centennial  of  the  county  was  appropriately  celebrated  on  May 
30,  1894,  Lysander  and  Van  Buren  joining  for  the  purpose.  E.  P. 
Clark  was  chosen  chief  marshal  of  the  exercises,  and  full  committees 
were  appointed.  Dr.  J.  V.  Kendall  was  president  of  the  day.  Inter- 
esting historical  papers  were  read  by  Rev.  W.  M.  Beauchamp,  Richard 
L.  Smith,  Wallace  Tappan,  Justus  Stevens,  Edwin  F  Nichols,  Bradley 
Abbott  and  others.      A  poem  was  read  by  C.  B.  Baldwin. 

Following  is  a  list  of  the  village  presidents  from  the  date  of  incor- 
poration to  the  present  time : 

1849-51,  Henry  Case,  jr. ;  1852,  Samuel  Bisdee ;  1853-54,  Sandford  C  Parker;   1855, 

E.  B.  Wigent;  1856,  John  Boley;  1857,  D.  D.  Norton;  1858,  Samuel  Avery;  1859,  D. 
C.  Greenfield,  1860,  Stephen  W.  Baldwin;  1861,  James  Hamill ;  1862,  J.  O.  Slocum; 
1863,  Eli  Peny;  1804-65,  W.  W.  Perkins;  1866,  L.  H.  Cheney;  1807,  J.  P.  Shumway; 
1868-70,  J.  J.  Kaulback;  1871-72,  Wallace  Tappan ;  1873,  I.  M.  Baldwin;  1874,  Erwin 
Fairbanks;  1876-78,  William  F.  Morris;  1879,  Wells  A.  Allen;  1880-81,  J.  R.  Blanch- 
ard;  1882,  E.  Fairbanks;  1883-84,  W.  W.  Downer;  1885,  Michael  Donovan;  1886 
Marcellus  Johnson;  1887,  W.  W.  Downer;  1888,  F.  P.  Suydam  ;  188!),  J.  R.  Blanch- 
ard;  1890,  Willard  H.  Tappan;  1891,  E.  P.  Clark;  1892-94,  L.  F.  Buck. 

Following  is  a  list  of  village  officers  in  1895: 

Hiram  Howard,  president;  Marcellus  Johnson,  clerk;  Newton  E.  Bartlett,  treas- 
urer; John  H.  Russell,  chief  police;  William  J.  Bellen,  village  attorney;  trusl 
Homer  Failing,  Martin  Handle,  Joseph  H.  Sawyer,  Stephen  F.  Wilcox,  William  B. 
Trowbridge,  William  J.  Sullivan  ;  assessors:  Andrew  R.  Failing,  Eliphalet  Z.  Frazee, 
Charles  J.  Kruesse ;  water  commissioners:  Charles  N.  Bliss,  president;  Janu--  I  . 
Connell,  treasurer;  Gardner  G.  Mercer,  secretary;  Erwin  Fairbanks,  Jacob  C.  Ken- 
yon,  Rumont  Kratzer,  Kirby  C.  Munro;  William  Rogers,  superintendent  of  system  ; 
street  commissioners:  Edward  T.  Smith,  John  C.  King;  fire  department:  Alexander 
Hosier,  chief  engineer;  fire  wardens,  Andrew  Larkin,  John  T.  Wilkins,  Herbert 
Rogers;  board  of  health:  Hiram  Howard,  president;  M.  Johnson,  clerk  and  regis- 
trar; Dr.  G.  M  Wasse,  physician;  commissioners,  Edward  Hun  toon,  Richard  Piatt, 
Charles  Casper. 

Figures  showing  the  population  of  Lysander  from  L830  to  L892: 
1830,  3,228;  1835,  3,838;  1840,  4,306;  is4r>,    1,506;    1850,   .->,*:;:'.;   L855,    5,060;   I860 
4,741;  1865,  4,813;  1870,  4,944;  1875,  4,990;   1880,  1,903;   1890,  5,163;   1892,  5,012. 


768  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

THE  TOWN  OF  MANL1US. 

Among  the  original  twenty-five  townships  into  which  the  Military 
Tract  was  divided,  No.  7  was  named  Manlius.  It  embraced  the  terri- 
tory of  the  present  civil  town  of  the  same  name,  with  that  of  the  pres- 
ent town  of  Dewitt,  and  parts  of  Salina  and  Onondaga.  In  other  words, 
it  was  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  military  township  of  Cicero,  on  the 
east  by  the  Oneida  Reservation,  on  the  south  by  military  township  No. 
10  (Pompey),  and  on  the  west  by  Onondaga  Creek  and  Lake,  and  em- 
braced all  of  the  Onondaga  Salt  Springs  Reservation  north  of  the  old 
Genesee  Road  and  east  of  Onondaga  Creek,  besides  the  territory  above 
mentioned.  The  township  originally  contained  100  lots,  but  lot  No.  7, 
which  was  drawn  for  gospel  and  school  purposes,  was  transferred  to 
Cicero,  which  through  an  error  had  been  given  only  99  lots,  and  num- 
bered 100  in  that  township.  This  gave  the  soldier  who  had  drawn  lot 
100  in  Cicero  his  proper  grant  of  land,  without  depriving  a  Manlius 
grantee  of  his  rights.  The  later  reduction  of  the  area  of  Manlius, 
through  the  erection  of  Onondaga  in  1798,  the  erection  of  Salina  in 
1809,  and  of  Dewitt  in  1835,  left  it  with  the  following  numbered  lots  of 
the  original  100: 

Nos.  6,  13,  14,  15,  16,  24,  2."),  26,  33,  34,  35,  36,  37,  38,  39,  44,  45,  46,  47,  48,  53,  54,  55, 
56,  57,  58,  64,  65,  66,  67,  68,  69,  74  (in  part),  75,  76,  77,  78,  79,  84  (in  part),  85,  86.  87, 
88,  89,  95  (in  part),  96,  97,  98.  99,  and  100,  the  last  named  lot  lying  in  the  southeast 
corner  of  the  town. 

In  the  drawing  of  lots  in  this  township  for  military  service  the  fore- 
going numbers  were  drawn  by  the  following  named  persons: 

No.  6,  William  Putnam;  13,  Peter  Tappan ;  14,  William  Robinson;  15,  James 
Akins;  16,  Lieut  -Col.  Jacobus  S.  Bruyn  ;  24,  Capt.  Joseph  Thomas ;  25,  JohnPulles;  26, 
Reuben  Galium;  33,  Philip  Reddinger;  34,  Capt.  Daniel  Niven ;  35,  Stephen  Chacy ; 
36,  Francis  Elliott;  37,  Thomas  Featherby;  38,  Patrick  Morrow;  39,  Peter  Shultz;  44, 
John  Luster;  45,  Capt.  James  Gregg;  46,  John  Wilcox;  47,  Lieut.  James  Bradford; 
48,  Capt.  Aaron  Aronson;  53,  John  Stake,  cornet;  54,  John  M.  Charlesworth ;  55, 
Nicholas  Schuyler,  surgeon;  56.  reserved  for  gospel  and  schools;  57,  Samuel  Eggs; 
58,  Samuel  Cook,  surgeon;  64,  George  St.  Lawrence;  65,  Samuel  Barick ;  66,  Cor- 
nelius  Van  de  Marken;  67,    Peter  Van  Vleeck;   68,    Col.   John  Lamb;  69,   Baruch 


THE  TOWN  OF  MANLIUS.  709 

Wright;  74,  reserved  for  gospels  and  schools;  75,  Andrew  Dowling;  TO,  Levi  Bishop; 
77,  Bartholomew  Broughton ;  78,  Peter  Boise;  79,  Jacob  Walter;  84,  John  Kennedy; 
85,  John  Anthony;  86,  John  Lovett;  87,  William  Hunt;  88,  Joshua  Griffin  ;  89,  Lieut- 
Col.  Cornelius  Van  Dyck;  95,  Thomas  Bills;  96,  Richard  Brown;  97,  Albert  Bloom; 
98,  Teunis  Van  Wagenen ;  99,  Lieut.  Abraham  Hyatt;    100,   [oseph  Shelden. 

It  is  certain  that  very  few,  if  any,  of  these  men  who  served  in  some 
capacity  in  the  Revolutionary  war  ever  occupied  the  lands  granted  to 
them.  As  a  rule  they  sold  or  traded  their  land  warrants  for  trifling 
sums  in  money  or  for  other  even  less  valuable  consideration.  The  first 
sales  were  mostly  to  speculators  through  whom  they  subsequently 
reached  the  possession  of  the  pioneers  of  the  town.  By  reference  to 
Chapter  XV  it  will  be  found  that  forty-three  Revolutionary  soldiers 
lived  at  some  period  in  the  old  town  of  Manlius.  The  civil  town  of 
Manlius  came  into  existence  with  the  erection  of  Onondaga  county  in 
1794,  its  original  territory  remaining  a  few  years  coextensive  with  that 
of  the  military  township. 

Many  of  the  important  natural  features  of  the  town  are  described  in 
Chapter  II.  The  surface  of  the  northern  half  is  generally  level, 
while  that  of  the  southern  half  is  rolling  or  hilly.  The  soil  is  largely  a 
fertile  alluvium  in  the  north  part.  Limestone  Creek  flows  northerlv 
through  nearly  the  center  of  the  town.  The  stream  supplies  excellent 
water  power,  and  the  falls  occurring  along  its  course  add  to  the  mam- 
natural  beauties.  This  is  further  enhanced  by  the  celebrated  Green 
Lakes,  the  Deep  Spring,1  and  other  picturesque  attractions.  In  the 
western  part  of  the  town  are  extensive  quarries  from  which  have  been 
taken  immense  quantities  of  stone  for  waterlime,  quicklime,  and  gyp- 
sum, a  business  once  very  prosperous  and  profitable,  that  is  still  carried 
on  to  some  extent. 

Settlement  on  Manlius  territory  had  progressed  considerably  prior  to 
the  civil  organization  of  the  town  and  began  only  two  years  after  Asa 
Danforth  and  Comfort  Tyler  made  their  first  permanent  white  man's 
settlement  in  Onondaga  county  at  Onondaga  Valley,  excepting  that  of 
Ephraim  Webster.  This  fact  and  the  advancement  made  in  the  town 
during  the  closing  years  of  the  last  century  and  first  quarter  of  thepres- 

1  This  notable  geological  feature  of  the  town  is  of  Indian  notoriety;  it  lies  on  the  county  line 
east  of  Manlius  village.  Near  it  passes  (he  trail  of  the  ( >neidas  ami  I  Inondagas,  and  being  on  the 
earliest  route  of  travel  westward  the  trees  surrounding  its  banks  were  carved  with  names, 
initials,  and  dates.  It  was  the  starting  point  of  the  old  surveys  of  the  Oneida  Reservation,  and 
here  during  the  war  of  the  Revolution  a  scouting  party  of  six  white  men  from  Fort  Schuyler  was 
surprised  and  killed  by  the  Indians.  A  number  of  sulphur  springs  also  exist  in  town,  and  on  lot 
69  is  a  cavern  known  as  the  "Ice  Hole." 
97 


770  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

ent  century  give  to  its  history  a  prominent  place  in  the  records  of  the 
county. 

Benjamin  Morehouse  was  the  first  settler  in  the  original  township, 
but  in  the  present  town  of  Dewitt,  on  the  Morehouse  flats.  He  came 
in  1789,  almost  coincident  with  Danforth  and  Tyler,  and  kept  the 
earliest  tavern  in  the  county,  in  which  many  public  gatherings  were 
held.  (See  history  of  Dewitt,  Chapter  XLVI.)  In  the  next  year 
(1790)  David  Tripp  migrated  from  Ballston,  N.  Y.,  and  made  the  first 
permanent  settlement  within  the  present  limits  of  the  town.  He  built 
his  log  cabin  about  a  mile  northwest  from  the  site  of  Manlius  village. 
His  aged  father  came  in  with  him,  died  in  1792,  and  was  buried  near 
by  the  home:  this  was  the  first  death  and  burial  in  the  town.  Mr. 
Tripp's  nearest  neighbors  were  Morehouse,  Danforth,  and  Tyler,  and 
he  suffered  many  privations  while  waiting  for  the  first  fruits  of  his 
labor  to  come  from  the  ground.  Hunger  lingered  near  the  door  and 
the  family  is  said  to  have  lived  three  months  on  wild  roots,  milk,  and 
a  bushel  of  corn ;  the  latter  Mr.  Tripp  carried  home  from  Herkimer  on 
his  back. 

But  the  pioneer  soon  had  nearer  neighbors.  In  1790  James  Foster 
settled  on  the  site  of  Eagle  Village,  where  he  at  once  opened  a  tavern ; 
and  in  1791  Joshua  Knowlton  and  Origen  Eaton  located  on  the  site  of 
Fayetteville  and  began  clearing  their  lands.  They  were  followed  in 
the  same  locality  in  17'.»2  by  Cyrus  Kinne,  who  at  once  opened  a  shop 
in  which  he  followed  his  trade  of  blacksmithing,  to  the  great  conven- 
ience of  his  fellow  pioneers. 

Conrad  Lour  (or  Lower)  settled  in  the  neighborhood  of  Mr.  Tripp  in 
1  792  and  the  same  year  built  the  first  frame  house  in  the  town.  A  part 
of  his  lumber  he  brought  from  Palatine,  and  the  remainder  he  obtained 
at  Asa  Danforth's  little  mill  on  Butternut  Creek.  His  son  lives  in  Fay- 
etteville. Mr.  Tripp's  son  tramped  to  Oriskany  for  nails  and  carried 
back  forty-six  pounds. 

In  1792  John  A.  Shaeffer  made  the  first  settlement  on  the  site  of 
Manlius  village,  where  he  built  a  log  house  near  the  site  of  the  Epis- 
copal church.  He  was  a  German  and  soon  utilized  his  dwelling  for  a 
public  house.  It  was  at  this  house  that  Baron  Steuben  stopped  over 
night  in  1794,  while  on  his  way  eastward  from  Salina,  and  was  kept 
awake  by  commotion  in  the  house  to  such  a  degree  that  he  roundly 
abused  his  host  in  the  morning  for  permitting  it.  When  a  nurse  brought 
before   the   Baron    a  new-born  babe,  son  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shaeffer,  he 


THE  TOWN  OF  MANLIUS.  771 

was  deeply  chagrined  and  profuse  in  apologies.  The  delighted  parents 
thereupon  agreed  that  the  child  should  be  named  Baron  Steuben  Shaef- 
fer,  upon  which  the  Baron  gave  his  namesake  a  deed  for  250  acres  of 
land.     This  child  was  the  first  one  born  in  the  town. 

Nicholas  Phillips  was  a  settler  on  the  Manlius  village  site  before 
L793,  and  on  the  14th  of  January  of  that  year  was  married  to  Caty  c>r 
Katy)  Carlock,  thus  solemnizing  the  first  marriage  in  the  town.  They 
were  both  of  German  extraction  and  lived  long  in  the  community,  the 
husband  surviving  until  1854,  when  he  died  at  eighty-three  years  of 
age.  He  retained  his  vigor  until  near  the  end  and  in  the  fall  pre- 
vious to  his  death  plowed  the  land  and  sowed  a  tield  of  wheat  His 
wife  died  in  1 8 "2 4 . 1 

Col.  Elijah  Phillips  came  to  Manlius  undoubtedly  as  early  as  1792, 
for  in  that  year  or  the  next  he  appears  to  have  leased  the  property 
known  as  the  "old  mills, "at  Edwards  Falls,  and  adjacent  land,  etc.,  of 
a  Mr.  Hamilton,  of  Albany,  for  a  term  of  sixty  years.  In  association 
with  David  Williams,  Aaron  Wood  and  Walter  Worden,  he  at  once 
erected  a  sawmill,  which  was  the  first  one  in  the  present  town.  Mr. 
Williams  soon  traded  his  one-fourth  interest  in  the  mill  to  Phineas  Ste- 
vens for  sixty  acres  of  land.  Around  these  mills  were  soon  established 
other  industries.  Mr.  Hamilton  had  already  provided  mill  stones  and 
gearing  for  a  grist  mill,  and  in  L796  Butler  &  Phillips  built  a  mill. 
Deacon  Dunham  afterward  established  a  cloth  works  and  an  oil  mill: 
William  Warner  opened  a  store  and  a  Mr.  Jones  another. 

At  other  points,  too,  settlement  was  increasing  and  infant  industries 
and  trading  places  were  coming  into  existence.  In  the  early  years  the 
site  of  Eagle  Village  was  an  attractive  one  for  settlement,  long  rivaling 
Manlius.  Charles  Moseley  opened  a  store  there  where  Giles  Everson 
(the  later  successful  Syracuse  merchant)  afterwards  lived,  and  a  Mr. 
Staniford  began  keeping  a  tavern  there.  Mr.  Mosely  closed  his  si 
ere  long,  removed  to  Manlius  village,  and  was  long  in  trade  there. 

With  the  simultaneous  erection  of  the  county  and  the  town  in  L794, 
steps  were  taken  to  set  in  motion  the  simple  machinery  of  the  town 
government.  The  first  town  meeting  was  held  at  the  house  of  Benjamin 
Morehouse  on  the  1st  of  April,  1794.      Cyrus   Kinne  was   chosen  chair- 

1  I  knew  Nicholas  Phillips  well,  having  had  an  acquaintance  with  him  for  twenty  years.  He 
was  a  man  of  great  simplicity  ..I  character  in  everj  point  of  view;  and  probably  had  a  much 
larger  share  of  the  virtue  which  is  said  to  In-  a  distinguishing  trait  of  his  Dutch  ancestry  than  or- 
dinarilly  falls  to  the  lot  of  unsophisticated  man.  -"History  of  Manlius  Village,"  by  II.  C.  Van 
Schaack. 


772  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

man,  and  Levi  Jerome,  secretary.  It  was  resolved  to  choose  a  super- 
visor and  a  town  clerk  by  ballot,  and  the  remaining  officers  by  holding 
up  the  right  hand.  Forty-two  voters  were  present,  probably  very 
nearly  every  person  entitled  to  a  vote  from  the  then  large  territory  of 
the  town.  As  a  result  of  the  balloting  Comfort  Tyler  (the  prominent 
citizen  of  the  town  of  Onondaga  after  its  later  erection)  was  elected 
supervisor  and  Levi  Jerome  town  clerk.  In  the  further  proceedings 
of  the  meeting  the  following  officers  were  chosen : 

David  Williams  and  Benjamin  Morehouse,  overseers  of  the  poor;  Charles  Merriam, 
Elijah  Phillips  and  Rial  Bingham,  commissioners  of  roads;  Reuben  Patterson,  Icha- 
bod  Lathrop,  Isaac  Van  Vleck,  William  Ward,  and  Timothy  Teall,  assessors;  Caleb 
Pratt  and  David  Baker,  constables  and  collectors ;  Libbeus  Foster,  William  Ward, 
Ichabod  Lathrop,  Reuben  Patterson,  Cyrus  Kinne,  Rial  Bingham,  Jeremiah  Jack- 
son, Gershom  Breed  and  Lemuel  Hall,  overseers  of  roads;  Aaron  Wood,  Elijah  Phil- 
lips, John  Danforth  and  Jeremiah  Jackson,  fence  viewers. 

The  town  records  of  Manlius,  unlike  those  of  many  of  the  towns  of 
the  county,  are  all  in  existence  and  well  preserved ;  but  for  many  years 
a  few  lines  in  a  small  book  sufficed  to  record  the  acts  of  the  officials. 
One  of  the  most  difficult  problems  the  pioneers  had  to  solve  was  the 
extermination  of  the  numerous  wild  animals,  especially  the  wolves, 
which  made  havoc  among  the  domestic  animals  long  after  the  coming 
of  the  first  settlers.  At  the  first  town  meeting  it  was  voted  "that  an 
additional  bounty  of  three  pounds  be  given  on  each  wolf  killed  within 
the  town — full  grown  wolf,  and  thirty  shillings  on  each  whelp. "  Besides 
this,  the  State  was  paying  a  bounty  for  the  same  purpose.  The  amount 
of  the  wolf  bounty  was  frequently  changed,  probably  as  their  annual 
depredations  were  more  or  less  destructive,  but  it  remained  apparently 
large  during  many  years,  when  the  scarcity  of  money  is  considered. 
As  late  as  1815  it  was  $20. 

A  large  share  of  the  attention  of  the  early  town  officers  was  neces- 
sarily given  to  the  construction  of  roads.  It  must  be  borne  in  mind 
that  when  the  first  settlers  came  in  there  were  almost  no  thoroughfares. 
Indian  trails  crossed  the  country  in  various  directions,  one  of  the  more 
important  of  which  extended  east  and  west  across  this  town,  about  a 
mile  south  of  the  Manlius  village  site,  thence  over  ground  now  covered 
by  the  north  end  of  the  Jamesville  reservoir,  up  the  gulf  west  of  the  old 
stone  school  house,  and  so  on  towards  Onondaga  Creek  across  lands  on 
which  Major  Danforth  located,  and  on  west.  The  first  attempt  to 
make  a  white  man's  road  to  run  across  this  town  was  by  a  party  of  emi- 
grants in  L790  or  1791,  and  extended  from  Whitestown  to  Canandaigua, 


THE  TOWN  OF  MANLIUS.  773 

most  of  the  way  through  a  dense  wilderness.  It  was  little  more  than 
an  opening  cleared  of  trees  and  brush,  but  afterwards  improved  and 
became  known  as  "the  old  State  road,"  and  later  as  "  the  Genesee 
road,"  although  the  route  was  considerably  changed  from  the  one  first 
followed.  It  ran  through  Eagle  Village  and  Manlius  village,  crossed 
the  Butternut  Creek  near  the  site  of  Jamesville,  and  on  westward. 
Under  the  acts  of  the  Legislature  of  1794  and  1796  about  $5,000  were 
expended  under  direction  of  commissioners  in  improving  this  highway 
within  the  limits  of  Onondaga  county,  and  of  course  Manlius  received 
its  share  of  the  benefit.  Between  1800  and  1810  the  Seneca  Road  Com- 
pany prosecuted  its  operations,  a  part  of  which  were  devoted  to  the 
construction  of  the  turnpike  which  crosses  this  town  from  east  to  west 
and  passes  through  Fayetteville,  thus  giving  immigrants  to  the  town 
reasonably  easy  access  to  the  lands  for  those  times.  In  1 T 0 T  the  town 
was  divided  into  seven  road  districts,  the  resolution  continuing,  "if  the 
reservation  is  not  set  off  as  a  town,  divide  it  into  two  districts,  the 
north  bridge  for  the  division."  The  number  of  road  districts  in  Man- 
lius in  1806  wTas  thirty,  with  a  pathmaster  chosen  for  each;  and  this 
number  was  increased  from  time  to  time  until  in  one  year  it  reached 
seventy-four,  after  which  the  number  was  gradually  reduced.  This 
small  army  of  pathmasters,  moreover,  found  the  duties  of  their  office 
sufficiently  exacting  until  the  system  of  roads  in  the  town  reached  the 
proportions  of  recent  years.  Among  the  names  of  the  earl}-  surveyors 
of  this  town  we  find  those  of  Enos  Cushing,  A.  C.  Bliss,  Isaac  W. 
Brewster,  A.  Yelverton,  jr.,  Jonathan  Worden,  and  James  Olcott. 
About  140  roads  or  separate  surveyed  sections  had  been  laid  out  down 
to  1835;  changes  since  that  time  have  been  comparatively  few. 

After  a  few  years  the  place  for  holding  town  meetings  was  changed. 
Thus,  in  1797,  the  people  met  "at  the  house  of  John  De  Lany,"  Com- 
fort Tyler  still  remaining  supervisor.  In  1800  Timothy  Teall,  one  of 
the  earliest  physicians,  father  of  Oliver  Teall,  later  a  prominent  citizen 
of  Syracuse,  was  chosen  town  clerk  and  held  the  office  several  years. 
In  1800  John  Sweeting,  supervisor,  and  Dr.  Teall  were  by  vote  directed 
to  take  charge  of  the  gospel  and  school  lands  on  lot  74,  with  a  view  to 
leasing  them  to  settlers;  but  the  result  was  not  very  remunerative,  and 
the  lot  was  ultimately  sold  by  the  town  May  2,  L814,  tor  $12,114.42. 
Of  this  sum  Dewitt  received  $7,752.42  when  that  town  was  erected. 

The  inhabitants  of  Manlius  began  early  to  provide  means  for  educat- 
ing their  children.     The  first  school  commissioners  were  chosen  in  1  i  :•; 


774  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL 

in  the  persons  of  Charles  Moseley,  Daniel  Campbell,  and  Isaac  Van 
Vleck,  the  latter  of  whom  was  one  of  the  very  early  and  later  a  large 
salt  manufacturer  at  Salina.  To  act  with  these  in  the  division  of  the 
town  into  school  districts  a  special  committee  was  appointed,  consisting 
of  Gershom  Breed,  Elijah  Phillips,  Jeremiah  Jackson  (the  prominent 
Jamesville  pioneer  and  miller),  and  Caleb  Pratt.  The  early  school 
records,  if  any  were  kept,  are  not  now  in  existence,  and  it  is  only 
known  that  an  imperfect  division  of  the  town  was  first  made  in  1810, 
after  Onondaga  had  been  set  off.  But  schools  existed  almost  from  the 
first.  Samuel  Edwards  was  teaching  a  school  in  the  town  in  the  build- 
ing where  Ebenezer  Calkins  sold  goods  to  the  settlers  and  the  Indians 
before  1708,  and  in  that  year  the  first  log  school  house  in  the  town  was 
built  on  the  site  of  Manlius  village.  At  about  the  same  time,  probably 
a  little  earlier,  he  taught  in  James  Foster's  barn  at  Eagle  Village.  The 
town  meeting  of  1804  was  directed  to  be  held  "at  the  school  house  near 
Cyrus  Kinney's  "  ;  as  he  had  settled  on  the  site  of  Fayetteville,  we  know 
that  there  was  a  school  house  there  in  that  year;  it  stood  near  the  site 
of  the  present  Blackmail  dwelling.  There  was  not  much  system  in  the 
conduct  of  the  schools  until  1835,  although  the  number  of  school 
houses  had  considerably  increased.  In  1836  the  sum  of  $300  only  was 
raised  in  support  of  the  schools  of  the  town.  The  districts  in  the  town 
in  1837,  as  described  in  the  records,  were  as  follows: 

No.  1,  southeast  corner;  No.  2,  Oran ;  No.  3,  Eagle  Village;  No.  4,  Fillmore's  (the 
records  name  a  second  No.  4  as  at  North  Manlius);  No.  5,  East  Manlius;  No.  6, 
.Middle  Manlius;  No.  7,  West  Manlius;  No.  8,  Nettleton's;  No.  9,  High  Bridge;  No. 
10,  West  Fayetteville  (consolidated  with  No.  11  in  1839);  No.  12,  East  Fayetteville; 
No.  13,  David  Collin  (also  consolidated  with  No.  11  in  184(1);  No.  14,  William  Waiters; 
No.  15,  Hartsville;  No.  16,  Jonathan  Worden's;  No.  17,  Kirkville;  No.  18,  Satan's 
Kingdom;  No.  19,  Manlius  Center;  No.  20,  West  of  Center;  No.  21,  Stone  School 
House;  No.  22,  Matthews' s  Mills;  No.  23,  Asa  Cook's;  No.  24,  Northwest  Corner 
(changed  to  No.  12,  and  in  1844  made  a  joint  district  with  No.  9  in  Dewitt). 

At  the  present  time  the  number  of  districts  in  the  town  is  twenty- 
one. 

While  these  measures  were  in  progress  for  the  general  advancement 
of  the  town,  other  pioneers  were  added  to  the  few  already  located,  and 
soon  the  wilderness  began  to  assume  the  appearance  of  civilization.  On 
the  site  of  Manlius  village  Charles  Mulholland,  a  native  of  Ireland,  set- 
tled next  after  Mr.  Shaeffer,  built  a  log  house,  and  later  became  a 
considerable  landholder,  including  the  greater  part  of  lot  OS,  while  a 
Mr.   Leonard   purchased  a  large  part  of  lot  87,  which  was  occupied  by 


THE  TOWN  OF  MANLIUS.  775 

Aaron  Wood.  The  northeast  corner  of  lot  86  was  occupied  by  a  Mr. 
Cunningham,  and  William  Ward  owned  the  whole  of  Lot  97.  lal.cz 
Cobb  came  in  early,  purchased  150  acres  in  the  southwest  corner  of  Lot 
87,  and  kept  the  tavern  for  Mr.  Shaeffer  a  number  of  years.  Mr.  Cobb 
sold  to  Charles  Moseley  1  in  1802-03,  and  from  him  later  owners  pur- 
chased the  greater  part  of  the  lots  on  Pleasant  and  Seneca  streets  east 
of  the  line  of  the  original  lot.  A  Mr.  Dickout  opened  the  first  per- 
manent store  in  the  village  in  1795  in  the  first  frame  building  erected. 
Dr.  Sturtevant  settled  in  the  village  in  L796,  and  Alva  Marsh,  the  first 
lawyer,  in  1798.  Other  lawyers  after  Marsh  were  R.  R.  Phelps,  Abijah 
Yelverton,  James  ( ).  Wattles,  Nathan  P.  Randall,  and  Samuel  L. 
Edwards,  and  later  H.  C.  Wan  Schaack  and  X.  R.  Chapman. 

To  Charles  Mulholland  is  given  the  credit  of  naming  the  little  hamlet 
"  Liberty  Square"-  in  1800,  and  the  first  post-office  was  established  in 
the  same  year  under  this  name  and  with  Luther  Bingham,  postmaster. 
He  was  succeeded  by  Robert  Wilson3  in  1803,  and  he  and  Dr.  Hezekiah 
L.  Granger,  Nathan  Williams,  1 ).  B.  Bickford,  Joseph  Rhoades,  John 
Grinnell,  and  others.  The  name  "  Liberty  Square"  did  not  please  the 
people  long,  and  the  place  soon  became  generally  known  as  Manlins 
Square,  a  name  which  still  clings  to  it  to  some  extent.  In  the  first 
year  of  the  present  century  there  were  only  six  dwellings  in  the  place, 
with  one  store  and  a  few  shops;  hut  the  next  decade  saw  far  more  rapid 
progress  in  all  parts  of  the  town. 

Sylvanus  Tousley  began  blacksmithing  in  1800,  and  Merritt  Clark 
and  Moses  Johnson  opened  stores  in  or  before  1806.     Mr.  Tousley  con- 

1  .Mr.  Moseley  at  one  time  held  a  conspicuous  andhonorable  place  in  the  military  service,  hav- 
ing been  commissioned  in  1810  as  captain  of  a  company  of  riflemen  in  Col.  Thaddeus  M.  W I's 

regiment,  afterward  the  147th.  In  May,  1812,  a  battalion  of  riflemen  was  organized  in  t 
Brigade,  of  which  Captain  Moseley  was  commissioned  major-commandant,  and  in  July  of  that 
year  was  placed  in  command  at  Oswego  of  that  battalion,  which  was  engaged  during  I  In 
summer  and  autumn  in  the  defense  of  that  important  post.  Tie  continued  in  the  service  for  two 
years  and  was  succeeded  by  Capt.  C,  B.  Bristol.  He  lived  in  Manlins  village  and  owned  a  valu- 
able part  of  the  site  of  that  place,  which  was  laid  ou1  by  him  into  village  lots  and  sold  at  a  large 
profit  on  the  original  purchase. 

2  It  was  at  the  raising  of  Mr.   McLaren's  barn.     After  the  frame  was  up  those  who 

the  raising  paraded  themselves  on  the  front  plate,  named  the  village  Liberty  Square,  gave  three 
hearty  cheers,  and  threw  off  a  corked  bottle  of  spirits.  This  is  what  was  called  in  those  days  the 
christening  of  a  place  or  building.   -[Clark's  Onondaga. 

3  Robert  Wilson  was  also  a  justice  of  th<  md  one  of  his  old  subp  ictant, 
directed  to  Joel  Huntington,  Reuben  Squires,  Thomas  McClenthen,  Sylvanus  Tousley,  and 
Youngs  Ledyard.  Wilson  was  a  nephev,  .<i  Captain  Gregg  and  was  with  him  at  Fort  Schuyler  in 
the  Revolutionary  war.  Wilson  was  then  only  thirteen  years  "Id.  Captain  Gregg  was  shol  and 
scalped  while  Wilson  was  in  the  fort.      At    eighteen    Wilson   was  appointed   ensign,  was  promoted 

to  captain,  and  served  through  the  war.    [Clark's  <  mondaga,  p.  215 


776 


ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 


tracted  to  do  the  iron  work  on  the  old  court  house  at  Onondaga  Hill. 
He  was  supervisor  of  Manlius  in  1808,  and  1812  was  a  judge  and 
justice  of  the  peace.  Later  in  his  life  he  removed  to  Syracuse  and 
built  a  brick  dwelling  on  the  site  of  the  John  Crouse  residence.  He 
was  prominent  in  the  early  militia,  and  in  1809  was  promoted  from 
ensign  to  captain,  and  later  was  a  paymaster. 

In  1807  Azariah  Smith 
settled  in  the  village  and 
during  forty  years  was 
the  foremost  citizen  of  the 
town.  He  was  a  native  of 
Massachusetts,  and  in 
April,  1807,  went  to  On- 
ondaga Hill,  where  he 
served  a  few  weeks  as  clerk 
for  his  cousin,  Calvin 
Smith.  He  then  received 
a  proposition  from  John 
Meeker,  who  had  stores  at 
several  places  in  the  coun- 
ty, to  open  another  in  Man- 
lius, for  Meeker  was  to 
furnish  the  capital  and  Mr. 
Smith  have  charge  of  the 
business  and  share  in  the 
profits.  On  the  3d  of  June 
the  store  was  opened  on 
the  south  side  of  the  turn- 
pike nearly  opposite  the  brick  store  afterwards  built  and  long  occu- 
pied by  Mr.  Smith,  and  which  is  still  standing.  This  partnership 
continued  until  1810,  and  was  so  far  successful  that  at  the  end  of  that 
period  Mr.  Smith  found  himself  with  sufficient  capital  to  start  in  busi- 
ness for  himself.  In  August,  1811,  he  married  Zilpha  Mack,  and  about 
that  time  opened  the  store  which  he  conducted  many  years.  Later  he 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  cotton  goods  at  Manlius,  which  he  con- 
tinued to  about  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was  a  man  of  strong  mental 
powers,  the  highest  integrity,  untiring  energy,  and  outside  of  his  own 
varied  affairs  identified  himself  with  all  public  matters  that  promised 
benefit  to  the  community.      All  of  the  local  churches,  the  academy  and 


Azariah  Smith. 


THE  TOWN  OF  MANLIUS.  777 

many  other  institutions  were  practically  promoted  by  him.  He  was  a 
presidential  elector  in  1824  and  a  member  of  the  Legislature  in  1838, 
L839,  and  1840,  serving' in  the  first  named  year  on  the  committee  on 
claims.  Mr.  Smith  died  November  12,  184<i,  while  seeking  medical  aid 
in  New  Haven,  Conn.  Dr.  William  Manlius  Smith,  now  of  Syracuse, 
is  a  son  of  Azariah. 

A  local  paper  of  1809  gives  account  of  a  disastrous  flood  in  this  town, 
caused  by  long  and  copious  rains.  Not  a  bridge  was  left  standing  on 
Limestone  Creek,  and  mills  and  dams  were  swept  away.  The  account 
says  that  the  clam  and  part  of  the  grist  mill  of  Mr.  Sayles  were 
destroyed  and  the  grist  mill  and  saw  mill  of  Clark  &  Jackson  near 
Manlius  village  were  partly  wrecked. 

In  1805-6  Manlius  village  contained  about  thirty  houses,  and  from 
that  time  until  the  opening  of  the  Erie  Canal  it  grew  quite  rapidly  in 
population  and  business  activity ;  the  same  statement  applies  with  a  little- 
less  force  to  other  parts  of  the  town.  In  1806,  at  a  time  when,  for 
some  inscrutable  reason,  the  village  was  given  the  name  "  Derne, "  the 
first  newspaper  published  in  Onondaga  county,  called  The  Derne 
Gazette,  was  issued  in  the  village  by  Abram  Romeyn,  of  whom  or  his 
paper  very  little  is  now  known.  He  was  an  ardent  Federalist  and 
there  being  no  other  paper  in  the  county,  he  is  said  to  have  made 
his  journal  unpopular  by  publishing  partisan  articles  and  closing  his 
columns  to  the  opposite  party.  The  paper  lived  a  little  more  than 
a  year.  It  is  believed  that  the  unpopularity  of  the  paper  with  the  name 
of  "Derne"  attached  to  it,  and  its  final  extinction  were  largely  instru- 
mental in  changing  the  name  of  the  village  to  Manlius.  The  in- 
habitants of  the  town  were  not  long  without  a  newspaper,  for  the  first 
number  of  the  Herald  of  the  Times  was  issued  on  May  24,  1808,  by 
Leonard  Kellogg;  it  was  a  sheet  about  10  by  17  inches  in  size,,  and  Mr. 
Kellogg  evidently  profited  by  the  error  of  his  predecessor,  for  he  gave 
up  one  page  to  the  effusions  of  the  Democrats  and  another  to  the  Fed- 
erals. This  plan  might  not  succeed  with  a  modern  newspaper,  but 
with  Mr.  Kellogg's  enterprise  it  was  a  fortunate  stroke.  When  Thomas 
Crittenden  Fay  started  his  newspaper,  The  Lynx,  at  Onondaga  Valley, 
in  1811,  Mr.  Kellogg  changed  the  name  of  his  journal  to  the  Manlius 
Times.  Mr.  Kellogg  was  a  man  of  broad  ideas  and  made  his  paper  an 
influential  factor  for  those  times.  He  commanded  an  independent  rifle 
corps  in  the  war  of  L812,  which  won  distinction  at  Oueenston ;  most 
of  its    members    were    from    Manlius.      Mr.    Kellogg    ultimately    took 


778  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

James  Beardsley  into  partnership,  and  finally  retired  and  was  succeeded 
by  Seneca  Hale.  Soon  afterwards  the  office  was  transferred  to  Daniel 
Clark,  whose  first  number  was  dated  October  28,  1818,  with  the  name 
of  Onondaga  Herald.  It  was  continued  about  three  years  longer,  a 
part  of  the  time  under  the  name  of  The  Times.  On  June  21,  1821,  the 
first  number  of  the  Onondaga  County  Republican  was  issued  by  Thur- 
low  Weed,  who  had  learned  his  trade  at  Onondaga  Valley  and  was 
destined  to  become  one  of  the  leading  journalists  and  politicians  of  the 
country.  On  the  27th  of  October,  1824,  William  L.  Dewey  took  the 
paper,  but  after  a  few  numbers  it  again  changed  hands  and  name,  the 
first  number  of  the  Manlius  Repository  being  dated  January  12,  1825. 
Luman  A.  Miller  was  the  publisher  until  October,  1830 ;  Leonard  Stillson 
took  it  for  a  year  and  sold  to  L.  A.  Miller  &  Co.,  who  continued  the 
paper  until  July  9,  1833,  when  Mr.  Miller  took  it  alone  and  discontinued 
it  about  two  years  later.  On  March  20,  1835,  James  J.  Fonda  issued  the 
first  number  of  Our  Flag,  but  it  died  a  few  years  later.  C.  W.  Mason 
&  Co.  started  the  Manlius  Star  on  October  14,  1835,  but  how  long  its 
publication  was  continued  can  not  be  determined.  The  next  paper 
established  in  Manlius  was  the  Weekly  Monitor  on  August  7,  1879,  by 
S.  A.  Bryant.  He  was  succeeded  by  Frank  Clark,  who  had  been  em- 
ployed in  the  office.  The  publication  died  at  the  close  of  the  volume. 
On  the  21st  of  December,  1887,  F.  L.  Maine,  a  practical  printer, 
who  had  managed  the  Fayetteville  Recorder  five  years  for  a  stock  com- 
pany, issued  the  first  number  of  the  Manlius  Eagle,  which  he  has  since 
published  with  gratifying  success.  Mr.  Maine  is  a  native  of  Madison 
county,  is  a  graduate  of  the  university  at  Ann  Arbor,  Mich.,  and  fitted 
himself  for  the  law.  He  practiced  only  four  years  with  N.  R.  Chap- 
man of  Fayetteville.  He  was  for  one  term  "side  justice  "  in  the  County 
Court. 

Hezekiah  L.  Granger,  a  physician  and  brother  of  Gen.  Amos  P. 
Granger,  a  prominent  early  citizen  and  business  man  of  Syracuse,  was 
an  early  settler  in  Manlius  and  became  prominent  in  public  and  private 
life.  He  was  president  of  the  village  in  181G,  was  member  of  assembly 
in  1815,  and  was  appointed  sheriff  of  the  county  in  1819.  An  old 
shinplaster  dated  May  16,  1816,  bears  Mr.  Granger's  signature  as  vil- 
lage president,  and  agrees  that  the  corporation  will  "pay  the  bearer 
six  and  a  quarter  cents  in  current  ban(k)  bills,  on  demand."  The  let- 
ter "k  "  was  inadvertently  left  off  from  the  word  "  bank,"  another  of 
the  many  peculiar  errors  of  the  press.      The  old  document  is  signed  by 


THE  TOWN  OF  MANLIUS.  779 

J.  O.  Wattles,  treasurer.  He  was  an  early  settler  in  the  village,  a 
good  lawyer,  and  a  respected  citizen.  He  held  the  office  of  judge  of 
the  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  removed  to  Indiana  about  1823,  and  was 
there  appointed  circuit  judge.  His  brother,  Simeon  D.  Wattles,  also 
an  early  settler  in  Manlius,  joined  the  frontier  army  in  the  war  of  1812 
and  was  killed  at  the  Fort  Erie  sortie,  September  17,  1814,  at  the  age 
o'f  thirty-three;  he  held  the  post  of  captain.  Jasper  Wood,  another 
Manlius  pioneer,  was  also  on  the  Niagara  frontier  in  I  s  ]  :>— 14. 

Physicians  who  came  in  after  Dr.  Sturtevant  were  Drs.  James  Jack- 
son, Walter  Colton,  William  Taylor,  H.  B.  Moore,  and  Deodatus  Clark; 
the  latter  was  in  Manlius  in  1812,  but  afterwards  removed  to  Oswego 
and  became  prominent.  Dr.  William  Taylor  was  not  only  a  leading 
physician  of  the  count}*,  but  was  conspicuous  in  public  affairs.  For  six 
successive  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  Legislature  and  he  received 
other  evidence  of  the  confidence  of  his  fellow  citizens.  Miss  Laura 
Taylor,  now  of  Syracuse,  is  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Taylor. 

Other  early  residents  in  or  near  Manlius  village  who  are  entitled  to 
mention  were  John  Grinnell,  who  was  an  early  postmaster  and  took 
part  in  local  politics,  died  January  26,  1862,  being  the  father  of  John 
Grinnell,  jr.,  who  lives  in  the  town;  Ashbel  Norton,  a  carpenter  and  a 
settler  near  the  beginning  of  the  century,  died  August  31,  1861,  at  the 
age  of  eighty-one,  at  which  time  he  was  the  oldest  citizen  of  the  place; 
Benjamin  Darling,  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  died  March  2,  1851,  aged 
ninety;  Jesse  Smith,  a  farmer,  died  June  12,  18(54,  aged  seventy-eight; 
Samuel  Wilcox,  a  Revolutionary  soldier  who  fought  at  Bunker  Hill, 
settled  in  the  town  in  1798,  on  land  that  is  now  in  the  town  of  Dewitt, 
near  Lyndon,  and  died  in  1827,  having  a  son  Asel,  who  was  father  of 
Asel  F.  Wilcox,  a  well  known  citizen;  John  Calvin  Worden,  father  of 
Palmer  who  occupies  the  homestead,  died  in  1878;  Joseph  Williams, 
born  in  1790,  a  farmer  and  many  years  keeper  of  a  temperance  house 
on  the  Cazenovia  road  two  miles  from  Oran,  died  in  1874;  Isaac  Car- 
hart,  born  1789,  came  to  this  town  in  1827,  was  a  tanner,  and  his  son 
Peter,  born  1826,  was  a  millwright  and  inventor:  Henry  Harter, 
came  to  Manlius  with  his  father,  Lawrence,  in  1802,  where  the  latter 
bought  300  acres  on  lot  4f>,  and  died  in  1832.  Henry  Harter  held 
various  town  offices  and  was  father  of  James,  born  in  1822,  and  now 
living  on  the  farm  which  he  has  occupied  thirty-eight  years. 

Among  prominent  settlers  of  a  later  period  were  Levett  Sherwood, 
Orrin  Goodrich,  Charles  Mead,  A.  H.  Morgan,  Allen    II.  Avery,  Reu- 


780  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

ben  Butts,  William  Blanchard,  David  Hinsdale,  John  Wilkie,  Rufus 
Dunham,  Andrew  Morehouse,  John  Persy,  nearly  or  quite  all  of  whom 
were  leading  farmers  and  men  of  energy  and  public  spirit.  Judge 
Samuel  L.  Edwards  was  long  a  distinguished  citizen  of  the  town. 

The  firm  of  James  &  Cummings  began  trading  as  merchants  in  1805 
and  continued  several  years.  One  of  their  clerks  was  William  Malcolm, 
later  a  successful  business  man  of  Syracuse.  The  building  in  which 
James  &  Cummings  carried  on  business,  and  in  which  Elijah  Tryon 
was  a  merchant  in  1850,  was  erected  by  Moses  Johnson,  who  built  also 
the  Red  Mills  in  1804.  His  interest  in  these  mills  passed  to  William 
Gardner,  well  known  as  "  Deacon  "  Gardner.  He  was  an  active  and 
energetic  citizen,  purchased  the  right  under  a  patent  to  manufacture 
nails  by  machinery,  and  built  quite  an  extensive  factory,  in  which  he 
was  succeeded  by  his  sons,  William  and  Charles.  Another  son,  Addi- 
son, was  lieutenant-governor  of  the  State  in  1844,  and  a  daughter  mar- 
ried Elijah  Rhoades. 

Arnold  Remington  was  born  in  Warwick,  R.  I.,  in  1795,  and  married 
to  Nancy  Lewis  of  Lynn,  Conn.,  in  1816.  He  was  one  of  the  four 
brothers  who  came  to  Manlius  in  1821,  and  resided  there  till  his  death 
in  1885.  He  was  engaged  in  the  cotton  manufacturing  business  for 
several  years,  afterwards  in  the  mowing  machine  business,  and  still  later 
in  a  foundry  and  machine  shop.  He  was  a  reliant,  methodical  man,  whose 
word  could  always  be  trusted,  and  whose  advice  in  business  was  often 
sought;  was  a  member  and  officer  in  the  M.  E.  church  for  over  fifty 
years,  a  Mason  and  treasurer  of  Military  Lodge  for  a  long  time.  In 
later  years  he  retired  from  all  business,  and  died  at  the  advanced  age 
of  ninety-one.  Of  his  immediate  family  only  One  is  now  living,  Mrs. 
Theodore  Stevens  of  Syracuse. 

Joshua  V.  H.  Clark,  historian  of  Onondaga  county  and  long  a  resi- 
dent of  this  town,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Cazenovia,  N.  Y.,  February 
6,  1803.  He  was  a  son  of  Thomas  Clark,  whose  ancestor  of  the  same 
name  probably  came  from  England  to  Plymouth  in  July,  1623.  Joshua 
passed  his  boyhood  and  early  manhood  on  the  parental  farm,  his  edu- 
cation being  gained  in  the  district  schools,  a  short  term  in  Pompey 
Academy  and  six  months  in  the  Geneva  Academy.  This  was  broadened 
by  wide  reading  and  close  observation,  and  he  became  especially  well 
versed  in  theoretical  knowledge  of  agriculture,  as  well  as  in  its  practi- 
cal application.  This  led  him  to  become  a  welcome  and  frequent  con- 
tributor to  the  leading  agricultural  journals.     When   twenty-five   years 


THE  TOWN  OF  MAN  [JUS.  781 

old  he  removed  to  Eagle  Village,  about  which  time  he  was  married  to 
Phoebe  A.  Sims  of  Simsbury,  Conn.  Here  he  was  attracted  to  his- 
torical research  and  all  the  remainder  of  his  life  he  devoted  much  of  his 
leisure  to  gathering  material  and  writing.  In  L847,  after  having  col- 
lected much  data,  he  purchased  from  Rev.  John  Watson  Adams,  of 
Syracuse,  for  $100,  the  material  accumulated  by  the  latter  in  anticipa- 
tion of  publishing  the  "Annals  of  the  Onondaga  Valley."  With  this 
as  a  foundation  Mr.  Clark  began  his  labor  on  the  historical  work  which 
constitutes  his  best  and  most  enduring  monument.  The  work  appeared 
in  1849  and  caused  the  author  considerable  loss  in  money.  He  was  the 
pioneer  in  local  history,  and  his  volumes  have  always  been  a  storehouse 
from  which  all  classes  of  writers  have  drawn,  some  of  them  giving  him 
grateful  credit  and  many  taking  the  results  of  his  painstaking  toil  with- 
out recognition.  Besides  his  history  of  this  county  Mr.  Clark  published 
"  Lights  and  Lives  of  Indian  and  Pioneer  Life,"  a  work  of  real  value; 
he  also  wrote  voluminously  upon  local  history  and  other  topics  for  the 
public  press.  He  was  nearly  thirty  years  a  trustee  of  Manlius  Academy, 
to  which  village  he  removed  in  1838;  was  a  member  of  the  Legislature 
in  1855 ;  was  several  years  president  of  Manlius  village  and  the  first 
president  of  the  Onondaga  County  Historical  Association ;  he  was  also 
corresponding  member  of  other  historical  bodies.  He  was  a  sincere 
Christian  and  after  several  years  of  suffering  from  cancer  died  on  June 
18,  1869.  Two  of  Mr.  Clark's  sons  were  educated  in  Geneva  College, 
and  his  daughters,  one  of  whom  is  now  a  resident  of  Syracuse,  were 
educated  in  Manlius  Academy  and  at  boarding  school. 

The  first  Masonic  lodge  in  Onondaga  county  was  organized  in  Man- 
lius, on  June  30,  1802,  and  numbered  93.  The  first  officers  were  Caleb 
B.  Merrill,  W.  M. ;  Timothy  Teall,  S.  W.  ;  David  Williams,  J.  W. 
The  first  meeting  under  the  charter  was  held  November  4,  1802.  After 
Azariah  Smith  erected  his  building  in  the  village  in  L816,  the  lodge 
meetings  were  held  there  under  a  perpetual  lease  of  one  grain  of  barley 
annually.  On  the  25th  of  December.  L830,  when  oppostion  to  Masonry 
was  sweeping  over  the  country,  this  lodge  was  closed  and  the  property 
was  walled  up  in  brick  in  the  building  where  the  meetings  were  held. 
There  the  valuables  remained  in  safety  until  March  25,  1851,  when 
they  were  taken  out  and  the  lodge  was  opened  with  Illustrious  Rem- 
ington, W.  M. ;  Lloyd  Remington,  S.  W.  ;  S.  J.  Wilcox,  J.  W.  The 
lodge  was  rechartered  as  Military  Lodge  No.  "ilo  on  the  6th  of  June, 
1851,  and  on  June  20,  1877,  the  old  number  was  restored.  It  still  oc- 
cupies the  old  brick  building. 


782 


ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 


One  of  the  early  State  Gazetteers,  published  in  1824,  gives  the  follow- 
ing description  of  this  town  : 

The  south  part  is  moderately  hill}-,  the  north  part  more  level  and  the  soil  of  the 
whole  is  very  fertile  of  grain,  grass,  fruit,  &c.  In  this  town  are  abundance  of  mill 
seats,  on  Limestone,  Chittenango  and  Butternut  creeks,  and  a  great  number  of  mills. 

.  .  The  inhabitants  are  immigrant  Yankees,  or  German  and  Dutch,  from  the  Mo- 
hawk river,  industrious  and  prosperous.  .  .  There  are  four  post-offices  and  five 
"  villages"  known  by  local  names.  Manlius,  a  Post  Borough  [or  incorporated  vil- 
lage with  a  post-office  of  same  name,]  is  situated  on  Limestone  creek  at  the  junction 
of  three  or  four  turnpikes.  It  contains  100  dwellings,  and  about  200  buildings  of  all 
kinds,  3  churches,  a  Masonic  Lodge,  a  printing  office,   a  cotton   factory,   and  has  a 


Manlius  Atillage  about  1840. 
[From  an  old  print.] 


great  deal  of  hydraulic,  mechanical  and  trading  business.  The  Post  Village  of  Fay- 
etteville,  2  miles  north  of  Manlius,  on  the  north  brancfi  of  the  Seneca  turnpike,  has 
25  houses.  The  Post  Village  of  Orville,  5  miles  northwest  of  Manlius,  on  the  same 
turnpike,  has  about  20  houses,  a  church,  and  a  side  cut  to  the  Erie  canal.  Eagle- 
ville,  11  miles  east  of  Manlius,  has  about  20  houses.  The  Post  Village  of  Jamesville, 
5  miles  west  of  Manlius,  is  on  Butternut  creek  and  has  mills  and  about  35  houses. 
Within  two  miles  of  Manlius  village  (which  is  on  the  border  of  a  deep  gulf, 
through  which  flows  Limestone  creek)  are  four  grain  mills,  5  saw  mills,  2fulling  mills, 
2  carding  machines,  2  nail  factories,  an  oil  mill,  and  a  cotton  and  woolen  factory. 

This  clearly  indicates  that  the  vicinity  of  Manlius  village  seventy 
years  ago  was  a  busy  and  prosperous  section.  As  contrasting  some- 
what with  the  foregoing  and  showing  early  growth  in  the  town,  the 
following  is  quoted  from  a  Gazetteer  published  fifteen  years  after  the 
one  above  nu-ntioned : 

Manlius  contains  in  1840  5,509  inhabitants.     .     .     Manlius,  Fayetteville,  Hartville, 

Kirkvillc   and    Manlius   Center  are  post-offices.     Manlius  village  situated  on  Cherry 


THE  TOWN  OF  MANLIUS.  783 

Valley  turnpike  was  incorporated  in  1813  and  now  contains  about  1,200  inhabitants. 
200  dwellings,  5  churches,  1  incorporated  academy.  3  taverns,  7  stoics,  :;  cotton  fac- 
tories, 3  grist  mills,  1  fulling  mill,  '2  saw  mills,  1  tannery,  2  carriage  factories,  and  1 
plaster  mill.  Fayetteville  is  situated  near  the  Erie  canal,  with  which  it  is  connected 
by  a  feeder;  contains  about  800  inhabitants,  120  dwellings,  3  churches,  an  incorpo- 
rated academy,  4  taverns,  C>  stores,  1  flouring  mill,  2  saw  mills,  and  1  tannery. 

It  is  an  evidence  of  the  prospective  importance  of  Manlius  village, 
that  in  March,  1816,  a  memorial  was  presented  to  the  State  Senate 
asking  for  the  location  of  the  State  prison  here,  which  finally  went  to 
Auburn.  Nicholas  P.  Randall  was  one  of  a  committee  who  went  to 
Albany  to  promote  the  object,  and  he  wrote  back  to  A/.ariah  Smith: 
"  If  the  bnsiness  had  been  timely  attended  to.  I  havenodoubt  we  might 
have  prevailed  in  our  application,  and  I  am  now  not  without  strong 
hopes  of  success.      .  I  feel  almost  certain  that  Utica  cannotget  it." 

Tims  Manlius  was  early  in  direct  competition  with  Utica  and   Auburn. 

One  of  the  noted  landmarks  of  the  town  was  the  so-called  "stone 
house,"  in  Manlius  village.  It  was  erected  in  the  early  years  for  busi- 
ness purposes  and  between  1820  and  1830  was  fully  occupied  with 
stores  and  offices  and  was  the  principal  business  building  in  the  village. 
As  its  name  indicates,  it  was  built  of  stone  in  the  rough  and  was  two 
stories  high.      In  182-4  it  was  transformed  into  the  academy. 

The  opening  of  the  Erie  Canal  in  1825,  as  we  have  before  hinted, 
was  paralyzing  to  the  village  of  Manlius,  but  in  a  general  way  was  of 
inestimable  benefit  to  the  town  at  large.  Upon  the  banks  of  the  new 
water  way  sprang  up  settlements  at  Hull's  Landing,  Manlius  Center, 
Kirkville  and  Fayetteville,  and  much  of  the  business  of  the  town  soon 
centered  at  those  points.  Transportation  of  farm  products,  theretofore 
done  by  land,  now  chiefly  found  their  way  eastward  by  water,  inspiring 
the  agricultural  community  to  greater  zeal,  while  numerous  packet 
boats  found  liberal  passenger  patronage  from  this  section. 

One  means  of  possibly  reviving  and  retaining  business  in  Manlius 
village  was  the  procuring  of  an  act  of  Legislature  May  1  1,  L828,  pro- 
viding that  Azariah  Smith,  Sylvanus  Tousley,  Nathan  Williams, 
Thomas  J.  Gilbert,  John  Sprague,  and  Nicholas  P.  Randall,  all  fore- 
most citizens  of  the  town,  and  others  who  might  associate  with  them, 
should  be  a  corporate  body  under  the  name  of  the  Manlius  Canal  Com- 
pany. The  six  men  named  were  made  commissioners  to  receive  sub- 
scriptions to  stock,  and  when  $15,000  were  subscribed,  nine  directors 
were  to  be  chosen.  The  object  of  the  company  was  to  provide  for 
slack  water  navigation  between  the  Erie  Canal  and   Manlius  village  in 


784  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

or  near  Limestone  Creek.  This  project  was  prominently  favored  with 
subscriptions,  but  for  some  unexplained  reason  it  was  permitted  to  die. 
Fayetteville  was  at  that  time  noticed  as  a  "village  having  four  taverns 
and  no  meeting  house." 

Again  in  1830  a  notice  was  published  in  the  Manlius  Repository  of 
December  18,  that  application  would  be  made  at  the  next  legislative 
session  for  an  act  to  incorporate  a  company  to  build  a  railroad  from  the 
canal  to  the  village.  It  was  this  company  that  constructed  the  Fay- 
etteville feeder  from  the  canal  to  Fayetteville,  which  has  since  been 
used  for  boating  purposes. 

In  1828  was  held  in  Manlius  village  the  first  public  meeting  in  the 
United  States  at  which,  in  advance  of  the  great  presidential  contest  of 
that  year,  De  Witt  Clinton  was  put  forward  as  a  presidential  candidate. 
The  meeting  was  held  in  Bickford's  Hotel,  and  Dr.  Taylor,  Nicholas  P. 
Randall  and  Col.  John  Sprague  were  the  principal  participants.  The 
proceedings  of  this  meeting  were  given  a  national  circulation.  A  few 
weeks  later  Governor  Clinton  died  in  Albany,  and  many  of  his  former 
supporters  went  over  to  Jackson. 

At  that  time  the  voting  in  this  State  occupied  three  days,  and  the 
whole  town  of  Manlius  was  one  election  district.  On  Monday  morning 
the  polls  were  held  at  Jamesville,  in  the  afternoon  at  Orville,  on  Tues- 
day at  Britton's  Settlement  (now  Collamer),  in  the  afternoon  at  Man- 
lius Center,  Wednesday  morning  at  Manlius  village,  and  in  the  after- 
noon at  Fayetteville.  This  method  gave  opportunity  for  much  fraudu- 
lent voting. 

In  1834  prominent  citizens  adopted  measures  for  the  establishment 
of  an  academy  The  project  crystallized  in  the  appointment  of  a  tem- 
porary board  of  trustees,  consisting  of  Azariah  Smith,  Nicholas  P. 
Randall  and  Dr.  Taylor.  An  act  of  Legislature  was  procured  under 
date  of  April  13,  1835,  incorporating  the  Manlius  Academy  with  the 
following  trustees:  The  three  above  named  and  Silas  Williams,  Peter 
R.  Reed,  Algernon  S.  Hollister,  Carlos  Smith,  David  Bellamy  and  R. 
Houghton ;  the  last  four  were  clergymen.  A  sum  of  money  was  raised 
by  subscription,  and  the  grounds  were  purchased  and  the  "stone  house" 
transformed,  to  some  extent,  to  adapt  it  to  its  new  purpose.  Azariah 
Smith  was  the  foremost  beneficiary  of  the  institution,  paying  off  indebt- 
edness and  enabling  it  to  come  under  jurisdiction  of  the  Board  of  Re- 
gents. Instruction  began  in  May,  1835,  with  fifty  male  and  sixty  female 
students.      The  academy  was  very   prosperous  for  a  number  of  years, 


THE  TOWN  OF  MANLIUS.  785 

and  in  1840  had  274  students.  Ultimately  the  same  causes  that  have 
caused  the  decline  and  extinction  of  so  many  other  academies,  con- 
Spired  against  this  one.  Multiplication  of  similar  institutions,  consoli- 
dation of  school  districts  and  the  establishment  of  graded  schools,  in- 
creased salaries  demanded  by  good  teachers,  and  other  causes  were 
sufficient  to  cause  the  abandonment  of  the  school. 

Under  the  graded  school  system  Manlius  village  was  fortunate.  Hay- 
den  W.  Wheeler,  a  former  resident  and  a  supporter  of  the  academy, 
who  became  a  business  man  of  New  York  city,  donated  in  1870  about 
$1,800  for  the  enlargement  and  improvement  of  the  Union  School 
building,  and  later  gave  it  a  valuable  collection  of  philosophical  ap- 
paratus. 

An  act  of  Legislature  was  passed  April  8,  1834,  which  authorized  the 
commissioners  of  the  land  office  to 

"Release  the  site  owned  by  the  State  for  a  gun  house  in  the  village  of  Manlius, 
whenever  the  captain  or  commandant  of  the  company  having  charge  of  the  gun  for 
which  said  gun  house  was  erected,  shall  select  a  suitable  site  for  the  said  gun  house 
and  procure  a  title  of  the  said  site  to  the  people  of  the  State." 

The  old  cotton  factory,  erected  in  Manlius  in  1813,  was  burned  in 
later  years,  and  about  1830  a  paper  mill  was  built  in  which  a  part  of 
the  foundation  of  the  cotton  factory  was  utilized.  This  mill  was  oper- 
ated a  number  of  years  by  Edwin  Russell  and  by  Charles  Tremain,  and 
later  by  Candee  &  Wells  in  the  manufacture  of  straw  paper.  It  was 
soon  afterward  closed  up,  and  since  burned.  It  stood  about  on  the  site 
of  the  present  store  of  Frank  P.  Emmons,  and  connected  with  it  was  a 
store,  long  conducted  by  Franklin  May  and  his  nephew,  Elijah  May. 

The  stone  mills  were  built  in  1827  and  were  burned  in  1850.  Three 
years  later  they  were  rebuilt.  They  have  been  operated  at  different 
times  by  Ewers  &  Rowling,  John  Rowling,  Hamlin  &  Son,  and  by  the 
father  of  the  present  proprietor,  who  is  William  J.  Phillips.  The  latter 
took  the  mills  about  ten  years  ago. 

The  early  tannery  which  stood  on  the  site  of  S.  Cheney  &  Son's  upper 
foundry  was  owned  by  Roger  Stillwell,  and  later  by  his  son  Leonard  ; 
it  was  subsequently  burned. 

On  the  site  of  E.  U.  Scoville's  present  works  was  formerly  a  foundry 
which  was  established  by  Sumner  Whitney.  He  sold  in  184  1  to  AJvah 
Woodworth,  who  settled  in  Manlius  in  1837,  and  who  continued  the 
business  until  1875,  when  he  sold  to  Scoville. 

In  18(33  K.  H.  C.  Preston  began  manufacturing  the  Preston  harvester 
99 


786  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

in  Manlius,  and  ten  years  later  established  his  own  factory.  This  was 
burned,  and  on  the  site  S.  Cheney  &  Son  built  their  present  upper 
foundry.  At  a  later  date  they  purchased  the  lower  foundry,  where  in 
early  years  stood  a  brewery,  and  later  a  cotton  factory,  which  was  oper- 
ated many  years  by  Azariah  Smith.  Soon  after  the  organization  of  the 
vStar  Foundry  Company  it  passed  to  Cheney  &  Son,  who  now  carry  on 
the  three  establishments,  in  the  extensive  manufacture  of  furnaces, 
stoves  and  general  work,  employing  200  men. 

In  1876  the  Wood  Manufacturing  Company,  of  which  C.  W.  H.  Wood 
was  proprietor,  was  removed  to  Manlius  from  Pompey,  where  the 
works  were  established  in  1844,  for  the  manufacture  of  wagonmaker's 
and  carpenter's  tools.      The  business  is  still  in  existence. 

In  1872  Russell  Morgan  established  the  Empire  Yarn  Mill,  where  for 
a  time  about  30,000  pounds  of  knitting  yarn  was  made  annually.  The 
business  was  ultimately  closed  up  and  the  building  now  constitutes  the 
lower  foundry  of  S.  Cheney  &  Son. 

The  cement  and  lime  works,  situated  about  a  mile  from  Manlius  vil- 
lage, and  now  a  part  of  the  James  Beahan  estate,  were  established  in 
1872  by  George  J.  Champlin  and  Henry  N.  Burhans. 

Edwin  P.  Russell  was  a  native  of  this  town,  son  of  Anson  Russell. 
He  was  a  builder  by  trade,  and  carried  on  the  furniture  business  in 
Belleville,  Canada,  about  ten  years.  Returning  to  Manlius  he  and 
Porter  Tremain  purchased  the  rights  to  the  Preston  mower  and  manu- 
factured it  in  what  is  now  Cheney  &  Son's  lower  foundry.  Later  he 
manufactured  clothes  wringers.  He  died  in  Manlius  in  September, 
1877. 

Among  the  postmasters  of  Manlius  have  been  Mr.  Bickford,  John 
Grinnell,  Dr.  Horace  Nims,  who  carried  on  a  drug  business  forty  years 
and  is  succeeded  by  his  son,  Hiram  Smith  (twelve  years),  Abner  Duell, 
William  Candee,  John  O'Neil,  and  the  present  official,  Frank  P.  Em- 
mons. 

Among  early  merchants  of  the  village  were  Elijah  and  Joseph 
Rhoades,  Azariah  Smith  and  his  son  John,  Franklin  and  Elijah  May, 
Robert  Gilmor,  and  a  Mr.  Farr,  jeweler.  Later  merchants  are  Wattle 
Smith,  son  of  Joseph,  the  Fox  Brothers,  Whitney  &  Hibbard,  succeeded 
by  Theodore  Simons  and  he  by  Adsit  &  Fowler  now  in  trade;  Frank  P. 
Emmons,  G.  M.  Bell,  Charles  Cole,  John  O'Neil,  and  Charles  Brown, 
now  in  trade. 


THE  TOWN  OF  MANLIUS.  787 

St.  John's  Military  School  for  Boys  was  founded  in  1869  by  the 
Right  Rev.  F.  D.  Huntington,  S.  T.  D.,  Bishop  of  the  Diocese-  of  Cen- 
tral New  York.  The  religious  services  and  teaching  conform  to  the 
order  of  the  Episcopal  church.  The  buildings  are  located  near  Manlius 
village  in  the  center  of  one  hundred  acres  of  beautiful  woodlands,  hav- 
ing a  splendid  elevation.  Twenty  acres  of  the  tract  have  been  laid  in 
a  highly  artistic  manner,  in  lawns  and  parades,  and  specially  graded 
grounds  for  foot  ball,  base  ball,  lawn  tennis,  and  other  athletic  sports. 
The  buildings  are  constructed  of  brick  and  stone.  The  main  building- 
is  100  by  70  feet,  four  stories  high.  The  gymnasium  is  120  by  (JO  feet. 
Another  building,  erected  for  the  primary  department  in  lS'.U,  is  115 
by  37  feet  in  size.  These  afford  ample  accommodations  for  school  and 
boarding  purposes.  The  school  is  under  the  direct  patronage  of  the 
War  Department,  and  the  secretary  of  war  details  an  officer  of 
the  Army  on  full  pay  to  take  charge  of  the  military  department. 
Special  honors  are  conferred  upon  the  graduates.  The  names  of  such 
students  as  have  shown  special  diligence  in  their  work  are  sent  by 
the  adjutant-general  of  the  army  to  the  adjutants-general  of  the 
different  States.  The  names  of  the  three  most  distinguished  students 
are  inserted  on  the  the  United  States  Army  Register  and  published  in 
"  General  Orders  "  at  Washington.  The  courses  of  study  in  the  aca- 
demic department  are  five:  Civil  engineering,  classical,  special,  practical 
business,  and  brief  business  course.  One  of  the  very  enjoyable  features 
of  St.  John's  School  is  the  summer  session,  which  has  been  in  vogue 
for  eight  years.  It  begins  in  June  and  is  open  for  three  months.  Col. 
William  Verbeck,  president  of  the  institution,  is  a  man  of  ripe  scholar- 
ship and  deep  culture,  and  his  successful  management  of  boys  has  won 
for  his  school  a  name  in  every  part  of  the  country. 

Manlius  village  was  incorporated  on  April  30,  1842,  and  the  follow- 
ing officers  were  chosen:  Robert  Fleming  (who  was  elected  president 
of  the  Board  of  Trustees),  Azariah  Smith,  William  Taylor,  James 
Midlar,  Hiram  Hopkins,  trustees;  Edward  Boylston,  overseer  of  high- 
ways; Alvah  B.  McClenthen,  constable.  The  presidents  of  the  village 
since  its  incorporation  have  been  as  follows : 

Hiram  Fleming,  1842;  Hiram  Hopkins,  1843;  Jonathan  G.  Rowling,  1844;  J.  V.  H. 
Clark,  1845-46;  E.  E.  May,  1847;  Edward  Boylston,  1848;  Lloyd  Remington,  1849 
51;  A.  H.  Jerome,  1852-54;  Robert  Gilmore,  1855;  Joseph  Baker,  1856;  E.  P.  Russell, 
1857-62,  inclusive;  D.  Higley,  1863-64;  E.  P.  Russell,  1865;  A.  H.  Jerome,  1866  N  , 
A.  A.  Wood,  1868;  R.  Rotenbury,  1869;  E.  P.  Russell,  1870-71;  Henry  Whitney, 
1872;  E.    P.    Russell,    1873;    Joseph   Baker,    1874;   E.    U.    Seoville,    1875,    George   J, 


THE  TOWN  OF  MANLIUS.  789 

Champlin,  1876-77;  G.  J.  Champlin,  1878;  Charles  Hubbard,  1879-81;  Charles  Hart, 
1882-83;  Walter  W.  Cheney,  1884-85;  John  W.  Boylston,  1886  ^7;  Frank  P.  Em- 
mons, 1888-89;  Elizah  U.  Scoville,  1890-91;  Weslev  E.  Ackerman.  1892  93;  W.  J. 
Phillips,  1894-95. 

Of  the  foregoing  list  of  presidents  of  the  village,  Edward  Boylston 
was  a  farmer,  brother  of  John  W. ;  Hiram  Hopkins  was  a  wagonmaker ; 
Jonathan  G.  Rowling  was  in  the  stone  mill;  Elijah  E.  Mav  was  a  mer- 
chant and  son  of  Franklin,  also  a  merchant;  others  are  living  and 
noticed  elsewhere. 

At  an  adjourned  meeting  of  the  trustees  held  May  7,  1842,  J.  V.  H. 
Clark  was  chosen  clerk ;  Abner  Duell,  John  Merritt,  fire  wardens;  Jo- 
seph Smith,  treasurer;  William  Warner,  collector;  Lyman  Benson,  pound 
master,  and  it  was  voted  "that  his  yard  be  a  pound  for  the  village." 
The  fire  company  was  placed  on  a  more  efficient  basis  by  the  appoint- 
ment of  twenty  members,  among  whom  were  Jonathan  G.  Rowling,  N. 
N.  Phillips,  Hiram  Remington,  Stephen  V.  Barnes,  E.  E.  May,  A.  H. 
Jerome,  H.  D.  June,  Israel  Remington,  Jonas  P.  Ellis,  and  William  T. 
Washburn.  The  name  of  the  company  was  Torrent  No.  1.  A  re- 
organization took  place  in  April,  1877,  and  a  new  engine  purchased. 
Associated  with  the  fire  company  was  Eagle  Hose  Company. 

The  new  village  government  began  the  inauguration  of  various  other 
improvements  for  the  general  welfare  of  the  place.  In  May,  1X4;5,  the 
slaughter  house  on  Limestone  Creek,  occupied  by  William  II.  Warner, 
was  declared  "a  nuisance."  .Several  new  streets  were  opened  and 
many  sidewalks  laid  within  a  few  years  after  the  incorporation.  In 
June,  1850,  the  village  was  divided  into  four  fire  districts,  and  the 
trustees  were  required  to  visit  each  district  to  inspect  any  deficiencies 
in  protection  against  fire  that  might  be  reported  by  the  fire  wardens. 
At  about  the  same  time  a  fire  engine  house  was  erected. 

The  corporation  expenses  for  the  first  year  were  ft">l  i.  IS;  they  were 
only  about  $400  in  1874,  $280  of  which  was  for  fire  purposes.  From 
these  figures  they  have  gradually  increased,  until  now  they  are  about 
$1,400. 

At  a  public  meeting  held  April  25,  1882,  a  committee  previously  ap- 
pointed on  a  new  charter  reported  that  the  report  was  accepted.  Walter 
W.  Cheney  and  J.  Baker  were  appointed  as  a  committee  to  procure  the 
new  charter.  On  May  16  the  re-incorporation  was  effected  under  new 
by-laws  through  a  special  election,  at  which  the  vote  was  L01  in  favor 
and  95  against  the  measure. 

A   fine   water   supply  system    for  the  village  was  put  in  operation  in 


790  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

1894,  for  which  bonds  to  the  amount  of  $20,000  were  issued.  The  water 
is  taken  from  springs  about  one  and  one-half  miles  south  of  the  village. 
This  gives  the  inhabitants  an  ample  supply  of  pure  water  and  under 
such  pressure  as  to  make  it  available  in  cases  of  fire 

An  opera  house  was  completed  in  the  village  early  in  1895  by  F.  D. 
Gardner,  an  enterprising  citizen  who  feels  a  deep  interest  in  the  devel- 
ment  of  the  place. 

An  electric  light  system  for  the  village  has  recently  been  completed 
by  W.  J.  Phillips. 

While  these  various  energetic  pioneers  were  building  up  the  village 
of  Manlius  and  giving  it  the  position  which  it  held  many  years  of  the 
leading  business  center  of  the  county,  or  clearing  the  lands  on  contigu- 
ous homesteads,  similar  growth  was  noticeable  at  other  points  in  the 
town.  Following  the  first  settlers  on  the  site  of  Fayetteville,  already 
mentioned,  Carey  Coats  opened  a  tavern  there  in  1801  and  applied  for 
a  license.  John  Delamater  opened  a  store  in  1802  and  the  little  hamlet 
that  gathered  about  them  took  the  name  of  "the  Corners,"  or  '"Man- 
lius Four  Corners,"  which  it  held  until  the  establishment  of  the  post- 
office,  when  it  was  given  its  present  name.  Gershom  Breed  settled 
there  at  an  early  date  and  was  a  prominent  citizen.  Others  who  located 
near  by  were  Daniel  Campbell,  Lewis  Sweeting,  John  Jones,  Zopher 
Knowlton,  William  Allen,  Palmer  Breed,  Washington  Worden,  the 
Collin  family,  and  others.  David  Collin,  a  native  of  Dutchess  county, 
bought  a  large  tract  of  land  near  Fayetteville  in  179?  and  the  family 
have  been  prominent  in  the  town  ever  since.  His  grandson,  also  named 
David,  was  given  400  acres,  which,  with  large  additions,  he  has  trans- 
formed into  a  splendid  property  and  still  occupies  it.  Reuben  Bangs 
settled  in  Fayetteville  in  1813  and  began  manufacturing  lime  in  the 
vicinity  of  Eagle  Village;  he  took  part  in  the  war  of  1812,  was  a  large 
contractor  on  the  canal  and  in  1824  was  appointed  a  division  superin- 
tendent on  one  division.  He  married  in  1815  Clarissa  Teall,  daughter 
of  Dr.  Timothy  Teall,  and  died  in  1872.  Dr.  Teall  settled  in  the  town 
about  1791,  soon  after  which  his  wife  died,  leaving  him  with  two  sons 
and  four  daughters.  His  son,  Oliver,  subsequently  prominent  in  pri- 
vate and  public  life  in  Syracuse,  remained  on  the  home  farm  until  he 
was  about  eighteen,  after  which  he  was  engaged  in  making  lime,  in  the 
tanning  and  currying  business,  and  other  undertakings;  he  commanded 
a  company  in  the  war  of  1812,  which  marched  to  Oswego  when  that 
port  was  threatened. 


THE  TOWN  OF  MANLIUS.  791 

Col.  John  Sprague  was  a  prominent  early  settler  at  Fayetteville,  a 

successful  farmer,  and  a  respected  citizen.  He  also  commanded  a  com- 
pany at  Oswego  and  afterwards  through  promotion  earned  his  well 
known  militia  title.  He  was  connected  with  the  Bank  of  Fayetteville 
many  years  and  died  on  May  30,  1861,  aged  eighty-one  years. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  parents  of  Grover  Cleveland  lived  at  one 
period  in  Fayetteville.  The  father's  name  was  Richard  F.  Cleveland 
and  the  family  residence  was  across  the  street  from  the  old  academy. 
There  were  four  sons,  two  of  whom,  Fred  and  Cecil,  .were  drowned 
while  on  their  way  to  Florida.  The  others  were  William  and  Grover. 
The  family  removed  to  Holland  Patent. 

Harvey  Edwards  was  an  early  merchant  on  the  corner  of  Salt  Springs 
and  Manlius  streets.  Most  of  the  early  business  interests  were  located 
at  the  upper  end  of  the  village.  A  Mr.  Stillson  had  a  prosperous  mer- 
cantile business  about  1840  on  the  site  of  the  Tremain  property.  At 
the  lower  end  in  what  is  now  the  Matthews  block  (built  about  1824  i. 
Flint  &  Piatt,  and  Elijah  Paine  were  located.  The  Raymond  Hotel 
stood  just  east  of  the  present  Tremain  House,  and  was  burned  with  the 
store  about  1840.  At  that  time  there  were  three  other  hotels  at  the 
upper  end — the  Goodrich  House,  where  is  now  the  Wands  House;  the 
Cottage  Hotel,  on  the  site  of  the  new  school  house  and  the  site  of  the 
former  Kinne  tavern.  The  Cottage  Hotel  was  early  known  as  the 
Ward  tavern.  The  old  Eagle  Hotel,  of  which  Walter  Worden,  Samuel 
Luce,  and  others  were  proprietors,  stood  on  the  site  of  the  Catholic 
church. 

There  was  an  early  brick  yard  on  the  flats  of  what  is  now  the  Palmer 
farm,  where  most  of  the  brick  used  in  the  village  were  made.  Another 
was  on  the  Huntley  farm,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  road;  both  were 
long  ago  discontinued. 

In  early  years  there  was  a  wool  carding  and  cloth  dressing  mill  con- 
ducted by  Darling  Thompson,  about  on  the  site  of  the  present  Snook 
knife  factory.  After  doing  business  many  years  it  was  torn  down. 
Later  Mr.  Thompson  built  another  similar  mill,  which  subsequently 
became  the  grain  cradle  factory  of  Russell  Morgan. 

There  have  been  four  tanneries  in  Fayetteville.  Of  these,  one  on 
the  site  of  the  Beard  block,  operated  by  Thomas  Starr,  who  made  boots 
and  shoes  in  connection;  one  on  the  site  and  south  of  the  presenl 
Tillotson  grocery,  which  was  operated  by  George  L.  Taylor  many 
years;  he  had  also  a  shoe  factory  and  store  there  and  employed  quite  a 


792  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

number  of  hands.  Abandoning  this  place,  he  built  quite  an  extensive 
tannery  on  Bishop's  brook,  just  below  the  Morgan  cradle  factory,  where 
he  continued  some  years  and  was  succeeded  by  others;  it  finally  went 
to  decay. 

One  of  the  early  asheries  stood  on  the  east  line  of  the  Tremain  lot, 
just  in  the  rear  of  the  present  house. 

Just  above  Thompson's  first  fulling  mill,  Riley  (John  G.)  &  Treat 
had  a  saw  mill,  which  is  still  standing  and  was  bought  by  Burhans  & 
Blanchard  who  established  a  planing  mill  there.  Another  saw  mill 
was  situated  where  the  Bangs  &  Gaynor  plaster  mill  now  is,  and  there 
was  a  small  grist  mill  there  at  one  time.  A  mill  is  now  operated  by 
C.  L.  Collin  on  the  Ledyard  canal. 

Some  of  the  Fayetteville  merchants  of  the  past  have  been  Jewett  & 
Blanchard,  and  H.  H.  Gage  (husband  of  Mrs.  Matilda  Joslyn  Gage), 
both  in  the  Beard  block.  Nichols  &  Austin,  succ'eeded  by  Volney  H. 
Nichols  &  Son,  who  are  still  in  business.  Snell  &  Smith,  across  the 
street  from  the  Beard  block,  burned  out  in  1893.  John  McVicker, 
drugs,  for  whom  Grover  Cleveland  was  clerk  about  a  year.  Walden 
Tibbitts,  who  was  succeeded  by  Coon  &  Potter,  now  in  trade.  Beach 
C.  and  Huntington  Beard,  who  built  the  Beard  block  and  were  in  trade 
many  years. 

Others  who  have  been  in  business  or  mechanics  in  Fayetteville  are 
a  Mr.  Logan,  an  earl}7  tailor  at  the  upper  end.  Henry  Ecker,  tailor, 
whose  shop  was  on  the  site  of  the  Beard  block,  later  in  that  block; 
he  was  long  postmaster  and  his  shop  became  known  as  Tammany  Hall, 
on  account  of  its  popularity  as  a  place  for  political  discussion ;  he  was 
father  of  John  Ecker,  the  present  popular  postmaster  of  the  village. 
Blacksmiths  were  Benson  and  Kieff  at  the  upper  end ;  John  Allen,  who 
became  proprietor  of  the  Allen  House  at  Oneida;  Anson  Young  at  the 
lower  end;  Graham  Brothers,  who  were  also  wagon  makers;  Deacon 
Robert  Stewart,  wagon  maker  opposite  the  Presbyterian  church.  Har- 
ness makers,  Daniel  Griffin  till  shortly  before  his  death ;  Van  Slyke  & 
Frazer;  Abraham  Hoag,  who  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Bristol,  now  in 
business. 

The  Worden  family  has  been  a  prominent  one  in  Fayetteville.  Capt. 
Walter  Worden,  born  in  1757,  came  into  the  town  of  Manlius  and  to 
Fayetteville  from  Hoosack,  N.  Y.,  about  1803-4,  and  settled  adjoining 
the  northwest  corner  of  the  present  village  cemetery.  He  died  of  fever 
near  Buffalo,  September  20,  L814,  while  on  service  in  the  war  of  1813. 


THE  TOWN  OF  MANLIUS.  793 

He  raised  a  company  for  the  army,  of  which  he  was  captain:  they 
marched  on  foot  to  the  Niagara  frontier.  He  married  Lucretia  Hicks, 
born  1756  and  died  May  10,  1834.  Their  children  were  Major  Walter, 
born  1778,  died  April  25,  1820;  Jonathan,  born  March  20,  1780;  Major 
Jesse,  born  October  14,  1781,  was  at  Oswego  in  the  war  of  L812,  died 
February  10,  1853;  James,  born  April  15,  1783,  died  in  his  native  town ; 
Washington,  born  September  26,  1785;  Jabish,  born  May  K>.  1.787; 
Mrs.  Lucretia  Halsted,  born  1789,  and  died  in  Michigan;  Mrs.  Hannah 
Park,  born  in  1790,  and  died  in  1814;  Varnum,  born  August  20,  L791; 
Danforth,  born  March  30,  1794,  and  Weed  H.,  born  in  1.799,  and  died 
in  1836,  in  Camillus  where  he  was  a  clothier. 

Jonathan  Word  en  served  several  years  as  a  magistrate;  built  the  grist 
mill  on  Pool's  Brook  at  Kirkville  and  operated  it  several  years,  where 
he  had  also  a  saw  mill. 

Maj.  Jesse  Worden  was  a  millwright,  and  married  Catharine  Halsted, 
who  died  in  1807,  leaving  two  children,  Morgan  L.  and  Polly  M.  He 
married  second  Abiah  Sweeting,  who  settled  in  town  with  her  uncle, 
John  Sweeting,  in  1794.  Their  children  were  Sweeting  W. ,  De  Witt 
C,  Tompkins  D.,  and  Monroe  P.;  the  latter  is  still  living  in  Fay- 
etteville. 

A  large  business  has  been  done  in  the  vicinity  of  Fayetteville  in  past 
years  in  the  manufacture  of  cement.  The  works  of  Bangs  &  Gay  nor, 
which  were  first  founded  in  1818  in  the  outskirts  of  the  village  are  still 
in  operation,  with  a  capacity  of  more  than  1,000  barrels  a  day.  A 
cooper  shop  is  in  connection  in  which  barrels  are  made  for  shipment  of 
the  product.  In  February,  1878,  the  Onondaga  Gypsum  Company  was 
organized  for  the  manufacture  of  crude  plaster.  Several  prominent 
citizens  were  members  of  the  company,  but  the  manufacture  was  not 
long  continued.  T.  W.  Sheedy  has  a  plaster  mill  about  a  mile  north  of 
the  village. 

In  1851  John  McVieker  built  the  grist  mill  known  in  later  years  as 
the  Pearl  Mills.  R.  C.  Hatch  took  the  property  in  L854  and  ran  the 
mill  many  years.  It  was  finally  burned  and  a  feed  mill  now  occupies 
the  site.  Pearl  barley  was  manufactured,  besides  the  regular  milling 
business.  The  so-called  Fayetteville  mills,  for  making  pearl  barley  and 
flouring,  was  established  in  1863  by  Edward  Johnson  and  were  after- 
wards operated  by  Northrup  &  Johnson.  The  mill  was  burned  and 
succeeded  by  the  Snook  knife  factory. 

The  old  paper  mill,    which  has  had  a   varied  career  under  different 

100 


794  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

owners  and  occupants,  is  now  operated  under  lease  to  the  Fayetteville 
Paper  Company,  which  took  possession  October  23,  1894,  from  the 
Beard  estate.  M.  B.  Kelly,  and  J.  W.  Hurlbut  constitute  the  active 
company.      The  mill  was  long-  operated  by  Beard,  Grouse  &  Co. 

Burhans  &  Blanchard  carried  on  a  large  business  in  the  manufacture 
of  sash,  doors,  and  blinds  for  many  years.  The  business  was  founded 
in  1855.     The  establishment  is  now  idle. 

The  National  Bank  of  Faj^etteville  was  organized  as  a  State  bank  in 
1854,  with  a  capital  of  $115,000.  Harvey  Edwards,  president;  Porter 
Tremain,  vice-president;  Hiram  Eaton,  cashier.  It  was  converted  into 
a  national  bank,  with  a  capital  of  $140,000  in  1865.  In  1887  the  capital 
was  reduced  to  $(30,000  and  O.  D.  Blanchard  was  chosen  president; 
M.  L.  Peck,  vice-president;  R.  W.  Eaton,  cashier.  In  December, 
1894,  the  bank  went  into  liquidation,  P.  H.  Smith  being  chosen  cashier. 

The  Farmers'  Bank,  a  State  bank,  was  organized  in  1870,  with  capital 
of  $100,000.  Myron  Bangs  was  president,  and  F.  M.  Severance, 
cashier.      The  institution  failed  and  was  closed  up. 

In  the  Beard  block,  to  which  reference  has  been  made,  is  and  has 
been  many  years  the  Beard  Hotel;  it  is  now  conducted  by  Morris 
Griffin.  On  the  site  of  the  Grove  Hotel  a  public  house  has  been  kept 
many  years  and  by  various  proprietors.  Horace  Grove  took  the 
property  in  1874  and  ten  years  later  rebuilt  the  house  in  its  present 
form,  and  still  conducts  it. 

The  Fayetteville  Recorder  was  established  in  18(1(3  by  F.  A.  Darling. 
In  1874  it  passed  to  possession  of  the  Recorder  Printing  Association, 
and  was  edited  and  managed  by  various  persons  until  June  1,  1894, 
when  H.  C.  Beauchamp  became  its  owner,  and  has  continued  its  pub- 
lication to  the  present  time,  making  an  interesting  and  useful  news- 
paper, well  patronized  and  thoroughly  satisfactory  to  its  patrons. 

The  village  of  Fayetteville  was  incorporated  by  act  of  Legislature 
May  6,  1844.  It  was  reincorporated  under  the  general  law  of  April  2, 
L870,  and  January  28,  1871.  The  first  Board  of  Trustees  were  John 
Sprague,  president;  Porter  Tremain,  Frederick  Pratt,  jr.,  George  S. 
Taylor,  and  Joseph  Fitch.  For  the  years  following  to  the  present 
time  the  following  have  served  as  presidents  of  the  village  board: 

Porter  Tremain,   1845;  John  Watson,    1846;  Caleb  Whitford,  1847-49;  Reuben  H. 

Bangs,  1850  51  ;  William  Parker,  jr.,  1852;  James  Mead,  1853;  Jeremiah  Decker,  1854; 

John    <;.  Keilly,    1855;  Hiram   Eaton,   1856;  Nathan  Seward,   1857;     Hiram   Eaton, 

II     Bangs,    L859;  Hirm  Eaton,  1860;  R.  H.  Bangs,  1861-62;  Hiram  Eaton, 

L863  <;!  65;   Lewis   II.    Eaton,  1866-67;  Joseph  L.   Mathews,  1868;  Daniel  Burhans, 


THE  TOWN  OF  MANLIUS.  795 

1869-70;  Henry  L.  Beard,  1871;  Daniel  F.urhans,  1872;  William  Uurd,  1873;  F.  M. 
Severance,  1874-75-70;  Edward  Collin,  1877-78;  Charles  Baker,  1879  82;  T.  E. 
Quinby,  1883;  John  L.  Boynton,  1884-80;  Thurlow  W.  Carr,  1887  T.  E  Quinby, 
1888-90;  Elisha  Steadman,  1891;  William  Austin,  1892;  Henry  J.  Knapp,  1893 
Abram  Sarg,  1894;  Amos  W.  Close,  1895.  John  Ecker  has  been  village  clerk  since 
1883. 

On  May  3,  1892,  the  village  voted  to  bond  for  $29,000  for  a  water 
supply.  An  excellent  plant  was  established,  the  water  being  taken 
from  living  springs  about  one  and  one-half  miles  east  of  the  village. 
The  system  was  placed  in  operation  in  the  fall  of  L892.  The  village  is 
now  supplied  with  forty-four  hydrants  and  the  schedule  of  rates  to  con- 
sumers is  made  so  reasonable  that  the  water  is  freely  used. 

A  fire  company  was  organized  in  the  village  August  30,  L845,  and 
was  reorganized  as  Fire  Company  No.  1  in  January,  L854.  Hydra  Fire 
Company  (fire  and  hose)  was  organized  in  1861,  and  sufficed  for  lire  ex- 
tinguishment until  the  organization  of  the  new  water  system 

The  village  of  Fayetteville  is  in  Union  School  district  Xo.  1  1,  the  bound- 
aries of  the  district  extending  somewhat  outside  the  village.  The 
present  commodious  and  imposing  brick  school  building  was  erected  in 
1889,  the  village  bonding  itself  for  $20,000  for  the  purpose.  This  sum 
was  afterwards  increased,  as  the  building  and  lot  cost  about  $26,000. 
Frank  J.  House  is  the  principal  and  is  assisted  by  nine  teachers. 

With  the  opening  of  the  Erie  Canal  a  hamlet  began  to  gather  on  the 
site  of  Kirkville.  In  1 S ~2 •*  Edward  Kirkland,  son  of  Joseph  Kirkland,  a 
prominent  early  citizen  of  Utica,  settled  on  a  farm  a  little  northeast  of 
the  hamlet,  and  in  1824  was  appointed  postmaster.  Both  the  office  and 
the  hamlet  took  their  name  from  him.  He  was  an  enterprising  man. 
and  constructed  the  canal  basin  at  his  own  expense,  put  tip  a  large 
store,  and  carried  on  considerable  trade.  A  hotel  was  opened  bv  a  Mr. 
Cunningham,  and  in  course  of  time  churches  and  other  institutions 
were  established. 

Among  early  settlers  in  the  vicinity  of  Kirkville  were  Austin  Smith, 
a  little  southwest  of  the  village,  and  Eiiakim  Smith,  his  brother;  David 
Wilcox,  Silas  Bell,  Edward  French,  Oliver  Ma  bee,  Mr.  Cunningham. 
father  of  Cortland  Cunningham;  David  Dominick,  Stephen  Wilcox, 
Patrick  Harter,  David  Bartlett,  Liberty  and  America  Wordeu  (brothers), 
and  Leander  Worden,  Asahel  Bell,  brother  of  Silas;  Parsons  Halstead, 
Jacob  Phillips  and  David  Hess.  Manx1  other  families  of  this  and  other 
sections  of  the  town  are  noticed  in  later  pages. 

One  of  the  earlv  merchants  here  was  Lorenzo  Adams,  whose  widow 


796  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

is  still  a  resident.  In  late  years  his  store  building-  was  used  as  a  wagon 
shop,  and  is  now  occupied  as  a  dwelling  by  Asa  Ballou.  A  grocery, 
hotel  and  canal  barn  were  kept  by  Pardon  Austin.  Both  of  these  were 
on  the  old  Erie  Canal,  and  were  the  principal  business  concerns  until 
after  the  canal  was  straightened.  Later  Joseph  Hoag  had  a  shoe  shop 
many  years.  When  the  new  canal  was  constructed  Benson,  Wakely  & 
Davis  opened  a  store,  which  was  subsequently  occupied  by  George 
Brown  &  Son,  and  still  later  by  James  A.  Brown,  son  of  George;  it  was 
burned,  and  rebuilt  by  Mr.  Brown,  who  is  still  in  business.  Others 
who  have  carried  on  business  there  are  Duane  Kent,  Northrup  &  John- 
son, William  B.  Dean  and  Byron  Cobern,  grocers;  Joseph  Hoag,  boots 
and  shoes,  succeeded  by  his  son,  Charles  Hoag,  who  is  still  in  business; 
E.  C.  Walrath,  who  built  and  occupied  the  store  now  conducted  by  L. 
A.  Hakes;   Sackett  &  Worden,  Orrin   Dean  and  L.  M.  Bartlett  &  Son. 

On  the  tow  path  of  the  present  canal  a  hotel  was  kept  early  by  a  Mr. 
Steele,  who  was  succeeded  by  Daniel  McNeil,  and  he  by  James  Snow, 
under  whose  conduct  it  was  burned  and  rebuilt  as  at  present.  After 
passing  through  several  changes  in  proprietors  it  was  taken,  and  is  now 
conducted  by  Charles  Plopper.  The  Carr  House  was  built  by  William 
Denny  in  1886,  and  kept  by  him  a  few  years;  it  is  now  owned  by  Mrs. 
Carr.     The  Kirkville  House  was  built  in  1895. 

On  Lake  Brook,  near  the  Central  Railroad,  was  an  early  saw  mill, 
run  by  a  Mr.  Hibbard ;  it  was  long  ago  abandoned.  Near  by  its  site 
Joseph  Greiner  built  his  present  cider  mill. 

Blacksmithing  has  been  carried  on  at  Kirkville  by  a  Mr.  Folts,  Thomas 
Brown,  many  years;  Lawrence  Delaney  (who  was  the  first  station  agent 
there),  and  Andrew  Bloss.     The  Moses  brothers  were  wagonmakers. 

The  post-office  has  been  in  charge  of  Joseph  Hoag,  Charles  Hoag, 
A.  D.  Moses,  Charles  Hoag,  again;  James  A.  Brown,  Charles  Hoag, 
the  third  time;  James  A.  Brown,  and  now  Mr.  Hoag. 

Dr.  Avery  was  an  early  physician  at  Kirkville,  and  Dr.  George  W. 
Palmer  has  practiced  continuously  about  fifty  years,  and  is  still  in 
active  business.  Dr.  Milton  A.  Curtis  began  practice  in  1878,  and  still 
continues. 

On  the  14th  of  March,  1836,  the  Fayetteville  Hydraulic  Company  was 
incorporated  by  David  Collin,  Albert  Neeley,  John  Watson,  Hervey 
Edwards,  John  McVicker,  Jacob  De  Puy  and  John  Yelverton.  The 
purpose  of  this  company  was  to  "conduct  the  waters  of  the  Limestone 
Creek,  in  the  town  of   Manlius,  the  county  of  Onondaga,  from  a  place 


THE  TOWN  OF  MANLIUS.  797 

called  Hall's  Mills,  or  any  point  below  the  same,  on  said  creek,  to  the 
village  of  Fayetteville,  for  supplying  said  village  with  water  and  for 
hydraulic  purposes. "  The  capital  of  the  company  was  $70,000.  The 
result  of  this  legislation  was  the  construction  of  what  is  known  as  the 
Ledyard  Canal,  so  named  from  one  of  the  men  connected  with  its  build- 
ing. The  canal  has  a  fall  of  about  100  feet,  and  gives  extensive  water- 
power.      It  is  now  the  property  of  Edward  and  Charles  L.  Collin. 

Eagle  Village  early  assumed  considerable  business  importance,  and 
during  quite  a  period  was  an  active  rival  of  Manlius  and  Fayetteville. 
The  tavern  before  mentioned  as  kept  by  James  Foster  in  1790,  was 
succeeded  by  one  kept  by  Libbeus  Foster  in  I  794,  which  became  famous 
over  a  large  section.  In  the  building  was  a  Masonic  Hall,  and  it  was 
afterwards  used  as  a  dwelling  by  Gershom  Sherwood.  Jared  Luding- 
ington  was  shoemaking  there  in  1800,  and  in  1804  Charles  B.  Bristol 
opened  a  store.  During  the  war  of  1812  he  acted  as  distributing  com- 
missary, and  in  1809  built  a  stone  distillery,  set  up  the  first  thrashing 
machine  in  the  county,  and  for  many  years  was  one  of  the  foremost 
men  of  the  town.  Amos  P.  Granger,  many  years  a  leading  citizen  and 
prosperous  business  man  in  Syracuse,  first  began  trade  at  Eagle  Vil- 
lage. A  Mr.  Walker  opened  a  law  office  there  in  1804,  and  Asa  Rice 
another  a  little  later;  with  the  latter  James  R.  Lawrence  served  as 
clerk.  Early  physicians  were  Dr.  Ward,  Dr.  T.  A.  Moore,  Dr.  Fisk 
and  Dr.  Washburne.  The  healthy  advancement  of  the  village  is  indi- 
cated by  the  establishment  of  the  Eagle  Village  Library  in  1811,  and 
its  incorporation.  About  "250  volumes  were  purchased,  and  some  addi- 
tions were  made.  The  library  continued  in  existence  nearly  fifty 
years.1 

The  opening  of  the  Syracuse  and  Utica  Railroad  in  1839  gave  a 
new  impetus  to  the  hamlet  of  Manlius  Station,  which  in  183G  comprised 
but  two  or  three  log  cabins  and  a  blacksmith  shop.  Its  principal  growth, 
however,  has  occurred  within  more  recent  years.  Among  the  promi- 
nent business  men  may  be  mentioned  J.  H.  Fisher,  general  merchant: 
Joseph  Heifer,  grocer  and  hotel  keeeper,  who  died    in  January,   L896; 

1  At  this  place  occurred  one  <>i"  the  most  singular  weddings  on  record.  It  was  upon  a  training 
day,  first  Monday  in  Tune.  1795.  A  company  training  was  held  at  Foster's  tavern.  The  company 
was  paraded  in  the  open  yard  in  front  of  Foster's  house,  a  hollow  square  was  formed,  within 
which  the  wedding  party  marched  and  stood,  and  Cyrus  Kinne,  esq.,  united  in  the  bonds  of  holy- 
wedlock  Mr.  Billv  McKee  and  Miss  Jenny  Mulholland.  Considering  the  simplicity  of  the  times, 
the  rare  occurrence  of  such  an  event,  the  elevated  position  of  the  high  contracting  parties,  and 
the  practices  then  prevalent  on  such  occasions,  we  cannol  but  infer  that  the  witnesses  and  all 
present  must  have  had  a  most  splendid  jollification. 


793  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Edward  Weaver,  druggist;  Ephraim  E.  Woodard  and  R.  W.  HcKinley, 
postmasters,  and  the  late  Hon.  Conrad  vShoemaker,  once  a  member  of 
Assembly  and  an  enterprising  man  in  his  wide  business  relations. 

Before  concluding  the  general  history  of  this  important  town,  it  is 
necessary  to  mention  briefly  many  other  settlers  who  have  contributed 
to  the  growth  and  prosperity  of  the  community. 

James  O.  Rockwell,  who  became  distinguished,  was  an  early  resident 
of  the  town.  He  learned  the  printing  business,  became  assistant  editor 
of  a  Boston  journal  and  later  sole  editor  of  the  Providence  Patriot.  He 
died  in  Providence,  June  4,  1831.  He  was  a  poet  of  ability  and  at  his 
death  received  a  tribute  from  Whittier.  Augustus  Rockwell,  brother 
of  James  O.,  became  a  portrait  painter  of  celebrity  and  lived  in  Buffalo. 

David  Hibbard  was  a  prominent  farmer  who  was  born  in  the  town 
of  Pompey  in  March,  1803,  and  settled  on  the  farm  where  he  long  lived 
about  1828.  He  was  connected  with  the  two  banks  in  Fayetteville,  and 
was  largely  instrumental  in  promoting  the  building  of  the  town  hall  in 
Manlius  village. 

Ambrose  Clark  was  a  native  of  Dutchess  county,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
was  born  in  September,  1809.  He  settled  on  the  farm  near  Fayette- 
ville, where  he  passed  the  remainder  of  his  life,  in  1835.  He  was  a 
prominent  citizen  and  father  of  Ambrose,  jr. 

Garrett  Cole  was  an  early  resident  of  the  town  and  father  of  Charles 
M.  Cole,  who  was  born  in  Manlius  in  1821.  He  learned  the  mason's 
trade  and  afterwards  kept  a  grocery  in  Fayetteville.  Later  in  life  he 
followed  farming  in  the  vicinity  of  Kirkville.  His  wife  was  Catharine 
Maybee,  whose  father,  David  Maybee,  was  an  early  resident  of  the  town. 

Reuben  Hallet  Bangs  was  born  at  Williamsburgh,  Franklin  county, 
Mass.,  in  the  year  1788;  died  December  10,  1872;  a  descendant 
from  ancestors  who  came  to  this  country  from  Chichester,  England,  in 
one  of  the  Pilgrim  ships  named  Anne,  in  the  year  1633.  When  about 
twelve  years  of  age  his  father  removed  with  his  family  to  Hanstead, 
Canada,  where  he  remained  until  coming  to  the  town  of  Manlius  in 
1813  and  engaged  in  business.  January  1,  1815,  he  was  married  to 
Clarissa  Teall,  daughter  of  Dr.  Timothy  Teall ;  she  was  a  native  of  the 
town  of  Manlius;  born  May  13,  1793  and  died  November  8,  1877. 
To  them  were  born  five  children:  Anson  Bangs,  born  October  15,  1815; 
died  August  22,  1880.  Caroline  L.  Bangs,  born  January  10,  1821. 
Celestia  Bangs,  born  May  28,  L823;  died  December  31,  1892.  Myron 
Bangs,  born  August  7,  1824.  Eli  T.  Bangs,  born  December  29,  ls-?.">. 
Eli  T.    Hangs  is  the  well  known  contractor  of  Fayetteville, 


THE  TOWN  OF  MANLIUS.  79!) 

William  L.  Knapp,  who  was   born   at   Onondaga  Hill,  was  a  son  of 

Joel  Knapp,  a  hatter,  and  settled  early  in  Manlius  as  a  farmer.  His 
son,  Henry  J.,  who  has  been  in  the  furniture  business  in  Fayetteville 
since  18<»9,  now  owns  the  homstead. 

Jabez  Lewis  came  early  from  Montgomery  county,  became  owner  of  a 
large  tract  of  land  and  carried  on  a  store  at  Manlius  Center.  He  held 
the  offices  of  assessor  and  supervisor,  and  was  father  of  Edward,  an 
engineer  on  the  Central  Railroad. 

David  Maybee,  before  alluded  to,  came  to  Manlius  with  his  father, 
Abram  Maybee,  and  settled  early  at  Hartsville  (Mycenae),  where  he 
purchased  100  acres  of  land.  Oliver  Maybee,  born  in  L826,  was  a  son  of 
David.      The  family  has  been  prominent  in  the  community. 

John  Everson,  whose  ancestry  came  from  Holland,  was  one  of  the 
earliest  settlers  in  the  town.  His  son,  David,  was  born  herein  1799, 
and  was  father  of  David,  who  now  lives  on  a  large  farm  on  lots  89 
and  79. 

John  Snook  and  family  settled  in  Manlius  in  1800,  where  his  son, 
Clark,  was  born  in  1813.  The  latter  is  one  of  the  leading  citizens,  a 
large  land  owner,  conducted  a  plaster  mill  forty  years,  and  has  wielded 
considerable  influence  in  local  politics. 

Lorenzo  W.  Adams,  born  in  Pompey  in  1813,  settled  at  Kirkville  in 
1835,  and  died  in  1858.  He  was  a  merchant,  and  held  the  office  of  su- 
pervisor and  other  positions. 

Amasa  Scoville,  who  was  born  in  Pompey  in  1800,  was  tat  her  of  Elijah 
U.  Scoville,  who  settled  at  Manlius  village,  where  he  bought  an  in- 
terest in  the  agricultural  works,  and  afterwards  in  1879  became  sole  pro- 
prietor. He  carries  on  the  manufacture  of  a  patent  faucet  of  which  he 
is  the  owner.  He  has  been  president  of  the  village  three  terms,  and  is 
now  president  of  the  Board  of  Education. 

Socrates  Townsend  was  born  in  Manlius  in  1810,  his  lather  being  a 
pioneer.      He  died  in  1880  and  was  father  of  Lemuel  S. 

There  have  been  a  number  of  prominent  lawyers  who  practiced  in 
this  town,  most  of  whom  have  already  been  mentioned.  X.  R.  Chap- 
man, who  is  still  in  practice  in  Fayetteville,  and  the  oldest  practicing 
attorney  in  Onondaga  county,  was  born  in  1809,  studied  with  Nicholas 
P.  Randall,  and  is  a  graduate  of  Hamilton  College.  While  pursuing 
his  law  study  he  taught  school,  and  for  two  years  was  principal  of  an 
academy  in  Fayetteville. 

Among  the  prominent   physicians  of  the  town  were    Dr.  Judson    II. 


800  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Graves  and  Dr.  Horace  Nims,  both  of  whom  are  properly  noticed  in 
the  chapter  devoted  to  that  profession. 

Some  other  prominent  citizens  who  can  only  be  mentioned  are  Fred- 
erick Clement,  who  was  father  of  Ozias  and  lived  near  Manlius  Station: 
Caleb  Pratt,  a  settler  of  1793,  one  of  the  first  constables  and  a  captain 
in  the  early  militia;  Peter  Wormwood,  who  died  recently;  Beach  C. 
and  Huntington  Beard,  of  Fayetteville;  Rowland  Cadwell,  Daniel  C. 
McClenthen,  John  Wilkie,  Henry  W.  Ewers,  A.  B.  McClenthen,  Richard 
H.  Hopkins,  Charles  Williams,  Charles  C.  Richardson,  J.  V.  H.  Clark, 
historian  of  Onondaga  county,  Joseph  Williams,  Elihu  Ewers,  D.  B. 
Bickford,  and  Mr.  Warren,  tavern  keeper  at  Manlius;  the  Remington 
family  and  others. 

In  late  years  the  character  of  agricultural  pursuits  has  changed  to  a 
considerable  extent,  as  it  has  in  most  other  towns  of  the  county.  The 
chief  interests  are  now  hops,  tobacco,  small  fruits  and  milk  and  butter. 
Several  of  the  finest  fruit  farms  in  the  the  county  are  in  this  town,  a 
business  in  which  Samuel  J.  Wells,  O.  H.  Perry,  Mortimer  and  Palmer 
Worden,  George  Putnam,  William  Collin,  and  others  are  prominent. 
Other  leading  farmers  are  Oliver  and  D.  W.  Gridley,  Duane  Kent, 
Clark  Snook,  Eli  T.  Bangs,  Allen  H.  Avery  and  others. 

The  people  of  Manlius  joined  heartily  with  those  of  Pompey  and 
Dewitt  in  celebrating  the  County  Centennial,  the  ceremonies  taking 
place  on  May  30,  1894.  A  parade  was  held  in  the  forenoon,  and  in  the 
the  afternoon  the  following  programme  of  exercises  was  carried  out : 

Martial  music.  Prayer.  Singing,  America.  Manlius  history,  Rev.  Theo.  Bab- 
cock,  Rev.  C.  P.  Osborne.  Music,  band.  Dewitt  history,  H.  K.  Edwards,  W.  H. 
Peck.  Music,  band.  Pompey  history,  W.  W.  Van  Brocklin.  Music,  band.  Rem- 
iniscences by  old  people.  Singing,  Star  Spangled  Banner.  Benediction.  "A  Song 
of  Ye  Olden  Time"  written  for  the  occasion  by  Mrs.  Cordelia  Young  Willard  was  also 
rendered. 

The  following  were  the  officers  in  charge  of  the  celebration: 

President,  E.  U.  Scoville.  Viee-presidents,  Manlius — A.  C.  Palmer,  Alvah  Wood- 
worth,  Dr.  Horace  Nims,  D.  Collin,  N.  R.  Chapman,  O.  D.  Blanchard,  Charles  Peck, 
A.  F.  Platto,  Clark  Snook  and  George  Brown.  Dewitt — Charles  Hiscock,  C.  C. 
Bagg,  P.  P.  Midler,  Henry  Dixon,  Samuel  Sherwood  and  Elbridge  Kinney.  Pom- 
pey—M.  R.  Dyer,  Victor  Birdseye,  C.  C.  Midler,  S.  C.  Lewis,  R.  Murray,  Homer 
Billings,  Mathias  Ackerman;  secretaries,  H.  C.  Beauchamp,  F.  L.  Maine,  J.  L.  Kyne 
and  M.  W.  Russell.  Committee  on  decorations — George  Cadwell,  A.  B.  Knight, 
George  Fowler,  Horace  Nims,  James  Tuttlc,  jr.,  Arthur  Allen,  George  Armstrong,  jr., 
ami    Joe  Topp. 

Following  is  a  list  of  the  supervisors  of  Manlius  from  its  organization 
to  the  present  time,  with  the  years  of  their  service; 


THE  TOWN  OF  MANLIUS.  801 

1794-7,  Comfort  Tyler;  1798-9,  Elijah  Rust;  1800-1807,  John  Sweeting;  1808,  Syi- 
vanus  Tousley;  1809,  John  Phillips;  1810,  Hezekiah  Ketchum;  1811,  Jared  Ludding- 
ton ;  1812,  Hezekiah  Ketchum ;  18115,  Prentice  Kinne;  1814,  Elias  Gumaer,  jr. ;  1815, 
Nathan  Williams;  1816,  James  O.  Wattles;  1817-20,  Nathan  Williams;  1821-22,  John 
Fleming;  1823-25,  Azariah  Smith;  1826,  Samuel  L.  Edwards;  1827  29,  Thomas 
Starr;  1830-31,  John  Watson;  1832-35.  Thomas  J.  Gilbert;  1836,  John  Watson;  1837, 
Hicks  Worden;  1838,  John  Watson;  1839-40,  William  Taylor;  1841,  Hicks  Worden; 
1842,  Hiram  Smith;  1843,  William  Taylor;  1844,  Charles  II.  Mead;  1845,  Jabei 
Lewis;  1846,  Charles  H.  Mead;  1847-48,  Samuel  L.  Edwards;  1849,  Ambrose  Clark; 
1850-51,  John  Merritt;  1852-53,  Jabez  Lewis;  1854-55,  Lorenzo  W.  Adams;  1856, 
Charles  H.  Mead;  1857-58,  Porter  Tremain ;  1859,  Thomas  O.  Basset;  1860-61,  Con- 
rad Shoemaker;  1862,  Charles  N.  Lewis;  1863,  Conrad  Shoemaker;  1864,  Joseph 
Baker;  1865,  Harvey  Edwards;  1866,  Charles  Peck;  1867,  Augustus  Tremain  ;  1868- 
69,  Albert  B.  Northrup;  1870-71,  Ozias  Clement;  1872.  Charles  Peck;  L873  76,  Will- 
iam Austin;  1877-79,  Anson  Sweet;  1880-81,  Ozias  Clement ;  1882,  Hollon  D.  Van 
Schaack;  1883-85,  A.  Cady  Palmer;  1886-87,  Walter  W.  Cheney;  1888-90,  John  A. 
Ecker;  1891,  T.  E.  Ouimby ;  1892-95,  A.  Cady  Palmer. 

The  population  of  the  town  at  various  dates  from  1830  is  shown  as 
follows ; 

In  1830,  7,375;  1835,  5,594;  1840,  5,509;  1845,  5,602;  1850^  6,298;  185.-).  6,228;  I860, 
6,028;  1865,  6,276;  1870,  5,833;  1875,  6,340;  1880,  5,954;  1890,  5,453;  1892,  5,518. 

Among  the  pioneers  of  this  town  were  many  families  of  strong  re- 
ligious faith  who  began  public  worship  in  each  other's  dwellings  in  the 
latter  years  of  the  preceding  century  and  continued  thus  until  their 
church  buildings  were  erected.  A  Baptist  society  was  formed  at 
Fayetteville  as  early  as  1800,  over  which  Rev.  Daniel  Campbell  was 
one  of  the  first  pastors;  Elder  Breed  was  also  an  early  worker.  The 
meetings  were  usually  held  in  the  school  house  of  the  upper  district. 
A  council  was  called  in  1804  at  which  Father  Bennett  and  Elder  John 
Peck  were  present,  and  about  twenty  persons,  men  and  women,  were 
recognized  as  a  church. 

Among  the  first  members  were  Gershom  Breed,  Jabish  York,  Daniel 
Campbell,  Cyrus  Kinne,  John  Jones,  William  Breed,  Lewis  Sweeting, 
Zopher  Knowlton,  Allen  Breed,  Orris  Hopkins,  Washington  Worden, 
Palmer  Breed,  Susannah  Ward,  Amelia  and  Hannah  Breed,  Mary  Ter- 
rill,  Elizabeth  Hopkins,  Walter  Worden  and  Mrs.  Kinne. 

Gershom  Breed  was  licensed  as  a  preacher,  and  was  assisted  by  Elder 
Nathan  Baker  of  Pompey.  In  1812  Mr.  Breed  was  ordained,  and  con- 
tinued in  charge  of  this  church  until  his  death  in  1815.  His  son,  Allen, 
was  converted  under  the  father  and  succeeded  him  as  preacher,  as  a 
licentiate,  and  was  ordained  in  1829.  A  church  was  built  at  a  cost  of 
about  $3,000  and  dedicated  in  July,  1831.  In  1843  the  society  was 
101 


802  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

divided,  and  the  Second  Baptist  church  of  Fayetteville  was  formed, 
with  Rev.  W.  Kingsley,  pastor.  About  1870  the  handsome  brick  church 
now  in  use  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $30,000,  the  parsonage  reconstructed, 
and  a  sexton's  house  built. 

The  oldest  church  in  the  town  is  Christ  church  (Episcopalian)  in 
Manlius  village.  Several  families  of  this  faith  held  meetings  before 
1800,  some  of  them  living  in  the  town  of  Pompey ;  the  meetings  were 
generally  held  in  private  houses.  Rev.  Davenport  Phelps  came  as  a 
missionary  almost  at  the  first  and  preached  not  only  here  but  at  various 
surrounding  points.  A  church  society  was  formally  organized  in  Jan- 
uary, 180-1,  under  his  ministration,  and  in  1813  the  church  edifice  was 
built  on  the  hill  at  the  east  end  of  the  village.  That  location  was 
chosen,  doubtless,  in  conformity  with  the  early  prevailing  practice  of 
placing  churches  in  sightly  and  commanding  places,  often  in  disregard 
of  public  convenience.  The  building  was  removed  to  its  later  and  more 
eligible  situation  in  1832.  The  church  had  formerly  a  gallery  on  three 
sides,  which  has  been  removed,  and  the  building  has  undergone  other 
important  changes.  It  now  contains  several  beautiful  memorial  win- 
dows, all  but  two  of  which  have  been  presented  in  memory  of  the  dead. 
One  of  these  is  in  memory  of  Dr.  William  Taylor,  who  was  a  lifelong 
vestryman  of  the  church.  The  first  rector  was  Rev.  Parker  Adams  in 
1810.  The  number  of  families  now  connected  with  the  church  is  about 
thirty,  and  Rev.  Dr.  Theodore  Babcock  is  rector,  having  assumed  the 
position  in  January,  1882. 

Trinity  Presbyterian  church  of  Manlius  was  formed  in  the  Franklin 
school  house  on  August  29,  1815.  Meetings  had  been  held  in  that 
house  and  elsewhere  a  long  time  previous.  The  formal  organization 
took  place  October  24,  1815,  Rev.  Hugh  Wallace,  presiding.  There 
were  only  eight  original  members,  half  of  whom  were  women,  viz.  : 
William  Gardner,  Caleb  Remington,  Isaac  Hall  and  wife,  Horace  Hunt, 
Mis.  Sarah  L.  Pomeroy,  Mrs.  Rebecca  W'ood  and  Mrs.  Mary  Ann  Jack- 
son. William  Gardner  was  the  first  deacon,  thus  gaining  the  familiar 
title  by  which  he  was  always  known.  The  first  elders  were  Isaac  Hall, 
Jacob  L.  Sherwood  and  Horace  Hunt,  chosen  May  21,  1817.  Services 
were  held  for  a  period  in  the  "stone  house"  on  the  corner  of  Seneca 
and  South  streets  in  Manlius  village,  and  in  1819  the  church  edifice  was 
built.  With  many  subsequent  alterations  and  improvements  it  is  still 
in  use.  The  first  pastor  was  Rev.  Ira  M.  Olds,  in  December,  1815;  the 
present  one  is  Rev.  Matthew  Gaffney. 


THE  TOWN  OF  MANLIUS.  803 

There  were  many  early  Baptists  in  the  southern  part  of  the  present 
Manlius  and  the  northern  part  of  Pompey,  who  began  holding  meet- 
ings about  the  beginning  of  the  century,  and  some  kind  of  an  organiza- 
tion was  effected  by  them  as  early  as  1805.  Later,  meetings  were  held 
in  the  academy  building  in  Manlius  village,  and  in  1813  the  existing 
organization  was  formed  under  the  name  of  the  "Pompey  and  Manlius 
Baptist  church."  Among  the  early  members  were  Elder  Nathan  Baker, 
Willoughby  Millard,  Elijah  Weston,  Isaac  Ketchum,  Samuel  Sherman, 
Joseph  Williams,  Jacob  Cleveland,  James  Jones,  Samuel  Edwards, 
Jonathan  Ball,  Thomas  H.  Gridley  and  William  Fillmore.  In  1828  an 
old  fashioned  church  building  was  erected,  from  which,  through  vari- 
ous alterations,  the  present  church  has  grown.  The  original  building 
cost  $3,000;  extensive  improvements  were  made  in  1867.  Rev.  E.  M 
Barber  was  pastor  of  this  church   for  several  years,  resigning  in  1895. 

Two  early  organizations  of  a  religious  character  were  instituted  by 
the  people  of  Manlius  village,  and  for  a  time  exerted  an  important  in- 
fluence upon  the  community.  The  first  of  these  was  the  Auxiliary 
Bible  and  Common  Prayer  Book  Society  for  the  western  district  of  the 
State,  which  was  formed  by  the  Episcopalians  on  January  IS,  1815, 
with  Rev.  W.  A.  Clark,  a  resident  pastor,  recording  secretary;  Azariah 
Smith,  treasurer ;  and  James  O.  Wattles,  Ralph  R.  Phelps,  and  eight 
others,  board  of  managers.  On  May  21,  1821,  the  Manlius  Branch 
Bible  Society  was  organized  at  the  Presbyterian  church  with  Rev.  H. 
N.  Woodruff,  president;  Samuel  L.  Edwards,  secretary;  John  Watson, 
treasurer;  Eben  Williams,  Allen  Breed  and  William  Eager,  vice-presi- 
dents. 

The  date  of  the  formation  of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of 
Manlius  is  lost,  but  it  was  early  in  the  century.  A  lot  occupying  the 
middle  of  the  street  on  which  the  church  edifice  now  fronts  was  deeded 
to  Daniel  P.  Williams,  Luther  Buell,  Samuel  Brown,  Origen  Eaton, 
Jedediah  Caswell,  Ezekiel  Root,  John  Peck,  John  Johnson,  and 
Ebenezer  Conner,  trustees,  in  1822,  in  which  year  the  edifice  was 
erected.  It  was  removed  to  its  present  situation  in  June,  1844,  and  has 
been  very  much  changed  since;  it  formerly  had  a  high  spire.  Peter 
Wormwood,  Arnold  and  Mary  Remington,  and  Rowland  Caldwell  were 
long  members  of  this  church. 

Early  meetings  of  the  Presbyterians  living  in  and  near  Fayetteville 
were  held  in  the  upper  district  school  house,  and  in  1830  a  society 
was  formed,  manv   of  the   members  being  from  the   Manlius   society. 


804  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Through  the  combined  efforts  of  Christians  of  several  denominations  a 
church  edifice  was  erected  in  1829.  John  McVicker,  James  Stewart, 
and  Philip  Flint  were  the  first  ruling-  elders  and  the  original  member- 
ship was  twenty-three.  The  first  regular  pastor  was  Rev.  Amos  C 
Tuttle,  installed  June  22,  1837,  The  present  church  edifice  was  re- 
modeled and  rededicated  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  Lewis  H.  Reid 
on  June  22,  1857,  and  cost  about  $10,000. 

Trinity  church,  Episcopal,  of  Fayetteville,  was  organized  in  the  year 
1830,  and  in  the  following  year  a  church  building  was  erected,  which 
was  consecrated  in  1832.  The  church  was  for  several  years  a  mission- 
ary charge,  and  the  first  resident  missionary  was  Rev.  J.  B.  Engle, 
who  was  sent  there  in  1837.  The  first  church  became  entirely  in- 
adequate and  in  1870  the  present  beautiful  stone  edifice  was  erected  at 
a  cost  of  $14,000. 

Among  churches  that  have  been  organized  in  the  town  in  later  years 
is  the  Church  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  (Catholic)  in  Fayetteville. 
The  nucleus  of  this  society  was  formed  of  several  families  of  Manlitis 
and  Fayetteville  between  1846  and  1855.  About  1851  the  first  Catholic 
mass  was  celebrated  at  Manlius  by  Father  McCallion.  Father  Cahill 
was  the  first  priest  to  visit  Fayetteville,  and  held  the  first  service  in  the 
house  of  John  Farrell.  In  1845  Father  Cahill  purchased  a  lot  and 
raised  a  small  sum  towards  the  erection  of  a  church.  This  was  deposited 
with  the  bishop,  and  in  1861  amounted  to  $315.  Father  Rooney  at- 
tended the  mission  a  short  time  after  Father  Cahill's  departure,  and 
was  succeeded  by  Father  Lawrence  Schneider,  pastor  at  Manlius 
Station  in  1856.  In  1857  Rev.  James  A.  O'Hara,  then  of  Oneida, 
visited  the  mission.  Rev.  Father  Maurus  being  appointed  to  Manlius 
Station,  the  Catholics  of  Fayetteville  in  1859  determined  to  build  a 
church.  The  attempt  failed  after  the  foundations  were  partly  laid.  A 
second  attempt  was  also  abortive  in  1861-2,  after  part  of  the  materials 
had  been  delivered.  These  were  afterwards  sold  and  in  the  fall  of  1869 
the  present  brick  church  was  erected.  The  corner  stone  was  laid 
November  25.  The  interior  decorations  were  not  completed  until  1872, 
when  on  November  26,  the  church  was  dedicated. 

vSt.  Mary's  Catholic  church  is  on  the  road  from  Manlius  to  Bridgeport 
and  was  organized  in  1833  in  a  school  house.  A  small  frame  church 
was  erected  in  1834,  which  was  subsequently  burned  and  the  present 
frame  building  erected. 

On  the  28th  of  December,  1848,  citizens  of  Kirkville  met  to  take  the 


THE  TOWN  OF  MAN  [JUS.  805 

first  steps  towards  organizing  a  religious  society  and  building  a  house 
of  worship.  The  organization  was  perfected  on  January  16,  L849,  with 
the  following  trustees:  David  Dominick,  and  George  Huntley,  for  three 

years;  William  Gilman  and  Joseph  Hoag,  two  years;  William  Cun- 
ningham and  Cortland  Cunningham,  one  year.  The  society  was  formed 
on  a  union  basis  and  in  1850  a  church  was  erected.  The  society  arranged 
for  services  by  Universalists  every  fourth  Sunday ;  Baptists  every  fourth 
Sunday;  Presbyterians  every  second  Sunday  ;  Methodist  Episcopal  every 
second  Sunday;  and  Wesleyan  Methodists  every  second  Sunday  at  4 
p.  m.  In  1893  a  Congregational  society  was  organized  with  about  thirty- 
eight  members  and  the  church  is  now  occupied  by  them. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  church  at  Kirkville,  which  formerly  wor- 
shiped in  the  Union  church  just  described,  originally  constituted  a  part 
of  the  North  Manlius  circuit.  It  was  made  a  station  in  1872  and  im- 
mediate!}* afterward  the  present  church  was  erected.  The  first  pastor 
was  Rev.  Joseph  Maxwell.  The  society  at  first  comprised  about  thirty- 
eight  members. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  church  at  Manlius  Station  first  met  for 
worship  in  the  school  house.  In  1862  the  church  and  parsonage  were 
erected,  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  Gideon  Jones. 

The  Methodists  of  North  Manlius  are  connected  with  the  society  that 
has  a  church  bulling  over  the  line  in  Madison  county.  The  same  may 
be  said  of  the  Baptists,  who  also  worship  with  a  society  in  that  county. 

The  town  of  Manlius  is  not  remarkably  strong  in  historic  character- 
istics. On  coming  from  the  east  travelers  found  the  first  stopping- 
place  at  Manlius  village,  which,  as  has  already  been  said,  promised  at 
one  time  to  be,  as  it  was  then,  the  more  important  village  in  the  county 
for  some  time  to  come.  It  had  the  advantages  which  one  of  the  earliest 
turnpikes  conferred  on  places  through  which  they  passed;  but  when 
the  "north  branch"  of  the  Genesee  turnpike  was  constructed  it  lost  much 
of  the  travel  from  the  east  to  the  west,  of  course  crippling  its  resources 
to  some  extent,  for  these  stage  lines  gave  much  of  life  and  thrift  to  the 
villages  through  which  they  passed.  There  was  less  of  early  settling, 
too,  in  various  parts  of  the  towns  than  was  the  case  elsewhere,  the 
main  part  of  the  population  seeming  to  prefer  life  in  communities. 
Then,  too,  there  were  other  localities  which  were  then  deemed  more 
desirable,  which  was  a  mistaken  idea,  and  to  those  the  adventurers 
more  generally  went  and  the  growth  of  the  town  was  therefore  rather 
slow.      The  lands  in  the  northern  part  were  covered  with  dense  swamps, 


806  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

wholly  uninviting,  and  not  until  within  more  recent  years  were  they 
habitable,  after  they  had  been  in  large  degree  cleared  to  supply  wood 
to  the  locomotives  of  the  Syracuse  and  Utica  Railroad,  for  which  Con- 
rad Shoemaker  was  a  very  extensive  contractor.  He  was  also  at  one 
time  largely  interested  in  the  Syracuse  and  Chenango  Railroad,  and 
president  of  the  company,  to  aid  in  the  construction  of  which  the  town, 
through  which  it  passes,  was  heavily  bonded.  The  town  of  Manlius 
has  always  been  a  strong  and  prominent  factor  in  both  the  civil  and 
political  affairs  of  the  county,  and  some  very  able  men  have  died  in  or 
e'one  out  from  it. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 
THE  TOWN  OF  CICERO. 

The  original  military  township  of  Cicero,  No.  6,  comprising  the  pres- 
ent civil  towns  of  Cicero  and  Clay,  formed  the  extreme  northeast  cor- 
ner of  the  great  Military  Tract,  and  like  similar  subdivisions  of  that 
vast  territory  was  surveyed  into  100  lots,  which  were  reserved  or  drawn 
by  soldiers  for  services  in  the  Revolutionary  war  as  follows: 

Xn.  1,  reserved  for  gospel,  etc.;  2,  Capt.  Guy  Young;  3,  Capt.  Theodore  Bliss;  4, 
Evert  Slouter;  5,  reserved  for  gospel,  etc.;  6,  Jesse  Gardner;  7,  James  Johnston ;  8, 
Jacob  Squirrel;  9,  John  Babbit;  10,  John  Smith;  11,  Capt.  John  Shepard;  12,  Lieut. 
Barents.  Salisbury;  IB,  Joseph  Lewis;  14,  Reserved  for  Gospel,  etc.;  15,  Edward 
Painter;  16,  Reserved  for  Gospel,  etc.;  17,  Lieut.  Palmer  Cadey;  18,  Michael  Bul- 
ges; 19,  Adam  Counts;  20,  Abraham  Van  Deuson ;  21,  Peter  Elkenburgh ;  22  Lieut.- 
Col.  Cornelius  Van  Dyck:  23,  John  D.  Crimshire ;  24,  John  Peck;  25,  John  White- 
head; 26,  Gilbert  Richards;  27,  Capt.  Silas  Gray;  28,  Lieut.  Henry  Dodge;  29,  Capt 
Jonathan  Titus;  30,  John  TenEyck;  31,  Michael  Flemming;  32,  George  Norton; 
33,  Capt.  John  C.  Ten  Broeck;  34,  Thomas  Gardner;  35, Ensign  John  Fondy;  36, 
Henry  Bass;  37,  John  Padder;  38,  John  Venice;  39,  Capt.  Heury  Tiebout;  40,  Lock- 
hard  Lewis;  41  David  Johnston;  42,  Jonathan  Patterson;  43,  William  Patterson; 
44,  Capt.  Peter  Talman ;  45,  Thomas  Keating;  46,  John  Mc  Dawall;  47,  Morris  Bar- 
toe;  18,  Capt.  Benjamin  Hicks;  49,  Neal  McClean  ;  50,  Peter  Van  Dyck  ;  51,  Reserved 
i"i  Gospel,  etc.;  52,  William  Harris;  53,  William  Cator;  54,  John  Feathersby ;  55, 
Cyrus  Shelly;  56,  Capt.  Charles  Graham  ;  57,  John  Bartholomew;  58,  Lieut.  Samuel 
English;  59,  Patrick  O'Donohy;  00,  Gysbert  Van  DerMarken;  61,  Thomas  Cochren ; 
tac  Lamb;  63;  Charles  Williams;  04,  John  Lightfall  65,  Henry  Plimley;  66, 
Mynderl  Dennis;  <>T,  Peter  Gross;  68,  John  Sullivan;  69,  Capt.  Edward  Dunscomb; 


THE  TOWN  OF  CICERO.  B07 

70,  Benjamin  Peck;  71,  Dr.  John  Mason;  72,  Jacob  Sluyter;  73,  James  Sherwood; 
74,  Lieut.  Henry  A.  Williams;  75,  Samuel  Hebard;  76,  Lieut.  John  L.  Hardenbergh ; 
77,  Thomas  Harwood ;  78,  Adam  Price;  79,  Nicholas  Dill;  80,  Lieut.  Wilhelmus 
Ryckman;  81,  John  Garrison;  82,  Cornelius  Hendrickson ;  83,  Caleb  Knap 
John  Hoaksley;  85,  Gotlieb  Krack;  86,  John  Smith;  87,  Moses Snedeker ;  88,  Ensign 
Garret  Lansing;  89,  John  Gage;  90,  Reserved  for  Gospel,  etc.;  91,  Peter  Talman; 
92,  Mathew  Bolton;  98,  Capt.  Henry  Tiebout;  94,  Ambrose  Ladow;  95,  LewisS 
96,  Peter  Barret;  97,  James  Humphrey ;  98,  Gen.  George  Clinton ;  '.lit,  Joseph  Clinton ; 
100,  Selah  Brush. 

When  the  county  of  Onondaga  was  organized  in    L794   the   whol< 

this  military  township,  for  civil  and  judicial  purposes,  was  included  in 
the  town  of  Lysander,  and  so  remained  until  February  20,  L807,  when 
it  received  independent  governmental  privileges  by  a  special  act  of  the 
State  Legislature.  In  April,  1827,  as  detailed  in  another  chapter,  the 
present  town  of  Clay  was  set  off  by  legislative  enactment,  leaving 
Cicero  as  now  constituted  with  fifty  of  the  foregoing  lots,  viz.  :  Xos.  !', 
10,  11,  12,  20,  21,  29,  30,  31,  32,  33,  41,  42,  43,  II,  15,  16,  17,  54,  55, 
56,  57,  58,  59,  60,  66,  67,  68,  69,  70,  71,  72,  73,  80,  81,  82,  83,  84,  85, 
86,  87,  92,  93,  94,  95,  96,  97,  98,  99,  and  100,  the  whole  comprising 
about  29,000  acres  of  assessed  land. 

These  lots  contained  about  600  acres  each,  and  were  drawn  as  bounty 
lands  by  veterans  of  the  Revolution,  as  noticed  at  length  in  a  previous 
chapter  of  this  work.  (  hit  of  the  original  100  lots  six  (Nos  1,  •">.  II. 
16,  51,  and  00)  were  reserved  for  gospel  and  school  .purposes,  but  not 
one  of  them  fell  within  the  limits  of  the  present  town-  a  somewhat 
singular  circumstance,  and  one  that  distinctly  marks  this  among  the 
civil  divisions  of  the  county. 

One  or  more  settlements  had  been  made  within  the  hounds  of  the 
territory  under  consideration  when  it  was  surveyed  and  named  by 
Simeon  De  Witt,  whose  penchant  for  the  classical  is  here  again  aptly  illus- 
trated ;  and  although  it  was  nominally  annexed  to  Lysander,  it  never- 
theless retained  the  surveyor  general's  designation,  Cicero,  from  an 
illustrious  Roman  orator.  In  Indian  history  the  town,  with  one  ex- 
ception, occupies  no  conspicuous  place,  yet  outside  of  the  swampy  sec- 
tions it  was  for  many  years  the  haunt  of  hunting  parties  and  the  scene 
of  warlike  and  other  excursions,  especially  along  the  shores  of  <  meida 
Lake  and  River,  which  constitute  the  northern  boundary.  At  the  foot 
of  the  lake  the  Indians  had  a  famous  fishing  village,  which  Le  Moyne 
mentions  in  1654  as  being  on  the  south  side  of  the  Oneida  River,  but 
which  Charlevoix,  on  a  ma])  published  in  1744,  locates  on  the  north 
bank   on  or  near  the  site  of  Fort  Hrewerton.     The  village  was  called 


808  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Techiroguen,  while  the  locality  was  known  as  Oh-saha-u-ny-tak  se-ugh- 
kah  ("  where  the  waters  run  out  of  Oneida  Lake  "). 

The  site  of  the  village  of  Brewerton,  situated  as  it  is  on  what  was 
then  the  traveled  route  between  Oswego  and  the  Mohawk  valley,  was 
of  considerable  importance  in  the  French  and  English  war.  After  the 
erection  of  Fort  Stanwix  (Rome)  in  1758,  and  the  reduction  of  Fort 
Frontenac  by  Colonel  Bradstreet  in  the  same  year,  he.  retook  the  forts 
at  Oswego.  During  the  period  from  1755  to  1763  the  war  was  vigor- 
ously prosecuted,  and  Abercrombie,  the  English  general,  'determined 
to  build  a  work  to  command  the  entrance  to  Oneida  Lake  on  the  west 
as  Fort  Stanwix  commanded  it  on  the  east.  Accordingly  in  175!)  a 
detachment  was  sent  from  Oswego  which  co-operated  with  another 
from  Fort  Stanwix,  and  the  earthwork  was  constructed,  the  outlines  of 
which  are  still  clearly  visible  on  the  north  side  of  the  river.  It  was 
named  Fort  Brewerton,  in  honor  of  Captain  Brewerton,  a  gallant  offi- 
cer of  the  army,  and  although  situated  just  outside  the  bounds  of  Onon- 
daga county  and  the  town  of  Cicero,  the  early  importance  of  this  mili- 
tary post  is  sufficient  to  justify  its  mention  here. 

It  was  a  regular  octagon,  about  350  feet  in  diameter,  surrounded  by  a  wall  of  earth 
about  five  feet  high  above  the  interior  area  of  the  woi-ks.  In  front  of  this  wall  was  a 
ditch  about  ten  feet  deep,  from  the  top  of  the  inside  wall,  encompassing  the  whole. 
In  front  of  the  ditch,  encircling  the  whole,  was  another  embankment,  not  quite  as 
high  as  the  interior  one,  corresponding  to  it  in  all  its  lines  and  angles,  with  a  covered 
gateway  on  the  south  side  facing  the  river.  In  the  interior  embankment  was  set  a 
row  of  palisades,  about  twenty  feet  high,  with  loop-holes  and  embrasures.  It  is 
situated  on  a  gentle  elevation,  about  forty  rods  from  the  river;  and  when  garrisoned 
and  armed  for  war  could  easily  command  the  passage  of  the  river,  and  must  have 
presented  a  formidable  barrier. 

A  little  east  of  the  fort  was  built,  at  the  same  time  with  the  fort,  a  mole  of  huge 
rocks,  about  ten  rods  into  the  river,  at  the  end  of  which  was  placed  a  sentry's  box, 
where  a  sentinel  was  continually  posted  to  watch  for  enemies  passing  up  the  river. 
From  the  extremity  of  this  mole  the  river  could  be  commanded  by  view  for  many 
miles  and  the  lake  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  .  .  .  More  than  a  hundred  acres 
of  the  land  around  the  fort  was  cleared  of  a  heavy  growth  of  timber,  which  gave 
a  clear  prospect  of  the  shore  for  more  than  a  mile  in  extent. 

Clark  relates  an  interesting  tradition  which  hovered  about  a  certain 
spot  on  the  State  road,  some  five  miles  north  of  Salina,  where  a  band  of 
Indians  having  a  few  prisoners  resolved  upon  an  auto  da  fe.     He  sa3^s: 

(  >ne  poor  fellow,  bound  hand  and  foot,  was  compelled  to  run  the  gauntlet,  with  the 
promise,  if  successful,  of  being  restored  to  liberty.  Two  parallel  lines  were  arranged 
and  the  prisoner  started  to  run,  as  best  he  could,  between  them.  He  made  several 
surprising  Leaps,  bound  as  he  was,  and  finally  succeeded  in  passing,  amid  sundry 


THE  TOWN  OF  CICERO.  809 

blows,  beyond  the  lines  to  the  goal  of  promised  safety.  At  this  moment  a  j 
warrior  drew  up  his  rifle  and  shot  him  dead;  who,  for  his  treachery,  was  instantly 
pierced  by  more  than  twenty  balls  from  the  rifles  of  his  companions.  For  several 
years  the  Indians  returned  to  this  spot,  renewed  the  tracks  made  in  the  sand  by  the 
murdered  prisoner,  held  a  war  dance,  and  returned  to  their  homes.  This  practice 
was  continued  long  after  the  white  people  settled  in  the  neighborhood.  The 
last  time  they  visited  the  spot  they  got  into  a  quarrel  among  themselves,  and,  it  is 
said,  two  of  the  party  were  killed  and  several  badly  wounded. 

Returning  to  the  narrative  of  this  chapter  we  may  note  briefly  the 
topography  and  natural  features  of  the  territory  under  consideration, 
and  follow  its  growth  and  development  down  to  the  present  time.  The 
town  bears  the  same  geographical  position  in  the  county  of  <  >nondaga 
that  it  bore  to  the  Military  Tract — the  northeast  corner — and  is  bounded 
on  the  north  by  Oneida  Lake  and  River,  on  the  west  by  Clay,  on  the 
south  by  Salina,  Dewitt  and  Manlius,  and  on  the  east  by  Madison  county. 
The  surface  is  approximately  level,  the  soil  being  a  clayey  and  sandy 
loam.  In  the  southern  and  southeastern  part  is  an  extensive  swamp, 
embracing  about  4,000  acres,  which  originally  covered  nearly  one-third 
of  the  town,  and  on  which  large  sums  of  money  have  been  expended 
for  drainage.  This  was  called  by  the  Indians  Ka-nugh-wa-ka  (  "where 
the  rabbits  run").  There  are  no  considerable  streams  or  bodies  of 
water  in  Cicero.  Chittenango  Creek  forms  the  eastern  boundary  of  the 
town,  and  affords  valuable  water-power  at  the  hamlet  of  Bridgeport, 
which  is  situated  on  both  sides  of  the  stream,  largely  in  Madison  county. 
The  original  forests  consisted  chiefly  of  pine,  hemlock,  beech  and 
maple,  with  some  cedar  and  tamarack  in  the  swamps,  and  for  many 
years  gave  emploj-ment  to  lumbermen,  choppers  and  coopers. 

The  first  white  settler  in  Cicero  was  a  blacksmith  named  Dexter, 
who  located  opposite  Fort  Brewerton,  on  the  site  of  Brewerton  village, 
in  1T90,  and  lived  there  many  years.  Oliver  Stevens  had  already  re- 
sided about  a  year  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  and  had  a  garden  on 
the  south  side  in  this  town,  whither  he  removed  soon  afterward,  and 
died  in  1813.  Mr.  Stevens  located  at  this  point  through  representa- 
tions of  its  natural  beauty  made  by  his  two  brothers,  who  had  been  in 
the  garrison  of  the  fort,  carried  on  trade  with  the  Indians  and  kept  a 
boatmen's  tavern.  In  the  exciting  times  from  1790  to  1794,  when  there 
was  general  fear  of  Indian  troubles,  Mr.  Stevens  was  commissioned  by 
Governor  Clinton  to  build  a  block-house,  which  was  used  tor  a  dwelling 
in  later  years  until  1811.  In  1798  he  was  appointed  the  first  clerk  of  the 
great  town  of  Mexico,  in  Oswego  count)-.      In  his  isolated  situation  he 

102 


810  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

was  forced  to  endure  many  hardships  and  privations,  and  his  life  in  the 
wilderness  was  replete  with  incident.  His  experience  on  a  journey  to 
Mexico  to  town  meeting  in  March,  1792,  is  thus  related  by  Clark: 

He  started  off  early  in  the  morning  with  his  gun  in  hand  and  a  knapsack  of  pro- 
visions on  his  back.  There  was  no  road,  nor  scarcely  a  path ;  he  relied  mainly  on 
his  skill  as  a  woodsman  and  his  knowledge  of  the  sun  to  guide  him  safely  through 
his  journey.  He  traveled  on,  unconscious  of  harm,  till  near  the  middle  of  the  after- 
noon, when  he  found  himself  in  the  vicinity  of  a  pack  of  wolves.  By  their  howling 
he  was  aroused  not  only  to  a  sense  of  his  danger,  but  to  the  fact  that  he  had  lost  his 
way,  and  that  he  had  no  means  of  recovering  it.  He  set  forward  with  vigor  in  hope 
of  coming  out  at  a  "clearing"  in  the  vicinity  of  the  place  of  his  destination,  but  all 
to  no  purpose;  the  more  he  exerted  himself  the  more  he  became  convinced  of  the 
peril  of  his  situation.  The  wolves  drew  nearer  and  nearer,  and  seemed  by  their 
boldness  to  be  meditating  an  attack.  At  length  one,  bolder  than  his  companions,  a 
large  black  one,  advanced  to  within  a  few  paces  of  him,  upon  which  he  fired  and 
killed  him  dead.  The  scent  of  the  blood  of  the  dead  wolf  seemed  to  increase  the 
voracity  of  the  survivors,  and  for  a  time  he  thought  he  should  in  turn  be  slain.  Noth- 
ing daunted,  he  stood  at  bay  looking  them  firmly  in  the  eye,  and  after  awhile  they 
retired  a  respectful  distance,  sitting  around  on  their  haunches,  as  if  holding  a  coun- 
cil of  war.  During  this  cessation  of  hostilities  Mr.  Stevens  struck  a  fire  and  kindled 
it,  reloaded  his  gun,  and  sallied  forth,  dragging  the  dead  wolf  by  the  heels  to  his 
fiery  fortress.  *  ::'  *  Here  the  solitary  wanderer  stood  all  night,  not  daring  to  re- 
fresh himself  with  sleep,  amid  the  din  and  bowlings  of  the  hungry  wolves.  To- 
wards morning  he  was  relieved  from  his  anxiety  by  the  retreat  of  the  wolves,  who 
left  and  disturbed  him  no  more.  He  now  prepared  a  hasty  meal  at  the  fire,  partook 
of  it,  and  concluded  to  retrace  his  steps.  Packing  up  his  wolf-skin  he  proceeded 
homeward.  The  sun  rose  to  meridian,  and  still  he  traveled  on  ;  night  came,  and  for 
aught  he  could  tell  he  was  no  nearer  home  than  when  he  started  in  the  morning. 
Being  weary  with  his  day's  journey  he  again  kindled  a  fire,  laid  himself  down  to  rest, 
and  slept  soundly  till  morning.  At  early  dawn  he  again  set  forward  in  quest  of 
home,  and  about  ten  in  the  morning,  to  his  indescribable  joy,  discovered  the  British 
flag  flying  at  the  fort  at  Oswego.  *  *  *  The  day  following,  being  the  fifth  from 
his  departure,  he  arrived  safely  to  the  bosom  of  his  family,  who  had  already  become 
somewhat  alarmed  for  his  safety.  The  bounty  then  paid  by  the  State  for  a  full- 
grown  wolf  was  $40,  which  he  in  due  time  received. 

Mr.  Stevens  passed  some  of  the  winter  seasons  in  Salina,  and  there 
in  1802  was  born  his  son,  John  L.  Stevens,  who  became  a  judge  and 
justice  of  the  peace  in  Onondaga  county,  and  died  in  1874. 

In  1791  Rial  Bingham  and  Patrick  McGee  settled  at  Brewerton, 
whence  the-  former  subsequently  removed  to  Salina,  where  he  became 
a  prominent  citizen.  McGee  built  the  first  frame  house,  in  which  he 
kepi  the  first  tavern  in  town,  and  which  stood  on  the  site  of  the  later 
Brewerton  House,  which  was  burned  in  1836.  This  pioneer  hostelry 
was  a  popular  resort  for  boatmen  and  others  and  was  kept  from  about 


THE  TOWN  OF  (TCKRO.  B11 

1812  by  Jonathan  Emmons.  In  L793  McGee  became  the  first  white 
settler  in  the  town  of  Clay  at  Three  River  Point,  where  he  died.  The 
same  year  (1791)  John  Thayer,  an  acquaintance  of  Oliver  Stevens, 
arrived  at  Salina,  and  learning-  there  that  his  friend  had  settled  in 
Brewerton  resolved  to  visit  him.  It  was  mid-winter.  He  was  directed 
to  follow  the  Indian  trail  and  the  blazed  trees,  but  he  Lost  his  way, 
became  bewildered,  and  wandered  hopelessly  in  the  woods  three  days 
and  two  nights  without  food  or  shelter.  Finally,  striking  Oneida  River 
three  and  one-half  miles  west  of  the  fort,  he  started  to  cross  on  the  ice, 
but  broke  through,  and  before  he  reached  his  friend's  dwelling  his  feet 
were  badly  frozen.  Mortification  set  in,  and  he  was  conveyed  to 
Cherry  Valley,  N.  V  ,  on  a  handsled,  where  both  of  his  feet  were 
amputated.      He  afterwards  lived  in  Palermo,  Oswego  county. 

The  first  settlement  on  the  site  of  Cicero  Corners  was  made  in  L802 
by  John  Leach,  who  for  several  years  kept  tavern  in  a  log  house.  He 
was  the  grandfather  of  T.  J.  Leach,  of  Syracuse.  Elijah  Loomis  was  the 
first  settler  at  South  Bay,  where  he  purchased  land  in  1804.  He  was  a 
Revolutionary  soldier  and  drew  a  pension.  Near  him  Martin  Woodruff 
settled  in  the  same  year,  and  their  nearest  neighbors  were  at  Brewer- 
ton,  five  miles  distant. 

The  Emmons  family  has  always  been  conspicuous  in  the  history  of 
the  town,  especially  in  Brewerton,  where  members  have  lived  for  five 
generations.  Jonathan  Emmons  and  Mary,  his  wife,  came  here  in  L804 
from  Nassau,  Rensselaer  county,  and  settled  on  lot  10,  purchasing  600 
acres  of  land,  a  part  of  which  has  ever  since  been  vested  in  the  name. 
They  had  eighteen  children.  Their  sixth  child,  Samuel,  born  in 
Nassau  in  February,  1794,  lived  to  be  the  oldest  settler  in  Cicero,  dying 
aged  nearly  100  years,  and  had  six  children,  of  whom  Jonathan,  the 
youngest,  succeeded  to  the  homestead,  while  another  son,  Leonard 
Franklin,  was  for  eighteen  years  janitor  of  the  court  house  in  Syracuse. 
A  legislative  act  of  1813  gave  Jonathan  Emmons,  father  of  Benjamin, 
and  great-grandfather  of  Edward  N.  Emmons,  the  exclusive  privilege 
of  conducting  a  ferry  across  the  river  at  Brewerton,  which  he  continued 
many  years. 

When  Jonathan  Emmons  made  his  settlement  at  Brewerton  the 
site  of  the  present  village  contained  only  a  few  log  cabins.  There 
were  no  roads  in  the  town.  The  nearest  physician  was  Dr.  Gordon 
Needham  at  Onondaga  Valley.  There  was  no  mill  nearer  than  those 
on  the  south  and    at    Rotterdam   (Constantia)  on   the  east,    the    latter 


812  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

being  built  in  1S00  by  George  Scriba,  the  great  landed  proprietor  of 
Oswego  county.  Mr.  Emmons  hollowed  the  top  of  a  white  oak  stum]) 
in  the  usual  pioneer  manner,  and  with  a  large  pestle  on  a  spring  pole 
pounded  his  corn  and  that  of  his  neighbors  into  coarse  meal. 

Capt.  John  Shepard  was  the  only  grantee  among  the  fifty  (previously 
mentioned)  Revolutionary  soldiers  who  drew  lots  in  the  present  town 
who  became  an  actual  resident  of  Cicero.  He  settled  at  an  early  day 
on  his  claim  (lot  11)  between  Brewerton  and  the  lake,  but  sold  a  part  of 
it,  and  cleared  and  improved  the  remainder,  where  he  lived  with  his 
family  until  his  death  in  1824.  He  became  a  Presbyterian  preacher  in 
the  later  years  of  his  life  and  was  one  of  the  first  justices  of  the  peace 
in  the  town. 

All  the  early  settlers  in  this  town  located  along  Oneida  Lake  and 
River,  and  they  found  it  an  unwholesome  locality,  like  many  others  that 
in  later  years  became  healthful.  The  pioneers  suffered  much  from  fever 
and  ague  and  other  diseases  common  to  the  miasmic  influences  of  new 
countries,  and  some  of  them  were  at  times  distressed  for  food.  The 
lack  of  water  power  postponed  the  erection  of  saw  mills,  the  first  one 
not  being  built  until  1823  by  Moses  and  Freeman  Hotchkiss.  The 
absence  of  grist  mills  long  compelled  the  inhabitants  to  go  great  dis- 
tances for  their  flour,  while  the  clearing  of  land  was  unremunerative 
because  of  no  early  saw  mills  to  convert  the  forests  into  lumber. 
These  drawbacks  involved  the  loss  of  time  and  money,  militated 
against  the  rapid  development  of  the  town,  and  are  the  chief  reasons 
why  the  inhabitants  were  less  prosperous  in  early  years  than  those  of 
other  localities.  As  the  settlements  advanced,  however,  in  the  western 
and  northern  parts,  a  source  of  income  was  developed  which  greatly 
benefited  later  comers.  This  was  through  the  manufacture  of  barrels 
for  the  salt  industry  at  Salina.  For  many  years  Cicero  and  Clay  sup- 
plied a  large  portion  of  the  salt  packages  used,  and  employed  so  large 
a  part  of  the  men  and  boys  in  the  town  that  agriculture  was  generally 
neglected.  This  brought  a  revenue,  but  it  was  not  conducive  to  per- 
manent settlement  nor  to  the  best  interests  of  the  community.  When 
the  timber  had  been  cut  and  made  into  barrels  the  people  turned  their 
attention  to  farm  improvement  and  inaugurated  the  period  of  prosper- 
ity that  has  ever  since  continued. 

Oneida  Lake  and  River  presented  a  busy  scene  in  early  years  with 
the  passage  of  the  many  boats  of  the  Inland  Lock  and  Navigation  Com- 
pany, which   was  chartered   in  1792.      By  the  improvements  made  by 


THE  TOWN  OF  CICERO.  813 

this  company  Durham  boats,  sixty  feet  or  more  in  length,  carrying 
twenty  tons,  and  drawing  two  feet  of  water,  passed  from  Schenectady 
to  Seneca  Lake  or  Oswego  with  only  short  portages.  As  many  as  three 
hundred  boats  passed  the  Rome  portage  in  a  single  year.  It  was  over 
this  route  that  nearly  all  the  early  settlers  of  this  section  of  the  State 
arrived. 

On  the  20th  of  February,  L807,  the  civil  town  of  Cicero,  comprising 
military  township  No.  6,  of  the  same  name,  and  including  the  present 
town  of  Clay,  was  erected  into  a  separate  town  by  an  act  of  the  State 
Legislature,  and  soon  afterward  the  first  town  meeting  convened  at  the 
house  of  Patrick  McGee  at  Three  River  Point,  the  moderator  being 
Moses  Kinne.  The  first  officers  were  Thomas  Pool,  supervisor,  and 
Elijah  Loomis,  town  clerk.  The  town  records  were  burned  in  1851, 
with  the  store  of  Charles  H.  Carr,  who  was  at  that  time  town  clerk, 
and  it  is  therefore  impossible  to  preserve  in  these  pages  the  many  names 
and  interesting  items  of  local  history  which  they  would  necessarily 
contain. 

One  of  the  earliest  roads  of  much  importance  in  Cicero  was  author- 
ized by  the  State  Legislature  in  1812  and  opened  soon  afterward  direct 
from  Salina  to  Brewerton.  This  became  well  known  as  the  "  Salt  Road.  " 
The  money  necessary  for  the  poor  thoroughfare  that  resulted  was  ad- 
vanced by  the  State,  and  a  tax  levied  on  contiguous  lands  to  repay  it, 
and  along  the  route  of  this  highway  the  first  plank  road  in  the  United 
States  was  constructed  in  1846,  extending  from  Salina  to  Central 
Square  (Oswego  county),  at  a  cost  of  about  $1,500  per  mile.  In  L873 
this  plank  road  was  abandoned  from  Central  Square  to  Brewerton  and 
in  1876  from  Brewerton  to  Cicero  Corners,  and  from  the  latter  point 
to  Salina  is  still  maintained. 

The  war  of  1812-15  caused  much  excitement  throughout  the  settled 
portions  of  the  town,  not  only  from  the  sight  of  soldiers  passing  down 
the  lake  and  river  to  Oswego,  but  from  alarming  reports  which  spread 
among  the  inhabitants  from  time  to  time.  Many  settlers  joined  in  the 
defense  of  Oswego  and  Sackett's  Harbor,  while  nearly  the  entire  male 
population  was  kept  in  readiness  to  march  in  case  of  emergency.  No 
sooner  had  this  struggle  ceased  than  the  famous  "cold  season  "  of  L816 
swept  over  the  country,  bringing  with  the  following  winter  a  universal 
scarcity  of  provisions  and  causing  great  suffering  to  both  man  and 
beast.  But  from  these  two  events  the  pioneers  soon  recovered,  and 
thenceforward  general  prosperity  prevailed. 


814  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

At  this  point  Ave  may  briefly  refer  again  to  the  settlements  and  name 
some  citizens  whose  public  spirit  and  enterprise  contributed  materially 
to  the  development  of  not  only  this  territory,  but  the  entire  county 
north  of  Syracuse.  The  following  list  of  early  settlers,  pioneers,  and 
prominent  men,  residents  of  the  present  towns  of  Cicerc,  Clay  and 
vSalina  between  the  years  1795  and  1824,  was  preserved  by  Lewis  H. 
Redfield,  editor  of  the  Onondaga  Register  from  1814  to  1831 : 

Dioclesian  and  Elisha  Alvord,  Dr.  William  Kirkpatrick,  Benjamin  Byington,  Ash- 
bel  Kellogg,  Daniel  Gilbert,  Thomas  McCarthy,  John  G.  Forbes,  James  Lynch, 
William  Clark,  Fisher  Curtis,  Dr.  Daniels,  Thomas  Wheeler,  Matthew  Van  Vleck, 
John  Leach,  Oliver  Stevens,  Patrick  McGee  (the  first  settler  of  Clay),  Isaac  Cody, 
Jonathan  Emmons,  Moses  Kinne,  Elijah  Loomis,  Dr.  Orcutt,  William  Wheadon, 
David  Hamlin,  Abraham  Van  Vleck,  Ira  Gilchrist,  John  O'Blennis,  Amos  P.  Granger, 
John  Wilkinson,  Archy  Kasson,  Timothy  Gilchrist,  RufusStanton,  Cornelius  Scouten, 
Mars  Nearing,  Dr.  Brace,  Judge  Stevens,  Rev.  John  Shepard,  James  and  Orsamus 
Johnson,  Asa  Eastwood,  Judah  Gage,  Dean  Richmond,  Moses  D.  Burnet,  Thomas 
Pool,  James  Bogardus,  Rev.  Mr.  Barlow,  Dr.  David  S.  Colvin,  Richard  Adams, 
E.  W.  Leavenworth,  S.  W.  Cadwell,  Dr.  Mather  Williams,  John  Durnford,  Stephen 
Smith,  Philo  D.  Mickles,  Matthew  M.  Davis,  Thomas  Spencer,  Harvey  Baldwin, 
Joseph  Slocum,  William  D.  Stewart,  John  Rogers,  A.  N.  Van  Patten,  Schuyler 
Strong,  Rev.  J.  Watson  Adams,  Henry  Davis,  jr.,  Gen.  Jonas  Mann,  Homer  Wheaton, 
Thomas  G.  Alvord,  Elihu  L.  Phillips,  John  F.  Wyman,  Henry  Gifford,  Paschal  Thur- 
bor,  Henry  Newton,  Sterling  Cossit,  Charles  A.  Baker,  Dr.  Jonathan  Day,  Ichabod 
Brackett,  Columbus  C.  Bradley,  Hathaway  Richmond,  David  Stewart.  Sampson 
Jaqueth,  William  Winton,  and  David  S.  Earll. 

Many  of  these  will  be  remembered  as  very  prominent  in  Onondaga 
history.  Asa  Eastwood,  born  in  Allentown,  N.  J.,  in  1781,  came  to 
Cicero  in  1817,  bringing  the  first  wagon  and  threshing  machine  into 
the  town.  He  was  particularly  interested  in  the  welfare  of  the  county 
agricultural  society.  March  13,  1821,  he  was  appointed  a  justice  of  the 
peace  and  the  same  year  was  elected  a  delegate  to  the  Constitutional 
Convention.  From  1822  to  1825  he  lived  in  New  York  city,  and  after- 
ward was  engaged  for  a  short  time  in  the  salt  business  at  Salina.  In 
L832,  he  was  elected  to  the  Assembly.  He  was  a  Democrat  until  1856, 
when,  being  opposed  to  slavery,  he  affiliated  with  the  Republican  party, 
and  died  in  this  town  February  25,  1870.  Orsamus  Johnson  was  born 
in  Massachusetts  in  1800,  and  for  a  time  followed  merchandising  in 
Brewerton.  He  held  several  town  offices,  and  took  the  Albany  Journal 
for  over  sixty  years.  Dr.  Daniel  Olcott,  the  first  physician  in  Cicero 
village,  located  there  in  1817. 

By  L818  Cicero  Corners  had  assumed  sufficient  proportions  as  to  war- 
rant   Mrs.   Isaac  Cody  opening  a  store  there,  and  when  the  post-office 


THE  TOWN  OF  CICERO.  S15 

was  established  in  L820  her  husband  became  the  first  postmaster.  At 
that  time  mail  was  carried  once  a  week  on  horseback.  Mrs.  Cody  vis- 
ited New  York  twice  a  year  to  buy  goods,  which  were  brought  by  sloop 
or  schooner  to  Albany  and  thence  by  wagon  to  Cicero.  On  these  trips 
she  wore  a  bombazine  dress,  then  a  fashionable  fabric,  and  carried  her 
money  in  gold  in  a  belt  about  her  person.  Her  small  store  was  in  the 
building  which  was  also  the  tavern,  the  latter  being  kept  by  her  husband. 
From  them  the  place  was  called  "Cody's  Corners."  Mrs.  Cody  was 
the  first  "new  woman  "  in  Onondaga  county,  as  well  as  the  first  female 
to  engage  in  mercantile  business.  The  second  merchant  was  Samuel 
Warren  in  1825.  In  L841  Alexander  Cook  became  the  first  practic- 
ing attorney.  The  first  church  in  the  town  was  built  here  by  the 
Presbyterian  society  in  1819.  It  was  of  logs  and  in  1830  gave  place 
to  a  frame  structure.  The  first  settled  pastor  was  Rev.  Truman 
Baldwin.  In  1832  this  society  was  changed  to  a  Reformed  church 
having  such  members  as  Isaac  Coonley,  Lot  Hamilton,  Ezra  and 
Calvin  Hart,  Noah  Merriam,  and  Peter  Collier.  The  church  was 
burned  in  the  fall  of  1881,  and  on  the  same  site  a  new  edifice  was 
erected  and  dedicated  in  1882  at  a  cost  of  about  $3,000. 

Dr.  Hezekiah  Joslyn  settled  in  Cicero  in  1823  and  tor  many  years 
was  the  principal  physician  in  town.  Having  completed  his  medical 
studies  he  left  Sandville,  (  hieida  county,  on  horseback,  and  traveled 
around  Oneida  Lake  to  Cicero,  where  he  found  Dr.  (  >rcutt,  who  wished 
to  sell  his  practice,  which  he  purchased.  Two  years  later  Dr.  Joslvn 
married  Helen,  youngest  daughter  of  Sir  George  Leslie,  a  Scotch 
gentleman,  and  a  half-sister  of  Mrs.  Cody.  They  began  housekeeping 
in  a  style  quite  beyond  that  of  the  ordinary  pioneer.  Mrs.  Joslyn  was 
a  fine  musician,  and  besides  carpets  and  handsome  furniture,  possessed 
a  piano,  the  first  or  one  of  the  first  in  Onondaga  county.  It  was  made 
in  London  by  G.  Astor,  a  brother  of  John  Jacob  Astor,  and  is  now  in 
the  possession  of  Dr.  Joslyn's  daughter,  Mrs.  Matilda  Joslyn  Gage,  of 
Fayetteville.  Generous,  kindjy  and  hospitable,  Dr.  -Joslyn  at  different 
times  gave  a  home  to  homeless  ones.  The  first  Baptist  minister  in 
Cicero  was  Elder  Samuel  Thompson,  an  Englishman,  who,  against  her 
father's  consent,  had  married  a  lovely  English  girl,  the  daughter  of  an 
English  gentleman  of  wealth  and  high  position.  So  unforgiving  was 
the  father  for  the  marriage  of  his  daughter  with  a  dissenting  minister, 
that  the  young  couple  sailed  away  from  the  old  country,  eventually 
drifting  to  Cicero.     There,   far  from   all   the  luxuries  of  her  early  life 


816  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

this  tenderly  reared  woman  died,  and  no  lot  for  a  cemetery  having  been 
laid  out,  was  buried  in  a  field  belonging  to  Mr.  Cody,  by  the  side  of  a 
son  of  his  own.  After  the  death  of  his  wife  Elder  Thompson  found  a 
home  for  a  year  with  Dr.  Joslyn.  The  doctor's  father,  a  Revolutionary 
soldier,  died  at  his  house  in  1836. 

Dr.  Joslyn  was  a  staunch  Abolitionist,  one  of  the  founders  of  the  "  Lib- 
erty Party,"  and  always  a  profound  thinker  and  liberal  supporter  of 
every  good  movement.  His  ride  extended  throughout  the  surrounding 
country,  often  to  a  distance  of  fifty  miles.  He  died  at  the  home  of  his 
daughter,  Mrs.  M.  J.  Gage,  in  Fayetteville,  in  1865. 

In  1824  the  first  bridge  across  the  Oneida  River  at  Brewerton  was 
erected,  and  in  1847  gave  place  to  anew  structure.  The  opening  of  the 
Erie  Canal  through  Syracuse  in  1825  inaugurated  a  new  era  of  pros- 
perity among  the  settlers  of  Cicero,  chiefly  because  of  its  placing  dis- 
tant markets  for  their  produce  within  what  was  then  considered  easy 
reach.  Three  years  later  the  Oswego  Canal  was  opened  and  also  im- 
parted a  wholesome  impulse  to  local  industries,  which  derived  an  outlet 
through  the  established  water  route  between  Brewerton  and  Three 
River  Point.  In  1827  the  town  of  Cicero  was  reduced  to  its  present 
limits  by  the  erection  of  Clay,  and  at  the  first  available  census,  taken  in 
1830,  this  territory  contained  1,808  inhabitants,  while  both  towns  to- 
gether in  1825  had  a  population  of  2,462. 

According  to  a  State  Gazetteer  published  in  1836  Cicero  contained  235  militia,  439 
voters,  6,289  acres  of  improved  land,  1,620  cattle,  550  horses,  2,011  sheep,  1,278  swine, 
six  saw-mills,  three  asheries,  one  tannery,  thirteen  school  districts,  714  school  chil- 
dren, public  money,  including  teacher's  wages,  expended  for  school  purposes,  $822  , 
assessed  value  of  real  estate,  8309,337;  personal  property,  $2,730.  At  this  time  there 
were  in  Cicero  Corners  one  Presbyterian  and  one  Baptist  church,  a  post-office,  two 
stores,  two  taverns,  and  fifteen  dwellings. 

In  early  days  the  village  of  Cicero  was  known  as  Cody's  Corner's 
from  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Isaac  Cody,  as  previously  mentioned,  who  moved 
away  about  1833,  after  building  a  part  of  the  Parker  House,  in  which 
Samuel  Cushing  at  one  time  had  a  store.  This  hostelry  was  rebuilt 
under  Judson  Settle  and  was  kept  by  Ebenezer  Crowell,  Ira  Colson,  A. 
S.  Auborn,  George  Crownhart  and  his  father,  Spencer  Hawn,  and  oth- 
ers. Asa  Eastwood  and  son  Enos  erected  what  was  long  known  as  the 
"old  yellow  store,"  which,  after  them,  was  kept  by  Julius  Dunham, 
Allen  Merriam,  Irving  Coonley,  Horace  D.  Parks,  and  James  Van  Al- 
stine.  Other  merchants  in  the  place  were  Samuel  Warren,  Harry  and 
Lewis  Gage,  Joseph  Carr  (under  whom  the  "  brick  store  "  was  burned 


THE  TOWN  OF  CICERO.  817 

and  rebuilt),  John  Hamilton,  Sylvester  Brunt,  Lorenzo  Brown,  Will- 
iam Youngs,  Robert  Lower,  John  Kloshien,  A.  L.  Shepard,  Frank 
Coville,  and  Mr.  Bettinger.  The  village  has  also  had  as  blacksmiths 
Cyrus  Chapman,  John  R.  Cook,  Adam  Kirshenbaum  and  sons,  and 
John  Kloshein,  sr.  ;  wagonmakers,  Mr.  Littlefield,  George  \V.  Stevens, 
and  H.  A.  Mover;  tailors,  William  Andrews  and  Nicholas  Rector. 
Another  early  tavern  stood  on  the  corner  east  of  Mrs.  Electa  Fox's 
dwelling  and  was  kept  by  Albro  Leach,  Ebenezer  Crowell,  John  Van 
Bramer,  Noah  C.  Frary,  and  Lester  Hcrrick  and  their  widows,  James 
Anderson,  and  James  Robinson,  under  whom  it  burned.  In  the  village 
was  also  at  one  time  a  saw  mill  owned  by  Josiah  II .  Young  and  a  stave 
mill  run  by  Sylvester  Brunt. 

Among  other  settlers  before  1840  the  following  are  still  remembered: 

Alexander  and  Quartus  dishing,  David  Shepard,  Hiram  and  John  R.  Wright, 
Charles  Wright,  Myrick  and  Emery  Moulton,  sr. ,  Joseph  Douglass,  Cornelius  Van 
Alstine  and  sons  Daniel  and  James,  Isaac  Brown,  Gibbs  Skiff,  Ira  Hall,  James  An- 
derson. Bartholomew  Andrews,  Noah  Merriam,  Nathan  Botsford,  Isaac  Myers,  Will- 
iam Hill,  Dr.  H.  Joslyn,  John  Slosson,  Jonathan  E.  Pierce,  Nathan  Allen,  James 
Lynn,  Allen  Merrriam  (brother  of  Noah),  Guernsey  Andrews.  Lot  Hamilton,  \\ 
bury  Fancher,  William  McKinley,  Simon  Bort,  John  Mead,  Horace  Cole,  Alonzo 
Plant  (brother  of  Lauren),  William  White,  Timothy  Loomis,  the  Babcock  and  Gil- 
lett  families,  David  Hoyt,  Isaac  and  Daniel  Baum,  George  Butler,  sr. ,  Burr 
Hackett,  Benjamin  Eastwood,  Zebulon  Weaver. 

Chester  Loomis  came  to  Cicero  in  1823  and  purchased  the  farm  of 
150  acres  upon  which  a  Mr.  Lynch  had  built  a  substantial  dwelling  in 
1809.  Here  he  died  September  5,  1851,  aged  sixty-six  years.  His  son 
Addison  J.  succeeded  to  the  homestead.  Another  son,  Henry  H.,  the 
youngest  of  his  twelve  children,  was  born  here  April  20,  1*3:),  served 
as  county  superintendent  of  the  poor  from  1875  to  1881,  and  finally  be- 
came a  partner  of  Hoyt  H.  Freeman,  of  Syracuse,  in  manufacturing 
willow  baskets  on  an  extensive  scale.  In  1877  he  associated  himself 
with  others  in  the  erection  of  a  large  canning  factory  in  Cicero  village, 
which  is  now  owned  by  Loomis,  Allen  &  Co. 

Lauren  Plant,  born  in  Benson,  Vt.,  March  1 ,  1817,  came  to  this  town 
in  1833  and  for  thirty- five  years  served  as  constable.  He  was  also  col- 
lector and  town  clerk,  carried  on  butchering  for  a  quarter  of  a  century, 
manufactured  salt  barrels,  and  being  a  carpenter  by  trade  assisted  in 
erecting  many  of  the  buildings  standing  in  Cicero  and  vicinity.  His 
son  Byron  is  the  present  town  clerk  (January,   is;>6). 

David  H.  Hoyt,  born  in  1813,  migrated  to  Cicero  in  1836,  and  with 
103 


818  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

his  brother  Jacob  purchased  136  acres  of  land.  He  married  a  daughter 
of  Bartholomew  Andrews,  who  was  born  here  in  1823  and  died  in  1877. 

Isaac  Coonley,  great-grandson  of  John  Coonley,  who  emigrated  from 
Germany  to  Dutchess  county,  N.  Y.,  about  1750,  was  born  in  Albany 
county  in  1810,  taught  school  and  learned  the  weaver's  trade,  and  in 
1838  settled  in  Jamesville,  whence  he  moved  to  this  town  in  L849, 
where  he  died  November  16,  1876.  He  was  supervisor  four  terms, 
justice  of  the  peace  four  years,  and  the  father  of  Irving  Coonley,  who 
for  sixteen  years  was  postmaster  and  long  a  merchant  at  Cicero,  being 
in  partnership  with  Isaac  Merriam  and  later  with  Russell  Z.  Sadler. 

The  village  of  Brewerton,  meanwhile,  had  received  many  additional 
settlers  and  business  enterprises.  In  1836  the  site  was  systematically 
laid  out  into  lots  by  Orsamus  Johnson,  Daniel  Wardwell,  Miles  W. 
Bennett,  and  Harvey  Baldwin,  and  a  few  years  later  the  place  became 
noted  for  its  extensive  eel  fisheries,  in  which  Asa  U.  Emmons  was 
largely  identified.  As  many  as  3,000  eels  were  taken  from  the  river 
in  a  single  night,  but  the  business  ceased  about  1845,  when  the  channel 
was  deepened  for  navigation  purposes.  A  large  cooperage  trade  also 
contributed  to  the  growth  of  the  village.  In  1846  four  steamboats, 
named  Oneida,  Oswego,  Madison,  and  Onondaga,  were  put  upon  the 
lake  and  river  by  an  Oswego  company,  for  which  Henry  Guest  was 
local  agent.  He  was  followed  by  William  H.  Carter,  who  subsequently 
became  one  of  the  company's  successors  and  continued  the  enterprise 
many  years.  Among  the  old-time  merchants  were  John  L.  Stevens, 
Asa  U.  Emmons,  Isaac  Cody,  Alexander  Gushing,  J.  R.  Loomis,  E.  E. 
Blinn,  F.  C.  &  A.  A.  dishing,  Edward  N.  Emmons,  John  W.  Emmons, 
George  Carter,  and  David  H.  Waterbury,  jeweler  and  druggist,  who 
was  succeeded  by  his  sons.  Of  the  postmasters  there  were  George 
Walkup,  Orsamus  Johnson,  Asa  U.  Emmons,  William  H.  Carter, 
Edward  N.  Emmons,  W.  W.  Dority,  Modestus  Holbrook,  and  Mrs  E.  C. 
Holbrook,  incumbent.  Edward  N.  Emmons  served  as  deputy  postmaster 
under  Johnson,  Asa  U.  Emmons,  and  Carter  and  afterward  held  the  office 
for  seventeen  consecutive  years  until  the  second  year  of  Cleveland's 
first  administration.  He  was  also  in  mercantile  trade  here  from  1858 
to  1805.  The  village  has  had  as  carriagemakers  Joseph  Livingston, 
father  of  James  E.  and  grandfather  of  Charles  H.,  and  Robert  McChes- 
ney,  whose  son  Elmer  is  an  undertaker;  tailors,  Cornell  J.  Wood,  who 
lost  a  leg  at  Chancellorsville  in  the  149th  N.  Y.  Vols.,  and  Adelbert 
Wood,  his  son,  who  succeeded  him;  and  blacksmiths,  George  Walkup, 


THE  TOWN  OF  CICERO.  819 

followed  by  his  sons,  Christopher  D.  and  Andrew,  Noel  Ken  yon.  and 
Charles  Stokes.  Dr.  Henry  F.  Marks  was  an  early  physician.  The  old 
Brewerton  Honse  was  long  an  important  feature  of  the  village.  It  was 
kept  at  one  time  by  John  Van  Bramer,  father  of  William,  and  also  by 
Harvey  Bennett,  L.  W.  Marsh,  Cyrus  Chapman,  Henry  Shute,  and 
others.  The  brick  hotel  was  built  about  1868  by  Charles  E.  Washburn, 
the  present  proprietor.  Besides  the  establishments  carried  on  by  the 
foregoing  citizens  there  was  a  tannery  built  by  Philip  Carter  which  was 
burned  under  the  ownership  of  his  son  H.  K.  ;  a  large  saw  mill  near 
by,  having  upright  and  circular  saws,  which  was  also  destroyed  by 
fire;  another  saw  mill  on  the  lake  shore  erected  by  John  B.  Kathan, 
run  several  years  by  Hopkins  &  Benson,  and  burned  while  operated  by 
a  Mr.  Foster;  and  a  patent  meat  block  factory  and  feed  mill  conducted 
by  F.  A.  Strong  and  L.  C.  Pierce. 

In  fostering  the  two  important  elements  of  local  advancement — 
schools  and  religious  worship — the  inhabitants  of  Brewerton  as  well  as 
those  of  the  town  were  from  the  first  zealously  inclined  towards  the 
highest  excellence  and  regularity.  Educational  advantages  were  in- 
augurated in  1793  by  Dea.  George  Ramsey,  a  Scotch  Presbyterian,  who 
passed  the  remainder  of  his  life  in  the  village.  This  pioneer  teacher 
planted  a  standard  that  has  ever  since  been  maintained.  As  the  vil- 
lage advanced  schools  were  correspondingly  increased  in  size  and 
courses  of  study  until  1855  a  graded  school  house  was  built  of  brick  at 
a  cost  of  $1,000.  This  was  torn  down  in  1892  and  a  new  structure 
costing  $3,500  erected  on  the  same  site.  While  religion  flourished  dur- 
ing the  early  history  of  the  village  it  had  no  stated  or  separate  place 
of  communion  until  1849,  when  a  union  church  was  erected  by  the 
combined  efforts  of  Baptists,  Methodists,  Presbyterians,  and  I'niversal- 
ists,  among  whom  were  Orsamus  Johnson,  Asa  U.  Emmons,  J.  B. 
Kathan,  William  Milton,  Stephen  Markham,  William  Bailey,  and  Alex- 
ander Cushing.  The  building  cost  about  $1,700  and  after  ISO!)  was 
occupied  exclusively  by  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Society,  which  was 
organized  in  that  year  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  Ebenezer  Arnold. 
In  1851  the  First  Church  of  the  Disciples  erected  another  edifice  at  an 
expense  of  $1,500,  and  upon  this  $T<X)  were  spent  in  1875  and  $800  in 
1894  in  repairs.  This  society  was  organized  in  183-t  by  Elder  Josiah  I. 
Lowell  with  George  Walkup  and  Lewis  Fancher  as  elders,  and  with 
such  members  as  John  L.  Stevens,  James  Spire.  Ephraim  Smedley, 
Mrs.  Ann  Emmons,  and  Mrs.  George  Walkup.  E.  X.  Emmons  was 
superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school  for  many  years. 


820  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

In  other  portions  of  the  town  three  more  religions  societies  sprang 
into  existence  about  the  same  time  as  those  just  mentioned.  The 
Stone  Arabia  M.  E.  church  was  organized  at  a  school  house  about  one 
mile  west  of  Cicero  Center  in  January,  1845,  among  its  members  being 
William  S.  Fuller,  Harrison  and  Seth  Hall,  Solomon  Wheeler,  Palmer 
Brown,  William  Van  Alstine,  John  Wilcox,  Daniel  Terpenny,  John 
Salter,  Conrad  Brought,  Simon  Drusbeck,  Mary  Benedict,  Jonathan 
Houghtaling,  and  Samuel  Sizer.  In  1847  the  society  erected  a  church 
edifice  that  was  rebuilt  in  1869  at  a- cost  of  $2,200.  In  the  Taft  neigh- 
borhood a  Methodist  class  had  existed  from  a  comparative  early  day. 
In  1847  the  Taft  M.  E.  church  was  organized  by  Rev.  Barnard  Peck 
with  John  Richmond,  John  Bennett,  John  Taft,  and  others  as  members. 
For  several  years  this  church  was  a  part  of  the  North  Manlius  district, 
which  included  six  congregations.  In  1857  the  society  built  an  edifice 
on  the  lot  donated  by  David  Tompkins.  The  Cicero  M.  E.  church  was 
formed  in  1850  by  Rev.  Browning  Nichols,  being  a  reorganization  of  a 
small  society  that  had  sustained  occasional  services  for  several  years. 
In  the  same  year  a  church  was  erected  at  an  expense  of  $1,300.  The 
only  Roman  Catholic  church  in  town  was  built  at  this  point  in  1889. 

Besides  the  churches  previously  mentioned  there  was  one  erected 
by  the  Baptists  in  Cicero  village  in  1832.  The  society  finally  disbanded 
and  the  edifice  passed  to  Hezekiah  Joslyn,  John  Leach,  and  John  L. 
Stevens,  who  subsequently  sold  it  to  the  First  Congregation  of  Disci- 
ples, an  organization  composed  mainly  of  members  of  the  foregoing 
Baptist  church.  In  1807  it  was  transferred  by  legislative  act  to  the 
First  Universalist  church,  which  had  been  organized  as  a  society  by 
Rev.  A.  A.  Thayer  in  1859  and  as  a  church  by  Rev.  John  M.  Austin  in 
1867.  In  1871  the  edifice  was  rebuilt  at  a  cost  of  $3,000.  Among  the 
members  of  the  Universalist  Society  were  Warren  Wright,  the  first 
superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school,  and  John  R.  Wright,  John  Mc- 
Cullock,  Mrs.  Ambrose  Sadler,  Mrs.  Robert  Lower,  and  Mrs.  J.  A. 
Dunham . 

Cicero  swamp  became  the  subject  of  legislative  action  as  early  as 
1836,  when,  on  January  21,  an  act  was  passed  naming  Hezekiah  Joslyn, 
John  Leach,  jr.,  and  Benjamin  French,  commissioners  to  cause  a  map 
to  be  made  and  estimate  the  cost  of  systematic  drainage,  the  expense 
to  be  assessed  to  the  lands  benefited.  On  March  3,  1852,  the  Legisla- 
ture appointed  Seth  Spencer,  of  Manlius,  and  John  W.  Devoe  and  John 
S.   Pilodgett,  of  Dewitt,  commissioners  to  drain  wet  lands   in   Manlius, 


THE  TOWN  OF  CICERO  821 

Dewitt,  and  Cicero,  by  removing  floodwood,  bars,  etc.  They  were 
also  authorized  to  employ  a  surveyor  and  engineer  and  have  accurate 
maps  and  surveys  made,  the  cost  being  assessed  as  before.  This  act 
was  repealed  July  18,  1853,  and  on  April  16,  1858,  another  act  was 
passed  designating  Mars  Xearing,  John  B.  Kathan,  and  Freeman 
Sadler  as  commissioners  to  drain  the  wet  land  in  lots  1  1,  1\\  20,  and  J 1 , 
locally  known  as  "  Muskrat  Swamp,"  between  South  Day  and  Brewer- 
ton.  The  result  of  these  various  acts  was  the  construction  of  ditches 
which  have  redeemed  considerable  portions  of  the  swampy  lands  to 
cultivation. 

In  1845  the  town  contained  223  militia,  597  voters,  G24  school  chil- 
dren, 8,192  acres  of  improved  land,  one  saw  mill,  two  asheries,  three- 
tanneries,  three  churches  (Baptist,  M.  E.,  and  Dutch  Reformed), 
sixteen  common  schools,  four  taverns,  six  stores,  450  tanners,  seven 
merchants,  fifty  mechanics,  two  physicians,  and  two  lawyers.  Contrast 
these  with  the  following  statistics  of  1860: 

Acres  of  improved  land,  14,:'.7fi;  valuation  of  real  estate.  (628,523,  and  personal 
property,  $42,200;  dwellings,  642;  families,  089;  freeholders,  529;  school  districts.  1  .V 
school  children,  1,305;  horses,  901 ;  oxen  and  calves,  1,274;  cows,  1,324  ;  shei  p,  2  253 
swine,  1,552;  winter  wheat,  l,92n  bushels;  spring  wheat,  113,649  bushels;  hay, 
3,391  tons;  potatoes,  24,842  bushels;  apples,  20,131  bushels;  butter,  129,140  poonds; 
cheese,  28,035  pounds;  domestic  cloths,  2,905  yards. 

Referring  once  more  to  the  settlers  and  residents  of  the  town,  whose 
enterprise  and  energy  contributed  to  local  development,  it  is  pertinent 
to  notice  briefly  such  men  as  Capt.  Valentine  Dunham,  who  was  born 
in  Hamilton,  N.  Y.,  in  1810,  finally  Ideated  on  Dunham's  Island  in 
Oneida  Lake,  later  moved  to  South  Bay,  and  kept  a  boat  livery  there 
some  thirty  years;  Benjamin  French,  who  built  a  saw  mill  on  the  west 
bank  of  Chittenango  Creek  near  Bridgeport  in  1825  and  carried  it  on 
until  1854,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Oney  Sayles,  who  continued  it  a 
long  time;  James  Terpenny,  proprietor  of  the  South  Bay  Hotel, 
who  died  February  3,  1847,  aged  sixty;  Elijah  Everson,  father  of  A. 
Nelson  and  grandfather  of  William,  who  settled  adjoining  Frank 
Emmons;  Joseph  M.  Moulton,  father  of  Charles,  William,  and  Alfred, 
who  was  president  of  the  Cicero  Turnpike  Company  and  a  large  farmer 
south  of  Brewerton;  Dr.  M.  H.  Blynn,  brevet  lieutenant-colonel  in  the 
Rebellion,  and  long  an  active  physician  in  Cicero;  Henry  C.  Hart,  a 
cavalryman  at  Sackett's  Harbor  in  the  war  of  1SP2,  whose  wife.  Eva 
Bellinger,  was  born  in  January,  1777,  and  died  July  1,  1890,  aged  113 
years,  and  who  had  children  John,  Henry,  Daniel,  Jacob,  William,  and 


822  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Peter  Hart,  and  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Nelson;  Jesse  Daniels,  who  started  the 
first  hop  yard  in  1874;  and  William  H.  Sherwood,  Daniel  Van  Alstine, 
Benjamin  F.  Sweet  (long  a  justice  of  the  peace),  Asahel  Saunders, 
Noah  Merriam,  Ambrose  Sadler,  Robert  Lower,  Joseph  Douglass 
(father-in-law  of  Dr.  Blynn),  John  R.  Wright,  Barney  Rawley,  John 
and  Emory  Moulton  (sons  of  Emory,  sr. ),  William  Van  Bramer  (who 
built  a  cheese  factory  in  1863),  William  H.  Merritt,  and  John  Baum. 
Hector  B.  Johnson,  born  in  Germany  in  1844,  was  first  a  farmer  and 
later  a  merchant  in  Brewerton,  and  served  as  supervisor  (being  chair- 
man of  the  board),  member  of  assembly  in  1887  and  1888,  sheriff  of 
the  county  in  1887-91,  and  commissioner  of  public  works  of  Syracuse 
from  March,  1892,  until  his  death  August  24,  1895. 

During  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  from  1861  to  1865  the  town  con- 
tributed a  large  number  of  brave  and  heroic  soldiers  to  the  Union 
armies,  responding  promptly  to  every  call.  Patriotism  and  excitement 
ran  high.  Numerous  war  meetings  were  held,  notably  one  on  May  4, 
1861,  at  Brewerton,  when  the  names  of  fifty-four  citizens  were  enrolled 
with  Henry  Emmons  as  captain.  Cicero's  record  in  that  eventful 
struggle  is  pre-eminently  a  brilliant  one  and  will  forever  illuminate  the 
pages  of  history. 

Among  the  various  industries  that  sprang  up  and  contributed  to  local 
prosperity  was  the  old  Bridgeport  tannery,  which  was  built  as  early  as 
1825  and  continued  successfully  until  1869.  In  1855  a  cheese  factory 
was  started  one  mile  north  of  Cicero  village,  which  is  still  running,  the 
owner  being  Addison  J.  Loomis,  while  in  1867  another  was  erected  in 
in  Cicero  Center  by  William  Sternberg,  which  afterward  passed  into 
the  possession  of  O.  J.  Daniels.  There  are  now  four  cheese  factories 
in  town.  In  1870  a  steam  flour,  saw,  and  stave  mill  was  built  in  Cicero 
village  by  the  Cicero  Mill  Company,  capitalized  at  $25,000,  at  a  cost  of 
$23,000.  The  present  owner  is  A.  J.  Loomis,  who  also  manufactures 
cheese  boxes. 

On  November  9,  1871,  the  Syracuse  Northern  Railroad  was  opened 
through  Brewerton  and  the  northwest  corner  of  the  town,  and  again 
all  local  industries  received  a  wholesome  impulse.  In  1875  it  became 
a  part  of  the  Rome,  Watertown,  and  Ogdensburg  system,  and  is  now 
operated  by  the  New  York  Central  under  lease. 

The  village  of  Brewerton  was  incorporated  in  1872,  the  first  officers, 
elected  September  9  of  that  year,  being  John  L.  Stevens,  president; 
E.   X     Emmons,  clerk;   William   H.  Carter,  D.  H.  Waterbury,  William 


THE  TOWN  OF  CICERO.  823 

II.  Sherwood,  and  William  H.  Merritt,  trustees.  Herein  1852,  on  Janu- 
ary 10,  Fort  Brewerton  Lodge,  No.  256,  F.  &  A  M.,  was  chartered 
with  thirteen  members,  the  charter  officers  being  John  Ilauin.  W.  M. ; 
H.  V.  Keller,  S.  W.  ;  and  James  J.  Anderson,  J.  W.  In  August,  181  I. 
the  Weekly  Visitor,  the  first  and  only  newspaper,  was  started  in  the 
village,  but  very  soon  discontinued  publication. 

The  hamlets  of  Cicero  Center  and  South  Bay  were  the  scenes  of  some 
activity  before  the  beginning  of  the  last  half  of  this  century.  The 
former  in  later  years  obtained  a  post-office,  an  M.  E.  church,  and  one  or 
two  stores,  while  the  latter  had  its  first  settler  in  the  person  ol  Elijah 
Loomis,  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  as  early  as  1804.  South  Bay  has 
more  recently  sprung  into  prominence  as  a  summer  resort  and  also  as 
the  northern  terminal  of  the  Syracuse  and  South  Bay  Railroad  lately 
projected.  A  little  to  the  north,  in  Oneida  Lake,  is  Frenchman's 
Island,  so  named  from  its  original  white  settler,  a  Frenchman  named 
Desvatines,  commonly  known  as  Count  St.  Miliary,  who  with  his  wife, 
a  daughter  of  the  noble  house  of  Clermont,  sought  refuge  here  about 
L793,  where  he  was  discovered  by  Chancellor  Livingston.  After  Bona- 
parte had  put  an  end  to  the  reign  of  terror  these  titled  exiles  returned 
to  France.  The  island  belongs  to  Constantia  in  Oswego  county  and 
within  the  past  twenty- five  or  thirty  years  has  developed  into  quite  a 
popular  summer  resort.  The  hamlet  of  Centerville  or  North  Syracuse 
is  noticed  fully  in  the  chapter  devoted  to  Clay. 

In  closing  this  narrative  brief  allusion  may  be  made  to  the  agricul- 
tural products  which  enhance  the  revenue  of  the  town  and  distinguish 
it  somewhat  from  other  towns  in  the  county.  Among  the  important 
crops  are  tobacco,  potatoes,  and  vegetables,  especially  cabbage,  while 
fruit  is  also  grown  in  abundance.  Dairying  has  within  recent  years 
become  one  of  the  leading  industries,  the  milk  being  both  manufactured 
into  cheese  and  butter  and  sold  in  Syracuse  to  consumers.  I  [ay,  grain, 
hops,  etc.,  are  also  produced  in  considerable  quantities. 

Oneida  Lake  has  always  been  exceedingly  productive  of  several 
species  of  fish,  it  being  remarkable  for  fish  breeding.  Vast  quantities 
of  fish  have  been  shipped  from  it  to  home  and  eastern  markets,  in 
other  years,  giving  employment  and  profit  to  large  numbers  of  men. 
After  the  Northern  railway  was  built  Brewerton  became  the  chief  point 
of  shipment,  and  for  many  years  Hector  B.  Johnson  was  an  extensive 
shipper.  Since  State  laws  for  the  protection  of  fish  were  enacted  and 
passed,  the  catch  has  been  comparatively  light.      The  lake  was  mainly 


824  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

fed  with  the  very  best  of  water  from  the  Adirondack  regions,  until  saw 
mills  were  established  along-  the  stream  to  pollute  the  water.  There 
are  still  many  streams  of  pure  spring  water  entering  from  the  north 
shore,  so  that  the  water  of  the  lake  is  still  unsurpassed  for  the  breeding 
of  fish. 

Owing  to  the  burning  of  the  town  records  in  1851,  as  previously 
noted,  it  is  impossible  to  give  a  complete  list  of  the  supervisors  of 
Cicero.     The  following  are  all  that  can  be  ascertained: 

Judson  Gage,  1825-28;  Hezekiah  Joslyn,  1829-31;  Truman  Rathburn,  1832-33; 
Benjamin  French,  1834;  Judson  Gage,  1835-36;  Hezekiah  Joslyn,  1837;  Judson  Carr. 
1838-40;  blank,  1841;  Benjamin  French,  1842;  blank,  1843-44;  Isaac  Baum,  1845^17; 
James  B.  Benedict,  1848;  Orsamus  Johnson,  1849;  Fernando  C.  Gushing,  1850- 
52;  John  B.  Kathan,  1853;  Josiah  H.  Young,  1854-55;  Oney  Sayles,  1856;  Josiah 
H.  Young,  1857;  Byron  D.  Benson,  1858-59;  Isaac  Coonley,  1860-61;  Daniel 
Becker,  1862-63;  Benjamin  F.  Sweet,  1864;  Josiah  H.  Young,  1865-66;  Isaac 
Coonley,  1867-68;  Henry  H.  Loomis,  1869;  William  McKinley,  1870-71;  Frank 
A.  Strong,  1872-73;  Addison  J.  Loomis,  1874-75;  Nelson  P.  Eastwood,  1876-78; 
William  Yan  Bramer,  1879-82;  Hector  B.  Johnson,  1883-86;  Irving  Coonley,  1887- 
83;  Melville  Jackson,  1890;  Walstein  J.  Snyder,  1891-93;  Jacob  Sneller,  jr.,  1894- 
95.     Byron  Plant  has  been  town  clerk  since  1839. 

The  population  of  the  town  has  been  as  follows : 

In  1820,  1,303;  1825,  2,402;  1830,  1,808;  1835,  2,191;  1840,  2,464;  1845,  2,651;  1850, 
2,980;  1855,3,388;  1860,3,277;  1865,  3,166;  1870,  2,902;  1875,  2,800;  1880,  2,934; 
1890,  2,636;  1892,  State  count,  2.553. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

THE  TOWN  OF  CLAY. 

The  town  of  Clay  is  advantageously  situated  in  the  center  of  the 
north  part  of  Onondaga  county,  and  originally  formed  a  portion  of 
military  township  No.  6,  Cicero,  which  comprised  one  hundred  lots  of 
six  hundred  acres  each.  These  lots,  as  described  in  a  previous  chapter, 
were  drawn  as  bounty  lands  by  veterans  of  the  Revolutionary  war, 
and  like  nearly  all  survey-divisions  of  that  great  tract,  passed  again  and 
again  into  the  possession  of  non-residents  or  actual  settlers,  often  for 
ridiculous  remuneration,  until  many  of  the  titles  became  involved  in 
protracted   and  costly  litigation.      Few  of   the   original  grantees  ever 


THE  TOWN  OF  CLAY.  825 

occupied  their  claims;  few  indeed  ever  saw  them.  This  then  unbroken 
wilderness,  inhabited  by  wild  beasts  and  more  or  less  by  Indians,  had 
no  charms  to  lure  those  veteran  soldiers  from  eastern  homes.  Actual 
settlement,  therefore,  remained  largely  for  that  class  of  resolute  men 
and  women  who  are  characteristic  of  pioneer  communities. 

The  present  limits  of  Clay  comprise  fifty  lots  of  the  old  military  town- 
ship of  Cicero,  viz.,  Nos.  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8,  13,  14,  L5,  hi,  L7,  is,  in, 
22,  23,  24,  25,  26,  27,  28,  34,  35,  36,  37,  3s,  39,  in,  48,  49,  50,  51,  52, 
53,  61,  62,  63,  64,  65,  74,  75,  76,  77,  78,  79,  88,  89,  99  and  91.  These 
were  drawn  as  follows ; 

1,  Reserved  for  gospel,  etc. ;  2,  Capt.  Guy  Young;  3,  Capt.  Theodore  Bliss;  4,  Ever! 
Slouter;  5,  Reserved  for  gospel,  etc. ;  6,  Jesse  Gardner;  7,  James  Johnston ;  8,  Jacob 
Squirrel;  13,  Joseph  Lewis;  14,  Reserved  for  gospel,  etc.;  15,  Edward  Painter;  Hi, 
Reserved  for  gospel,  etc.  ;  17,  Lieut  Palmer  Cadey ;  18,  Michael  Burgess;  19,  Adam 
Counts;  22,  Lieut. -Col.  Cornelius  Van  Dyck;  23,  John  D.  Crimshire,  24,  John  Peck; 
25,  John  Whitehead ;  26,  Gilbert  Richards;  27,  Capt  Silas  Gray;  38,  Lieut.  Henry 
Dodge;  34,  Thomas  Gardner ;  35,  Ensign  John  Fondy ;  36,  Henry  Bass;  37,  John 
Padder;  38,  John  Venice;  39,  Capt.  Henry  Tiebout ;  40,  Lockhard  Lewis;  48,  Capt. 
Benjamin  Hicks;  49,  Neal  MeClean;  50,  Peter  Van  Dyck;  51,  Reserved  for  gospel, 
etc.  ;  52,  William  Harris;  53,  William  Cator;  61,  Thomas  Cochren ;  62,  Isaac  Lamb; 
63,  Charles  Williams ;  64,  John  Lightfall ;  65,  Henry  Plimley;  74,  Lieut.  Henry  A. 
Williams;  75,  Samuel  Hebard;  76,  Lieut.  John  L.  Hardenbergh ;  77,  Thomas  Har- 
wood;  78,  Adam  Price;  79,  Nicholas  Dill;  88,  Ensign  Garret  Lansing;  89,  John 
Gage;  90,  Reserved  for  gospel,  etc.  ;  91,  Peter  Talman,  Captain. 

Out  of  every  one  hundred  lots  six  were  reserved  for  gospel  and  school 
purposes,  and  it  is  a  noteworthy  fact  that  all  thus  designated  in  the 
military  township  of  Cicero  fell  within  the  limits  of  the  present  town 
of  Clay,  which  left  for  this  territory  but  forty-four  grantees. 

The  surface  of  the  town  is  generally  level  and  slightly  elevated  above 
Oneida  Lake.  Oneida  River  on  the  north  and  Seneca  River  on  the 
west  unite  at  Three  River  Point,  forming  the  headwaters  of  Oswego 
River,  and  into  these  two  streams  flow  several  small  brooks,  which 
afford  excellent  drainage.  Along  Oneida  River  the  pioneers,  coming 
in  from  the  east,  found  their  first  homes.  The  entire  town  was  covered 
with  a  heavy  growth  of  timber,  comprising  hemlock,  beech,  birch,  pine, 
and  maple,  which  for  many  years  gave  lucrative  employment  to  si 
of  lumbermen.  The  soil  is  mainly  clay  and  light,  sandy  loam,  except 
in  the  swampy  portion,  which  consists  of  decayed  vegetable  matter  and 
peat.  The  peat  beds  have  been  worked  to  a  considerable  extent  for 
fuel. 

The  first  white  settler  in  Clay  was  Patrick  MeOee,  and  the  circum- 

104 


826  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

stances  of  his  coming  are  interestingly  romantic.  In  1780  he  was  a 
prisoner  of  war  in  the  hands  of  the  British  on  his  way  to  Fort  Oswego 
and  Canada.  Pausing  for  a  night  at  Three  River  Point  he  observed 
with  pleasure  an  extensive  clearing,  handsomely  laid  in  grass,  for  a 
mile  or  more  along  the  banks  of  each  river.  While  tied  to  a  tree  Mc- 
Gee  vowed  that  if  ever  he  obtained  his  liberty  he  would  settle  on  that 
beautiful  spot,  which  is  noted  in  Indian  history  as  having  been  appro- 
priated on  various  occasions  to  the  great  councils  of  the  Iroquois  Con- 
federacy. In  1791  he  came  to  Brewerton,  and  in  1793  he  fulfilled  his 
vow  made  thirteen  years  before  by  permanently  locating  at  Three  River 
Point  (so  named  from  the  junction  of  the  three  rivers),  where  he 
erected  a  log  cabin,  the  first  building  of  any  kind  in  town.  He  lived 
there  during  the  remainder  of  his  life  and  was  buried  on  the  premises. 
About  1808  he  built  the  first  frame  house  in  Clay. 

It  is  impossible  to  ascertain  the  names  of  any  other  settlers  before 
1798,  and  indeed  but  few  can  be  obtained  as  having  arrived  prior  to 
1810.  Evidently  the  increase  of  settlement  was  very  slow  during  the 
first  two  decades  of  the  town's  history,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  it 
was  favored  by  Oneida  Lake  and  River,  then  and  for  many  years  the 
principal  routh  of  westward  travel.  In  1798  Adam  Coon  settled  in  the 
northeast  corner  of  Clay,  and  the  next  year  Simeon  Baker  located  on 
Seneca  River.  Thenceforward  to  1807  no  reliable  evidence  of  settle- 
ments can  be  gleaned.  The  interior  of  the  town  was  largely  a  primeval 
wilderness,  untouched  by  the  woodman's  axe,  as  those  already  recorded 
made  their  locations  along  the  two  boundary  rivers. 

In  1807  Joshua  Kinne,  Elijah  Pinckney,  and  others  came  in,  and  in 
1808  or  earlier  John  Lynn  located  at  what  has  long  been  known  as 
"  Lynn  Settlement,"  where  he  was  subsequently  joined  by  the  Young, 
Dutcher,  and  other  families.  At  Clay  Corners,  now  Euclid,  a  log 
school  house,  the  first  in  town,  was  built  about  1808  and  the  first 
teacher  in  it  was  a  Mr.  Hall.  The  next  year  a  second  log  school  house 
was  erected  at  Belgium,  near  wSeneca  River,  and  in  it  Moses  Kinne, 
who  had  previously  taught  a  school  in  his  house,  became  the  first  teacher. 
This  was  superseded  by  a  frame  school  building  in  1812. 

About  1810  the  population  began  to  increase  quite  rapidly.  The 
steady  tide  of  incoming  settlers  inaugurated  the  first  era  of  prosperity 
and  laid  the  foundations  for  several  hamlets  and  villages.  On  and 
around  the  sites  of  Euclid,  Belgium,  Oak  Orchard,  and  perhaps  one 
or  two  other  points  active  settlements  sprang  into  existence,  and  a  few 


THE  TOWN  OF  CLAY.  827 

years  later  these  became  the  scenes  of  considerable  activity.  At  ( >ak 
Orchard  reefs,  near  the  bank  of  Oneida  River,  the  pioneers  as  well  as 
later  residents  found  evidence  of  an  extensive  burying  ground,  which, 
tradition  says,  was  populated  with  the  bodies  of  massacred  Indians 
sometime  in  the  eighteenth  century,  and  from  which  scores  of  skulls, 
bones,  and  relics  have  been  removed. 

The  first  settlers  procured  their  breadstuff's  from  Jackson's  mill  near 
Jamesville  until  mills  were  erected  near  Syracuse,  and  it  was  custom- 
ary for  men  to  carry  a  bushel  or  more  of  grain  on  their  backs  the  entire- 
distance,  guiding  themselves  by  blazed  trees  and  consuming  two  or 
three  days  in  making  the  journey.  After  roads  were  cut  through 
neighbors  would  alternate  in  performing  the  service  for  the  whole  com- 
munity. Mail  was  brought  in  the  same  way  from  Onondaga  Hollow 
and  later  from  nearer  post-offices.  Soon  after  the  first  settlements  were 
made  a  lively  trade  in  salt  barrels  sprang  up  and  continued  for  many 
years.  The  heavy  growth  of  timber  which  covered  the  entire  surface 
of  the  town  furnished  employment  to  scores  of  coopers.  Almost  every 
male  inhabitant  at  one  time  followed  some  branch  of  this  business,  and 
while  the  forests  remained  it  constituted  one  of  the  chief  occupations 
of  the  people.  Large  quantities  of  timber  were  manufactured  into 
barrels  for  the  Syracuse  salt  trade  or  for  the  Oswego  Hour  market  on 
the  premises,  and  in  many  instances  this  industry  proved  a  source  of 
individual  wealth.  The  land,  when  cleared,  was  found  to  be  very  fer- 
tile, and  agricultural  pursuits  rapidly  superseded  all  other  interests. 

Abraham  Young  erected  the  first  saw  mill  in  Clay  on  a  small  brook 
in  the  northeast  part  of  the  town,  but  it  was  a  rude  affair  and  lacked 
sufficient  water  except  in  spring  and  fall.  The  interior  of  the  town 
never  afforded  good  mill  privileges.  The  principal  water  powers  were 
at  Oak  Orchard  and  Caughdenoy  (Oswego  county),  on  the  Oneida 
River;  the  last  named  place  was  long  noted  for  its  eel  fishing,  which  at 
one  time  formed  an  important  industry. 

The  war  of  1812-15  seriously  retarded  the  settlement  of  the  town  and 
caused  no  little  excitement  among  those  who  had  already  located 
within  its  limits.  Many  of  the  able-bodied  inhabitants  were  called  to 
the  defense  of  the  military  posts  at  Oswego  and  Sackett's  Harbor,  leav- 
ing their  pioneer  homes  and  families  largely  unprotected.  This  strug- 
gle ceased  only  to  be  followed  by  the  celebrated  "  cold  season  "  of  1816, 
when  ice  formed  every  month  in  the  year  and  practically  ruined  all 
growing  crops.      The    sufferings   which  ensued,   especially  during  the 


828  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

following  winter,  were  widespread  and  intense;  family  supplies  were 
often  unobtainable  and  stock  was  "browsed"  in  the  neighboring  for- 
ests. But  the  succeeding  years  produced  an  abundance  of  all  necessa- 
ries and  frontier  life  assumed  a  cheerful  aspect.  Long  before  and  after 
this,  however,  the  miasmic  influences  of  the  timbered  lands,  especially 
the  swampy  sections,  affected  the  health  of  the  settlers,  spreading 
ague,  fever,  and  other  complaints  among  them  at  times  with  relentless 
fury;  but  these  conditions  permanently  disappeared  with  the  forests. 

Among  the  arrivals  during  the  second  decade  of  this  century  were  Jacob 
I.  Young;  Ira  Sheffield  and  his  brother,  who  came  in  1814;  and  Dr. 
Olcott,  the  first  resident  physician,  who  arrived  a  little  later.  During 
this  period  roads  were  opened  and  made  passable.  Brewerton,  Bel- 
gium, and  Salina  were  all  connected  by  thoroughfares,  which  afforded 
convenient  ingress  and  egress  to  the  settlers. 

In  1822  Hosea  Crandall  became  a  resident  of  the  town.  His  grand- 
father, George,  who  died  aged  103,  had  two  sons  who  lived  to  be  over 
100  and  a  daughter  who  reached  the  age  of  116.  Hosea  was  the  father 
of  five  daughters  and  three  sons;  he  owned  at  one  time  300  acres  of 
land,  and  gave  to  each  of  his  children  a  home.  His  mother  died  at  the 
age  of  101  years  and  six  months. 

In  1824  the  Sodus  Bay  and  Westmoreland  Turnpike  Company  com- 
menced the  construction  of  a  bridge  across  Seneca  River  at  Belgium. 
The  bridge  was  completed  by  Col.  J.  L.  Voorhees,  who  obtained  a 
charter  in  his  own  name,  and  was  tolled  until  1843,  when  it  was  rebuilt 
as  a  free  bridge,  the  State  appropriating  $850  and  the  towns  of  Lysander 
and  Clay  each  $1,000  for  the  purpose.  In  1827  there  were  only  four 
dwelling  houses  at  this  point. 

About  1825  a  post-office  called  "West  Cicero"  was  established  at 
what  is  locally  known  as  Belgium.  On  the  organization  of  the  town 
in  1827  it  was  given  the  name  of  Clay,  which  it  has  ever  since  borne. 
The  first  postmaster  was  Nathan  Teall,  who  was  followed  by  William 
Hale,  James  Little  (many  years),  Hial  Crandall,  Orris  Barnes,  William 
Lee,  Mrs.  John  Walter,  and  perhaps  others. 

By  the  year  1826  the  inhabitants  of  the  territory  under  consideration 
had  become  sufficiently  numerous  to  justify  a  separate  government, 
and  on  the  16th  of  April,  1827,  the  State  Legislature  passed  a  bill 
setting  off  the  present  town  of  Clay  from  the  then  civil  and  old  military 
township  of  Cicero  (which  see).  The  new  town  was  named  in  honor  of 
Henry  Clay,  the  distinguished  statesman  of  Kentucky,  and  at  the  first 


THE  TOWN  OF  CLAY.  829 

town  meeting-  held  in  the  same  month  Andrew  Johnson  was  elected 
supervisor  and  Jacob  Terrill  town  clerk.  1  In  this  year  (  1821  !  a  post- 
office  was  established  at  Euclid,  the  postmaster  being  the  same  Andrew 
Johnson,  who  was  also  a  grocer  and  tavernkeeper  there. 

The  period  between  1825  and  1830  marked  an  important  epoch  in 
the  history  of  Clay.  It  not  only  witnessed  the  formation  of  the  town, 
the  establishment  of  post-offices  and  churches,  and  the  arrival  of  large 
numbers  of  settlers,  but  it  saw  the  completion  of  two  great  water 
routes  which  inaugurated  a  new  era  of  prosperity.  These  were  the 
Erie  and  Oswego  Canals,  opened  respectively  in  1825  and  L828.  The 
former  was  scarcely  finished  when  the  construction  of  the  latter  was 
commenced.  The  Oswego  Canal,  utilizing  a  little  more  than  that 
portion  of  Seneca  River  bordering  this  town,  had  a  direct  and  whole- 
some influence  upon  all  local  industries,  and  especiallv  upon  the  growth 
of  the  hamlet  of  Belgium.  In  connection  with  this  water  way  the 
Oneida  River  Improvement  afforded  another  improved  route  of  travel 
along  the  northern  boundary  of  Clay  and  also  aided  in  developing  the 
resources  of  adjacent  territory. 

The  hamlet  of  Belgium  grew  rapidly  upon  both  sides  of  Seneca 
River  and  for  several  years  was  the  busiest  place  in  town.  In  L828 
James  Little's  was  the  only  family  on  the  Lysander  side,  but  he  was 
joined  about  that  time  by  the  families  of  Henry  S.  McMechan,  Oliver 
Bigsbee,  Garnett  C.  Sweet,  Sylvanus  Bigsbee,  and  the  Rev.  William 
M.  Willett,  son  of  Col.  Marinus  Willett,  of  Revolutionary  tame.  The 
same  year  Martin  Luther  opened  the  first  store  and  Sylvanus  Bigsbee 
&  Co.  started  another  very  soon  afterward.  Jonas  C.  Brewster  and 
James  Little2  became  merchants  here  in  L829  and  1830  respectively. 
Philip  Farrington  established  still  another  store  in  L831  and  Dr.  A.  P. 
Adams  started  one  in  1838.  In  1832  the  Wesleyan  Methodist  Society 
erected  a  meeting  house  on  the  west  side  of  the  river — the  building 
now  used  as  the  M.  E.  church.  Among  the  early  physicians  were 
Drs.  A.  P.  Adams,  Hays  McKinley,  J.  V.  Kendall,  Daniel  W.  Bailey 
(botanic),  and  Ira  Richardson. 

The  early  settlers  of  Clay  banded  themselves  together  for  religious 

•The  fact  that  the  early  town  records  prior  to  about  1850  have  been  destroyed  precludes  the 
possibility  of  giving  a  more  complete  list  of  the  first  officers  and  the  mention  of  other  names 
which  they  certainly  would  contain.  Careful  inquiry  was  made  for  the  old  books,  Inn  without 
avail;  it  is  believed  the  records  were  burned. 

2  James  Little  was  a  prominent  citizen  of  this  section.  He  served  as  member  of  assembly  in 
1848  and  1850,  was  for  many  years  a  justice  of  the  peace,  supervisor,  and  justici  S,  and 

died  January  22,  1877.     He  settled  in  Clay  in  1880. 


830  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

worship  even  before  the  territory  merged  from  its  wilderness  condition. 
About  1826  an  English  Evangelical  Lutheran  society  was  formed  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Clay  Station  by  such  thrifty  pioneers  as  Jacob  I. 
\roung,  Jacob  Ottman,  Richard  Hiller,  John  Ainslie,  Henry  Becker, 
John  Summers,  John  Becker,  and  others.  In  1832  the  church  was  re- 
organized by  Rev.  William  Ottman,  who  became  the  first  pastor,  and 
between  that  year  and  1834  an  edifice  was  erected  and  dedicated  in  the 
eastern  center  of  the  town.  This  society  was  followed  by  the  Christians 
or  Unitarians,  who  about  1837  built  a  church  in  Euclid,  the  builders 
being  Dr.  E.  L.  Soule,  Hosea  Crandall,  Moses  Kinne,  Judge  Nathan 
Soule,  and  others.  It  was  used  by  different  denominations  until  about 
1850,  when  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Society  purchased  the  property. 
The  building,  after  serving  its  purpose  for  many  years,  is  now  utilized 
as  a  town  hall  and  warehouse.  Among  the  prominent  members  of  this 
M.  E.  church,  of  which  Rev.  William  Morse  was  the  first  resident  pas- 
tor, were  Daniel  Schoolcraft,  John  Flagler,  Jacob  wSiterley,  Cornelius 
Cronkhite,  Cornelius  and  John  Mogg,  Abram  and  Irving  Moyer,  E.  P. 
Abbott,  Willis  Gregg,  Loami  Rumsey,  Dr.  J.  L.  Brown,  Mrs.  A.  V.  R, 
Snyder,  William  and  Mary  Meredith,  Chauncey  Bailey,  Tunis  Siterley, 
and  James  Hamlin.  About  1835  an  M.  E.  church  society  was  also 
started  at '  Morgan  Settlement,  on  the  road  leading  from  Euclid  to 
Liverpool,  the  principal  founder  being  Rev.  Abram  Morgan.  The 
society  is  still  flourishing  and  owns  a  neat  frame  edifice. 

Meanwhile  the  hamlet  of  Euclid,  locally  known  for  many  years  as 
Clay  Corners,  was  springing  into  prominence  as  a  place  of  some 
activity.  Among  its  earliest  settlers  was  Latin  Soule,  father  of  Judge 
Nathan  and  grandfather  of  the  late  Harvey  L.  wSoule.  Judge  Nathan 
Soule  came  here  from  Minden,  Montgomery  county,  in  1831,  and  from 
then  until  his  death  in  1858  was  a  very  prominent  and  influential 
citizen.  He  had  served  as  congressman  from  the  Montgomer)^  dis- 
trict, and  after  coming  here  was  elected  to  the  State  Legislature,  serv- 
ing in  the  session  of  1837.  He  was  also  associate  judge  of  the  Court  of 
Common  Pleas,  and  in  1832  succeeded  Andrew  Johnson  as  postmaster. 
Other  early  settlers  of  Euclid  were  Hosea  Crandall,  John  Patrie,  Gideon 
Palmer,  John  Ainslie,  and  Jefferson  Freeman.  Mr.  Freeman  became 
the  first  general  merchant  in  the  village  in  1831  and  carried  on  the 
principal  business  until  L860,  when  lie  moved  to  Syracuse,  where  he 
died  about  L868.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  brother  Levi,  who  for 
several  years  was  a  leading  resident,  and  who  also  removed  to  and  died 
in  Syracuse. 


THE  TOWN  OF  CLAY.  831 

In  1830  Clay  contained  3,095  inhabitants.  A  State  Gazetteer  pub- 
lished six  years  later  informs  us  that  about  "two-thirds  of  the  town  is 
settled  and  settlers  are  fast  coming  into  this  and  the  town  of  Cicero." 

In  1836  Clay  Corners  or  Euclid  had  a  post-office,  store,  tavern,  and  several  dwell- 
ings, while  the  town  contained  about  '2,538  inhabitants,  28.")  militia,  513  \ 
acres  of  improved  laud,  real  estate  assessed  at  $377,604  and  personal  property  at 
$2,945,  four  saw  mills,  one  tannery,  an  ashery,  2,111  cattle.  2,717  slice]),  7115  i, 
1,864  swine,  12  school  districts,  and  711  scholars.  The  public  money  expended  for 
school  purposes  amounted  to  8229,  teachers'  wages  (besides)  $346 ;  town  tax,  $452, 
and  county  tax  $829.  About  ten  years  later  (1845)  it  contained  267  militia,  61!) 
voters,  531  children  attending  school,  12,776  acres  of  improved  land,  lour  saw  mills, 
a  Baptist  church,  one  Dutch  Reformed  church,  eighteen  common  school-,,  one  select 
school,  four  taverns,  three  general  stores,  live  groceries,  435  farmers,  nine  manufac- 
turers, fifty-five  mechanics,  and  three  physicians.  In  I860  there  were  19,535 
improved  land,  638  dwellings.  576  families,  511  freeholders,  21  school  districts,  1  536 
school  children,  1,177  horses,  1,683  oxen  and  calves,  1,363  cow-.  1,292  sheep,  1,992 
swine,  and  real  estate  valued  at  $964,205  and  personal  property  al  $37,850,  while  the 
productions  amounted  to  4,909  bushels  winter  wheat,  150,909  bushels  spring  wheat, 
4,672  tons  hay,  34,011  bushels  potatoes.  27,578  bushels  apples.  120,901  pounds  butter, 
11,535  pounds  cheese,  and  3,318  yards  domestic  cloth. 

A  number  of  the  early  settlers  have  already  been  mentioned,  but  it 
is  proper  to  record  here  the  names  of  others  and  of  latercomers.  John 
Walter  moved  into  Clay  from  Herkimer  county  in  1829  and  died  here 
leaving-  five  children:  Martin  A.,  John,  Gertrude  Ann  (Mrs.  Orrin 
Barnes),  Angeline  (wife  of  Dr.  A.  V.  R.  Snyder),  and  Charles.  Stew- 
art Scott  came  to  this  town  from  Albany  county  in  1830  and  died  here 
in  1850,  aged  fifty  years.  Among  other  residents  were  Dr.  James  F. 
Johnson,  Samuel  N.  Burleigh,  John  Lintz,  A.  J.  Soule,  Harlow  Kim, 
Dr.  Church,  Jacob  Tyrrell,  Dr.  E.  L.  vSoule  (botanic  physician),  Wil- 
burn  Hale,  Henry  R.  Warren,  Ephraim  Morehouse,  James  V.  Randall, 
James  Millard  (about  1810),  Adolph  Botsford,  James  Lynn  (who  died 
in  October,  1895,  aged  about  eighty-five),  Dow  West  (died  in  October, 
1895),  Japhet  Kinne,  Nathaniel  Palmer,  Gideon  M.  Palmer  (son  of 
Nathaniel,  died  in  October,  1895),  Giles  Barnes,  Andrew  Patrie,  Noah- 
diah  Marshall,  the  Abbott  family,  French  Fairchild,  Adam  Coon,  David 
Wise,  William  Duffaney,  Jacob  Mover,  Peter  Wise,  Jacob  Hettinger,* 
the  Weller  family,  Moseley  Dunham,  Nathaniel  Woodward  (who  came 
in  1818  and  died  here  April  18,  18G:5),  Samuel  Ferguson,  William  II. 
Collins,  George  Loo]),  James  Chesebro,  John  F.  Hicks  (through  whose 
kitchen  the  Clay  and  Cicero  town  line  was  run),  James  Beebe,  Cornel- 
ius Auringer,  Mr.  Pierce,  Peter  Connell,  John  Dickinson,  Edward  K. 
Barrus,  Peter  Wisner,  and  Stephen  Knowles.      William  Weller,  an  old 


832  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

settler,  died  here  in  January,  1896,  leaving  two  sons,  William  F.  and 
Jesse  A.      Nearly  or  quite  all  of  these  came  in  before  1850. 

An  interesting  list  of  the  residents  and  pioneers  of  the  towns  of  Clay, 
Cicero  and  Salina  between  1795  and  1825  is  printed  in  the  chapter  de- 
voted to  Cicero,  to  which  the  reader  is  referred. 

Between  the  years  1840  and  1850  the  hamlet  of  Belgium  attained  its 
greatest  importance,  for  it  was  during  that  period  that  it  enjoyed  the 
distinction  of  being  the  busiest  place  in  town.  In  1848  it  contained 
one  hundred  and  sixty  inhabitants,  twenty-eight  dwellings,  three  dry 
goods  stores,  four  grocery  and  provision  stores,  two  hotels,  one  tailor, 
three  blacksmith  shops,  a  shoemaker,  etc.,  and  also  the  celebrated 
"Oriental  Balm  Pill"  manufactory,  which  generally  employed  from 
thirty  to  fifty  persons.  This  establishment  subsequently  moved  to 
Euclid,  where  Dr.  E.  L.  wSoule  made  the  "Oriental  Sovereign  Balm 
Pill"  for  several  years,  doing  quite  an  extensive  business.  Belgium 
finally  declined  as  a  business  center,  but  still  retains  the  activity  of  a 
small  country  hamlet. 

About  the  middle  of  this  century  Euclid  became  a  popular  trading 
point  for  the  town,  or  at  least  the  northern  and  western  portions,  and 
around  the  pioneer  store  of  Jefferson  Freeman  there  clustered  a  re- 
spectable collection  of  dwelling  houses  and  mercantile  interests. 

Among  the  merchants  may  be  mentioned  H.  K.  Warren,  William  Warner,  Cyrus 
Warner,  John  Walter,  Albert  Kinne,  Richard  Piatt,  Horace  Pritchard,  Elias  Sloat, 
James  Hamlin,  O.  A.  Rice,  Ruel  Wetzel,  Chauncey  M.  Soule,  Nathaniel  W.  Pool, 
Edward  Ladd,  and  Mrs.  Smith  Lewis.  There  have  also  been  harnessmakers,  James 
and  Charles  Brown  and  William  Carpenter ;  shoemakers,  Philo  Brewer,  James  Trues- 
dell,  Henry  Fox,  Ira  Schoolcraft,  Joseph  A.  Hughes,  and  Cyrus  and  O.  A.  Rice; 
wagonmakers,  John  Lints,  Isaac  Lints,  Joseph  A.  Hughes,  Nicholas  Bunzy,  Robert 
McChesney,  and  A.  J.  McArthur;  blacksmiths,  Adam  Wise,  John  Lintz,  Hiram  Fox, 
Hiram  Leonard,  Henry  Hughes,  and  Fred  Dents;  tailor,  William  Warner.  The 
postmasters  who  succeeded  Judge  Nathan  Soule  have  been  Levi  Freeman,  Dr.  A. 
V.  R.  Snyder,  David  Moyer,  Cyrus  Warner,  Richard  Piatt*  John  J.  Barrus,  O.  A. 
Rice,  James  Hamlin,  Chauncey  M.  Soule,  and  Andrew  J.  McArthur,  incumbent. 
Among  the  physicians  may  be  noted  the  names  of  Drs.  James  Frisbie,  James  F. 
[ohnson,  Henry  B.  Allen,  Horace  Pritchard,  A.  V.  R.  Snyder,1  and  G.  L.  Brown. 

The  first  tavern  in  Euclid-was  erected  on  the  site  of  the  present  ho- 
tel barns,  and  the  old  sheds  stood  where  the  hotel  now  stands.      This 

1  Dr.  Allen  Van  Rensselaer  Snyder  was  born  in  Conquest,  Cayuga  Co.,  Sept.  7,  1825,  studied 

Q'     in    Mempl n  Canton)  with   Dr.  Amos  Fowler,  was  graduated  from  the  Medical 

iih  in  oi  Hi,    CJniversitj  oi  New   York  city  in   March,   1851,  and  began  practice  in  Euclid, 
!-il.     In  1863  lie  retired  on  account  of  failing  eyesight  and  since  ISO'.'  lias 
>1  ally  blind. 


AMBROSE  SADLER. 


THE  TOWN  OF  CLAY.  833 

inn  was  kept  for  a  time  by  Col.  William  Coon  and  later  became  a 
dwelling.  Finally  the  positions  of  the  tavern  and  sheds  were  reversed. 
The  present  hotel  was  rebuilt  from  the  old  structure  about  1853  by 
James  M.  Rouse,  and  among  the  later  landlords  were  John  Wallace, 
Peter  I.  Quackenbush,  Horace  Lawrence,  Charles  Hayden,  James  R. 
Lynn,  Manley  Hughes,  and  Smith  Soule.  A  second  hotel  stood  about 
where  O.  A.  Rice  now  lives,  and  was  kept  by  Andrew  Johnson,  Peter 
I.  Quackenbush,  and  perhaps  others.  It  was  subsequently  moved  and 
converted  into  a  wagon  shop,  became  a  cheese  factory,  and  burned. 

About  1840  the  Syracuse  and  Central  Square  plank  road,  the  first  of 
the  kind  in  the  United  States,  was  opened  and  ran  through  the  south- 
eastern corner  of  this  town.  It  inaugurated  a  new  impetus  to  the 
prosperity  of  the  eastern  part  of  the  territory  under  consideration,  par- 
ticularly in  giving  existence  to  the  hamlet  of  Centerville,  or  North 
Syracuse,  locally  known  for  many  years  as  "Podunk,"  which  is  situated 
partly  in  Clay  and  partly  in  Cicero.  In  this  neighborhood  several  set- 
tlers had  arrived,  notably  Rowland  Stafford,  John  Slosson,  Eli  Myers 
about  1826,  Alfred  Tilly  in  1827,  and  Peter  Weaver,  who  built  the  "old 
red  tavern,"  and  who  gave  the  ground  for  the  cemetery,  in  which  one 
Blewe  was  the  first  to  be  buried.  But  about  1850  Centerville  began  to 
assume  the  activity  incident  to  a  country  business  center.  James  Wal- 
len,  the  first  postmaster,  kept  the  post-office  in  the  old  Dean  tavern, 
and  his  successors  have  been  Joseph  Palmer,  Jacob  Kincaid,  Dr.  Skin- 
ner, Ralph  Hirsch,  Granville  Baum,  John  Flagler,  William  H.  Collins, 
G.  R.  Crampton,  and  Eva  McChesney,  incumbent.  The  first  to  carry 
on  mercantile  business  here  was  Asa  H.  Stearns,  who  had  a  small  stock 
of  goods  in  the  basement  of  the  tavern  which  he  built,  and  which  stood 
on  the  site  of  Jacob  Kincaid's  house.  But  the  first  store  of  any  note 
was  kept  by  Jacob  Kincaid,  who  erected  the  building  now  occupied  by 
Edwin  Carey.  He  was  followed  by  Look  &  Son  (Judson  W. ),  Ralph 
Hirsch,  and  John  Hirsch.  John  Flagler  built  the  store  occupied  by  his 
successors,  Crampton  &  Newcomb.  Other  merchants  are  Silas  S. 
Ball,  E.  B.  Vollmer,  Vollmer  &  Dunham,  and  Robert  R.  Flynn.  Asa 
H.  Stearns  also  kept  the  "old  red  tavern  "  about  twelve  years,  and 
Charles  Cotton  was  another  early  landlord.  Among  the  blacksmiths 
were  a  Mr.  Lull,  Joshua  Slocum,  John  A.  Stebbins,  and  Adam  Rupp. 
Thomas  Smith  was  a  wagonmaker  here  and  also  built  for  a  dwelling  a 
part  of  the  present  Wilber  House,  through  which  the  town  line  passes. 
A  little  west  of  the  Centerville  House  a  steam  saw  mill  was  operated 
105 


£34  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

for  several  years,  both  before  and  after  1846,  one  of  the  early  owners 
being  Anthony  Curry.  The  first  resident  physician  was  Dr.  L.  B. 
Skinner.  About  1844  Rev.  William  H.  Delano  commenced  holding 
religious  meetings  in  this  vicinity,  and  in  1847  he  organized  the  Plank 
Road  Baptist  church  with  seven  members:  Earl  P.  Salisbury,  James 
Pierce,  Mary  C.  Smith,  Nancy  Slocum,  Clarissa  Delano,  and  Kilburn 
and  Laura  Ives.  Rev.  Mr.  Delano  became  the  first  pastor.  In  185)>  a 
frame  church  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $1,500. 

In  1854  the  Methodist  Episcopal  society  built  an  edifice  just  west  of 
the  Clay-Cicero  town  line;  in  1892  it  was  moved  over  on  the  east  side 
and  rebuilt  at  a  cost  of  about  $2,200. 

In  July,  1867,  Centerville  Lodge,  No.  648,  F.  &  A.  M.,  was  chartered 
with  Isaac  Baum,  W.  M.  ;  C.  H.  Carpenter,  S.  W.  ;  and  Joseph  Palmer, 
J-  w. 

Educational  interests  were  likewise  fostered  in  various  parts  of  the 
town,  as  previously  noticed,  and  in  this  respect  the  early  inhabitants 
kept  well  abreast  of  the  times,  losing  no  opportunity  of  establishing 
convenient  school  districts  and  building  comfortable  school  houses. 
In  Euclid  as  well  as  in  other  localities  the  place  in  which  the  English 
branches  were  first  taught  was  also  a  place  of  worship,  and  the  old 
structure  used  for  these  purposes  there  now  forms  a  part  of  the  M.  E. 
parsonage.  Here  Jared  Baker,  Henry  Soule,  James  H.  Barrus,  Moses 
Abbott,  Marion  Averill,  and  others  were  early  teachers.  About  1879 
the  present  school  house  was  erected  in  that  village.  At  Centerville  a 
union  school  district  was  formed  in  1869,  when  the  school  house  was 
built  at  a  cost  of  about  $3,000.  The  town  now  has  seventeen  school 
districts  with  a  school  house  in  each. 

During  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  from  1861  to  1865  Clay  contributed 
its  full  quota  of  men  to  the  Union  army,  many  of  whom  laid  their  lives 
upon  their  country's  altar.  The  record  of  the  town  and  of  its  brave 
soldiers  in  that  sanguinary  struggle  graces  with  peculiar  brilliancy  the 
pages  of  local  history.  Great  credit  is  also  due  to  those  patriotic  citi- 
zens, both  men  and  women,  who  at  home  bore  a  worthy  part  in  sup- 
porting and  encouraging  the  national  cause,  and  especially  to  those 
who  by  their  heroic  efforts  and  self-denial  aided  in  alleviating  distress 
and  want  at  the  front. 

The  decade  following  the  civil  war  was  one  of  general  prosperity. 
Agriculture  flourished  as  never  before,  and  with  it  many  other  enter- 
prises common  to  a  farming  community  were  successfully  inaugurated, 


THE  TOWN  OF  CLAY.  835 

but  this  applies  to  the  entire  town  rather  than  to  any  special  locality. 
Pioneer  industries,  such  as  lumbering,  manufacturing  salt  barrels,  etc., 
had  largely  disappeared,  and  henceforward  the  territory  here  consid- 
ered was  to  be  noted  mainly  for  the  products  of  its  soil,  which,  as  culti- 
vation advanced,  were  destined  to  become  as  varied  as  they  are  excel- 
lent. In  more  recent  years  considerable  attention  has  been  devoted  to 
growing  tobacco,  in  many  instances  on  quite  a  large  scale.  The  grains, 
hay,  corn,  etc.,  are  also  produced  with  profit,  and  occasionally  dairying 
forms  an  important  branch  of  the  farmer's  business. 

Three  years  after  the  war  closed  a  Baptist  church  was  built  in  Euclid, 
at  a  cost  of  $3,000,  by  the  society  that  was  organized  by  Rev.  Horatio 
Warner  about  1845.  Among  the  early  members  of  this  church  were 
Deacon  Elijah  and  Francis  Carter,  William  Spencer,  Hiram  Leonard, 
Sherman  Waterbury,  W.  H.  Eckert,  Dr.  James  F.  Johnson,  and 
LaurusPatchin.  The  Methodists,  in  1886,  erected  anew  church  in  Euclid 
on  the  site  of  the  old  structure,  which  was  moved;  it  cost  about  $3,000 
and  was  dedicated  in  December  of  that  year. 

On  the  9th  of  November,  1871,  the  Syracuse  Northern  (now  the  R., 
W.  &  O. )  was  formally  opened  from  Syracuse  to  Sandy  Creek,  and 
sometime  later  the  "  Phoenix  branch"  running  to  Oswego  was  also 
placed  in  operation.  The  opening  of  these  lines  was  hailed  as  an  im- 
portant improvement  and  marked  the  last  notable  event  in  the  town's 
history.  Converging  in  the  form  of  a  letter  Y  in  the  south  part  of 
Clay  they  gave  existence  to  the  settlement  and  post-office  of  Woodard 
and  made  the  entire  town  tributary  to  the  markets  of  Syracuse  and 
other  large  cities.  The  Northern  road  also  gave  rise  to  the  hamlet 
of  Cigarville  (Clay  Station),  about  midway  between  Cicero  and  Euclid. 
This  place  was  so  named  from  its  cigar  manufacturing  and  tobacco  in- 
terests, which  were  carried  on  for  some  time  by  John  W.  Coughtry,  and 
contains  a  post-office,  several  stores  and  shops,  and  a  small  collection  of 
dwellings.  The  "  Phoenix  branch"  crosses  Oneida  River  at  Three 
River  Point,  which  has  recently  sprung  into  considerable  popularity  as 
a  favorite  summer  resort,  having  accommodations  for  picnic  parties 
and  a  few  cottages. 

The  population  of  the  town  has  been  as  follows: 

In  1830,  1,095;  1835,  2,538;  1840,  2,852;  1845,  2,876;  1850.  8,402;  1855,  3,828;  I860, 
3,583;  1865,  3,069;  1870,  3,156;  1875,  3,018;  1880,  2.910;  1890,  2,630;   1892,  2,  198, 

The  supervisors  of  Clay  from  1828  to  the  present  time,  as  far  as  it  is 

possible  to  obtain  them,  have  been: 


836  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Andrew  Johnson,  1827;  Jacob  Tyrrell,  1828-29;  Moses  Kinne,  1830-34;  William 
Hale,  1835-37;  Stephen  Rice,  1839;  Charles  N.  Sweet,  1840-42;  Henry  K.  Warren, 
1845-46;  Ephraim  Morehouse,  1847 ;  James  Little,  1848;  Jefferson  Freeman,  1849; 
J.  V.  Randall,  1850;  Henry  Cronkhite,  1851;  Philander  Childs,  1852;  Henry  Cronk- 
hite,  1853;  James  Little,  1854-55;  Jefferson  Freeman,  1856;  James  V.  Randall, 
1857;  William  Strever,  1858;  Cyrus  C.  Warner,  1859;  John  F.  Moschell,  1860-61; 
Levi  Freeman,  1862-64;  Cyrus  C.  Warner,  1865;  James  Little,  1866;  John  F.  Moschell, 
1867-69;  Thomas  H.  Scott,  1870-75;  Laomi  Rumsey,  1876;  John  W.  Coughtry,  1877- 
79;  Ue  Forest  Verplanck,  1880-81;  John  W.  Coughtry,  1882-83;  Charles  Stearns, 
1884;  Artemas  L.  Sommers,  1885;  E.  P.  Abbott,  1886;  Edward  R.  Barrus,  1887-88; 
Smith  Soule,  1888-90;  John  Mogg,  1891;  Clarence  E.  Hart,  1892-93;  J.  Wesley 
Shepard,  1894-95. 

Sherman  S.   Waterbury  has  served  as  town  clerk  since  1885,  except- 
ing one  year,  1892.     The  town  has  sixty-five  road  districts. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 
THE   TOWN  OF  ONONDAGA. 

Situated  in  the  interior  and  immediately  south  of  the  center  of  the 
county,  on  the  old  Indian  trails  and  original  overland  thoroughfares  of 
westward  travel,  and  in  and  adjoining  it,  the  ancestral  homes  of  the 
Onondagas  and  the  central  council  of  the  great  Iroquois  Confederacy, 
the  town  of  Onondaga  is  rich  in  historic  interest,  both  ancient  and  mod- 
ern, and  holds  out  to  the  narrator  a  wealth  of  tradition,  legend,  and  fact. 
Here  and  near  by  in  the  aboriginal  times  the  red  men  assembled  on 
state  occasions  from  every  point  of  the  compass ;  dusky  warriors  and 
brawny  braves  planned  their  expeditions,  transacted  their  governmental 
affairs,  and  lived  for  generations  on  the  soil  of  their  forefathers;  here 
the  white  pioneers  of  all  this  region  pitched  their  cabins  and  com- 
menced improvements  in  an  unbroken  wilderness ;  here  amid  the  forest 
primeval  arose  those  industries  and  institutions  which  promised  to 
eclipse  the  first  ambitions  of  Syracuse  and  become  the  chief  center  of 
Central  New  York;  and  here  time  and  circumstances  set  at  naught  the 
plans  and  aspirations  of  man  and  evolved  an  apparently  brilliant  future 
into  a  prosaic  reality.  Near  by,  too,  under  the  shadow  of  the  "Great 
Mountain,"  lives  the  remnant  of  that  once  powerful  tribe,  the  Onon- 
dagas,  whose  memory  is  perpetuated  in  the  name  of  the  territory  to 


THE  TOWN  OF  ONONDAGA.  837 

which  this  work  and  chapter  are  devoted.  Ceremonies,  traditions,  and 
customs,  centuries  old,  still  obtain,  though  in  modified  forms;  usages 
of  the  past  are  strangely  mingled  with  practices  of  to-day;  and  side  by 
side  nourish  ancient  and  modern  life  in  the  unrelenting  embrace  of 
civilization. 

The  locality  under  consideration  was  formerly  the  very  heart  of  the 
Onondagas'  country,  which  guarded  the  western  entrance  to  the  "long 
house"  of  the  Iroquois,  and  which  once  included  the  site  of  their  princi- 
pal village.  It  abounds  in  historical  lore — in  stories  of  French  invasion,  of 
Jesuit  missionary  visitations,  of  the  existence  of  forts,  fortifications, 
and  Indian  orchards,  of  the  discovery  of  ancient  relics,  tools,  utensils, 
and  implements  or  appurtenances  of  war,  and  of  the  remains  of  Indian 
burial  grounds  and  human  skeletons.  But  these  are  fully  detailed  in  a 
previous  chapter,  more  interesting  than  the  space  allotted  to  this  article 
could  embrace,  and  in  the  following  pages  account  is  taken  only  <>t" 
those  facts  which  pertain  to  the  present  civil  town,  and  which  depict  its 
growth  and  development  from  the  first  white  settlement  to  the  present 
time. 

In  1743  John  Bartram,  an  Englishman,  journeyed  from  Philadelphia 
to  the  Onondaga  country  on  a  mission  to  the  Indians,  and  after  staying 
at  the  council  house  two  or  three  days  passed  on  to  Oswego.  He  re- 
turned by  the  same  route,  down  the  Susquehanna  River,  and  left  to 
posterity  a  glowing  narrative  of  his  travels,  in  which  he  speaks  of  On- 
ondaga Creek  as  being  "very  full  of  trees  fallen  across,  or  drove  in 
heaps  by  the  torrents." 

The  town  [he  continues]  in  its  present  state,  is  about  2  or  3  miles  long,  yet  the 
scattered  cabins  on  both  sides  the  water  are  not  above  40  in  number;  many  of  them 
hold  two  families,  but  all  stand  single,  and  rarely  above  4  or  5  near  one  another;  so 
that  the  whole  town  is  a  strange  mixture  of  cabins,  interspersed  with  great  patches 
of  grass,  bushes,  and  shrubs,  some  of  pease,  corn,  and  squashes,  limestone  bottom 
composed  of  fossils  and  sea  shells. 

Unlike  most  towns  in  the  county,  the  town  of  Onondaga  formed  no 
part  of  the  great  Military  Tract,  but  constituted  the  major  portion  of 
the  original  Onondaga  Reservation.  The  treaty  of  July  28,  1795,  gave 
the  State  exclusive  control  of  the  Salt  Springs  Reservation  and  also 
ceded  much  of  the  territory  comprising  this  town.  On  March  '.•,  L798, 
the  Legislature  passed  an  act  which  reads,  in  part : 

That  from  and  after  the  first  Monday  in  April  next,  all  that  part  of  the  county  of 
Onondaga  as  is  contained  within  the  limits  and  bounds  of  the  two  tracts  of  land 
known  by  the  names  of  the  late  Onondaga  and  Salt  Springs  Reservations,  be,  and 


838  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

the  same  hereby  is,  erected  into  a  separate  town  by  the  name  of  Onondaga,  and  the 
first  town  meeting  shall  be  held  at  the  dwelling  house  of  Allen  Beach  in  said  town. 

Besides  nearly  all  of  the  present  town  this  tract  embraced  the  most 
of  what  is  now  the  city  of  Syracuse,  the  south  part  of  the  town  of 
Geddes,  and  the  southeast  corner,  on  lots  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  20,  21,  22, 
23,  24,  34,  35,  36,  37,  38,  48,  49,  50,  51,  and  52,  of  Camillus— all  form- 
ing a  part  of  the  Salt  Springs  Reservation,  which  contained  about 
100,000  acres.  The  portions  now  included  in  Geddes  and  the  city  were 
taken  off  March  27,  1809,  to  form  a  part  of  the  town  of  Salina,  while 
the  above  named  lots  were  annexed  to  Camillus  in  1834.  On  February 
25,  1817,  the  State  purchased  from  the  Indians  lots  1  to  12  inclusive, 
on  the  east  side  of  the  Onondaga  Reservation,  and  annexed  them  to 
this  town.  These  several  changes  reduced  Onondaga  to  its  present 
limits,  or  about  41,000  acres.  Excepting  the  State's  purchase  of  1817, 
the  town  was  subdivided  by  John  Randel,  jr.,  in  1821-24,  into  lots 
numbered  from  66  to  221  inclusive.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by 
Camillus,  Geddes,  and  the  city  of  Syracuse,  on  the  east  by  Dewitt,  La 
Fayette,  and  the  Indian  Reservation,  on  the  south  by  La  Fayette,  the 
Onondaga  Reservation,  and  Otisco,  and  on  the  west  by  Marcellus  and 
Camillus. 

After  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  war  the  whites  who  visited  the 
country  of  the  Onondagas  were  of  the  class  known  as  Indian  traders, 
who  came  well  supplied  with  trinkets,  blankets,  arms,  and  ammunition, 
together  with  the  wholly  indispensable  cask  of  rum.  The  first  trader 
among  the  Indians  of  this  locality  was  Ephraim  Webster,  though  to  his 
honor  be  it  said  he  was  never  charged  with  debauching  the  natives 
with  liquor.  He  pitched  his  camp  on  the  west  bank  of  Onondaga 
Creek,  near  its  mouth.  Accompanying  him  was  Benjamin  Newkerk, 
who  was  his  partner,  but  the  latter  died  soon  afterward  and  was  buried 
near  the  trading  post.  Webster  was  a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  and 
served  three  years  in  the  army  during  the  Revolution.  After  the  war 
he  became  an  Indian  trader,  and  on  account  of  his  knowledge  of  the 
Indian  language  was  frequently  employed  as  interpreter.  He  came  to 
the  Onondaga  country  in  1786  and  continued  his  traffic  here  several 
years.  He  married  an  Indian  maiden  and  became  so  great  a  favorite 
with  the  tribe  that  he  was  presented  with  a  mile  square  tract  of  land, 
and  was  also  granted  300  acres  in  the  northwest  corner  of  the  present 
reservation.  His  wife  became  addicted  to  drink,  in  consequence  of 
which,  with  the  approbation  of  the  tribe,  he  divorced  her.      One  of  the 


THE  TOWN  OF  ONONDAGA.  839 

children  of  this  marriage  was  Harry  Webster,  known  to  the  Indians  as 
Ato-tar-hos.  who  became  one  of  the  chiefs  of  the  tribe.  After  the 
death  of  his  divorced  wife  Webster  married  a  white  woman  named  Danks, 
by  whom  he  had  several  children,  and  to  them  his  property  descended. 
Mr.  Webster  was  a  brave  man  and  fond  of  adventure.  He  found  him- 
self in  several  trying  situations,  but  his  great  courage  always  stood  him 
in  good  stead.  On  one  occasion,  having  offended  the  Indians,  he  was 
condemned  to  death,  and  being  already  bound  was  asked  if  he  had  any 
request  to  make,  upon  which  he  called  for  a  drink  of  water.  That  he 
might  drink,  one  hand  was  released,  with  which,  taking  the  cup,  he 
drank  to  *he  health  of  the  chiefs,  warriors,  and  women  of  the  Onon- 
dagas.  This  action  proved  his  salvation  and  he  was  at  once  set  free. 
Later  Webster  was  employed  by  the  government  as  a  spy  and  inter- 
preter during  the  Indian  troubles  that  followed  the  Revolution  ;  he  was 
in  active  service  in  the  last  war  with  Great  Britain  and  held  a  cap- 
tain's commission  in  the  State  militia.  For  many  years  he  was  Indian 
agent  and  had  greater  influence  with  the  Onondagas  than  any  other 
white  man.  Mr.  Webster  was  the  first  supervisor  of  this  town,  in 
1798,  and  was  justice  of  the  peace  in  1805.  He  died  at  Tuscarora  in 
1825  and  was  buried  at  Onondaga. 

Soon  after  Webster  two  other  traders  came  to  the  region,  locating  at 
Teuaheughwa,  or,  as  afterwards  called  by  the  whites,  Onondaga  Hol- 
low. The  newcomers  were  Adam  Campbell  and  Alexander  Mabie,  and 
as  subsequent  events  proved,  they  were  unwelcome  visitors.  They 
carried  a  good  stock  of  goods  for  barter,  but  their  chief  article  of  trade 
was  rum,  dispensed  with  unstinted  hand,  and  the  cause  of  strifes, 
dissensions,  and  not  infrequently  murder  among  the  men  of  the  On- 
ondagas. Never  before  in  all  their  history  had  the  hand  of  the  Indian 
been  raised  against  his  own  bn  .her.  While  the  chiefs  and  sober  men 
of  the  tribe  were  much  opposed  to  the  residence  of  these  traders  they 
were  powerless,  for  the  adventurers  had  purchased  the  friendship  of  the 
warriors  and  liquor  was  the  consideration.  Their  hold  upon  the  In- 
dians was  so  great  that  at  their  instigation  the  natives  made  several 
attempts  upon  the  life  of  Captain  Webster  and  that  other  worthy 
pioneer,  Major  Asa  Danforth. 

Major  Asa  Danforth  was  emphatically  the  pioneer  of  this  town 
and  the  founder  of  Onondaga  civilization.  He  was  practically  the 
second  and  most  substantial  white  settler  in  the  county,  and  to  him  is 
largely  due  the  inception  and  development  of  those  attributes  of  frontier 


840  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

life  which  form  the  beginnings  of  a  prosperous  community.  He  came 
here  through  the  influence  and  representations  of  Ephraim  Webster, 
who  obtained  from  the  Indians  permission  for  him  to  settle  in  their 
territory.  Early  in  May,  1788,  Danforth  left  his  former  home  in  May- 
field,  Montgomery  county,  and  proceeded  with  his  family  and  effects 
to  the  new  country.  Two  flat  bottomed  boats  were  loaded  and  headed 
west  up  the  Mohawk,  through  Oneida  Lake  and  River,  and  thence 
through  Onondaga  Lake  to  the  mouth  of  the  creek,  where  he  found  the 
trading  post  of  Captain  Webster.  Asa  Danforth,  jr.,  and  Comfort 
Tyler,  both  of  the  Danforth  household,  had  also  come  at  the  same  time, 
though  journeying  overland  and  having  in  charge  several  head  of 
cattle.  On  May  22  the  entire  party  proceeded  up  Onondaga  Creek 
and  made  a  settlement  south  of  the  locality  known  as  Onondaga  Hollow, 
and  here,  through  the  kind  offices  of  Webster,  the  family  was  welcomed 
by  chief  Cawhicdota  and  the  warriors  and  women  of  the  tribe.  Between 
the  chief  and  Major  Danforth  there  soon  grew  a  firm  friendship.  Major 
Danforth  was  styled  by  the  Indians,  Hatecolhotwas  ("he  plows'the 
ground  ").  He  was  an  active,  earnest  man,  and  one  whose  influence 
was  only  for  good ;  and  during  the  many  years  of  privation  which  fol- 
lowed the  first  settlement,  his  cabin  was  always  open  to  the  distressed 
settlers.  With  the  Indian  chief  he  endeavored  to  stop  the  rum-selling 
traders  in  their  nefarious  operations,  and  thus  incurred  the  emnity  of 
the  latter  as  well  as  that  of  the  natives  under  their  control.  They  often 
conspired  to  murder  him,  but  the  friendship  of  Cawhicdota  as  frequently 
saved  his  life  and  also  that  of  his  family. 

Before  the  close  of  the  year  Comfort  Tyler  and  Asa  Danforth,  jr., 
returned  east,  married,  and  soon  afterward  brought  their  brides  to  this 
then  wild  and  almost  unbroken  region.  On  October  14,  1789,  a  daugh- 
ter was  born  to  the  latter  and  named  Amanda,  being  the  first  white 
birth  in  Onondaga  county.  She  married  Col.  Elijah  Phillips,  the  pop- 
ular stage  agent,  became  the  mother  of  Mrs.  Peter  Outwater,  of  Syra- 
cuse, and  died  in  1826. 

For  several  years  after  Major  Danforth  settled  at  Onondaga  Hollow 
there  were  no  mills  of  any  kind  nearer  than  Whitestown,  and  to  supply 
the  needs  of  himself  and  family  he  hollowed  out  the  stump  of  a  white 
oak  tree,  in  which  grain  was  placed  and  then  pounded  with  a  large  wooden 
pestle  attached  to  a  long  spring  pole,  working  on  much  the  same  prin- 
ciple as  the  old  well-sweep.  While  on  a  visit  to  Herkimer  county  he 
purchased  a  negro  boy,   to  whom  was  assigned  the  duty  of  pounding 


THE  TOWN  OF  ONONDAGA.  841 

grain  with  this  novel  contrivance,  and  "Jack"  at  his  work  gave  rise  to 
the  oft-quoted  expression,  Sniggering  corn."  In  179]  he  became  pos- 
sessed of  lot  81,  in  Manlius  (now  Dewitt),  and  there  on  Butternut 
Creek,  about  a  mile  north  of  Jamesville,  where  the  Dunlop  flour  and 

plaster  mills  now  stand,  he  built  in  1792  a  saw  mill  andinthe  next  year 
a  grist  mill;  the  first  in  the  county.  At  the  mill  raising,  in  accordance 
with  custom,  there  were  the  usual  festivities  and  the  necessary  jug  of 
rum,  but  the  drink  provided  by  Major  Danforth  was  the  superior  St. 
Croix  article  instead  of  the  ordinary  New  England  stock.  Sweetening 
of  any  sort  was  not  to  be  had,  hence  meal  was  used  as  a  substitute. 
Sixty-four  whites  and  Indians  were  at  the  raising.  These  mills  afforded 
the  earliest  means  of  providing  flour  and  lumber  to  the  settlers  for 
miles  around. 

In  May,  1788,  very  soon  after  his  arrival.  Major  Danforth  obtained 
a  pound  of  salt  from  the  Indians,  who  offered  to  show  him  and  Comfort 
Tyler  the  location  of  the  salt  springs.  Shortly  afterward  Tyler,  with 
an  Indian  guide,  a  fifteen-gallon  kettle,  and  a  canoe,  visited  the  spot 
and  made  some  "  thirteen  bushels  of  salt  of  inferior  quality  in  about 
nine  hours."  In  the  same  year  Danforth  also  made  his  first  salt,  car- 
rying a  five-pail  kettle  on  his  head  across  the  country  for  the  purpose. 
These  were  the  beginnings  of  the  immense  salt  industry.  In  L798  he 
became  a  member  of  the  "Federal  Company  "  at  "  Salt  Point,"  which 
engaged  in  the  then  stupendous  enterprise  of  manufacturing. 

Major  Danforth  was  born  in  Worcester,  Mass.,  July  6,  L746,  and  at 
the  age  of  fourteen  enrolled  himself  in  the  militia.  At  the  beginning 
of  the  Revolutionary  war  he  entered  the  service  as  captain  of  his  com- 
pany and  participated  in  the  battle  of  Lexington  under  Col.  Danforth 
Keys.  He  was  then  the  owner  of  extensive  iron  works,  which  he  sold, 
taking  his  pay  in  Continental  money,  which  so  depreciated  that  he  found 
himself  destitute.  He  held  a  major's  commission  in  the  regular 
army  during  the  war,  and  afterward  removed  to  Mayfield,  Mont- 
gomery county,  whence  he  came  here.  He  was  a  very  prominent  fig- 
ure in  the  early  history  of  Onondaga,  a  man  whose  influence  permeated 
every  enterprise  and  elevated  the  standards  of  morality,  benevolence, 
and  civilization.  With  true  heroism  he  and  his  faithful  wife  endured 
all  the  sufferings  and  privations  incident  to  pioneer  life,  even  to  an- 
noyance by  Indians.  He  was  a  justice  of  the  peace  from  1791  to  1  799, 
member  of  assembly  in  1800-02,  State  senator  in  1803-06,  and  superin- 
tendent of  the  Onondaga  salt  springs  in  1802-05.  In  State  militia  circles 
106 


842 


ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 


he  ranked  high  and  was  advanced  to  the  rank  of  major-general.      He 
died  at  Onondaga  Hollow  on  September  2,  1818. 

Col.  Comfort  Tyler,  the  associate  of  Major  Danforth,  was  born  in 
Ashford,  Conn.,  February  22,  1764,  and  entered  the  Revolutionary 
army  at  the  age  of  fourteen.  In  1783  he  became  a  surveyor  and  school 
teacher  at  Caughnawaga  on    the    Mohawk    River,   accompanied  Gen. 

James  Clinton  while  es- 
tablishing the  boundary 
line  between  New  York 
and  Pennsylvania,  and 
later  joined  the  famous 
"  Lessee  Company. "  In 
May,  1788,  he  came'  to 
the  Onondaga  country  in 
company  with  Asa  Dan- 
forth, jr.,  the  two  join- 
ing Major  Danforth  at 
Webster's  trading  post. 
Colonel  Tyler  felled  the 
first  tree  in  this  section, 
assisted  in  manufac- 
turing the  first  salt,  and 
constructed  the  first 
piece  of  turnpike  in  the 
State  west  of  Fort  Stan- 
wix  (Rome).  Being  a 
favorite  with  the  Indi- 
ans they  named  him 
To-whau-ta-qua,  mean- 
ing one  capable  of  work 
and  at  the  same  time  a 
gentleman.  He  assisted  in  surveying  the  Military  Tract  and  sur- 
veyed the  Cayuga  Reservation,  and  bore  a  conspicuous  part  in  all 
the  early  improvements  of  the  county.  He  was  active  in  opening 
roads,  improving  streams,  and  establishing  schools  and  churches, 
and  being  a  man  of  sterling  worth  was  early  selected  for  important 
offices  of  trust.  In  1794  he  was  appointed  a  justice  of  the  peace  for 
Manlius  and  one  of  the  coroners  of  the  county,  and  in  1797  received 
the  appointment  of  sheriff.     From  1799  till  1802  he  held  the  office  of 


Comfort  Tyler. 


THE  TOWN  OF  ONONDAGA.  843 

county  clerk,  and  for  two  years  prior  to  this  served  in  the  State  Legis- 
lature. He  was  also  the  first  supervisor  of  the  town  of  Manlius.  His 
connection  with  the  so-called  conspiracy  of  Aaron  Burr  not  only  im- 
paired his  private  fortune,  but  forever  destroyed  his  prospects  as  a 
public  man.  His  great  influence,  however,  made  a  lasting  impression 
upon  the  early  life  of  Onondaga  and  entitles  him  to  a  foremost  place  as 
a  worthy,  active,  and  enterprising  pioneer.  His  brother  Job  came  here 
at  an  early  day  and  died  March  10,  1836,  aged  sixty-nine,  leaving  two 
sons,  Orin  and  Asher.  In  1811  Colonel  Tyler  moved  with  his  family  to 
Montezuma,  where  he  became  deeply  interested  in  the  Cayuga  Manu- 
facturing Company,  which  had  been  organized  for  the  purpose  of  mak- 
ing salt.  He  served  as  assistant  commissary-general  with  the  rank  of 
colonel,  during  the  war  of  1812-15,  and  afterwards  took  a  deep  interest 
in  promoting  and  constructing  the  Erie  Canal.  He  died  in  Montezuma 
on  August  5,  1827.  His  first  wife  was  Deborah  Wemple,  half-sister 
of  General  Herkimer.  She  died  soon  after  their  marriage,  leaving  one 
daughter,  Deborah,  who  became  the  wife  of  Cornelius  Longstreet,  and 
the  mother  of  the  late  Cornelius  Tyler  Longstreet,  of  Syracuse.  Colonel 
Tyler  married,  second,  Betsey  Brown. 

Closely  following  the  Danforths  and  Colonel  Tyler  came  John  Brown 
and  his  family,  Abijah  Earll,  Levi  Hiscock,  and  Roderick  Adams,  all 
as  early  as  1789.  Among  other  very  early  settlers  were  Job  Tyler, 
Nicholas  Mickles,  Peter  Ten  Broeck,  Joseph  Forman,  John  Adams, 
Peter  Young,  General  Lewis,  George  Kibbe,  William  H.  Sabine,  Dr. 
William  Needham,  Dr.  Gordon  Needham,  Aaron  Bellows,  Joseph  Swan, 
and  George  Hall,  all  of  whom  located  at  the  Hollow.  Nicholas  Mickles 
was  a  noteworthy  character  in  the  pioneer  history  of  Onondaga,  and 
was  especially  distinguished  for  his  public  spirit  and  benevolence.  He 
established  the  famous  Onondaga  furnace,  one  of  the  earliest  enter- 
prises of  the  kind  in  this  region ;  and  conducted  it  until  his  death  in 
August,  1827.  It  stood  on  land  now  embraced  in  Elmwood  Park. 
During  the  war  of  1812  Mickles  was  employed  to  cast  shot  and  shell 
for  the  army  and  navy,  and  on  one  occasion  an  order  from  the  Secre- 
tary of  War  demanded  that  a  vessel  be  dispatched  from  Oswego  to  the 
furnace  to  carry  away  a  large  quantity  of  this  necessary  ammunition. 
The  reader  will  readily  see  the  laughable  mistake  the  secretary  com- 
mitted. 

Many  of  the  settlers  previously  mentioned  came  into  the  town  before 
the  treaty  of  1793  had  transferred  the  land  from  Indian  to  State  own- 


844  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

ership.  They  held  their  improvements  by  sufferance  of  the  Onondagas. 
In  1796  John  Cantine,  assisted  by  Gideon  Seeley,  surveyed  the  terri- 
tory and  thenceforward  titles  to  the  soil  were  obtained.  In  the  fall  of 
the  same  year  Gideon  Seeley  and  Comfort  Tyler  went  to  Albany  and 
bid  off  at  auction  twenty-one  lots  of  250  acres  each  at  $2  per  acre. 
Seeley  also  opened  a  road  to  the  south  line  of  the  town  and  built  a 
bridge  across  the  west  branch  of  Onondaga  Creek.  On  this  stream 
Turner  Fenner  built  the  first  saw  mill  in  what  is  now  Onondaga  in 
1793,  and  in  the  next  year  Major  Danforth  erected  a  saw  and  grist  mill 
on  the  subsequent  Kirk  farm.  Dr.  William  Needham  settled  at  the 
Hollow  in  1793,  becoming  one  of  the  earliest  physicians  in  the  count)-; 
his  brother,  Dr.  Gordon  Needham,  located  there  in  1795  and  opened 
the  first  school  in  town  in  1796.  They  constructed  what  is  now  the 
dyke  and  the  creek,  and  Dr.  William  also  kept  a  store  where  Leonard 
Church  recently  took  up  his  residence.  In  1794  the  first  post-office  in 
the  county  was  established  at  Onondaga  Hollow  with  Comfort  Tyler  as 
postmaster,  and  so  late  as  1812  mail  was  distributed  from  there  to  resi- 
dents of  Pompey,  Manlius,  Lysander,  Camillus,  Marcellus,  Spafford, 
and  Otisco.  Colonel  Tyler  was  succeeded  by  George  Kibbe  in  1801, 
George  Hall  in  1802,  and  Jasper  Hopper  in  1803.  Mr.  Kibbe  opened 
the  first  store  here  in  1800;  it  was  just  below  the  site  of  the  old  arsenal. 
Originally  settlers  found  their  way  into  this  town  by  means  of  the 
Onondaga  Creek,  or  over  the  old  Indian  trails,  which  ran  through  the 
valley  as  well  as  east  and  west.  The  first  roads  were  attempted  as 
early  as  1791,  when  the  first  General  Wadsworth  and  a  party  of  immi- 
grants opened  in  a  crude  manner  what  became  the  old  State  Road.  It 
ran  through  Manlius  village,  entered  the  Onondaga  valley  at  Danforth's, 
and  thence  passed  westward  up  the  hill  south  of  St.  Agnes  cemetery. 
In  1797  the  State  took  the  road  from  Fort  Schuyler  to  Geneva  under  its 
patronage,  and  on  September  30  of  that  year  it  was  so  far  improved 
that  a  stage  leaving  Fort  Schuyler  arrived  in  Geneva  on  the  afternoon 
of  the  third  day  with  four  passengers.  Three  lotteries  were  authorized 
to  raise  $45,000  for  the  improvement  of  this  thoroughfare,  of  which 
,xl  3,000  should  be  expended  between  the  two  points  named.  In  various 
acts  this  is  designated  "the  Great  Genesee  Road,"  and  in  1800  the 
Seneca  Road  Company  was  chartered  for  the  purpose  of  maintaining 
it.  At  this  time  Comfort  Tyler  kept  the  tavern  at  the  Hollow;  it  stood 
on  the  site  of  the  present  hotel  on  the  east  side  of  the  valley.  The 
load  was  tolled    for  many  years  and  in  early  days  presented  a  scene  of 


THE  TOWN  OF  ONONDAO  A.  845 

of  great  activity.  It  was  long-  the  chief  thoroughfare  between  Albany 
and  Buffalo,  and  over  it  passed  innumerable  stages,  teams,  and  passen- 
gers. Several  teams  would  often  congregate  at  the  fool  of  (  Inondaga 
hill  waiting  for  assistance  up  that  incline  by  a  team  kept  there  for  that 
purpose.  The  road  imparted  a  powerful  influence  to  the  growth  of 
this  town  and  its  settled  communities,  and  in  fact  inaugurated  and 
maintained  that  period  of  prosperity  which  promised  such  brilliant 
achievements.  On  May  19,  1798,  James  Geddes,  Nehemiah  Kuril,  and 
Elisha  Alvord,  as  commissioners,  began  the  survey  of  a  road  from  the 
salt  springs  along  the  east  bank  of  the  creek  to  the  reservation,  follow- 
ing an  Indian  trail.  Soon  afterward  the  old  "cinder  road,"  conforming 
to  what  is  now  West  Onondaga  street  and  Onondaga  avenue  in  Syra- 
cuse and  running  up  the  west  side  of  the  stream,  was  opened  ;  this  sub- 
sequently became  a  part  of  the  Chenango  and  Salina  Turnpike,  which 
was  incorporated  in  1807. 

On  the  organization  of  the  county  in  March,  1794,  the  town  of  Onon- 
daga, as  defined  by  an  act  passed  four  years  later,  formed  parts  of  the 
civil  towns  of  Marcellus,  Pompey  and  Manlius,  as  then  constituted. 
The  subsequent  changes  in  its  territorial  construction  have  already  been 
noticed.  In  that  year  Thaddeus  M.  Wood  opened  at  the  Hollow  the 
first  law  office  in  Onondaga  county.  He  arrived  in  time  to  become  as- 
sociated with  Asa  Danforth,  Comfort  Tyler,  William  Laird,  Medad 
Curtis,  Parley  Howlett,  Judge  Stevens,  John  Ellis  and  others  in  select- 
ing a  suitable  location  for  the  county  seat.  The  Hollow  had  already 
attained  the  respectable  proportions  of  a  thriving  village,  but  it  was 
avoided  for  this  ambitious  project  on  account  of  the  supposed  greater 
healthfulness  of  Onondaga  Hill,  which  duly  received  the  coveted  prize. 
This  company  of  men  made  purchases  on  the  Hill  and  employed  [udge 
James  Geddes  to  lay  out  the  proposed  village  into  lots  and  streets,  with 
a  suitable  site  reserved  for  a  court  house  and  jail.  As  early  as  L795 
William  Laird  became  the  first  settler  there,  on  lot  1  14,  and  also  kept 
a  tavern  in  his  log  house.  He  committed  suicide  by  hanging  in  (  >cto- 
ber,  1802.  Jabez  Webb  and  Nehemiah  Earll  located  on  the  Hill  in 
179G,  and  later  Mr.  Earll  built  the  large  dwelling  subsequently  occu- 
pied by  William  P.  Walker,  a  lawyer,  and  more  recently  by  ( >scar  Brit- 
ton;  he  was  the  first  purchaser  of  lot  118,  and  in  1800  became  the  first 
postmaster.  His  brother,  Jones,  was  a  merchant  in  the  old  stone  store 
there,  and  served  as  county  sheriff,  canal  commissioner  and  State  sen- 
ator.     Both  were  very  prominent  in  the  early  life  of  the  town,  and  the 


846  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

family  is  also  intimately  identified  with  the  history  of  Skaneateles. 
Jabez  Webb  was  killed  by  a  falling  tree  in  1806. 

The  act  creating  this  town  authorized  the  first  town  meeting  to  be 
held  at  the  house  of  Dr.  Allen  Beach,  but  for  some  unaccountable  rea- 
son it  convened  at  the  dwelling  of  Major  Danforth,  who  presided,  in 
April,  1798.     The  first  officers  elected  were: 

Ephraim  Webster,  supervisor;  Jabez  Webb,  town  clerk;  Samuel  Searing,  Daniel 
Earll  and  Seir  Curtis,  assessors ;  Elisha  Alvord,  Nehemiah  Earll  and  Elijah  Law- 
rence, commissioners  of  roads;  William  Gilleheis  and  Phineas  Tyler,  overseers  of  the 
poor;  Cornelius  Schouten,  collector;  Abijah  Earll  and  Cornelius  Schouten,  con- 
stables; William  Tyler  and  Josiah  Allen,  fence  viewers;  Joseph  Hard,  poundmaster ; 
James  Geddes,  Leonard  Bacon  and  Seir  Curtis,  school  committee  (evidently  meant 
to  be  commissioners  of  schools).  At  this  meeting  the  territory  of  the  town  was 
divided  into  six  road  districts  and  overseers  selected  from  each,  viz. :  First,  William 
Gilleheis;  second,  Levi  Hiscock;  third,  Allen  Beach;  fourth,  Grove  Church;  fifth, 
Josiah  Allen ;  sixth,  Gideon  Sellers. 

The  only  public  measure  acted  on  at  this  time  related  to  swine,  and 
it  was  voted,  "in  open  meeting,"  that  all  swine  be  sufficientl)7  yoked 
and  allowed  to  run  on  the  common.  As  early  as  1803  a  bounty  of  $5, 
in  addition  to  the  county  bounty,  was  offered  for  every  wolf  killed.  In 
1807  fifty  cents  was  offered  for  each  fox  and  $10  for  every  panther 
slain,  while  in  1809  dogs  were  taxed  $1.  On  April  29  of  the  latter  year 
a  special  town  meeting  voted  that  every  owner  of  land  "cut  to  the  cen- 
ter of  the  road  the  weeds  commonly  called  'tory'  under  a  penalty  of 
$5."  Venomous  reptiles,  especially  rattlesnakes,  were  also  a  source 
of  much  annoyance. 

The  supervisors  of  Onondaga  have  been  as  follows : 

Ephraim  Webster,  1798;  James  Geddes,  1799;  Seir  Curtis,  1800-04;  Reuben  Hum- 
phrey, 1805;  Jabez  Webb,  1806;  George  W.  Olmsted,  1807-09;  Reuben  Humphrey. 
1810;  George  Hall,  1811-12;  James  Webb,  1813-14;  Medad  Curtis,  1815-16;  George 
Hall,  1817-18;  Hezekiah  Strong,  1819-24;  George  Hall,  1825;  Hezekiah  Strong,  1826- 
27;  Samuel  Forman,  1828;  Orrin  Hutchinson,  1829-30;  Rufus  Cossit,  1831;  Timothy 
Baker,  1832-34;  Hiram  King,  1835;  Albion  Jackson,  1836-37;  Rufus  Cossit,  1838-39; 
Abner  Chapman,  1840;  Benjamin  S.  Avery,  1841;  James  Longstreet,  1842;  Seth 
Hutchinson,  1843;  Orrin  Boggs,  1844;  Rufus  Cossit,  1845;  James  Longstreet,  1846; 
Ariel  L.  Taylor,  1847;  David  Lyon,  1848;  Rufus  Cossit,  1849 ;  James  Betts,  1850; 
Cicero  Baker,  1851 ;  Seth  Hutchinson,  1852-53;  Anson  W.  Evans,  1854;  Jesse  Sal- 
mon, 1855;  Abner  Chapman,  1856;  John  J.  Hopper,  1857;  Matthias  Britton,  1858; 
Horace  Hitchins,  1859;  Rufus  Cossit,  1860;  John  J.  Hopper,  1861 ;  Jared  W.  Parsons, 
L862;  John  F.  Clark,  1863;  George  Raynor,  1864-65;  Erastus  B.  Phillips,  1866;  Jared 
W  Parsons,  1867;  John  M.  Strong,  1868-69;  Davis  Cossitt,  1870-72;  Harvey  P.  Tol- 
man,  1*73;  Matthias  Britton,  1874;  Pulaski  Fellows,  1875;  George W.  Spaulding,  1876; 
Joshua   K.    Comstock,    1877 ;  James  C.  Rann,  1878-80;  Frank  N.  Dickinson,  1881-83; 


JONATHAN  WYCKOFF. 


THE  TOWN  OF  ONONDAGA.  847 

Jonathan  Wyckoff,  1884-85 ;  James  Hunter,  1886;  John  Q.    Fellows,    L887  90;   Elmer 
J.  Clark,  1891-92;  William  H.  Turner,  1893-95. 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  Onondaga  Hill  was  the  authorized 
capital  of  the  county,  and  that  a  site  had  been  reserved  there  for  the 
court  house  and  jail,  the  first  movement  inaugurated  for  the  purpose 
of  securing  these  last  named  buildings  was  not  made  until  1801,  when, 
on  April  7,  the  Board  of  Supervisors  was  empowered  by  the  Legisla- 
ture to  raise  $3,000  for  their  erection.  A  fierce  spirit  of  rivalry  had 
already  been  awakened  between  this  village  and  that  in  the  valley, 
where  the  county  records  were  kept,  and  for  some  time  the  inhabitants 
of  the  two  places  urged  their  claims  for  the  county  seat  with  an  earn- 
estness that  would  appear  almost  amusing  did  we  not  realize  that  it 
was  then  a  very  serious  matter.  Each  settlement  goodnaturedly  deter- 
mined to  secure  the  structures  and  their  attendant  advantages,  but 
that  on  the  Hill  finally  triumphed  over  its  neighbor  below  and  acquired 
the  distinction  of  becoming  the  scene  of  the  first  regular  seat  of  justice 
in  the  county.  The  act  of  1794,  creating  the  county  of  Onondaga, 
made  provision  for  holding  courts  alternately  at  the  house  of  Reuben 
Patterson  in  Manlius  (now  in  this  town)  and  the  house  of  Seth  Phelps 
in  vScipio.  Accordingly  the  first  Court  of  Common  Pleas  and  General 
Sessions  of  the  Peace  was  held  in  what  is  now  Onondaga — not  at  the 
dwelling  of  Reuben  Patterson,  btit  in  the  corn  house  of  Asa  Danforth, 
in  May,  1794.  From  then  until  1803  courts  were  held  at  the  houses  of 
Major  Danforth,  Samuel  Tyler,  John  Adams  and  Reuben  Patterson, 
the  latter  being  an  innkeeper  at  the  Hollow.  In  1801  Elisha  Lewis, 
Medad  Curtis  and  Thaddeus  M.  Wood,  as  commissioners,  determined 
upon  a  site  in  the  village  of  Onondaga  Hill  for  the  county  buildings 
and  let  the  contract  to  William  Bostwick  of  Auburn,  who  finished  his 
work  in  1802.  The  structure  stood  on  lot  104,  cost  $10, Odd,  and  was 
entirely  completed  in  1810.  The  first  jailor  was  James  Beebe,  a  Revo- 
lutionary soldier,  who  was  succeeded  by  Mason  Butts.  The  building, 
containing  both  court  room  and  jail,  was  used  for  its  original  purposes 
until  1829,  and  after  being  gradually  denuded  of  boards,  windows,  etc., 
was  finally  torn  down.  Meantime  the  county  clerk  kept  the  records 
pertaining  to  his  office  at  the  Hollow,  but  in  L813  the  supervisors,  by 
authority  of  the  Legislature,  caused  the  erection  on  the  Hill  of  a  fire- 
proof clerk's  office  at  a  cost  of  $1,000.  This  structure  was  built  of 
stone,  and  after  the  county  records  were  taken  to  Syracuse  it  was  torn 
down,  the  material    being  used  in   erecting  the  present   stone   school 


848  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

house,  which  stands  just  north  of  the  old  office.  The  court  house  stood 
still  farther  north,  very  near  to  or  partly  in  the  road  leading  northward 
from  the  main  street.  This  road  was  opened  after  the  public  offices 
were  moved  to  the  city. 

The  village  of  Onondaga  Hollow  seemed  to  lose  very  little  if  any  of 
its  thrift  and  prosperity.  It  continued  for  a  time  to  increase  in  size, 
influence,  and  enterprise,  and  had  the  proud  distinction  of  claiming 
many  prominent  citizens  of  the  town  and  county  as  residents.  Thad- 
deus  M.  Wood,  the  pioneer  lawyer  in  all  this  region,  located  and  opened 
an  office  there  in  1794.  He  was  born  in  Lenox,  Mass.,  March  9,  1772, 
was  graduated  from  Dartmouth  College  in  1790,  became  a  lieutenant- 
colonel  in  1809,  and  served  with  honor  during  the  war  of  1812.  He 
was  made  brigadier-general  in  1818  and  a  major-general  in  1820,  owned 
great  tracts  of  land  in  the  county,  and  died  at  the  Hollow  on  January 
10.  1836.  He  made  the  address  of  welcome  to  La  Fayette  at  the  Hill 
in  June,  1825.  General  Wood,  in  1800,  married  Patty  Danforth, 
daughter  of  Major  Danforth,  and  the  first  white  child  to  settle  in  On- 
ondaga county.  wShe  died  in  1854,  aged  seventy-four  years.  They  had 
four  sons  and  four  daughters,  of  whom  Maria  married  Charles  A. 
Baker,  whose  youngest  child,  Miss  Cornelia  A.  Baker,  resides  in 
Syracuse. 

Joshua  Forman,  the  subsequent  founder  of  the  city  of  Syracuse, 
came  to  Onondaga  Valley  (as  the  Hollow  was  afterwards  called)  in  the 
spring  of  1800,  and  for  twenty-five  years  was  one  of  the  foremost  men 
in  the  locality.  He  was  born  in  Pleasant  Valley,  N.  Y. ,  September  (J, 
L777,  was  educated  at  Union  College,  and  having  been  admitted  to  the 
bar  opened  a  law  office  here  immediately  after  his  arrival.  In  1803  he 
induced  his  father,  Joseph  Forman,  and  wife,  and  their  sons  Samuel, 
John.  Ward,  and  Owen,  to  come  here  and  settle.  Joseph  Forman  pur- 
chased loo  acres  of  land  on  the  west  side  of  the  creek  and  south  of 
Card's  Hotel,  where  he  built  a  mill  that  was  burned  in  1888,  and  where 
lie  died  January  15,  1824,  aged  seventy-two.  Joshua  Forman  located 
in  what  was  then  the  larger  settlement  on  the  east  side,  and  having 
seen  his  father  settled  proceeded  to  build  up  the  intervening  space. 
He  erected  a  tavern  and  the  later  Searl  house  and  also  the  dwelling 
afterward  owned  by  his  law  partner,  William  H.  Sabine,  who  came 
lure  about  I  sol.  Judge  Forman  also  owned  a  large  tract  of  land  be- 
tween the  \  alley  and  Salina.  He  was  very  active  in  the  organization 
and  supporl    oi   churches  and  the  academy,   and  influenced  every  im- 


THE  TOWN  OF  ONONDAGA.  849 

portant  enterprise  for  miles  around.  In  1807  he  leased  from  the  sur- 
veyor-general a  water  privilege  at  Oswego  Falls  and  built  the  first 
grist  mill  between  Salina  and  ( >swego.  In  1S0S  he  founded  the 
plaster  company  which  developed  the  plaster  beds  of  Camillns.  In 
1813  he  was  made  first  judge  of  the  Onondaga  Common  Pleas  and 
filled  that  office  for  ten  years.  In  the  same  year  he  constructed  a 
dyke  at  the  valley,  excavated  for  the  pond,  and  erected  an  excellent 
grist  mill  there.  In  1819  Judge  Forman  removed  to  Syracuse  and 
later  to  New  Jersey,  whence  he  went  in  182!)  to  North  Carolina, 
where  he  died  August  4,  J  848.  His  many  other  public  acts  and 
enterprises  are  noticed  elsewhere  in  this  work.  Owen  Forman  be- 
came a  surveyor  and  accompanied  the  judge  to  his  Southern  home. 
On  the  land  which  John  Forman  purchased,  on  the  west  bank  of  the 
creek,  was  a  tannery  that  had  been  established  by  John  Adams,  a 
prominent  figure  in  the  early  history  of  the  Valley.  Mr.  Forman  was 
a  successful  tanner  and  produced  leather  that  gained  a  wide  reputation. 
He  long  kept  the  tavern  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  which  was  presided 
over  by  his  wife  and  four  daughters,  one  of  whom  became  the  wife  of 
Lyman  C.  Dorwin's  father,  who  died  July  L7,  L825,  aged  sixty-nine, 
and  whose  son  Richard  died  April  19,  1871,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
eight.  John  Forman  died  September  17,  1852,  aged  sixty-six.  One  of 
his  daughters  married  William  Forman,  son  of  Samuel.  Samuel  For- 
man, a  lawyer,  built  the  brick  house  more  recently  owned  by  William 
Hamilton,  and  died  September  7,  1852,  aged  sixty-four  years.  Ward 
Forman  was  also  a  lawyer  and  lived  on  the  Marlettc  place,  but  finally 
moved  to  Seneca  Falls  and  died  there. 

The  designation  of  Onondaga  as  the  shire  town  of  the  county 
brought  to  the  two  villages  a  number  of  lawyers  whose  influence  was 
felt  throughout  the  entire  region.  They  were  men  of  character  and 
worth,  of  the  strictest  integrity,  and  in  the  court  house,  the  office,  or 
the  tavern,  the  lights  of  the  profession  burned  brightly.  Among  the 
other  noteworthy  practitioners  were  George  Hall,  who  settled  at  the 
Valley  in  1802  and  for  more  than  twenty  years  was  a  partner  of  Thad- 
deus  M.  Wood;  William  H.  Sabine,  who  died  September  4,  1863,  leav- 
ing three  sons,  Joseph,  William,  and  Joshua  R.  ;  Medad  Curtis,  who 
first  located  at  the  Valley,  but  moved  to  the  Hill  in  L803,  became  sur- 
rogate in  1810,  and  held  various  town  offices;  Jasper  Hopper,  noticed 
a  little  later  on;  Daniel  Moseley,  a  student  of  Forman  &  Sabine,  who 
came  to  the  Hill  in  1818,  lived  where  John  O.  Fellows  resides,  became 
107 


850  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

judge  of  the  Supreme  Court,  and  died  October  3,  1851,  leaving  sons 
Charles  and  William  T.,  the  latter  an  early  merchant  there;  B.  Davis 
Noxon,  who  settled  at  the  Hill  about  1812,  moved  with  the  county 
buildings  to  Syracuse  in  1829,  and  died  May  13,  1869,  being  the  father 
of  five  sons,  of  whom  James  was  elevated  to  the  Supreme  Court  bench ; 
and  Rufus.  Cossit,  who  came  to  the  town  in  1818  and  soon  located  on 
the  farm  now  occupied  by  Maj.  Davis  Cossitt.  Mr.  Cossit  was  a  brother- 
in-law  of  B.  Davis  Noxon  and  died  at  the  Hill  on  August  27, 1878.  Jasper 
Hopper  of  Holland  Dutch  descent,  was  born  in  New  York  city  on  June 
10,  1770,  and  served  as  deputy  secretary  of  state  from  1791  to  1802, 
when  he  was  appointed  clerk  of  Onondaga  county,  an  office  he  filled, 
except  one  year,  until  1818.  He  was  military  storekeeper  at  the  arsenal 
during  and  after  the  war  of  1812,  one  of  the  founders  and  an  original 
and  lifelong  trustee  of  the  old  academy,  and  served  as  postmaster  at 
Onondaga  Hollow  for  nineteen  years,  dying  there  June  30,  1848.  He 
was  a  man  of  rare  moral  worth  and  ability  and  an  influential  citizen  in 
early  Onondaga. 

The  two  villages,  meanwhile,  were  not  without  other  interests  than 
those  mentioned  in  the  foregoing  pages.  George  Kibbe  became  the 
first  regular  merchant  at  the  Hollow  in  1800,  while  James  Rowland 
had  one  of  the  first  blacksmith  shops.  Morehouse  Hickok  was  also  an 
early  cabinet-maker  and  a  merchant,  his  store  being  west  of  the  west 
road.  Two  of  his  daughters  married,  respectively,  the  late  Earl 
Alvord  and  the  father  of  Henry  E.  Warne,  of  Syracuse.  Reuben 
Patterson,  a  very  early  settler,  kept  what  was  called  "The  Owl's 
Head  "  tavern  on  the  west  side.  He  originally  located  on  the  place  of 
Asa  Danforth,  whose  daughter  he  married,  and  had  two  sons,  Sier  and 
Alvord.  Roger  Ten  Broeck  was  another  early  merchant  where  the 
Edward  Fuller  house  now  stands.  Two  very  early  physicians  were 
Drs.  Daniel  Huntington  and  Joseph  W.  Brewster,  who  died,  the 
former  July  17,  1839,  and  the  latter  September  0,  1849.  In  1803  the 
village  contained  only  eight  frame  houses  and  a  log  school  house 
situated  near  the  academy  site.  A  frame  school  house  was  built  there 
about  1805  and  is  still  standing,  being  utilized  now  as  a  town  hall.  On 
January  21  of  that  year  Onondaga  Lodge  No.  98,  F.  &  A.  M.,  was 
chartered  with  Jasper  Hopper,  W.  M. ;  Walter  Colton,  S.  W. ;  and 
George  W.  Olmstead,  J.  W.  This  lodge  ceased  work  during  the  Mor- 
gan excitement  of  1826. 

In  1802  Joseph  Wadsworth  bought  about  200  acres  of   land  between 


RUFUS  COSSITT 


THE  TOWN  OF  ONONDAGA.  851 

Onondaga  Hill  and  the  present  poorhouse.  His  son  Ambrose  was  a 
cooper,  while  Ambrose  S.,  a  son  of  the  latter,  became  a  carpenter  and 
builder,  and  assisted  in  the  erection  of  a  large  number  of  buildings  in 
the  village. 

Oliver  R.  Strong  came  to  the  Hill  in  1802,  and  in  November  of  that 
year  opened  the  first  school  in  a  log  structure  which  stood  near  the  old 
court  house  site.  The  school  was  continued  there  during  three  winter 
terms.  He  became  county  judge,  deputy  sheriff,  etc.,  and  died  in 
Syracuse,  October  3,  1873.  He  lived  opposite  the  old  hotel,  recently 
burned,  on  the  place  latterly  occupied  by  Charles  Bryant.  His  brother, 
Hezekiah  Strong,  kept  a  store  for  several  years  in  a  building  afterward 
used  as  a  horse  barn,  directly  opposite  the  tavern  site.  This  store  was 
afterward  conducted  by  Charles  Potter,  and  still  later  by  Edward 
Strong,  a  son  of  Hezekiah.  He  was  father  of  Col.  John  M.  Strong, 
now  living  in  Syracuse. 

On  November  26,  1803,  St.  John's  church  was  organized  at  the  Hill  by 
Rev.  Davenport,  the  pioneer  missionary  of  Central  and  Western  New 
York.  It  was  the  first  Episcopal  parish  formed  in  the  county.  Serv- 
ices were  continued  until  1840,  and  it  was  here  that  Abram  La  Fort 
was  married  in  1828.  On  January  3,  1816,  St.  John's  was  succeeded 
by  Zion's  church.  Several  years  ago  the  building  was  removed,  the 
bell  going  to  Syracuse  and  the  organ  to  Christ  church,  Jordan.  Rev. 
Mr.  Geer,  better  known  as  Father  Geer,  was  long  a  rector  here,  and 
often  preached  to  the  Indians. 

The  old  hotel  was  built  and  kept  for  a  time  by  Josiah  Bronson,  sr. , 
father  of  Josiah,  jr.,  and  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Dr.  Tefft.  Other  land- 
lords were  a  Mr.  Ingalls,  Mr.  Giddings,  Zebulon  Rust,  George  Rust, 
Philo  N.  Rust  (afterwards  a  noted  landlord  in  Syracuse),  Allen  Taylor, 
Jonathan  Stanley,  jr.,  Augustus  Norton,  Charles  Potter,  Jonathan 
Langworthy  and  John  W.  Stackhouse.  It  was  on  the  piazza  of  this 
well  known  hostelry  that  General  La  Fayette  stood  in  June,  1825,  to 
listen  to  the  address  of  welcome  from  Thaddeus  M.  Wood,  before  going 
to  the  city  to  meet  a  similar  welcome.  The  building  was  burned  in 
1884,  under  the  ownership  of  Major  Davis  Cossitt. 

Zebulon  Rust  was  the  first  butcher  in  the  village,  and  was  the  father 
of  George,  Philo  N.  and  Charles,  the  latter  being  a  cabinet  maker,  hav- 
ing his  shop  on  the  site  of  the  George  Curtis  house,  which  he  built. 

Captain  James  Beebe,  who  was  drowned  September  12,  1812,  aged 
sixty  years,  kept  a  tavern  near   the  court  house;  subsequently  Judge 


852  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Jonathan  Stanley  and  Major  William  A.  Cook  were  its  landlords,  and 
more  recently  John  Wright  occupied  it  as  a  dwelling.  Daniel  Case  had 
another  hotel,  and  later  had  a  wagon  shop,  and  died  October  20,  1840. 
Still  another  public  house  was  kept  by  a  Mr.  Cheney,  who  was  a  hatter 
by  trade. 

The  location  of  the  court  house  at  the  Hill  gave  a  great  impetus  to 
settlement  and  business  operations.  Lawyers,  doctors,  merchants  and 
others  came  in  rapidly,  until,  at  one  time,  it  is  said,  the  place  contained 
seven  public  houses,  eight  stores  and  numerous  shops,  etc.  About  1810 
the  village  consisted  of  about  forty  houses,  stores  and  other  buildings, 
while  the  Hollow  comprised  some  sixty-five  such  structures,  "an  ele- 
gant meetinghouse,"  an  "air furnace"  and  350  inhabitants,  principally 
mechanics.  At  this  time  the  whole  town  contained  3,745  population, 
including  seventeen  slaves  and  201  electors. 

Education  and  religion  were  two  elements  of  civilization  to  which 
the  early  settlers  of  Onondaga  gave  practical  and  earnest  attention. 
From  documents  it  is  learned  that  four  societies  were  organized  in  the 
county  and  perhaps  in  this  town  during  the  first  decade  of  this 
century,  as  follows:  Onondaga  Religious  Society,  April  19,  1802;  On- 
ondaga Religious  Society,  June  4,  1804;  Onondaga  Religious  Society, 
August  5,  1805,  and  Onondaga  Hollow  Religious  Society,  November  8, 
1809.     Of  the  first  three  little  or  nothing  is  known. 

The  First  Presbyterian  church  was  organized  at  the  Hill  prior  to 
1806  by  Joshua  Forman,  Jasper  Hopper,  John  Ellis,  Jonas  C.  Baldwin, 
Oliver  R.  Strong,  Jonah  Ellis  and  John  Adams,  who  met  in  the  log 
tavern  kept  by  Daniel  Earll.  Their  first  pastors  were  Revs.  Higgins 
and  Healy.  Rev.  Dirck  C.  Lansing  was  called  and  settled  in  180G,  and 
Rev.  Jabez  Chadwick  in  1811.  In  1819  an  edifice  was  erected  and  is 
still  standing.  The  inception  of  this  church  is  believed  to  have  been 
due  to  the  missionary  labors  of  Rev.  Samuel  Kirkland,  who,  it  is  also 
believed,  was  the  first  minister  to  preach  the  gospel  in  this  county.  The 
Onondaga  Hollow  Religious  Society  (Presbyterian)  had  for  its  first 
trustees  John  Adams,  Aaron  Bellows,  Nicholas  Mickles,  Joshua  For- 
man and  Thaddeus  M.  Wood.  At  the  organization  George  Hall  and 
Joseph  Swan  presided;  the  latter  was  chosen  secretary,  and  held  that 
office  until  as  late  as  1850.  Henry  Bogardus  and  Mr.  Bellows  were  the 
first  deacons,  and  among  other  original  members  were  Judson  Webb, 
Charlotte  Hopper,  Sally  Mickles,  Hannah  Danforth,  Sally  Sabine, 
Agnes  Conklin,  William  C.  Gazley,  Joseph  W.  Brewster,  Richard  Lord, 


THE  TOWN  OF  ONONDAGA.  853 

Deborah  Long-street,  Sarah  Leavenworth,  Polly  Ray  nor,  Julia  Patti- 
son,  John  Ainsley  and  William  II.  Sabine.  In  February,  L810,  Rev. 
Dirck  C.  Lansing  was  installed  their  first  pastor,  and  remained  in 
charge  until  May,  isii.  Subsequent  early  pastors  were  Revs.  Eben- 
ezer  J.  Leavenworth,  Samuel  T.  Mills,  James  H.  Mills,  Washington 
Thatcher,  Elijah  Buck,  Moses  [ngalls,  Abel  Cutler,  Mr.  Howell,  George 
H.  Hulin  and  William  C.  Collins.  The  church  edifice  was  built  in 
1810,  and  has  been  in  constant  use  ever  since.  The  site  was  donated 
by  William  H.  Sabine,  as  was  also  the  academy  lot  in  the  rear. 

In  the  preceding  narrative  mention  is  made  of  many  early  settlers  to 
whose  energy  and  perseverance  the  development  of  this  region  is  largely 
due,  but  so  far  attention  has  been  confined  almost  wholly  to  the  village 
on  the  hill  and  that  in  the  valley.  While  these  centers  of  activity  were 
coming-  into  existence  other  portions  of  the  town  were  filling  up  with 
an  equally  energetic  class  of  citizens,  many  of  whom  or  whose  children 
became  prominent  in  local  and  county  affairs.  The  pioneers  of  <  Onon- 
daga found  themselves  in  a  heavy  and  almost  unbroken  forest,  consist- 
ing of  maple,  birch,  beech,  hemlock,  pine,  elm,  oak,  hickory,  ash.  etc. 
Here  and  there,  notably  on  the  Lewis  and  Young  (arms,  they  discovered 
Indian  clearings,  while  on  West  Hill  was  an  old  orchard.  These,  to- 
gether with  the  interesting  historical  associations,  the  discovery  of  evi- 
dences of  former  occupation,  the  rare  picturesqueness  of  lofty  hills  and 
graceful  valleys,  and  the  fertile  resources  on  every  hand,  made  the 
locality  particularly  attractive.  But  the  lowlands  were  first  sought  by 
incoming  settlers,  the  higher  elevations  being  left  for  later  arrivals. 
The  first  few  years  were  devoted  to  clearing  off  the  timber,  which  was 
at  first  burned  to  ashes,  from  which  potash  or  blacksahs  was  manu- 
factured, and  later  into  lumber,  and  as  the  forests  receded  agriculture 
gradually  became  the  leading  occupation  of  the  people,  the  sod,  a 
clayey,  sandy,  and  gravelly  loam,  being  peculiarly  adapted  to  the  pur- 
pose. At  one  time,  however,  in  the  early  days  of  salt  manufacture, 
coopering  formed  quite  an  important  interest,  and  many  of  the  earlier 
salt  barrels  were  supplied  from  this  vicinity.  But  the  industries  of  the 
town,  as  will  be  seen  by  these  pages,  were  for  many  years  both  varied 
and  extensive. 

Slavery,  which  at  that  time  was  common  almost  throughout  the  State, 
existed  here  until  about  1830,  though  in  only  isolated  instances.  The 
negro  Jack,  brought  in  and  owned  by  Major  Danforth,  has  been  noticed. 
In  1810  there  were  seventeen  slaves  in  the  town.     In  1  si  .'.John  Ellis  tiled 


854  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

this  declaration:  "  I  am  the  owner  of  a  negro  boy  named  Peter  Baker, 
the  said  boy  being  the  son  of  Cries  Baker  (so  called),  a  female  slave 
also  owned  by  me,  of  which  I  require  registry  to  be  made."  On  April 
11,  1826,  the  overseers  of  the  poor,  Charles  Barber  and  Israel  Kenyon, 
certified  that  application  had  been  duly  made  to  them  "  for  the  pur- 
pose of  manumitting  a  colored  male  slave  named  Thomas,"  formerly 
the  property  of  Jasper  Hopper.  Again,  on  May  22  following,  eman- 
ciapation  was  likewise  granted  to  Anthony,  man  slave  of  William  H. 
Sabine.  As  early  as  1814  Judge  Geddes  declared  on  the  public  records 
that  James  De  Groat  and  William  Sisco,  both  colored,  were  to  be  re- 
garded as  free  men.  In  1816  Judge  Joshua  Forman  certified  William 
Day  to  be  a  free  man. 

In  the  south  part  of  the  town  settlement  began  before  1800,  and  there 
came  such  pioneers  as  Ebenezer  Conklin,  Phineas  Sparks,  Gideon 
vSeeley,  Gilbert  Pinckney,  Turner  Fenner,  and  Amasa  Chapman.  Later 
settlers  were  John  Clark,  Obadiah  Nichols,  John  Carpenter,  Zebulon 
Rust,  Henry  Frost,  Oliver  Cummings,  Joseph  Warner,  Isaac  Parmater, 
and  Daniel  Chafee,  all  before  1805.  In  this  locality  occurred  a  grand 
wolf  hunt  and  "  round  up  "  in  1807,  when  Zebulon  Rust  and  Melancthon 
Danks,  father-in-law  of  Ephraim  Webster,  led  their  respective  parties. 
The  entire  mountain  side  off  toward  Navarino  was  scoured  in  the  search 
for  game,  and  although  one  full  night  and  day  were  occupied  by  the 
hunters  they  captured  just  two  half-starved  wolves.  After  this  the 
local  authorities  increased  the  bounty  from  $5  to  $10,  and  one  specta- 
tor, a  lawyer,  declared  that  if  it  took  twenty-two  sound  and  hearty  men 
a  night  and  a  day  to  capture  two  wolves  the  resources  of  the  town 
would  not  be  seriously  taxed. 

In  various  parts  of  the  town  the  following  may  be  mentioned  as  note- 
worthy settlers : 

In  1797,  Moses  Fowler,  from  Connecticut,  who  died  in  1868.  In  1800,  John  P.  Rob- 
inson, died  in  1870.  In  1801,  J.  Hunt,  from  Connecticut;  Levi  Pitts,  uncle  to  Levi, 
of  Syracuse,  died  January  20,  1856,  aged  ninety-one.  In  1802,  John  Henderson.  In 
1804,  Chester  Fellows,  died  in  1865;  John  F.  Clark,  from  Massachusetts.  In  1805, 
Lewis  Amidon,  died  in  1876;  William  Metcalf  Clarke,  from  Massachusetts;  and 
David  Chafee,  George  Hull,  and  Volney  King.  In  1806,  Elisha  D.  Sabin,  from  Ver- 
mont; Samuel  Kingsley,  from  Massachusetts;  and  Clark  W.  Kenyon.  In  1807, 
David  Hunt,  died  in  1874.  In  1808,  Nathan  C.  Eaton,  Eli  Anderson,  Josiah  T. 
Northway,  and  William  Rose.  In  1810,  George  B.  Cornish,  died  1867.  In  1811,  C. 
C.  Conklin.  In  1812,  J.  De  Witt  Rose,  Augustus  Reed  (died  in  1875).  In  1813,  Will- 
iam Raynor,  Jonathan  Kneeland,  and  Orrin  Green.  In  1814,  George  C.  Hopper, 
Marcus  G.  Clark.     Closely  following  these  came  Nathan  Covell  (died  in  1876),  Enoch 


THE  TOWN  OF  ONONDAGA.  855 

Kenyon,  Russell  L.  Kenyon  (died  in  1877),  Reuben  W.  Lincoln  (died  in  1875),  Augus- 
tus C.  Kenyon,  Joshua  Chafee,  George  Anderson,  Lemuel  G.  Clark  (died  in  1870  . 
Cicero  Baker  (died  in  1870),  and  Chauncey  P.  Cornish. 

Among  other  pioneers  and  early  settlers  were  Arthur  Pattison,  Samuel  Tyler, 
Peter  Young,  Elijah  Lawrence,  Jabez  Webb,  Seir  Curtis,  William  Gilleheis,  Phineas 
Tyler,  Cornelius  Schouten,  Allen  Beach,  Grove  Church,  Josiah  Allen,  Josepb  Hard, 
Leonard  Bacon;  and  Nathaniel  Potter,  who  died  July  12,  1869,  lather  of  Lyman; 
Bensley  Mann,  father  of  Enoch;  Joseph  and  Ezra  Bryant,  two  miles  south  of  <  mon- 
daga  Hill;  Levi  Huntington,  father  of  Lewis,  Andrew,  and  Jeremiah  (father  of 
Edward  and  Asa);  Silas  Carpenter,  father  of  Charles  Carpenter  and  Mrs.  John 
Wright;  Walker  and  Noah  Knapp,  son  of  Eben  K.  ;  William  Partridge,  <>n  the  I  <■ 
Witt  Randall  farm,  father  of  Edwin,  Bidwell.  Theodore,  and  George  B.  ;  James 
Hutchinson,  father  of  Orrin  (father  of  Capt.  Charles),  James,  and  Seth,  died  March 
24,  1826;  Porter  D.  Lawrence,  opposite  Hutchinson;  Kbene/.er  White,  died  April  10, 
1839,  father  of  Royal,  who  died  May  10,  1871,  both  aged  about  seventy-four;  John 
Morse  who  died  in  1816;  John  Raynor,  father  of  William,  Jacob,  and. John;  Giles 
Cornish,  a  justice  of  the  peace  and  long  a  surveyor;  and  Parley  Howlett,  jr.,  father 
of  Alfred  A.  Howlett,  of  Syracuse. 

Parley  Howlett,  sr.,  came  to  Onondaga  Hollow  in  L797,  but  immedi- 
ately settled  in  the  northwest  corner  of  the  town  on  what  has  ever  since- 
been  known  as  Howlett  Hill.  He  died  there  six  years  later.  Parley, 
jr.,  was  born  in  Shaftsbury,  Vt.,  June  1,  1784.  At  one  time  he  owned 
300  acres  of  land  in  this  locality,  his  deed  for  a  part  of  it  being  one  of 
the  first  ever  recorded  in  the  county  clerk's  office.  He  engaged  also  in 
manufacturing  salt  at  Geddes,  having  finally  thirty-two  kettle-blocks, 
and  was  the  first  to  ship  salt  west,  boating  it  down  the  rivers  to  ( >swego, 
thence  by  the  lake,  and  drawing  it  around  Niagara  Falls  by  teams. 
Exchanging  his  salt  for  horses  and  cattle  he  would  kill  the  latter  and 
pack  the  meat  for  eastern  markets.  He  shipped  the  first  beef  and  pork 
in  barrels,  by  the  Erie  Canal,  that  was  sent  east  from  this  county.  lie 
died  May  18,  1861. 

Cornelius  Longstreet  came  from  New  Jersey  to  Onondaga  Hill  about 
1802  and  opened  a  general  store.  He  died  about  1814.  In  1805  he 
married  Deborah,  daughter  of  Comfort  Tyler,  whose  death  occurred 
in  1826.  His  son,  the  late  Cornelius  T.,  was  the  youngest  of  their  five 
children.  Another  son,  James,  who  died  May  -l'l,  is;:;,  had  a  plaster 
mill  where  the  old  Mickles  furnace  stood  and  was  superintendent  of  the 
poor  for  many  years.  He  was  the  father  of  Rev.  Joseph  B.,  Rev. 
Oliver,  and  Cornelius. 

At  least  thirtvseven  soldiers  of  the  Revolutionary  war  were  at  dif- 
ferent times  residents  of  the  town  of  Onondaga,  among  them  being: 

William  Abbe,  John  Balch,  Jesse  Bannister,  Richard   Catou,  Kbene/.er  Covil,  Sol- 


856  *  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

onion  Huntley,  Ebenezer  Moore,  William  McCraken,  Ozias  Northway  (tavernkeeper), 
Gideon  Pitts,  Richard  Reed,  Benjamin  Robinson,  Simeon  Smith,  Samuel  Stone, 
John  Walter,  Elisha  Waters,  Capt.  James  Beebe,  Jonathan  Belding,  George  Clarke, 
Jabez  Cole,  Jonathan  Conkling,  Major  Asa  Danforth,  William  Evans,  John  Ellis, 
Major-Gen.  Ephraim  Hall,  Justus  Johnson,  David  Lawrence,  Caleb  Potter,  Simeon 
Phares,  Daniel  Peck,  Benoni  Reynolds,  Jacob  Sammons,  Gideon  Seeley,  Comfort 
Tyler,  Peter  Ten  Broeck,  and  Ephraim  Webster. 

Captain  Beebe  owned  and  kept  a  tavern  near  the  court  house,  and 
in  the  war  of  1812  kept  the  arsenal  at  the  valley.  While  returning 
from  a  trip  to  Oswego  he  was  drowned  near  Lysander.  His  children 
were  Hepsibah,  Lewis,  Electa  (wife  of  Victory  Birdseye),  Betsey,  and 
another  daughter.  Benoni  Reynolds  died  in  his  one  hundredth  year 
and  was  buried  at  South  Onondaga,  where  Gideon  Seeley  and  David 
Lawrence  are  also  interred. 

The  war  of  1812-15  created,  perhaps,  greater  excitement  and  laid 
events  for  more  local  history  in  this  town  than  in  any  other  subdivision 
of  Onondaga  county.  An  act  of  1808  authorized  the  governor  of  New 
York  to  deposit  here  five  hundred  stand  of  arms  and  such  other  military 
stores  as  would  be  necessary  in  case  of  an  invasion.  Four  years  passed, 
however,  before  a  suitable  place  for  storing  such  munitions  was  secured. 
In  1812  the  old  stone  arsenal,  the  walls  of  which  are  now  crumbling 
away,  was  erected  on  the  hillside  east  of  and  overlooking  the  valley  and 
village.  During  the  war  it  served  as  a  military  storehouse,  but  soon 
afterward  fell  into  disuse.  It  is  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  interesting 
landmarks  in  Central  New  York,  and  recently  some  people  historically 
inclined  have  seriously  suggested  that  it  be  restored  and  preserved.  Its 
presence  here  made  this  an  important  center  while  the  struggle 
raged  along  the  Canadian  border;  and  at  the  same  time  it  aroused 
great  patriotism  among  the  inhabitants  of  the  region.  General  Wood 
mustered  a  command  and  went  to  Oswego;  Major  Moseley  took  his 
battalion  to  Sackett's  Harbor;  Captain  Kellogg  left  with  a  company  of 
rifles  for  Chippewa;  and  Capt.  Ephraim  Webster,  with  La  Fort,  the 
brave,  and  three  hundred  Onondagas,  started  for  Niagara,  where  La- 
Fort  was  mortally  wounded.  Immediately  after  the  war  came  the 
famous  "cold  season  "  of  1816,  which  caused  no  little  suffering  from  a 
general  scarcity  of  provisions.  There  was  frost  every  month  in  the 
year  and  nearly  every  crop  was  ruined. 

While  these  events  transpired  a  project  was  consummated  which 
had  not  only  immediate  influence  upon  the  town,  but  which  has  ever 
since  been  a  useful  and  noble  factor  in  the  moral  and  social  life  of  the 


THE  TOWN  OF  ONONDAGA.  857 

county.  This  was  the  Onondaga  Academy — an  institution  that  sent 
out  from  its  now  ancient  walls  a  host  of  men  and  women  into  every 
field  of  activity,  many  of  them  to  fill  prominent  stations  in  civil  and 
public  affairs.  The  academy  had  its  inception  at  a  meeting  held  in  the 
Hollow  1  on  August  15,  1812,  when  subscriptions  to  both  a  building 
and  an  endowment  fund  were  started.  Among  the  principal  subscribers 
to  these  funds  were  Joshua  Forman,  John  Adams,  Thaddeus  M.  Wood, 
Nicholas  Mickles,  Joseph  Forman,  Rev.  Dirck  C.  Lansing,  William  H. 
Sabine,  Cornelius  Longstreet,  Jasper  Hopper,  Joseph  Swan,  Judson 
Webb,  and  George  Hall.  The  institution  was  incorporated  by  the 
Regents  on  April  10,  1813,  the  first  board  of  trustees  being  Rev.  Caleb 
Alexander,  president;  Jasper  Hopper,  secretary;  Joseph  Forman, 
Rev.  Dirck  C.  Lansing,  William  H.  Sabine,  Joseph  Swan,  Thaddeus 
M.  Wood,  Dr.  Gordon  Needham,  Jacobus  De  Puy,  Cornelius  Long- 
street,  Judson  Webb,  George  Hall,  Dan  Bradley,  Oliver  R.  Strong, 
Nicholas  Mickles,  and  John  Adams.  The  building  was  erected  in  1814 
on  land  donated  by  William  H.  Sabine,  and  endowed  by  the  State  with 
literature  lot  No.  9,  Lysander.  Rev.  Caleb  Alexander,  a  man  of  ex- 
tensive learning  and  varied  acquirements,  and  the  author  of  several 
educational  works,  etc.,  became  the  first  principal,  and  died  here  in 
April,  1828,  aged  seventy-two  years.  He  had  been  elected  first  presi- 
dent of  Hamilton  College,  but  declined  the  honor,  and  was  largely  in- 
strumental in  founding  Fairfield  Academy.  It  is  to  him  that  the  in- 
ception and  successful  establishment  of  the  old  Onondaga  institution 
is  mainly  due.  He  and  Rev.  Mr.  Lansing  cherished  the  hope  of  found- 
ing here  a  theological  seminary  and  their  views  were  shared  in  part  by 
the  other  originators,  but  the  plan  failed  to  materialize  and  the  con- 
tinuance of  the  academy  resulted.  After  the  removal  of  the  county 
seat  to  Syracuse  and  the  existence  of  our  present  public  school  system 
its  old-time  prestige  waned,  and  under  an  act  passed  April  28,  1866, 
a  union  free  school  was  organized  with  George  B.  Clark,  M.  Roland 
Markham,  James  Longstreet,  Ralph  Chaffe,  Thomas  K.  Clark,  Richard 
R.  Slocum,  Cornell  Crysler,  Nathaniel  Bostwick,  and  Truman  K.  Fuller 
as  trustees.  On  May  15  of  that  year  the  prudential  board  transferred 
the  entire  control  of  the  academy  to  the  new  board  of  education.     The 

1  The  terms  "Hollow"  and  "Valley"  are  synonymous.    In  early  days  the  locality  was  in- 
variably called  Onondaga  Hollow  in  contra-distinction  to  Onondaga  Hill,  but  in  more  recent 
years  it  has  been  known  as  Onondaga  Valley.    The  Hollow  was  called  by  the  Indians  Teuahcu- 
ghwa,  "where  the  path  crosses  the  road." 
108 


858  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

name  Onondaga  Academy  is  retained;  the  academic  department  has 
never  lost  its  identity  and  is  still  under  the  direction  of  the  Regents. 

The  first  public  school  inspectors,  elected  in  1812,  were  Oliver  R. 
Strong,  Charles  J.  Merriman,  Medad  Curtis,  Pulaski  Wing,  Reuben 
Humphrey,  and  Rev.  Caleb  Alexander.  In  1813  the  town  comprised 
eighteen  school  districts,  which  in  1830  numbered  thirty-four,  in  1845 
thirty-four,  in  1860  twenty-eight,  and  at  the  present  time  twenty-seven. 

The  first  two  newspapers  in  the  county  were  established  in  Manlius 
and  the  third  had  its  home  at  Onondaga  Hollow.  This  was  the  Lynx, 
which  was  started  in  December,  1811,  by  Thomas  Crittenden  Fay,  who 
took  for  his  motto  "Liberty  and  My  Native  Country,"  and  closed 
his  prospectus  with  the  words:  "I  shall  endeavor  to  promote  the 
nation's  interest  with  the  industry  of  a  Beaver,  while  I  watch  its  inter- 
ests with  the  eyes  of  a  Lynx. "  In  Fay's  office  Thurlow  Weed  gained 
his  first  knowledge  of  the  printer's  art,  serving  within  the  space  of  a 
year  as  devil,  printer,  journeyman,  editor,  and  proprietor.  On  the  17th  of 
September,  1814,  by  which  time  the  Lynx  had  ceased  publication, 
Lewis  H.  Redfield  issued  the  first  number  of  the  Onondaga  Register, 
a  weekly  of  Federal  proclivities,  which  he  successfully  continued  at  the 
Valley  until  May,  1829,  when  he  moved  it  with  his  family  to  Syracuse. 
Mr.  Redfield  was  a  powerful  political  writer  and  commanded  wide 
respect.  He  is  regarded  as  the  Nestor  of  Onondaga  journalism.  He 
built  in  1812  the  present  M.  E.  parsonage  for  a  family  dwelling.  The 
only  other  paper  founded  at  the  Valley  was  the  Citizens'  Press,  which 
was  started  in  1832  by  Russell  Webb  and  James  S.  Castle,  but  which 
after  about  six  months  was  discontinued. 

In  1816  Evander  Morse  established  the  Onondaga  Gazette  at  the  Hill 
and  intrusted  its  editorial  charge  to  William  Ray,  who  was  also  a  poet. 
Cephas  McConnell  afterward  became  proprietor  and  in  August,  1821, 
changed  its  name  to  the  Onondaga  Journal.  In  1827  Vivus  W.  Smith, 
father  of  Hon.  Carroll  E.  Smith,  of  Syracuse,  took  possession  and  two 
years  later  moved  it  with  the  county  seat  to  the  city. 

In  1819,  on  May  4,  the  first  agricultural  society  in  the  county  was 
formed  at  the  Hill  with  Dan  Bradley,  president;  Squire  Munro,  Martin 
Cossitt  and  Augustus  Wheaton,  vice-presidents;  Job  Tyler,  recording 
secretary;  George  Hall  and  E.  Yelverton,  corresponding  secretaries ; 
Leonard  Bacon,  treasurer.  The  first  fair  was  held  at  the  Hollow  on 
November  2  of  that  year,  when  premiums  amounting  to  over  $200 
were  awarded. 


NATHAN  R.  TEFFT,  M.   D. 


THE  TOWN  OF  ONONDAGA.  859 

The  Hill  village  has  had  as  merchants  Reuben  West,  who  came  here 
with  Simeon  West  in  1805  and  in  1826  built  the  stone  store;  James 
Mann,  a  partner  at  one  time  of  Joel  Dickinson,  they  being  burned  out 
in  October  1820,  after  which  Mr.  Mann  kept  a  tavern ;  John  Meeker, 
who  had  several  other  stores  in  the  county;  Mrs.  William  McLauren, 
whose  husband  died  soon  after  their  arrival,  but  who  completed  the 
store  and  continued  business  some  time;  Sylvester  Munger,  a  jeweler; 
Maj.  John  Ellis,  who  built  a  carding  mill  and  saw  mill  on  the  brook; 
Charles  and  Harry  Easton,  whose  store  became  the  dwelling  of  Andrew 
J.  Betts;  and  William  T.  Moseley,  John  W.  Stackhouse,  Hezekiah  and 
Oliver  Strong,  Charles  Potter,  and  Samuel  Howe.  Among  the  physi- 
cians were  Drs.  Mann  and  Healey,  partners;  Drs.  Salmon  Thayer, 
Stewart,  Jared  Parker,  George  Smith,  John  Miller,  X.  R.  Tefft,  and 
E.  W.  Phillips.  There  were  blacksmiths  Augustus  and  Roger  Billings ; 
wagonmakers,  Roger  Billings,  and  William  P.  Morse;  harnessmakers, 
Silas  Ames  and  Franklin  S.  Hovey ;  shoemaker,  a  Mr.  Rowland ;  tailors, 
C.  A.  H.  Wells,  familiarly  known  as  "Alphabet"  Wells,  and  Harry 
Dodge,  who  became  famous  in  the  Mississippi  Valley  and  throughout 
the  country  as  "Duplee"  Dodge,  the  gambler.  Moses  Johnson  and 
Ebenezer  Wilson  early  built  a  wagon  shop,  carried  on  a  store,  and  had 
a  distillery.  Moses  was  the  father  of  John  Holland  Johnson,  who 
owned  a  large  tract  of  land  on  West  Onondaga  street  and  died  in  1868. 
Recent  merchants  are  Thomas  Mansfield  and  Charles  N.  Bryant,  a 
grandson  of  Ezra  Bryant.     Simeon  West  built  the  present  hotel. 

In  and  around  the  valley  village  lived  John  F.  Clark,  Allen  Searles, 
Henry  Huntington,  "Priest"  Pomeroy,  Bates  King,  Josiah  Hines,  and 
Charles  Hudson,  all  farmers.  In  1851  John  Wells  built  the  brick  house  now 
owned  by  Francis  E.  Everingham.  The  post-office  for  many  years  alter- 
nated between  the  east  and  west  sides.  The  old  "  Tyler"  stand,  for  many 
years  one  of  the  leading  taverns  between  Utica  and  Auburn,  and  still 
standing,  was  erected  about  the  beginning  of  this  century,  the  timbers 
used  in  its  construction  being  partly  hewn  and  partly  sawed  at  Dan- 
forth's  mill  on  Butternut  Creek.  It  was  remodeled  in  1895.  The  First 
M.  E.  church  of  Onondaga  Valley  had  its  inception  in  about  the  year 
1816,  when  Rev.  George  Densmore  came  here  and  began  preaching. 
A  society  was  formed  by  Arthur  Pattison,  Clark  W.  Brownell,  Ezra 
and  Ada  Hoyt,  Moses  Hoyt,  Ruth  and  Keeler  Hoyt,  Caleb  and  Bishop 
White,  Benjamin  Gardner,  Nelson  Palmer,  Jonathan  and  Sylvester 
Nott,  Nathaniel  Root,  Sally  Rich,  Phebe  Vroman,  Alonzo  Webster  and 


860  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

others.  The  early  pastors  were  Revs.  George  Densmore,  Manley 
Tooker  and  Eben  L.  North.  About  1825  an  edifice  was  erected,  which 
was  replaced  by  the  present  structure  in  1885,  the  latter  being  dedicated 
November  16. 

During  the  first  quarter  of  this  century  the  villages  of  Onondaga  Hill 
and  Hollow  were  thrifty  and  prosperous  centers  of  activity.  Each  had 
its  important  interests,  and  while  there  existed  a  spirit  of  good  natured 
rivalry  between  their  inhabitants,  there  was  never  that  feeling  of  bit- 
terness, even  before  or  during  the  location  of  the  county  seat,  which 
has  been  ascribed  by  some  writers.  Many  prominent  citizens  were 
financially  as  well  as  socially  interested  in  the  welfare  of  both  places. 
When  Judge  Forman  first  became  interested  in  the  Erie  Canal  it  is  said 
that  he  endeavored  to  interest  the  people  of  the  Valley  with  the  view 
of  turning  the  course  of  that  ditch  through  their  village,  but,  like  the 
inhabitants  of  Salina,  they  met  the  scheme  with  ridicule,  and  forever 
lost  the  one  grand  opportunity  of  becoming  a  city.  After  the  comple- 
tion of  the  canal,  and  the  incorporation  of  Syracuse  village  in  1825,  the 
two  villages  waned,  and  thenceforward  never  regained  their  former 
prestige  nor  commercial  importance.  The  removal  of  the  county  seat 
to  Syracuse  in  1829  blasted  every  ambition  which  the  Hill  may  have 
entertained.  Then  followed  a  general  exodus  of  professional  and  busi- 
ness men  to  the  future  city,  leaving  the  original  shire  town  of  the 
county  shorn  of  its  prospects,  of  its  once  promising  features,  and  of  its 
proud  distinction.  The  Hill  suffered  more  from  this  event  than  its 
sister  village  in  the  valley,  yet  the  latter  soon  experienced  a  gradual 
decline,  although  it  had  the  academy  to  give  it  prominence.  The  canal 
had  less  influence  upon  the  farming  sections  of  this  town  than  upon 
those  of  other  towns  in  the  county. 

In  1835  the  Hill  contained  two  churches,  the  old  court  house  and 
clerk's  office,  two  taverns,  four  stores,  and  about  forty-five  dwellings, 
while  the  Hollow  comprised  two  churches,  a  grist  and  saw  mill,  the 
academy,  three  taverns,  one  store  and  about  sixty  dwellings. 

Attention  is  now  directed  to  the  south  and  west  parts  of  Onondaga, 
which  had  become  prosperous  localities  even  before  many  of  the  pre- 
ceding events  took  shape.  In  the  vicinity  of  South  Onondaga,  known 
in  early  days  as  South  Onondaga  Hollow,  were  such  pioneers  as  Gideon 
Seeley,  Phineas  Sparks,  Ebenezer  Conklin,  Turner  Fenner,  Gilbert 
Pinckney,  Amasa  Chapman,  Obadiah  Nichols,  John  Clark,  Henry 
Frost,   John  Carpenter,  John  F.  Clark  (member  of  assembly  in  1851), 


THE  TOWN  OF  ONONDAGA.  861 

Silas  Field  (father  of  Leonard  P.),  John  Hitchings  (father  of  Horace, 
who  died  in  1870),  Thomas  Fowler  (father  of  Moses,  a  soldier  of  1812, 
whose  sons  were  Maxwell  T.,  Gideon  D.  and  Moses,  jr.),  Abner  Chap- 
man, Daniel  Chafee,  Joseph  Warner,  Oliver  Cummings  and  Isaac  Par- 
mater.  Abner  Chapman  was  a  captain  in  the  State  militia,  nearly 
thirty  years  a  justice  of  the  peace,  member  of  assembly  in  18G1,  and 
died  June  18,  1873,  aged  seventy-five.  The  settlement  of  these  and 
others  gave  existence  to  the  hamlet  of  South  Onondaga,  which  in  1835 
contained  a  Presbyterian  church,  about  thirty-five  dwellings  and  the 
following  business  interests :  Oliver  Jones,  tavern;  A.  H.  Bradlev  and 
Elijah  Lawrence,  merchants;  Elijah  Welch,  miller;  Orlando  Fuller, 
cloth  manufacturer;  Stephen  Betts,  tanner;  Amasa Chapman,  sr. ,  brick 
manufacturer;  Allen  Rice  and  Stephen  Field,  blacksmiths;  Himas 
Wood,  tailor;  Dr.  Samuel  Kingsley,  physician  and  postmaster;  Olmsted 
Quick,  shoemaker;  Amasa  Chapman,  jr.,  mason;  Ira  Rue,  wagon- 
maker;  Leonard  Hodgkins  and  Volney  Ring,  cabinet  makers;  Abner 
Chapman,  justice  and  school  teacher;  Alanson  West,  constable,  and  E. 
L.  North,  M.  E.  preacher.  In  1845  the  place  contained  two  meeting- 
houses, two  grist  mills,  two  saw  mills,  clothing  works,  post-office,  etc. 
The  old  Presbyterian  church  is  now  used  as  a  public  hall,  and  the  grist 
mills  are  operated  by  Martin  Mason  and  Adelbert  Hulbert.  Day 
Brothers  and  Lyman  P.  Judson  are  merchants.  The  M.  E.  church  was 
organized  about  1816,  and  among  its  early  members  were  Wilson 
Newman,  Volney  and  Salina  King,  Phebe  Bradley,  Joseph  O.  Seeley, 
Francis  Hamilton,  Roswell  Kenyon  and  Sterling  Cole.  In  1827  an  edi- 
fice was  erected  by  the  united  efforts  of  citizens,  and  some  ten  years 
later  the  Methodists  built  a  brick  church  of  their  own.  A  temperance 
society  was  organized  here  about  183G  and  continued  in  existence  for 
more  than  forty  years,  one  of  its  leading  members  and  long-time  presi- 
dent being  Abner  Chapman.  Daniel  Pinckney,  Indian  agent,  W  W. 
Newman,  a  prominent  educator,  and  Dr.  Jonathan  Kneeland,  almost 
the  oldest  physician  in  the  county,  are  prominent  among  the  citizen- 
ship of  to-day. 

In  the  southwest  part  of  the  town  a  little  rural  hamlet  sprung  up 
through  the  manufacture  of  grain  cradles,  which  gave  it  the  name  of 
Cradleville.  Here  members  of  the  Chafee  family  made  that  popular 
and  useful  implement  for  many  years.  This  family  has  been  numerous 
and  prominent  in  Onondaga  history.  There  were  David,  sr.,  David, 
jr.,    Ralph,    Abner,    Comfort   T.,    Guy,    George,    William   H.,  Joshua, 


862  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

another  George,  Byron  R.,  another  David,  and  Daniel,  who  settled  on 
lot  199  in  1800.  Cradleville  was  originally  called  East  Navarino.  The 
Onondaga  Baptist  church  of  this  place  was  organized  in  the  barn  of 
Ephraim  Hall,  at  Hall's  Corners  (Navarino),  in  June,  1812,  with  twenty- 
four  members,  Silas  Church  and  Sylvester  Olney  being  the  first  dea- 
cons. Among  the  early  pastors  were  Elders  Elkannah  Comstock, 
Israel  Hodge,  Solomon  Gardner,  D.  D.  Chittenden,  E.  P.  Dye  and 
William  Powers.  An  edifice  was  built  in  1822-23  and  is  still  in  use, 
having  been  remodeled  in  1871.      The  parsonage  was  erected  in    1834. 

The  site  of  Navarino  was  settled  in  1799  by  Shubael  and  Sarah  Hall, 
who  built  their  log  house  about  one-half  mile  south  of  the  corners. 
They  owned  250  acres  of  land,  upon  which  their  sons,  Shubael,  jr.,  and 
George,  afterward  lived.  Here  the  old  State  road  and  the  road  from 
Marcellus  to  Amber  intersected,  and  the  cross-roads  hamlet  early  took 
the  name  of  Hall's  Corners.  In  1835  it  contained  these  business  enter- 
prises: Freeman  North,  tavern ;  Andrew  Cummings,  merchant;  Morris 
Wells,  tailor;  Jehiel  Hall  &  Son,  foundry;  Clark  Bentley,  shoemaker; 
William  Weed,  gunsmith;  George  Andrews,  blacksmith ;  George  Enney, 
harnessmaker ;  Bradley  Curtis,  broom  factory;  Dr.  A.  B.  Edwards, 
physician;  Oren  Hall,  postmaster.  William  Briggs  was  long  a  promi- 
nent citizen  here,  and  "Uncle"  Joshua  Chafee  labored  assiduously  to 
secure  a  passable  road  over  the  "Hogback"  hill,  so  earnestly  in  fact 
that  it  was  popularly  termed  his  "hobby."  The  broom  factory  has 
been  operated  many  years,  and  more  recently  there  were  three  or  four 
shops,  an  M.  E.  church,  a  saw  and  cider  mill  and  the  stores  of  Mark 
H.  Fellows  and  Martin  L.  Gardner.  Lee  A.  Cummings  succeeded 
Byron  C.  Grinnell  as  postmaster.  -Before  these  Theophilus  Hall  held 
the  office. 

The  hamlet  of  Cedarvale  is  of  later  existence,  its  chief  features  being 
a  large  roller  flour  and  feed  mill  owned  by  John  Balcomb  and  the  store 
of  William  Hull.  The  M.  E.  church  here  was  organized  and  built  about 
1840.  Among  its  early  members  were  Ezra  Lounsbury,  Volney  King, 
John  Evans  and  wife,  the  Kenyon  family,  and  Alexander  Browning. 

E.  F.  Lounsbury  was  appointed  postmaster  May  13,  1873;  others 
are  Willis  G.  Hull  and  Miss  R.  A.  Lounsbury. 

Howlett  Hill  became  a  post-office  prior  to  1835,  in  which  year  B.  H. 
Case  was  postmaster.  Here  in  January,  1804,  was  organized  the  first 
Baptist  church  in  the  town  under  the  name  of  the  First  Baptist  church 
of  Onondaga.      It  commenced  with  six  male  and  seven  female  members 


THE  TOWN  OF  ONONDAGA.  863 

and  Samuel  Stone  and  Jacob  Lawrence  as  deacons.  Soon  afterward 
Elder  Ebenezer  Harrington  became  the  pastor.  In  L814  Elder  Joseph 
Moore  was  settled  over  the  church  and  remained  in  charge  for  thirteen 
years  at  an  annual  salary  of  $100.  In  1821  an  edifice  was  built  and 
dedicated,  and  about  1848  the  society  moved  to  Camillus  village.  In 
1830  and  again  in  L833  members  were  dismissed  to  form  Baptist  churches 
at  Belle  Isle  and  Onondaga  Hill  respectively.  The  lot  on  which  this 
church  stood  was  deeded  to  the  society  by  Leonard  Caton  upon  the 
condition  that  it  revert  to  him  or  his  heirs  when  they  abandoned  it. 
After  the  removal  he  redeeded  the  property  to  the  Universalists,  who 
had  formed  an  organization  with  John  T.  Robinson,  president;  Wheeler 
Truesdell,  secretary;  John  and  B.  H.  Case,  J.  Q.  and  David  Robinson, 
Eliphas  and  Giles  Case,  Charles  Land,  Eusephus  Lawrence,  and  others. 
Rev.  Nelson  Brown  was  the  first  pastor. 

At  a  comparatively  early  day  Eleazer  Loomis  settled  upon  and  gave 
his  name  to  Loomis  hill,  in  the  west  part  of  the  town,  where  about  1845 
he  built  an  M.  E.  church,  on  the  spire  of  which  was  placed  a  life-sized 
figure  of  an  angel,  in  brass.  The  whole  was  an  enterprise  of  the  founder. 
Meanwhile  an  M.  E.  society  had  been  formed  at  Reservation  hill  as 
early  as  1820  by  Aaron  Preston,  a  local  preacher,  among  the  first  mem- 
bers being  Aaron  Cornell,  Thorn  Dubois,  Benjamin  Snow,  Cornelius 
Miller,  and  John  Woodward  and  their  wives,  and  Mrs.  Mary  Barnum. 
In  1847  a  meeting  house  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  about  $1,600. 

Among  other  residents  of  the  town  may  be  mentioned  Cypean  11  ch- 
ard, who  died  September  28,  1863,  aged  seventy-eight;  L.  Wiard 
Marsh,  son  of  Capt.  Elisha  Marsh,  a  captain  in  the  war  of  1812,  and 
the  father  of  Prof.  Grove  L.  Marsh,  of  Syracuse ;  he  was  born  at  On- 
ondaga Hill  on  May  4,  1821,  and  died  November  6,  1895;  Henry  Card, 
postmaster  at  the  Valley;  Benjamin  F.  Churchill,  a  merchant  there; 
John  O.  Fellows,  son  of  Chester,  who  was  born  on  the  Fellows  home- 
stead in  1841  and  is  both  farmer  and  surveyor;  Ezekiel  Newman,  father 
of  William  Wilson  Newman,  and  for  nearly  forty  years  class-leader  in 
the  South  Onondaga  M.  E.  church;  William  Carpenter,  father  of  Judge 
Charles;  Dr.  George  T.  Clark,  son  of  Levi  Clark  and  Martha,  daughter 
of  Capt.  Turner  Fenner,  his  wife;  Elias  B.  Bradley,  who  died  in  1858; 
Theophilus  Hall,  grandson  of  Azariah  and  son  of  Oren ;  Jeremiah 
Everringham,  father  of  Mrs.  Abner  Chapman  and  five  other  children; 
Jared  W.  Parsons,  son  of  Jared  and  Electa:  A.  G.  Wyckoff,  son  of  Jon- 
athan, of  Skaneateles;  and  Dea.  Jerathmael  Hunt,  son  of  John.      Levi 


864  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Clark  made  the  first  "grapevine  "  cradle  ever  used,  and  for  many  years 
he  and  his  sons  manufactured  this  article  of  husbandry. 

In  1845  the  town  contained  1,050  voters,  441  militia,  ^79  paupers 
(poorhouse  included),  1,324  school  children,  30,898  acres  of  improved 
land,  five  grist  mills,  eight  saw  mills,  a  fulling  mill,  one  carding  ma- 
chine, a  woolen  factory,  an  iron  foundry,  two  asheries,  one  tannery, 
ten  churches,  eight  taverns,  eight  stores,  two  groceries,  609  farmers, 
129  mechanics,  seven  physicians,  and  two  attorneys.  The  county  poor 
farm,  located  on  lot  87,  originally  contained  about  145  acres  and  was 
purchased  of  Josiah  Bronson  in  1826.  The  poor  house  was  built  in 
1827,  the  main  building  erected  in  1854,  and  a  stone  structure  for  the 
asylum  put  up  in  1860  (replaced  by  another  stone  building  in  1868). 
Extensive  improvements  were  added  in  1866,  1867,  1871,  1873,  and 
since. 

During  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  (1861-65)  the  town  of  Onondaga 
made  a  most  brilliant  record.  A  large  number  of  her  patriotic  sons 
enlisted  in  the  Union  army  and  navy,  and  served  with  both  honor  and 
distinction.  Many  of  them  were  killed  in  battle  or  died  of  disease,  but 
to  one  and  all  is  due  that  gratitude  which  characterizes  true  American 
liberty. 

The  remaining  history  of  Onondaga  is  brief.  On  December  21, 
1874,  the  village  of  Danforth,  so  named  in  honor  of  Asa  Danforth,  was 
incorporated  with  Edward  Abeel,  president;  he  was  succeeded  by 
Truman  K  Fuller,  and  after  five  years  the  latter  was  followed  by  Ed- 
ward P.  Glass.  The  principal  owners  of  this  tract  were  Charles  A. 
Baker,  George  Ray  nor,  and  Mrs.  Robert  Furman.  In  February,  1887, 
the  village  became  a  part  of  the  city  of  Syracuse,  as  did  also  a  portion 
of  Oakwood  Cemetery. 

In  1872  Rev.  Dr.  O'Hara  purchased  about  forty  acres  of  land  near 
Elmwood  for  burial  purposes,  and  soon  afterward  St.  Agnes  Roman 
Catholic  cemetery  was  incorporated  with  Robert  McCarthy  as  president. 
In  1874  the  First  M.  E.  church  and  society  of  Onondaga  Hill  were 
organized  and  a  church  built  the  same  year,  while  about  this  time  St. 
Michael's  Roman  Catholic  parish  was  instituted  as  an  out  mission  from 
Marcellus;  services  are  held  in  a  building  formerly  occupied  as  a  store. 

The  business  of  the  Solvay  Process  Company  led  to  the  much  more 
extensive  development  of  the  old  Split  Rock  quarries  in  the  north  part 
of  ( )nondaga.  In  June,  1888,  the  Split  Rock  Cable  Road  Company  was 
organized  for  the  purpose    of    constructing    a    cable    line    to    convey 


THE  TOWN  OF  ONONDAGA. 

stone  from  this  point  to  the  works,  and  since  May,  L889,  the  line  has 
been  in  operation.  This  enterprise  gave  existence  to  quite  a  hamlet, 
and  in  1891  St.  Peter's  Roman  Catholic  parish,  comprising  about  500 
communicants,  was  formed  by  Rev.  William  A.  Ryan,  of  Camillus. 
Prior  to  this  mass  had  been  said  in  a  frame  chapel,  the  site  for  which 
was  purchased  as  early  as  1848.  In  May,  1892,  the  present  church  was 
completed  at  a  cost  of  about  $3,500. 

The  town  of  Onondaga  has  some  of  the  finest  quarries  of  blue  and 
gray  limestone  in  the  world;  and  just  across  its  southern  border,  on  the 
Indian  Reservation,  is  also  an  excellent  quarry.  All  of  the  foundation 
stone  for  buildings  in  Syracuse  and  the  cut  stone  for  the  Onondaga 
County  Savings  Bank  building,  the  Government  building,  St.  Paul's 
Cathedral,  and  several  other  fine  buildings  came  from  these  quarries. 

On  the  west  bank  of  the  creek  and  immediately  south  of  the  road 
which  crosses  Onondaga  Valley,  the  Syracuse  Water  Company,  in  1888, 
made  an  interesting  discovery.  The  company  drove  some  thirty  tubes 
six  inches  in  diameter  to  varying  depths  of  from  thirty  to  fortv  feet, 
until  they  entered  and  passed  through  a  stratum  of  gravel  some  ten 
feet  in  thickness.  These  wells  were  connected  on  the  surface  of  the 
ground  and  with  powerful  pumping  machinery  it  was  demonstrated  to 
the  satisfaction  of  the  company  that  there  was  a  subteranean  flow  of 
water  from  the  south  toward  the  north  through  a  strip  of  land  twelve 
hundred  feet  wide  at  that  point  of  twenty  millions  of  gallons  each 
twenty-four  hours.  It  was  estiiriated  that  several  times  this  quantity 
flowed  through  the  entire  valley  between  the  hills.  The  water  stood 
at  a  uniform  temperature  of  48  degrees,  and  was  of  extreme  purity, 
except  that  it  was  "hard."  The  investigation  was  made  with  the 
view  to  a  water  supply  for  the  city,  but  the  project  came  to  naught 
because  of  the  strong  agitation  in  the  cit>^  of  the  question  of  the  munic- 
ipal ownership  of  the  water  works,  which,  a  little  later,  was  accom- 
plished. 

The  village  of  Elmwood,  incorporated  recently,  has  sprung  into  ex- 
istence within  the  past  five  years,  largely  through  the  energy  and  enter- 
prise of  its  president,  Enoch  M.  Chafee,  who  owns  a  grist  mill,  cradle 
factory,  and  woodworking  establishment.  The  postmaster  is  W.  \V. 
Norris;  merchants,  Norris  Brothers,  George  Mannering  and  others; 
florist,  Henry  Morris.  The  park  here  has  contributed  materially  to 
the  growth  of  the  place,  which  is  somewhat  of  a  resort  for  Syracusans. 
Hopper's  Glen,  in  the  valley,  is  also  noted  in  this  respect. 

J09 


866  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

The  centennial  anniversary  of  the  formation  of  Onondaga  county 
and  the  10(Jth  anniversary  of  the  settlement  of  this  town  by  Asa  Dan- 
forth  were  fittingly  celebrated  in  May,  1894,  by  an  immense  assemblage 
at  the  Valley.  Descendants  of  pioneers,  representative  business  and 
professional  men,  and  prominent  citizens  from  all  over  Central  New 
York  gathered  to  honor  the  occasion,  and  for  one  brief  day  the  historic 
Hollow  contained  more  inhabitants  than  the  two  villages  combined  ever 
boasted. 

The  population  of  the  town  has  been  as  follows : 

In  1810,  3,745;  1820,  5,502;  1830,  5,668;  1835,  4,789;  1840,  5,662;  1845,  5,145;  1850, 
5,694;  1855,  5,400:  1860,  5,113;  1865,  5,312;  1870,  5,530;  1875,  6,193;  1880,  6,358; 
1890,  5,135;  1892,  5,011. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 
THE  TOWN  OF  FABIUS. 

The  original  township  of  Fabius  was  designated  No.  15  of  the  Mili- 
tary Tract,  and  embraced  the  present  town  of  that  name  and  nearly  all 
of  the  towns  of  Truxton  and  Cuyler  in  Cortland  county.  On  the 
formation  of  the  county  the  whole  of  this  territory,  together  with 
Tully,  Preble,  Scott,  and  the  southern  parts  of  Otisco  and  Spafford, 
forming  the  military  township  of  Tully,  No.  14,  was  included  in  the 
civil  town  of  Pompey,  from  which  Fabius,  including  all  of  the  towns 
and  parts  of  towns  just  mentioned,  was  set  off  by  act  of  the  Legislature 
on  March  9,  1798.  On  the  4th  of  April,  1803,  Tully,  including  Scott 
and  Preble  and  portions  of  Spafford  and  Otisco,  was  erected  into  a 
separate  civil  town,  leaving  the  then  civil  town  of  Fabius  with  the  ter- 
ritory comprising  the  original  military  township  of  the  same  name. 
The  organization  of  Cortland  county  on  April  8,  1808,  left  the  present 
Fabius  with  fifty  lots,  or  the  north  half  of  township  15  of  the  Military 
Tract. 

The  town  of  Fabius,  as  now  constituted,  contains  32,000  acres,  or 
fifty  square  miles  of  land,  and  occupies  the  southeast  corner  of  the 
county  of  Onondaga,  being  bounded  on  the  south  by  Cortland  county, 
on  the  east  by  Madison  county,  on  the  north  by  Pompey  and  La  Fayette, 
and  on  the  west  by  Tully.  It  has  a  general  elevation  of  from  1,000  to 
1,200  feet  above  the  Erie  Canal  at  Syracuse. 


THE  TOWN  OF  FABIUS.  867 

The  old  township  of  Fabius,  in  common  with  other  subdivisions  of 
the  great  Military  Tract,  was  surveyed  into  100  lots  of  about  600  acres 
each,  as  described  in  a  preceding  chapter  of  this  work,  and  those  lying 
within  the  present  civil  town  are  numbered  from  one  to  fifty  inclusive. 
These  lots,  with  four  exceptions,  were  drawn  as  bounty  lands  by  soldiers 
for  services  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  as  follows : 

1,  Willet  Carman;  2,  Lieut.  William  Strahan  ;  3,  reserved  for  Gospel,  school,  etc.  ; 
4,  Capt.  Theodore  Bliss;  5,  Peter  Osterhout ;  6,  Philip  Lacey;  7,  Maj.  James  Rose- 
krans;  8;  Andrew  Flim;  9,  Garrit  Cronck;  10,  Andrew  Bradley;  11,  Philip  Cotelle ; 
12,  Patrick  Wall;  13,  Capt.  Joseph  Savage;  14,  Nathan  Reed;  15,  Thomas  Bunting; 
16,  John  Ferdon  ;  17,  Lieut.  Josiah  Bagley  ;  18,  James  Ferguson  ;  19,  Nicholas  Schuyler. 
surgeon  ;  20,  William  Kynion  ;  21,  Charles  Parsons,  captain  ;  22,  Francis  Courtney  ;  23, 
John  Linnigar;  24,  Robert  Bardin ;  25,  John  Craig;  26,  Martin  Flick;  27,  Cornelius 
Van  Ness;  28,  John  Wheeler;  29,  Lieut.  Abraham  Leggett;  HO,  Lieut.  Thomas 
Williams;  31,  Lieut.  John  Burnett;  32,  John  Davis;  33,  Ebenezer  Slason ;  34,  Jon- 
athan Pinckney;  35,  Hunlock  Woodruff,  surgeon;  36,  reserved  for  Gospel,  etc.;  :'>7, 
Col.  Goose  Van  Schaick ;  38,  Lieut.  John  L.  Hardenbergh ;  39,  Lieut.  Alender  Low; 
40,  William  Gilbert;  41,  reserved  for  Gospel,  etc.;  42,  Coral  Rennee;  43,  Lieut. 
Henry  Demlar;  44,  reserved  for  Gospel,  etc.  ;  45,  Robert  Ellison;  46  David  Fletcher; 
47,  Lieut.  Thomas  Warner ;  48,  Samuel  Becannon  ;  49,  James  Robinson;  50,  Henry 
Depau. 

Four  lots,  Nos.  3,  36,  41,  and  44,  were  reserved  by  law  for  gospel  and 
school  purposes,  which  left  forty-six  for  grantees,  of  whom  twelve  be- 
came actual  settlers  or  residents,  as  will  presently  appear. 

The  territory  here  considered  was  for  many  years  the  abiding  place 
or  hunting  grounds  of  the  Indians,  principally  the  (  mondagas,  whose 
central  point  of  assemblage  occupied  the  valley  lying  a  short  distance 
northwest.  It  is  adjacent,  also,  to  the  historic  town  of  Pompey,  where 
numerous  evidences  of  aboriginal  habitation  still  exist,  and  in  view  of 
these  facts  it  is  not  surprising  that  antiquarians  have  here  found  a 
fertile  field  for  investigation.  But  the  purpose  of  this  chapter  is  to 
record  briefly  the  local  growth  and  development  from  the  earliest  white 
settlement  to  the  present  time. 

The  pioneers  found  this  a  most  picturesque  section,  a  locality  richly 
endowed  with  all  the  beauty  of  nature,  and  one  that  proved  in  after 
years  as  productive  as  any  in  the  State.  As  the  pioneers  coursed  up 
and  down  the  rich  valleys,  seeking  future  homes,  they  felt  an  inspira- 
tion more  attractive,  more  enchanting,  than  usually  falls  to  the  lot  of 
man.  Here  on  either  hand  stood,  in  all  their  grandeur  and  beauty,  the 
old  hills  in  majestic  silence  where  they,  like  sentinels,  had  kept  watch 
and  ward  for  unnumbered  ages.     Broken  into  a  series  of  ridges  sepa- 


8(58  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

rated  by  narrow  valleys,  and  entirely  canopied  with  billowy  forests  of 
evergreen  and  deciduous  trees,  it  presented  to  the  observer  an  unusual 
scene  of  primitive  grandeur  at  once  attractive  and  impressive.  A  por- 
tion of  the  town  forms  a  part  of  the  great  watershed  which  divides  the 
streams  flowing  north  into  the  St.  Lawrence  from  those  emptying  their 
contents  in  the  Susquehanna  and  other  large  rivers  on  the  south.  The 
most  important  watercourse  is  a  branch  of  the  Tioughnioga  River, 
which  flows  southerly  through  the  eastern  center  of  Fabius.  On  the 
Madison  county  line  is  the  De  Ruyter  reservoir,  while  near  the  foot  of 
South  Hill — one  of  the  loftiest  elevations  in  the  county — near  Tully, 
lies  a  small  lake  known  as  Labrador  Pond.  The  timber  which  com- 
prised the  dense  forests  consisted  mainly  of  beech,  maple,  hemlock, 
elm,  ash,  and  basswood,  with  a  sprinkling  of  birch,  pine,  and  oak.  In 
the  more  depressed  portions  of  the  valley  near  the  center  of  the  town 
are  swampy  lands  originally  covered  with  valuable  cedars.  Nearly  the 
entire  territory  is  susceptible  of  cultivation,  the  soil  being  a  fine  quality 
of  gravelly  loam  admixed  with  more  or  less  clay  and  sand,  and  being 
well  watered,  is  peculiarly  adapted  to  grass  and  pasturage. 

Settlement  in  Fabius  was  nearly  or  quite  contemporaneous  with  the 
formation  of  Onondaga  county.  In  the  spring  of  1794  Timothy  Jerome 
and  Josiah  Moore,  from  Stockbridge,  Mass.,  moved  in  and  erected  log 
cabins.  During  the  same  spring  Simon  Keeney,  father  of  the  late  John 
Keeney,  came,  and  with  the  assistance  of  one  man  cleared  land,  erected 
a  log  house,  and  planted  corn  and  potatoes,  preparatory  to  bringing  his 
family  the  following  year.  William  Clark,  father  of  the  present  Henry 
H.  Clark,  and  Col.  Elijah  St.  John  were  among  the  pioneers.  Timothy 
Jerome  settled  on  lot  5,  in  the  northern  part  of  the  town.  He  was  the 
first  supervisor,  and  the  first  and  for  many  years  the  only  justice  of  the 
peace.  He  died  May  9,  1802,  and  was  buried  in  the  open  square  in  the 
center  of  the  village  of  Pompey,  whence  the  remains  were  subsequently 
removed  to  the  cemetery  on  the  high  ground  east  of  that  village. 
Josiah  Moore  settled  on  lot  15,  on  the  old  Chenango  road.  He  sowed 
the  first  wheat,  brought  the  first  farm  implements  into  this  section,  be- 
came the  first  town  clerk,  built  the  first  frame  house  in  1800,  and  died 
there  April  29,  1802;  he  being  the  first  one  of  the  pioneers  to  cross  to 
the  other  shore.  The  remains  were  buried  in  the  woods  west  of  the 
dwelling  house,  on  the  premises  now  owned  by  Hiram  and  Anson 
Rowley.  In  the  old  burying  ground  back  of  the  Baptist  church  stands  a 
monument  with  the  following  inscription: 


THE  TOWN  OF  FABIUS.  869 

Erected  to  the  memory  of  Josiah  Moore,  Jr.,  Esqr.  He  was  the  earliest  settler  of 
this  town.  Emigrated  from  New  Hartford,  Conn.,  Mar.  15,  1795,  and  died  April  29, 
1802,  Aged  3ti  years.1 

His  son,  Charles  Moore,  born  in  1796,  was  the  first  white  child  born  in 
town,  and  died  in  1862. 

Simon  Keeney  was  the  first  one  to  establish  a  home  in  the  valley  now 
known  as  Keeney's  Settlement.  In  1795  he,  Benjamin  Brown,  Samuel 
Fox,  and  Gurden  Woodruff,  with  their  families  and  a  part  of  the  family 
of  Samuel  Webster,  in  all  twenty -eight  persons,  established  themselves 
in  the  log  honse  erected  the  previous  year  by  Simon  Keeney.  In  fune 
they  were  followed  by  Samuel  Webster,  who  had  been  detained  by 
sickness.  This  house  was  on  lot  4?,  on  the  premises  now  owned  by 
Henry  H.  Clark.  The  other  families  soon  settled  in  other  parts  of  the 
valley,  a  portion  of  which  by  subsequent  subdivisions  became  a  part  of 
Truxton  and  Cuyler  in  Cortland  county.  Simon  Keeney  died  Septem- 
ber 17,  1831,  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years,  and  was  buried  in  the  old 
cemetery  at  Fabius  village.  He  had  a  daughter,  Lydia  Keeney,  who 
was  married  in  1798  to  Abel  Webster,  which  was  the  first  marriage  in 
town.  The  first  person  buried  in  the  town,  after  its  settlement  by  the 
whites,  was  a  colored  man  named  Joy — a  servant  of  Simon  Keenev — 
who  died  in  April,  1798,  from  drinking  too  much  maple  syrup.  Tradi- 
tion says  that  the  remains  were  followed  to  their  last  resting  place  bv 
a  large  concourse  of  the  settlers.  The  first  white  person  buried  was  a 
child  of  Elijah  Keeney,  two  or  three  years  old,  who  was  accidentally 
killed  by  the  fall  of  a  woodpile  in  April,  1798.  The  first  white  adult 
laid  away  in  the  grave  was  the  wife  of  Major  Joseph  Strong-.  Hers 
was  the  second  burial  in  the  Keeney  Settlement  Cemetery. 

William  Clark,  who  settled  on  lot  35,  was  one  of  the  twelve  Revolu- 
tionary soldiers  who  took  up  their  residence  here.  He  enlisted  May  I. 
1777,  in  Weathersfield,  Conn.,  in  Captain  Tallman's  company  and  Col. 
Elisha  Sheldon's  regiment  of  dragoons,  and  served  five  years  and  two 
months.  He  had  a  son,  Lewis,  who  in  1823  was  "put  out  to  a  trade." 
In  1795  Col.  Elijah  St.  John  arrived  from  Massachusetts,  and  established 
a  home  in  the  western  part  of  the  town.     He  was  the  first  settler  there. 

The  first  settlers  of  this  town  were  a  class  of  hardy,  resolute  men  and 
women,  endowed  with  noble  traits  of  New  England  parentage,  and  well 

1  The  date  of  his  immigration,  and  t  he  place  i  rom  which  he  emigrated  inscribed  <>n  the  monu- 
ment, does  not  agree  with  the  date  and  place  given  in  Clark's  History  of  Onondaga  County,  and 
obtained  also  from  many  other  sources.     It   is  believed  he  came  from  Stockbridge,  Mass 
that  the  date,  1794,  is  the  corred  one. 


870  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

qualified  by  nature  to  subdue  a  primitive  wilderness.  They  brought  to 
their  new  abodes  unfailing  courage  and  sterling  characters,  which  they 
firmly  implanted  in  the  pioneer  communities.  It  was  these  same  attri- 
butes that  subsequently  brought  so  many  prominent  men  of  the  town 
into  wider  prominence  and  usefulness.  The  pioneers  endured  all  the 
privations  and  hardships  incident  to  a  new  country,  but  with  true  hero- 
ism mastered  the  situation  and  carved  comfortable  homes  out  of  the 
dense  forests.  They  were  harassed  by  wild  beasts  and  suffered  from 
the  prevailing  miasma,  and  subsisted  at  times  on  game  and  such  meager 
supplies  as  distant  markets  afforded.  With  no  roads  save  the  paths 
marked  by  blazed  trees,  they  lived  in  rude  log  cabins  far  from  centers 
of  activity  and  luxury,  yet  the  day  soon  came  when  the  conveniences 
of  civilization  were  brought  to  their  very  doors.  Their  log  dwellings 
were  then  replaced  by  more  imposing  frame  structures,  and  life  in  the 
wilderness  was  shorn  of  its  uninviting  features. 

Between  1790  and  1798  the  population  was  augmented  by  the  arrival 
of  such  settlers  as  Captain  Ebenezer  Belden,  Jonathan  Stanley,  Thomas 
Miles,  James  Harris,  John  Wallace,  Thomas  Keeney,  Abel  Webster. 
Jacob  Penoyer,  Abel  Pixley,  Ezekiel  Dunham,  Benjamin  Brown  and 
William  Blanchard.  In  1797  Josiah  Tubbs  opened  the  first  tavern  in 
town  near  the  Tully  line,  and  it  was  at  his  inn  that  many  of  the  early 
town  meetings  were  held. 

On  March  9,  1798,  the  civil  town  of  Fabius  was  formed,  and  em- 
braced all  of  the  present  towns  of  Fabius,  Tully,  Preble  and  Scott, 
nearly  all  of  Truxton  and  Cuyler  and  the  south  parts  of  Otisco  and 
Spafford — a  territory  ten  by  twenty  miles  in  extent.  The  first  town 
meeting  was  held  at  the  public  house  of  Josiah  Tubbs,  on  the  3d  of 
April  of  the  same  year,  and  the  following  officers  were  elected:  Tim- 
othy Jerome,  supervisor;  Josiah  Moore,  town  clerk;  Benjamin  Brown, 
Timothy  Walker  and  Elijah  St.  John,  assessors;  Josiah  Tubbs,  James 
Cravath  and  William  Blanchard,  commissioners  of  highways;  Ezekiel 
Dunham,  constable.  At  the  town  meeting  held  April  2,  1799,  at  the 
same  place,  Benjamin  Brown  was  chosen  town  clerk  and  Timothy 
Jerome  re-elected  supervisor. 

Unfortunately  the  town  records  prior  to  1854  were  burned  with  Lewis 
Bramer's  hardware  store  in  Fabius  village  in  December,  1882.  This 
loss  precludes  the  possibility  of  obtaining  the  names  of  others  who  are 
worthy  of  mention  in  local  history,  but  tradition  says  that  the  entire 
population   was  in   community   of  sentiment  and  action  for  the  public 


THE  TOWN  OF  FABIUS.  871 

good.  As  settlements  increased,  closer  communication,  new  institu- 
tions and  better  local  accommodations  were  established  and  maintained. 
Major  Joseph  Strong  built  the  first  barn  in  town  in  L799.  In  L800 
Thomas  Miles  started  a  saw  mill  on  Butternut  Creek  and  manufactured 
lumber,  to  the  great  convenience  of  the  inhabitants.  About  L802  or 
1803  schools  were  taught  by  Benjamin  Brown  in  the  Keeney  neighbor- 
hood; by  Miss  Jerome,  later  the  wife  of  Judge  James  Geddes,  and 
Eunice  Fowler,  near  Apulia;  thenceforward  the  subject  of  education 
received  constant  and  careful  attention. 

On  April  4,  1803,  the  original  military  township  of  Tully,  No.  14,  in- 
cluding the  present  towns  of  Tully,  Preble  and  Scott  and  portions  of 
Spafford  and  Otisco,  was  given  independent  privileges  as  a  civil  town 
bearing  the  same  name,  and  on  the  8th  of  April,  1808,  Fabius  was  re- 
duced to  its  present  limits  by  the  formation  of  Cortland  county,  which 
took  off  nearly  all  of  the  towns  of  Truxton  and  Cuyler.  In  1810  the 
territory  under  consideration  contained  about  1,900  inhabitants.  Its 
settlement  during  the  first  decade  of  this  century  was  very  rapid.  Jo- 
seph Simons  had  opened  a  second  tavern  near  the  center  of  the  town 
and  Colonel  St.  John  started  a  third  at  Apulia.  Mail  was  obtained 
from  Truxton,  the  post-office  there  being  established  about  1804.  In 
1805  Lyman  Smith  constructed  a  tannery  on  Simon  Keeney's  farm, 
which  was  burned  in  1812  and  rebuilt  by  George  Pettit,  who  added  a 
shoemaking  department,  the  first  of  its  kind  in  the  region.  Previous 
to  this  it  had  been  the  custom  of  traveling  cobblers  to  go  from  house 
to  house  repairing  and  making  boots  and  shoes.  In  1808  Thomas  Miles 
erected  a  grist  mill  on  Butternut  Creek,  west  of  Apulia,  prior  to  which 
the  settlers  carried  their  grain  through  the  forests  to  Danforth's  at  ( >n- 
ondaga.  About  the  same  time  Joel  Daniels  started  a  blacksmith  shop 
in  the  town,  while  Morton  and  Cady  opened  the  first  store.  These 
various  enterprises  gave  a  marked  impulse  to  local  growth  and  pros- 
perity, added  materially  to  the  comforts  and  conveniences  of  the  inhab- 
itants and  contributed  largely  towards  subsequent  and  steady  develop- 
ment. The  settlers  were  no  longer  obliged  to  go  long  distances  to 
trade,  to  mill  or  to  market  their  produce,  but  enjoyed  these  privileges 
nearer  home,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  country  was  still  mainly 
a  primitive  wilderness.  A  few  years  later,  however,  the  pioneer  con- 
ditions passed  into  history,  and  on  every  hand  were  to  be  seen  fruitful 
farms  and  thriving  industries. 

Religion,  meanwhile,  had  taken  deep  root  among  the  several    com- 


872  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

inanities,  which  seem  to  have  been  composed  largely  of  adherents  of 
the  Baptist  faith.  One  authority  says  that  a  society  of  this  denomina- 
tion was  organized  at  "Fabius  Center,  or  Franklinville,  as  it  was  then 
called,"  in  1803,  with  Richard  Wheat,  vSimon  Keeney,  jr.,  Samuel 
Moray,  Lewis  Howell  and  Jasper  Partridge,  as  trustees.  "This  associ- 
ation," he  states,  "drooped  and  declined."  Another  writer,  quoting 
"from  official  documents,"  gives  the  "First  Society  in  Fabius,  May  28, 
1805,"  the  "First  Baptist  Society  in  the  town  of  Fabius,  November  21, 
1806,"  the  "First  Congregational  Society  in  Fabius,  August  9,  1808," 
the  "United  Presbyterian  Society  (Tully  and  Fabius),  December  9, 
1814,"  and  the  "First  Baptist  Church  and  Society  of  Fabius,  January 
25,  1817."  The  earliest  Baptist  society,  of  which  we  have  authentic 
information,  was  organized  in  1803,  and  was  known  as  the  Baptist 
church  of  Fabius.  On  the  24th  of  August  of  the  same  year  the  society 
was  recognized  by  a  council  consisting  of  six  ministers  and  nine  lay 
members  from  the  Baptist  churches  at  Hamilton,  Cazenovia,  Pompey 
and  De  Ruyter,  who  convened  in  a  barn  owned  by  Samuel  Webster, 
three  miles  south  of  the  village.  Elder  Ashbel  Hosraer  was  chosen 
moderator,  and  Dr.  James  Pettit,  clerk;  the  constituent  membership 
numbered  twenty,  among  whom  were  Thomas  and  Elijah  Keeney, 
Gurden  Woodruff,  Samuel  Webster  and  Samuel  Stone.  The  first  pastor 
was  Rev.  Rufus  Freeman.  In  1807  Rev.  Peter  P.  Roots,  a  missionary 
from  Hamilton,  located  at  Keeney's  Settlement  and  ministered  to  this 
society  for  several  years. 

The  First  Baptist  Church  and  Society  of  Fabius,  the  present  organ- 
ization, was  incorporated  August  24,  1819.  The  first  trustees  were 
Elijah  St.  John,  Jonathan  Stanley,  Aaron  Benedict,  John  Phelps, 
Stephen  Tripp,  Simon  Keeney,  Nathaniel  Bacon,  Benjamin  Lewis,  jr. , 
and  George  Pettit.  Marcus,  Chauncy,  and  Oliver  Andrews  leased  to 
the  society  a  site,  the  consideration  being  an  annual  rental  of  twenty- 
five  cents,  "  for  one  hundred  years,  or  for  so  long  a  term  of  time 
as  the  said  piece  or  parcel  of  ground,  or  any  part  thereof,  shall  be 
used  or  occupied  for  the  purpose  of  a  meeting  house."  In  1818  Rev. 
Mr.  Blakesley  was  engaged  as  pastor  for  three  years,  for  $1,000,  and 
members  of  the  society  went  to  Connecticut  with  their  teams  to  bring 
his  family  and  goods.  During  the  same  year  a  house  of  worship  was 
erected  at  a  cost  of  $5,000,  and  123  converts  were  baptized.  In  1870, 
during  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  J.  M.  Tollman,  the  original  edifice  was  re- 
built and  enlarged  at  a  cost  of  several  thousand  dollars.    The  following 


THE  TOWN  OF  FABIUS.  873 

are  a  few  of  the  pastors  who  have  labored  with  the  society:  Revs. 
John  Upford,  Eliada  Blakesley,  Horace  Griswold,  H.  V.  Jones,  Peter 
P.  Brown,  Walter  G.  Dye,  L.  L.  Livermore,  Elijah  G.  Blount,  J.  D. 
Webster,  J.  M.  Tollman,  Ira  Clark,  M.  F.  Negus,  Matthews,  Perkins, 
and  Decker. 

The  first  settlers  in  the  west  part  of  the  present  town  were  a  cultured 
and  religious  people,  and  in  1804  a  Presbyterian  church  was  organized 
and  regular  services  maintained.  In  1830  the  government  of  the 
church  was  changed  to  Congregational,  a  large  house  of  worship  erected 
at  Apulia,  and  the  First  Congregational  Society  of  Fabius  incorporated. 
The  Methodist  Episcopal  church  also  had  a  meeting  house  at  that  place, 
which,  in  1870,  they  removed  to  Summit  Station.  This  left  the  Con- 
gregational church  in  a  too  feeble  condition,  with  respect  to  member- 
ship, to  maintain  regular  preaching,  and  in  1876,  the  church  having 
become  extinct,  a  Baptist  society  was  organized  and  chose  Rev.  S.  A. 
Beeman  for  their  first  pastor.  In  1889  the  latter  body  was  reorganized 
as  the  Apulia  Baptist  church,  which  has  been  duly  incorporated,  and 
by  courtesy  of  the  First  Congregational  Society  occupies  its  real  estate 
and  edifice.  Rev.  A.  R.  Palmer,  of  Collingwood,  has  been  pastor 
since  September,  1891.  The  M.  E.  church  at  Summit  Station  still 
maintains  a  flourishing  existence. 

About  the  year  1812  Fabius  Center,  as  it  was  then  known,  began  to 
assume  some  business  activity,  an  ashery  being  erected  in  the  east  end 
of  the  present  village.  In  1814  a  tavern  was  opened  to  the  public,  and 
about  the  same  time  a  store  was  started  by  Aaron  Benedict.  The  war 
of  1812-15  was  raging  at  this  period  along  the  Canadian  frontier,  and 
in  a  measure  affected  the  settlements  under  consideration.  Here  and 
there  a  settler  joined  in  the  defense  of  Sackett's  Harbor,  Oswego,  or 
Niagara,  leaving  his  home  largely  unprotected,  yet  the  territory  was 
so  distant  from  the  scenes  of  conflict  that  little  of  interest  save  the  gen- 
eral excitement  occurred  within  its  borders.  Two  respected,  lifelong 
residents  of  the  town,  Edmund  Harris  and  Orange  Cadwell,  who  re- 
cently died  at  Fabius,  were  soldiers  of  this  war.  Following  this  came 
the  celebrated  "cold  season"  of  1816,  which  caused  considerable  suf- 
fering from  a  dearth  of  provisions  to  both  man  and  beast.  From  these 
drawbacks,  however,  the  pioneers  quickly  recovered,  and  during  the 
succeeding  years  universal  prosperity  prevailed. 

The  Skaneateles  and  Hamilton  turnpike  was  completed  about  this 
period  by  a  company  bearing  that  name,  among  the  promoters  being 
no 


874  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

such  public-spirited  and  enterprising  men  as  Col.  Elijah  St.  John, 
Josiah  Tubbs,  Benjamin  Brown,  John  Wallace,  and  William  Clark. 
This  thoroughfare  traversed  the  town  from  east  to  west,  and  perma- 
nently influenced  all  local  industries  as  well  as  the  various  settled  com- 
munities. It  was  long  a  busy  route  for  stages,  teaming,  and  travel, 
and  gave  the  first  important  impulse  to  the  hamlets  of  Fabius  and 
Apulia,  the  former  of  which  for  nearly  half  a  century  enjoyed  uninter 
rupted  growth  and  influence. 

The  completion  of  the  turnpike  was  the  signal  for  systematically  lay- 
ing out  and  building  up  the  village  of  Fabius,  and  a  few  years  later 
that  thrifty  center  contained  one  parallel  street,  four  cross  streets, 
about  600  inhabitants,  and  a  number  of  flourishing  industries.  The  main 
street,  broad  and  straight,  was  adorned  on  either  side  with  sugar 
maples,  which  stand  to  this  day  as  living  monuments  to  the  foresight 
and  taste  of  the  generous  founders,  among  whom  were  Jare  Benedict, 
John  Wilson,  Abijah  Otis,  Aaron  Benedict,  and  Mark  and  Lucas  An- 
drews. To  Jare  Benedict  and  John  Wilson  may  be  ascribed  the  origi- 
nal conception  of  the  village  and  plan  of  its  streets.  In  fact,  the 
former  gentleman  was  the  founder  of  the  Center.  He  built  the  house 
which,  for  more  than  sixty  years,  was  in  possession  of  the  Sprague 
family;  the  grist  mill  now  owned  and  run  by  Clark  &  Powers;  the 
tavern  which  used  to  stand  on  the  corner  occupied  by  Du  Portal  S. 
vSprague's  residence ;  the  saw  mill  formerly  owned  by  the  late  William 
Johnson;  and  many  other  structures.  Soon  after  the  opening  of  the 
turnpike  a  post-office  was  established  here,  and  among  the  postmasters 
are  remembered  the  names  of  Thadeus  Archer,  William  Frink,  George 
Pettit,  Sherman  H.  Corbin,  James  O.  Hulburt,  and  others.  The 
tavern  which  was  erected  in  1814  was  subsequently  known  for  many 
years  as  the  Cadwell  House,  and  is  still  standing,  being  occupied  as  a 
dwelling  and  owned  by  the  Cadwell  estate.  The  present  Vincent 
House,  built  a  little  later,  was  kept  by  Enoch  Ely,  Delos  H.  Johnson, 
Charles  Hobart,  and  others. 

The  hamlet  of  Apulia  likewise  dates  its  inception  as  a  business  cen- 
ter from  the  completion  of  the  turnpike,  or  a  little  later,  and  for  several 
years  it  was  the  scene  of  some  activity.  Here  Miles  B.  Hackett,  Mr. 
Ilapgood,  William  H.  Hotaling,  and  others  were  general  merchants, 
the  latter  being  now  in  business,  the  first  two  mentioned  being  also 
postmasters. 

By  the  year  1821  the  Methodists  had  gathered  sufficient  numerical 


W.   H.    HOTALl\<  -. 


THE  TOWN  OF  FABITTS.  375 

strength  to  form  a  society  from  a  previously  organized  class,  and  to 
build  a  house  of  worship  near  the  village  of  Fabius.  The  edifice  was 
removed  to  its  present  location  in  1835  and  rebuilt  in  I860.  Among 
the  early  members  of  this  church  were  Anson  and  Sally  Cadwell,  David 
and  Daniel  Porter,  Carlson  Hodgson,  and  Catherine  Hubbard.  In 
October,  1826,  the  Freewill  Baptists  began  to  hold  meetings  in  a  school 
house  near  Stephen  Tripp's,  and  the  next  year  a  society  of  that  faith 
was  formed  by  David  and  Polly  Coats,  Charles  and  Hannah  Mo 
Roland  and  Experience  Sears,  Joshua  and  Sally  Sanders,  John  and 
Polly  Smith,  Celestia  Connable,  and  others.  In  1830  a  church  was 
erected,  which  in  1855  was  removed  to  the  present  site  in  Fabius  vil- 
lage, where  it  was  rebuilt  in  1800.  Within  the  last  twenty-five  years 
the  society  has  materially  decreased  in  membership  until  now  it  con- 
tains scarcely  that  many  persons. 

The  completion  of  the  Erie  Canal  through  Syracuse  in  L825  had  a 
perceptible  influence  upon  the  prosperity  of  this  town,  notwithstanding 
its  distance  (about  twenty  miles)  from  the  center  of  activity.  Bringing, 
as  it  did,  the  eastern  markets  into  closer  proximity,  it  afforded  enlarged 
means  of  communication  and  inaugurated  a  new  era  of  local  develop- 
ment, which  continued  without  interruption  for  many  years. 

In  the  foregoing  pages  mention  has  been  made  of  numerous  pioneers 
to  whose  thrift  and  enterprise  is  due,  in  large  measure,  the  conversion 
of  a  primitive  wilderness  into  a  productive  section,  but  those  names 
were  not  alone  in  performing  the  arduous  labors  necessary  for  the  com- 
plete accomplishment  of  that  herculean  task.  They  had  many  noble 
associates  whose  names  will  forever  escape  permanent  record,  but 
whose  deeds  live  on  as  silent  memorials  to  their  worth  and  character, 
gracing  the  picturesque  valleys  and  hillsides  if  not  the  pages  of  history. 
At  this  point  in  the  narrative  of  Fabius  it  is  appropriate  to  give  such 
settlers  as  have  not  been  lost  to  recollection,  but  are  remembered  by 
one  or  two  contemporaries  still  living.  First,  the  remaining  eleven  of 
the  twelve  original  grantees,  soldiers  of  the  Revolutionary  war.  who 
became  residents  of  this  town,  may  be  here  recorded.  They  were 
Jonathan  Brooks,  Hartwell  Barnes,  John  Cadwell,  Daniel  Conner, 
Nathan  Goodale,  John  Ives,  Rufus  Carter,  Daniel  Hills,  Ebenezer 
Foot,  Ambrose  Gron,  and  Manuel  Truair.  Barnes  served  in  Captain 
Judd's  company  of  Col.  Samuel  Wylly's  regiment  of  General  Parsons's 
brigade  of  the  Connecticut  line,  and  was  a  laborer.  Cadwell  died  here 
March  3,  1834.      Conner  enlisted  four  times  from  Massachusetts,    serv- 


876  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

ing  from  the  night  of  Paul  Revere's  ride  to  Lexington  and  Concord  to 
the  close  of  the  war  in  1783.  Goodale  enlisted  in  the  same  State  in 
January,  1777,  and  was  also  discharged  in  June,  1783.  He  settled  on 
lot  11  in  Fabius.  Ives  served  three  years  from  Connecticut,  a  part 
of  the  time  in  Washington's  lifeguard. 

Among  the  settlers  of  this  town  prior  to  1850  were  the  following, 
east  and  south  of  Fabius  village: 

Mr.  Curtis  (farmer  and  hotel  keeper,  died  in  1833),  Ephraim  Wallace,  Martin  Lewis, 
Edward  Merrills,  Orel  Pope,  the  Bacon  family,  George  Pettit,  Elizur  Andrews,  John 
Keeney,  Eli  Webster,  Champion  Keeney,  Abner  Brown,  James  Andrews,  Thomas 
Keeney,  Isaac  Case,  the  Osborn  •  and  Hicks  families,  Humphrey  Fosmer,  Amos 
Tenny,  Gideon  Beebe,  Orrin'  Fox,  and  the  families  of  Vincent,  Dean,  Bump  and 
Stockham.  East  and  north  of  the  village :  John  Beach,  Benjamin  Wallace,  Martin 
Wallace,  Mr.  Howe,  George  Wallace,  Allen  F.  Locke,  John  Conklin,  Mr.  Pendell, 
John  Tobin,  Stutson  Benson,  Oliver  Williams,  Horace  Tuller,  Jonathan  Hoar,  Ben- 
jamin Webster,  Abel  Webster,  John  Crandall,  John  Daniels,  and  Benson  whose  house 
stood  on  the  Fabius  and  Pompey  line.  South  and  west:  John  Doubleday,  Abel 
Negus,  Abel  Clough,  Jonathan  Swift,  Harry  Lewis,  Joseph  Waters,  Nathaniel  Waters, 
Worthy  Waters,  Squire  Joslyn  (long  a  justice  of  the  peace),  Daniel  Hill,  Bennett 
Adams,  Samuel  Rowley,  Benjamin  Haswell,  Newell  Rowley,  Orsemus  Hills,  Thomas 
Dunn,  Isaac  Horton,  and  the  Newcomb,  Winegar  and  St.  John  families.  North  and 
west  of  the  Center:  Elisha  Sprague,  Buton  and  Russell  (who  had  a  saw  mill,  now 
run  by  Charles  Johnson),  Edmund  Harris,  Stephen  Hill  (who  also  owned  a  saw  mill), 
Norman  Hall,  Jackson  Ellis,  John  Jerome,  David  Connable,  Mr.  Coats,  Stephen 
Coville,  John  Cadwell,  and  Joseph  Hill,  a  wagonmaker,  who  came  from  De  Ruyter 
and  settled  in  Fabius  village  about  1830,  and  died  in  Dansville,  N.  Y.,  in  1835. 

Fabius  has  had  many  prominent  citizens,  men  who  have  done  noble 
work  for  their  day  and  generation.  Their  lives  are  not  to  be  meas- 
ured by  the  time  they  lived;  these  reach  forward  to  the  moulding  of 
future  events  and  generations.  Justice  demands  that  they  should 
have  more  than  a  passing  notice  on  the  historical  page.  The  following 
are  a  few  of  the  early  settlers,  or  later  residents,  who  are  conspicuous 
in  this  class: 

Hon.  George  Pettit,  of  New  England  stock,  was  born  January  13, 
1780.  He  came  to  Fabius  and  located  in  Keeney's  Settlement  in  1800. 
A  few  years  later  he  moved  to  a  large  farm  just  south  of  Fabius 
village.  He  was  a  member  of  assembly  from  his  assembly  district  for 
1821,  1835,  and  1836,  associate  judge  of  the  old  Court  of  Common  Pleas 
of  the  county  during  1823,  1828,  and  1838,  for  a  long  time  postmaster 
at  Fabius,  justice  of  the  peace  for  many  years,  and  a  soldier  of  the  war 
of  1812.  For  many  years  he  was  the  most  noted  and  eminent  citizen  in 
the  town  of  Fabius.      He  was  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  ability.     In 


THE  TOWN  OF  FABIUS.  877 

his  intercourse  and  controversy  with  his  fellow  townsmen  he  invariably 
carried  his  point  and  maintained  his  position.  He  demolished  all  ad- 
versaries and  opposition.  He  had  a  will  of  iron,  and  a  firmness  seldom 
equaled.  He  deliberately  reached  a  conclusion,  and  then  he  could  not 
be  shaken  from  it.  It  was  said  that  his  extended  information  gave  him 
the  mastery  on  all  occasions.  He  was  a  popular  man,  took  an  interest 
in  all  town  and  public  matters,  and  his  judgment  and  advice  were 
usually  relied  upon  and  followed.  On  a  legal  question  his  opinion  had 
much  weight,  and  few  lawyers  could  render  a  better  one.  In  religious 
matters  he  took  a  broad  interest.  For  a  quarter  of  a  century  he  was 
the  bone  and  sinew  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Fabius  village.  Heart, 
hand  and  purse  were  freely  given  to  the  cause;  and  the  church,  during 
this  time,  was  virtually  under  his  control.  No  dishonorable  or  unmanly 
act  was  ever  charged  to  George  Pettit.  Through  his  long  life,  midst 
all  his  varied  occupations,  he  escaped  damaging  errors  as  well  as  the 
vile  breath  of  the  calumniator.  His  long  life  ended,  he  sank  to  rest  on 
the  9th  day  of  August,  18G6,  and  his  remains  were  placed  in  the  family 
burial  lot  in  Fabius  Evergreen  Cemetery,  beside  one  who  brightened 
his  home  existence  for  many  years.  George  Pettit  married  three  wives, 
one  of  whom  survived  at  the  time  of  his  death.  He  had  a  large  family 
of  children.  Jonathan  E.  Pettit  was  one  of  the  oldest,  and  possessed 
many  of  his  father's  characteristics. 

Jonathan  worked  his  father's  farm  many  years;  but  his  devotion 
to  country  and  unbounded  generosity  could  not  withstand  the  adverse 
pressure  which  fell  upon  the  country  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebel- 
lion. This  in  a  measure  ruined  his  finances,  and  he  sank  beneath  the 
mighty  wave  that  overwhelmed  many  solid  fortunes  and  able  financiers 
in  the  Northern  States.  He  sold  what  little  was  left  of  a  large  estate 
and  established  a  home  at  Breckenridge,  Minn.,  where  he  still  resides. 

John  U.  Pettit,  the  next  son  in  order  of  age,  possessed  the  quick 
perception,  ready  wit,  and  easy  flow  of  language  so  characteristic  of 
this  family.  He  was  graduated  at  Clinton  College  about  1840,  then 
took  a  course  of  law  in  the  office  of  Hon.  Daniel  Gott  at  Pompey  Hill, 
and  soon  thereafter  discovered  that  he  was  a  victim  of  consumption, 
which  haunted  him  the  remainder  of  his  life.  As  an  antidote  he  made  his 
home  in  a  malarious  district  in  Indiana  and  there  established  a  law- 
practice  which  proved  both  successful  and  remunerative.  He  so<m 
became  a  member  of  congress  from  that  State,  was  afterward  a  minis- 
ter representing  the  United  States  at  the  capital  of   Brazil,  and  later  a 


878  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

judge  of  the  Circuit  Court  of  Indiana.  He  became  a  prominent  man, 
and  was  counsel  in  the  famous  case  of  the  Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle 
following  the  Rebellion.      He  died  in  early  manhood. 

Milton  H.  Pettit,  another  son  of  George  Pettit,  was  born  and  reared 
in  Fabius  and  possessed  in  a  marked  degree  the  distinguishing  traits  of 
the  Pettit  family.  Quick,  active  and  courageous,  he  pushed  his  way 
ahead  in  the  world  with  rapid  strides.  In  early  life  he  become  a  conspicu- 
ous figure  in  the  State  of  Wisconsin,  where  he  had  established  his  home 
upon  a  farm.  He  abandoned  farm  life  for  a  residence  in  Kenosha,  and 
there  engaged  in  the  malting  business.  He  was  mayor  of  Kenosha, 
State  senator,  and  creditably  filled  many  other  prominent  positions, 
being  lieutenant-governor  of  the  State  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

Emeline,  the  second  daughter  of  George  Pettit,  was  married  to  Rev. 
William  Corbin,  and  died  within  two  or  three  years  thereafter,  leaving 
an  only  son,  Henry  Pettit  Corbin.  J.  E.  Pettit  took  this  boy,  treated 
him  as  his  own  son,  and  reared  him  to  manhood.  Henry  enlisted  in 
the  war  of  the  Rebellion  and  was  killed  in  terrible  battle.  Another 
daughter,  Mary  Ann,  became  the  wife  of  Dr.  Lorenzo  Heffron,  who 
was  a  physician  of  more  than  ordinary  note  in  this  section  of  the  coun- 
try and  father  of  Dr.  John  L.  Heffron,  who  has  attained  to  a  high 
standing  among  the  medical  fraternity  in  Syracuse. 

Benjamin  Lewis  came  to  the  valley  near  Delphi,  town  of  Pompey, 
from  Shaftsbury,  Vt.,  in  1796,  and  had  a  large  family  of  sons  and 
daughters.  Soon  after  his  settlement  in  Pompey  Hollow  the  sons 
moved  on  to  farms  of  their  own  in  the  town  of  Fabius,  Martin,- the  eld- 
est son,  locating  his  family  on  a  farm  three  miles  east  of  Fabius  village. 
Martin,  like  his  father,  had  a  numerous  family,  the  various  members  of 
which,  as  they  ripened  into  manhood  and  womanhood,  sought  new 
spheres  of  occupation  in  different  sections  of  the  country,  Osymandus, 
the  elder,  settling  as  a  practicing  physician  in  a  Western  State.  Before 
leaving  his  native  town,  he  had  married  Caroline,  daughter  of  Edmund 
1 1  arris.  She  had  died  and  her  husband  had  been  married  to  Catherine 
Harris,  widow  of  Seymour  C.  Harris,  esq.,  before  moving  west.  His 
medical  career  had  just  begun,  with  the  most  flattering  and  encourag- 
ing prospects,  when  it  was  cut  short  by  death. 

Osymandus  Lewis  had  two  sons  by  his  first  marriage,  Wayland  and 
Ceylon  H.  Wayland,  the  elder,  enlisted  in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion 
and  perished  fighting  for  his  country.  Both  of  these  sons  were  born 
in  Fabius,      Ceylon  H.  was  graduated  with  honors  from  Madison  Uni- 


THE  TOWN  OF  PABIUS.  879 

versity,  studied  law  in  the  offices  of  ex-Senator  Hiscock  and  William 
P.  Goodelle  in  Syracuse,  and  in  his  early  career  served  several  seasons  as 
clerk  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  of  Onondaga  county.  Later  he  was 
district  attorney  of  this  county  and  discharged  the  duties  of  the  office  in 
a  manner  highly  satisfactory  to  his  constituents.  He  was  a  delegate  to 
the  convention  that  met  at  Albany  in  1894  to  revise  the  Constitution  of 
the  State  of  New  York.  He  has  filled  other  public  positions,  and 
always  in  a  manner  creditable  to  himself  and  to  the  people.  He  is  a 
young  man,  yet  he  has  won  a  reputation,  and  attained  a  standing  as  a 
lawyer  that  a  man  of  more  mature  years  might  envy. 

James  J.  Belden,  born  and  reared  to  manhood  in  Fabius,  is  the  son  of 
Royal  Derrison  Belden,  and  during  his  early  years  worked  with  his 
father  and  brother  as  an  employee  of  Oliver  Andrews  in  keeping  in 
repair  the  old  Hamilton  and  Skaneateles  turnpike.  (Sir  Ins  biography 
elsewhere  in  this  work. ) 

Elisha  Sprague,  who  has  been  an  important  factor  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  town  of  Fabius,  was  born  at  Stephentown,  Rensselaer 
county,  N.  Y.,  Agust  23,  1794, where  rest  the  remains  of  his  father  and 
grandfather.  He  was  descendant  from  one  of  three  brothers  of  Eng- 
lish origin  and  landed  in  Boston  in  the  days  of  the  Revolution,  and 
whose  progeny  are  now  found  in  every  State  of  the  Union.  Elisha 
Sprague's  parents  died  in  his  infancy  and  he  was  adopted  by  his  uncle, 
Simeon  Sprague,  with  whom  he  came  and  settled  in  the  east  part  of  the 
town  of  Fabius  when  four  years  of  age,  and  with  whom  he  remained 
during  the  years  of  his  minority.  When  twenty-one  years  old  he  took 
possession  of  200  acres  of  wild  land  (now  known  as  the  Wallace  farm), 
purchased  with  a  small  patrimony  left  by  his  father.  In  the  spring  of 
1832  he  sold  this  and  purchased  a  small  farm  at  the  west  end  of  Fabius 
village  of  Jared  Benedict,  on  which  he  moved  the  first  day  of  April  of 
that  year,  and  where  he  died  August  15,  1 8 (I "2 .  Elisha  Sprague  was 
a  surveyor  of  more  than  ordinary  skill  and  ability,  and  was  noted  for 
close  and  accurate  work.  About  1818  he  entered  upon  this  line  ol 
business  and  followed  it  for  more  than  thirty  years.  He  made  the  original 
surveys  of  nearly  all  the  town  highways,  and  located  most  of  the  farm 
and  lot  lines  as  they  now  are.  His  fidelity  to  the  interests  of  all  parties 
was  never  impugned.  In  all  religious  and  educational  matters  he  took 
a  deep  interest.  He  was  one  of  the  main  stays  in  the  fabius  Baptist 
church  for  almost  a  lifetime.  His  purse  was  always  ready  to  open  for 
church  and  charitable  needs.      He  was  really  the  progenitor  and  founder 


880  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

of  Fabius  Academy.  This  institution  was  established  and  incorporated 
by  the  Regents  of  the  University  of  the  State  of  New  York  in  1840. 
Elisha  Sprague  was  largely  instrumental,  through  perseverance  and  in- 
fluence, in  procuring  subscriptions  with  which  to  erect  and  furnish  the 
building  for  school  purposes.  In  1841  a  school  building  was  erected 
and  completed,  and  a  good  attendance  and  general  prosperity  attended 
the  school  until  1849,  when,  amid  a  general  consolidation  of  school 
districts  through  the  town,  the  academy  structure  was  sold  to  district 
No.  9  for  $450;  it  then  became  the  seat  of  learning  of  four  other  school 
districts  besides  No.  9,  and  has  now  become  the  seat  of  the  Fabius 
Union  Free  School  and  Academy.  The  credit  of  awakening  an  inter- 
est in  a  general  planting  of  shade  and  ornamental  trees  along  the  high- 
ways and  walks  of  Fabius  village  is  also  due  to  Elisha  Sprague.  The 
majestic  rows  of  maples,  that  flank  the  highways  on  either  side,  form 
one  of  the  most  pleasing  aspects  of  the  general  scenery.  Mr.  Sprague 
was  supervisor  of  the  town  in  1846.  He  married  Milla  Lewis,  March  6, 
1817;  her  sister,  Mabel,  August  27,  1832;  and  another  sister,  Myra, 
September  29,  1834.  An  early  grave  was  the  destiny  of  the  first  two 
wives.  He  was  the  father  of  fifteen  children,  thirteen  of  whom  grew 
to  maturity.  One  of  these,  Oscar  L.  Sprague,  was  graduated  from 
Madison  University,  studied  law  with  Gen.  James  W.  Nye,  of  Hamilton, 
and  commenced  practice  in  Fabius,  where  he  opened  an  office  in  1848. 
While  in  this  office  he  was  chosen  school  commissioner,  justice  of  the 
peace,  and  supervisor  of  the  town  of  Fabius,  and  filled  other  positions 
in  the  town  and  county.  In  1864  he  was  elected  surrogate  of  Onon- 
daga county,  and  died  August  25,  1865,  while  an  incumbent  of  that 
office.  Oscar  L.  Sprague  in  his  intercourse  with  mankind  as  a  lawyer, 
and  in  every  capacity  of  life,  was  noted  for  urbanity,  uprightness,  and 
stern  integrity;  his  influence  was  irreproachable,  ever  for  morality, 
justice,  and  the  best  interest  of  society. 

Another  son  of  Elisha  Sprague,  Du  Portal  S.  Sprague,  has  filled  the 
position  of  justice  of  the  peace  in  the  town  four  terms  and  held  many 
minor  offices.  He  is  favorably  known  as  a  surveyor  over  a  large  tract 
of  country.  For  more  than  fifty  years  he  has  traveled  those  hills  and 
valleys  with  chain  and  compass.  He  is  familiar  with  the  boundaries 
of  almost  every  farm  in  that  town,  and  seldom  have  contentions  and 
litigations  arisen  over  boundary  lines  in  Onondaga,  Madison,  or  Cort- 
land counties  that  he  has  not  been  called  with  his  instruments  to  aid  in 
the  settlement  or  to  sustain  the  rights  of  one  party.      His  advice  has 


THE  TOWN  OF  FABIUS.  361 

always  been  for  settlement,  never  for  litigation,  and  by  his  timely  serv- 
ices he  has  saved  many  a  judicial  contest  in  the  courts  and  many  thou- 
sands in  money  to  contestants  over  boundary  lines.  Du  Portal  S. 
Sprague  laid  out  and  staked  off  both  the  original  grounds  and  the  re 
cent  extension  of  Fabius  Evergreen  Cemetery.  He  has  continuously 
held  the  position  of  trustee  and  clerk  of  the  Hoard  of  Trustees  of  this 
cemetery  association  since  its  organization,  March  22,  L864,  more  than 
thirty  years.  But  the  fleeting-  years  admonish  him  that  lie  has  reached 
the  period  of  declining  life.  Another  son  of  Elisha  Sprague  is  | 
D.  Sprague,  who  was  graduated  from  Madison  University,  and  particu- 
larly noted  for  ease  in  acquiring  knowledge  and  for  great  scholarship. 
He  has  a  quiet,  affable  nature,  and  has  never  sought  to  assume  the 
care  and  anxiety  incident  to  the  management  of  large  business  con- 
cerns. He  finds  many  spare  hours  to  devote  to  literary  pursuits  and 
to  the  interests  of  the  church  with  which  he  is  connected.  For  over 
twenty  years  he  has  been  head  and  confidential  clerk  to  Thompson 
Kingsford,  the  millionaire  starch  manufacturer  of  Oswego.  Still  an- 
other son  of  Elisha  Sprague  is  1).  Webster  Sprague,  a  graduate  of  the 
Normal  School  at  Albany.  After  teaching  in  some  of  the  high  schools 
of  Minnesota,  and  holding  the  office  of  school  commissioner  in  that 
State  for  many  years,  he  finally  accepted  a  position  in  the  State  Uni- 
versity of  Minnesota  at  Minneapolis,  which  he  still  holds.  .Mary,  a 
daughter  of  Elisha  Sprague,  married  the  Hon.  Willis  B.  Benedict, 
grandson  of  Jare  Benedict,  the  founder  of  the  village  of  Fabius.  They 
settled  at  once,  after  marriage,  in  the  oil  regions  of  Western  Pennsyl- 
vania, where  she  died. 

This  town  claims  the  honor  of  having  been  the  home  of  Sarah  Jane 
Clark,  now  known  to  the  literary  world  as  "Grace  Greenwood."  She 
was  the  daughter  of  Dr.  Clark,  and  lived  with  her  father's  family  for 
some  years,  during  her  teens,  a  half  mile  north  of  the  village  in  the 
dwelling  house  now  owned  and  occupied  by  Edward  II.  Knap]).  She 
attended  the  district  school  in  Fabius  village,  and  is  still  remembered 
by  many  of  the  oldest  inhabitants.  Flere  the  wild  and  romantic 
scenery,  so  in  harmony  with  her  nature,  awakened  to  activity  those 
latent  impulses  that  in  later  years  have  made  her  famous  wherever  the 
English  language  is  spoken. 

Truman  G.  Younglove  was  a  native  of  Fabius,  and  was  reared  to  the 
business  of  tanner  and  currier,  and  shoemaker  on  the  premises  of  his 
father,    David     Younglove,   at   the  west  end   of   Fabius    village.      His 
ill 


882  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

school  and  educational  advantages  were  very  limited,  but  he  was  an 
inveterate  reader,  and  obtained  from  books  and  papers  a  good  stock  of 
general  intelligence.  When  about  twenty-five  years  of  age  he  went  to 
live  with  his  uncle,  Earl  Stimpson,  a  wealthy  and  extensive  manufactu- 
rer, at  Cohoes,  N.  Y.  There  he  soon  developed  superior  business 
qualifications,  and  soon  had  the  management  of  much  of  his  uncle's 
business.  About  1850-51  he  was  member  of  assembly  from  the  Co- 
hoes district,  and  during  the  latter  year  was  made  speaker  of  the 
house. 

Fabius  has  had  such  other  prominent  citizens  as  Elijah  W.  Miles, 
who  was  State  senator  in  1820,  1821,  and  1822;  Jonathan  Stanley,  jr., 
member  of  assembly,  and  presidential  elector  in  1812 ;  Elmore  Wheaton, 
justice  of  the  peace  for  twenty  years;  Orrin  Aylsworth,  justice  of  the 
peace  and  member  of  assembly  in  1859;  and  Squire  Doubleday,  Na- 
thaniel Andrews,  Henry  H.  Clark,  Orel  Pope,  Miles  B.  Hackett,  Will- 
iam H.  Hotaling  and  others. 

In  1836  the  town  contained  four  grist  mills,  fifteen  saw  mills,  two  fulling  mills, 
five  carding  machines,  three  asheries,  five  tanneries,  about  2,800  inhabitants, 
twenty-one  school  districts,  and  1,187  school  children,  while  Fabius  Center,  then  the 
principal  village,  had  three  or  four  stores,  three  taverns,  a  tannery,  and  about  forty 
dwellings.  Besides  these  there  were  in  the  town  4,156  cattle,  886  horses,  8,431  sheep, 
and  2,261  swine,  while  the  manufactures  consisted  of  5,134  yards  of  fulled  goods, 
6,809  yards  of  unfulled  woolens,  and  8,261  yards  of  cottons,  linens,  etc. 

In  1845  there  were  2,539  inhabitants,  567  voters,  135  militia,  742  school  children, 
18,238  acres  of  improved  land,  three  grist  mills,  twelve  saw  mills,  two  fulling  mills, 
two  carding  machines,  two  asheries,  four  tanneries,  five  churches,  twenty  common 
schools,  tour  taverns,  five  stores,  ten  merchants,  two  lawyers,  three  physicians,  361 
farmers,  and  91  mechanics. 

Fifteen  years  later  (in  1860)  the  town  contained  19,784  acres  of  improved  land,  real 
estate  assessed  at  8531,310  and  personal  property  at  $52,900,  442  dwellings,  438  fam- 
ilies, 375  freeholders,  eighteen  school  districts,  872  school  children,  735  horses,  1,273 
oxen  and  calves,  2,637  cows,  2,972  sheep  and  924  swine;  and  there  were  produced 
1,239  bushels  of  winter  wheat,  72,941  bushels  of  spring  wheat,  5,205  tons  of  hay,  11,- 
162  bushels  of  potatoes,  40,056  bushels  of  apples,  143,500  pounds  of  butter,  527,770 
pounds  of  cheese,  and  695  yards  of  domestic  cloth. 

From  the  foregoing  statistics  it  will  be  seen  that  the  occupation  of 
the  inhabitants  from  the  early  settlement  of  the  town  to  the  present 
day  has  been  largely  of  an  agricultural  nature.  As  the  forests  receded 
farming  interests  became  of  paramount  importance,  and  in  time  the 
unusual  fertility  of  the  soil,  combined  with  climatic  influences,  placed 
this  section  in  the  front  rank  among  the  leading  rural  portions  of  the 
State.      The  grains,    fruit,   hay,    potatoes,   etc.,    were  long  grown  in 


H.   H.   CLARK. 


THE  TOWN  OF  FABIUS.  383 

abundance,  but  it  was  soon  found  that  grazing  and  the  keeping  oi 
tie  and  sheep  were  especial  branches  for  future  attention.  Dairying 
rapidly  developed  until  within  recent  years  it  lias  largely  supers 
other  interests.  In  1860  there  were  thirty-five  dairies  of  from  50  to  I  25 
cows  each.  The  soil,  water,  and  climate  combined  to  produce  the 
finest  grade  of  butter  and  cheese  made  in  America,  if  not  in  the  world. 
At  an  early  day  large  dairies  were  established  throughout  the  town. 
The  milk  product  was  usually  converted  into  butter  and  cheese  by  the 
dairymen  on  their  respective  farms.  Away  back  in  the  sixties,  about 
the  time  of  the  opening  of  the  Rebellion,  a  large  foreign  demand  arose 
for  American  cheese,  which  called  for  a  firmer  quality  than  our  dairy- 
men were  then  making,  and  to  supply  this  want  factories  were  erected 
in  every  principal  dairy  district,  where  cheese  was  made  by  experienced 
hands  and  of  a  quality  to  please  the  shippers.  The  dairymen  within 
two  or  three  miles  of  each  factory  organized  and  delivered  their  milk 
to  the  several  factories,  where  the  proprietor  was  employed  to  make 
the  cheese  of  the  association  at  a  stipulated  price  per  pound.  This  con- 
dition of  things  had  the  effect,  largely,  to  stop  the  home  manufacture 
of  cheese.  A  habit  was  established  of  carting  the  milk  to  the  factory — 
a  habit  not  easily  broken.  Within  the  last  five  years  another  change 
has  encountered  the  dairy  farmer.  He  makes  no  more  butter,  no 
more  cheese,  but  if  situated  distant  from  railroads  sells  his  milk  to 
makers  of  butter,  pot  cheese,  and  full  cream  cheese  according  to  the  de- 
mands of  the  market,  and  consigns  them  for  sale  to  New  York  commis- 
sion houses,  while  the  milk  from  dairies  along  railway  Lines  is  sold  to 
parties  who  erect  depots  along  these  lines  and  ship  the  delivery  daily  to 
New  York.  To  these  creameries  and  depots  the  dairyman  hauls  his  milk 
at  a  stipulated  price,  receives  his  pay,  and  there  all  care,  labor,  and 
anxiety  regarding  his  milk  ceases.  It  is  highly  proper  to  name  in  this 
connection  some  of  the  men  who  have  taken  the  lead  in  establishing 
large  dairies  in  this  town.  Orsemus  Hills,  Xcwell  Rowley,  Henry  11 
Clark,  Elisha  Peck,  and  Marcus  Winegar  should  be  given  among  the 
number.     These  men  have  in  years  gone  by  kept  from  75  ows 

each,  and  they  have  all  been  large  land  owners,  having  from  300  to 
1,500  acres  each.  Orsemus  Hills  and  Elisha  Peek  have  some  \ 
since  left  their  acres  and  their  cows  for  other  generations  to  manage; 
while  H.  H.  Clark,  Newell  Rowley,  and  Marcus  Winegar,  in  the  midst 
of  declining  years,  follow  the  farm  and  the  dairy  with  an  assiduity 
worthy  of  a  younger  manhood.     Another  element  in  conducting  dairy 


884  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

matters  has  within  a  few  years  become  an  active  part  and  parcel  of 
Fabius.  Reference  is  had  to  the  Gallingers,  who  have  crossed  the 
Canadian  borders  for  homes  here.  Eight  or  ten  families  of  this  name 
are  now  in  Fabius,  and  mostly  follow  dairying.  About  five  years  ago 
a  large  creamery  was  erected  in  Fabius  village  by  John  S.  Carter,  of 
Syracuse.  It  is  now  owned  by  a  stock  company,  the  principal  share- 
holders of  which  are  H.  H.  Clark,  Gallinger  Brothers,  E.  H.  Knapp, 
and  Edmund  Shea. 

One  of  the  most  important  industries  of  the  town,  and  in  which  it 
ranks  first  in  the  county,  if  not  in  the  State,  is  that  of  poultry  raising. 
A  few  years  ago  very  little  attention  was  given  to  this  special  branch 
of  agriculture;  now  many  thousands  of  dollars  are  invested  in  the 
business.  Among  the  first  in  the  United  States  to  engage  in  the  rais- 
ing of  fowls,  both  for  eggs  and  fancy  stock,  may  be  mentioned  the 
Knapp  Brothers.  They  have  been  instrumental  in  introducing  the 
White  Leghorns  and  White  Wyandotts  throughout  this  country  and 
across  the  waters.  Their  birds  have  been  successfully  shown  at  all  of 
the  large  shows  in  the  United  States,  including  the  World's  Fair  and 
Madison  Square  Garden  exhibitions,  where  they  have  come  in  compe- 
tition with  specimens  from  all  parts  of  the  world.  The)^  also  do  a  com- 
mission business  in  eggs,  amounting  to  upwards  of  $25,000  annually. 
Edward  Knapp,  the  proprietor,  while  yet  a  young  man,  has  accumu- 
lated a  large  fortune  in  a  few  years.  Among  others  who  are  ex- 
tensively engaged  in  this  industry,  and  who  are  well  and  widely 
known  as  poultry  breeders,  are  Charles  Jerome  &  Co.,  White  Minorcas; 
Harvey  D.  Mason  &  Son,  Golden  Wyandotts;  Noah  Gallinger,  Sher- 
woods  and  White  Plymouth  Rocks;  and  George  Gallinger.  Brown 
Leghorns.  All  of  these  do  a  business  amounting  to  thousands  of  dol- 
lars every  year. 

Another  industry,  which  is  still  in  its  infancy,  is  the  cultivation  of 
ginseng.  This  is  a  plant,  of  the  genus  Panax,  the  root  of  which  is  in 
great  demand  among  the  Chinese  as  a  stimulant.  It  is  found  in  the 
northern  parts  of  America.  Several  years  ago  George  Stanton  of 
Summit  Station,  believing  that  the  root  could  be  cultivated  with  profit, 
began  experiments,  and  to-day  he  is  widely  known  as  one  of  the  largest 
shippers  in  this  country. 

The  village  of  Fabius,  as  will  be  seen,  was  for  many  years  the  center 
of  great  activity.  It  flourished  as  the  principal  business  point  of  the 
town  until   the  completion  of  the   Syracuse  and  Binghamton  Railroad 


THE  TOWN  OF  FABIUS.  885 

in  1854,  when  it  and  Apulia  lost  much  of  their  former  prestige  and 
gradually  declined  in  commercial  importance.  Trade  and  travel 
thenceforward  sought  Syracuse  and  other  places  more  advantageously 
situated,  yet  as  local  hamlets  deriving  their  support  from  contiguous 
territory  they  still  maintain  a  considerable  degree  of  active  life.  In 
183G  the  first  and  only  newspaper  in  the  town,  the  American  Patriot, 
was  started  in  Fabius  by  Joseph  Tenny,  but  after  about  three  yeai 
varying  fortunes  discontinued  publication.  It  was  issued  weekly.  The 
village  of  Fabius,  known  in  early  times  as  Fabius  Center  and  Franklin- 
ville,  has  had  such  merchants  as: 

Elizur  Smith,  Philo  B.  Castle,  Nathaniel  Andrews,  Moses  Stimson,  William  Frink, 
Thaddeus  Archer,  Sherman  Corbin,  Samuel  Saulsbury,  Seneca  Smith,  Du  Porta]  S. 
and  Harlow  Sprague  (brothers),  William  Hotaling,  George  II.  Gallinger,  Birdsell  & 
Ayers,  Elijah  Andrews,  Daniel  Joslyn,  Thomas  Beach,  Brown  &  Hollister,  Henry 
Ten  Eyck,  Enos  Bacon,  Hollister  &  Hulbert,  Elmore  Wheaton,  Edgar  Thomas,  Will- 
iam R.  Bush,  Charles  H.  Wheaton,  Lewis  Bramer,  F.  T.  Schoonmaker,  and  [.  Miles 
Cummings;  wagonmakers  and  blacksmiths,  Benjamin  and  Archibald  Colby,  Henry 
Fosmer,  Ansel  Ellis,  Owen  Vincent,  and  Charles  Downs;  hatters,  Mr.  Stewart  and 
Samuel  Coon;  cabinetmakers,  Henry  Stevens,  Philander  Mead,  Hiram  A.  Bumpus, 
E.  A.  Fosmer,  William  Estes,  and  X.  F.  Benedict;  harnessraakers,  Marvin  Button, 
Edwin  Hine,  John  G.  Stewart,  and  Wolcott  Justice ;  shoemaker,  Lewis  II.  Webster. 

Lewis  Webster  gave  employment  to  fifteen  or  twenty  hands  and  con- 
tinued in  business  many  years,  and  Spafford  Allen,  who  was  born  in 
Sackett's  Harbor  April  21,  1811,  came  here  in  January,  1833,  from  Linck- 
laen,  Chenango  county,  and  since  1840  has  followed  his  trade  of  shoe- 
maker, which  he  learned  in  Cazenovia.  He  is  a  son  of  Jacob  Allen, 
who  served  seven  years  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  was  also  in  the 
war  of  1812,  and  who  drew,  as  bounty,  lands  now  occupied  by  a  part  of 
the  city  of  Troy,  N.  Y.  In  the  west  end  of  the  village  J  are  Benedict 
built  the  old  Franklin  House,  which  was  kept  by  Sherman  Morehouse, 
John  Madison,  Charles  Hobart,  and  others.  Among  the  physicians 
who  have  been  practitioners  in  the  town  Drs.  Searles,  Hiram  Adams, 
Upson,  Babcock,  Thayer,  Ferry,  and  Lorenzo  Heffron  (who  settled 
here  in  1852,  married  a  daughter  of  George  Pettit,  and  died  January  I, 
1879,  aged  sixty-nine  years). 

Manufacturing  also  formed  an  important  factor  in  the  life  of  Fabius 
village  for  many  years.  The  old  grist  mill,  built  in  L817,  is  still  stand- 
ing, one  of  the  most  interesting  landmarks  of  the  town,  and  anion-  its 
proprietors  have  been  Oregin  &  Griswold,  Osgood  &  Pierce,  Peter 
Slingerland,   Paddock  Colegrove,    Edwin   Belden,  Irving  Smith,  John 


886  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Conant,  Benjamin  Bodfish,  Henry  Clark  and  John  Powers.  When 
Spafford  Allen  came  here  in  1833  he  went  to  work  at  his  trade  for 
Charles  and  Richard  Daniels,  who  had  a  tannery  and  shoe  manufactory 
in  the  west  part  of  the  village,  which  employed  from  fifteen  to  twenty 
hands.  About  1840  the  tannery  passed  to  George  Pettit  as  receiver, 
and  was  subsequently  owned  by  George  Slingerland,"  Daniel  Momfort, 
and  Addison  White.  It  ceased  operation  about  1860.  On  the  opposite 
side  of  the  road  David  Younglove  also  had  a  small  tannery  for  several 
years.  Later  Samuel  Saulsbury  and  Seneca  Smith  started  another 
tannery  about  where  the  creamery  now  stands ;  it  was  afterward  con- 
verted into  a  shoe  factory  by  Lewis  H.  Webster  and  burned.  David 
Bramer,  uncle  of  Lewis  Bramer,  manufactured  horse-power  threshing- 
machines  here  for  some  fifteen  years.  His  son  Franklin  invented  and 
made  the  celebrated  Young  Warrior  mower,  and  also  had  a  foundry ; 
he  moved  the  manufactory  to  Little  Falls,  and  was  succeeded  in  the 
foundry  by  Lewis  Bramer  and  Carlos  Bennett,  who  finally  discontinued 
the  enterprise.  Riley  Bramer,  another  son  of  David,  had  a  tin  shop 
on  the  site  of  Lewis  Bramer's  hardware  store,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Egbert  Vincent,  George  Stanton,  Lewis  Bramer  and  others.  Another 
foundry  was  started  by  Morse  and  Lazelle,  finally  passed  to  Daniel  Jos- 
lyn  and  Anson  Ellis,  and  eventually  went  down.  Other  industries 
were  the  carriage  factory  of  Ellis  &  Barnes,  the  saw  and  shingle  mill 
and  cheese-box  factory  of  C.  T.  Chaffee  &  Brothers,  and  the  saw  and 
feed  mill  of  C.  T.  Chaffee. 

In  1845  the  Universalists,  having  organized  a  society,  erected  a  house 
of  worship  in  Fabius  village,  but  after  about  thirty- five  years  of  strug- 
gling existence  abandoned  the  field,  and  their  edifice  was  occupied  and 
subsequently  purchased  by  the  Roman  Catholics  as  an  out  mission  from 
Pompey  Hill. 

In  1854  the  Syracuse  and  Binghamton  Railroad  was  completed  and 
opened  across  the  western  edge  of  the  town  with  a  station,  on  the  old 
turnpike,  known  as  Summit  Station.  This  event,  while  inaugurating  a 
new  impetus  to  agriculture  and  shipping  interests,  proved  disastrous  to 
the  villages  of  Fabius  and  Apulia,  which  quickly  lost  their  oldtime  busi- 
ness activity  and  local  prestige,  their  trade  being  largely  drawn  to 
neighboring  centers  of  population.  The  railroad,  however,  gave  ex- 
istence to  the  hamlet  and  post-office  of  Summit  Station,  which  became 
tin-  shipping  point  for  this  town  as  well  as  for  a  part  of  Tully.  The 
place  has  had  such  merchants  as  C.  F.  Gay  &  Co.,  J.  J.  Blaney,   C.    R. 


THE  TOWN  OF  FABIUS.  887 

Briggs,  Frank  June,  and  A.  Bores  &  Son.  Here  also  is  a  large  chair 
factory  owned  by  William  H.  S.  Green  and  William  II.  Hotaling,  who 
manufacture  about  35,000  chairs  annually.  The  plant  was  established 
by  Miles  &  Green  in  1871  as  a  saw  mill,  the  chair  manufactory  being 
added  in  1874. 

During  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  from  L861  to  L865,  the  town 
Fabiusmade  a  most  honorable  and  patriotic  record,  contributing  a  large 
percentage  of  the  population  as  soldiers  in  the  Union  cause,  and  for- 
warding even  the  necessaries  of  life  to  those  who  had  enlisted  in  their 
country's  service.  Several  war  meetings  were  held  and  excitement  at 
times  ran  high,  and  the  inhabitants  promptly  responded  to  the  various 
calls  with  both  money  and  men. 

Fabius  Evergreen  Cemetery  Association  was  organized  and  incor- 
porated under  the  statute  law  of  the  State  of  New  York,  of  1847,  and 
the  grounds  were  dedicated  October  2-'»,  1865;  The  plat  contained  six 
acres,  lying  south  of  the  east  end  of  Fabius  village.  The  first  trustees 
were  Albert  Bramer,  Horace  F.  Williams,  Jonathan  E.  Pettit,  Shubel 
Cadwell,    Eleazer  Andrews,    Lorenzo  S.    Thomas,   Hiram   Adams  and 

D.  S.  Sprague.  The  ground  was  a  field  of  wheat  when  the  association 
was  organized  in  1864.  To-day,  granite  and  marble  columns  ami 
slabs  glisten  in  the  bright  sunshine  on  all  sections  of  the  ground,  and 
the  shade  and  ornamental  trees  planted  at  an  early  day  have  converted 
many  portions  into  a  forest,  many  of  the  evergreens  sending  their 
foliage  fifty  feet  into  the  air.  The  cemetery  was  enlarged  by  the  pur- 
chase of  five  and  one-half  acres  on  the  15th  of  April,  1885.  This  addi- 
tion, costing  $T50,  was  held  in  reserve  for  the  day  of  need,  and  was 
finally  mapped  and  staked  into  burial  lots  in  the  summer  of 
Most  of  the  early  trustees  of  the  cemetery  have  long  since  found  homes 
within  its  somber  recesses. 

The  present  board  consists  of  president,  C.  H.  Wheaton ;  vice-president,  W.  II  S. 
Green;  secretary,  D.  S.  Sprague;  treasurer,  Lewis  Bramer;  superintendent,  1  >.  II. 
Johnson;  and   Benjamin   Bramer,  W.  H.  Hotaling,  George   II.  Gallinger,  and  John 

E.  Andrews.  Uelos  H.  Johnson  has  been  superintendent  of  the  cemetery  grounds 
since  1868. 

The  village  of  Fabius  is  situated  in  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and 
picturesque  regions  of  the  State,  amidst  the  hills  forming  the  most 
northerly  spur  of  the  Allegany  range  of  mountains,  and  is  literally 
embowered  in  foliage  with  varying  tints  of  green.  It  is  about  four 
and  one-half  miles  from  the  Syracuse  and  Bingham  ton  Railroad  at 
Apulia  and  about  six  miles  from  the  Elmira,   Cortland  and  Northern 


888  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Railroad  at  Cuyler,  and  stages  make  daily  runs  between  here  and  the 
stations.  The  village  was  incorporated  in  1880,  with  an  area  of  296 
acres,  and  with  the  following  officers:  Elmore  Wheaton,  president: 
Noah  Gallinger,  Lewis  Bramer,  and  Ansel  Ellis,  trustees;  John  Sharp, 
treasurer;  O.  W.  Bugbee,  clerk;  Marcus  Fosmer,  collector.  During 
the  spring  of  1895,  after  several  previous  unsuccessful  attempts,  the 
citizens  organized  a  union  free  school,  which  was  subsequently  incor- 
porated as  the  Fabius  Union  Free  School  and  Academy,  which  is  under 
the  management  of  Principal  C.  R.  Drum.  There  are  four  regular  de- 
partments, primary,  intermediate,  junior,  and  pre-intermediate  and 
academic.  In  the  building  is  an  ample  library  of  several  hundred 
volumes. 

The  Methodist,  Baptist,  Free  Baptist,  and  Catholic  denominations 
are  all  represented.  Among  other  organizations  may  be  mentioned 
the  Woman's  Christian  Temperance  Union,  with  Mrs.  A.  S.  D.  Bates, 
president,  and  Mrs.  E.  C.  Knapp,  corresponding  secretary;  the  Young 
Woman's  Christian  Temperance  Union,  with  Miss  Kate  Granier,  presi- 
dent, and  Mrs.  C.  R.  Drum,  corresponding  secretary;  and  the  Royal 
Templars  of  Temperance.  Among  the  representative  business  men  of 
the  place  are  W.  R.  Bush,  postmaster  for  several  years  and  the  present 
incumbent,  and  also  dealer  in  general  merchandise ;  Charles  H.  Wheaton, 
formerly  postmaster,  general  conveyancer  and  notary  public,  and  gen- 
eral merchant ;  Newton  F.  Benedict,  now  serving  his  first  term  as  school 
commissioner,  and  also  a  member  of  the  firm  of  gstes  &  Benedict,  fur- 
niture and  undertakers;  Lewis  Bramer,  justice  of  the  peace,  and  a 
member  of  the  hardware  firm  of  L.  Bramer  &  Son;  Edgar  Thomas, 
town  clerk  and  general  merchandise;  William  L.  Hamilton,  justice  of 
the  peace,  and  manager  of  the  Fabius  Creamery  Company;  Warren  S. 
Bush,  deputy  sheriff  of  the  town  of  Fabius  for  a  long  term  of  years; 
Clark  (X:  Powers,  custom  millers  and  dealers  in  ground  feed;  and  A.  J. 
Brown,  groceryman.  The  blacksmiths  are  Solomon  Williams,  Charles 
H.  Meigs,  and  Rodgers  &  Way.  Drs.  Joseph  E.  Ferry  and  James  E. 
Andrews  are  physicians  and  surgeons. 

The  population  of  the  town,  at  the  periods  given,  has  been  as  follows: 

In  1810,  1,!>00;  1820,  2,494;  1825,  2,596;  1830,  3,071;  1835,  2,892;  1840,  2,561;  1845, 
2,529;  L860,  2,410;  1855,  2,256;  1860,2,305;  1865,  2,201;  1870,  2,047;  1875,  1,962;  1880, 
2.069;   1890,  1,717,  1892,  1,776. 

As  previously  stated  the  town  records  down  to  1854  were  burned  in 
L8i2.     The  supervisors  of  Fabius,  so  far  as  can  be  ascertained,  are  as 

follows: 


THE  TOWN  OF  TULLY. 

Reynolds  Wilson,  1835  ;  I  George  Pettit,  182G ;  Nathaniel  Bacon,  1 5  jeph  Rus- 

sell, 1830-31;  Nathaniel  Bacon,  1832;  Adin  Howe.  1833  34;  Philo  1'..  I 
Joseph  Russell,  1837;  Samuel  S.   Stockham,  1839;  Adin   Howe,  l*l<»  oslyn] 

1842;  Isaac  Fairchild,    1845;  Bennet  Adams,  \*\:  •■]  Holway,  1851;  D 

Joslyn,  1852;  Sherman   II.   Corbin,    1853;  John  Keeney,   1854;  Charles  Bailey, 
Edmund  Harris,    1856;  Jonathan    E.   I'ettit,   1S5T;   1 1.  \.\   Williai  dwin 

Miles,  18(50-01 ;  Oscar  L.  Sprague,  1862  63;  Miles  1'..  Hackett,  1864  66  • 
1867-73;  James  H.  Wheelock,  1874;  Orel  Rope,  1875  76;  Newell  G.  Rowle; 
John  J.   Blaney,  1880  83;   Henry  II.  Clark,  1884  85;   Ephraim  |.  fohn 

J.  Blaney,  18811-9:5;  Edward  J.  Ten  Eyck,    1894  96 


CHAPTER  XL. 
THE  TOWN  OF  TULLY. 

The  original  military  township  of  Tally,  known  as  No.  II  of  the 
Military  Tract,  comprised  not  only  the  present  civil  town  of  the  same 
name,  but  also  the  south  two  tiers  of  lots  in  Otisco,  numbered  '2  (part), 
3,  4,  5,  0,  12  (part),  L3  (part),  II,  15,  and  16,  fourteen  whole  and  three 
parts  of  lots  in  the  southeastern  end  of  Spafford,  numbered  1,  2  (part), 
11,  12  (part),  13  (part),  21,  22,  23,  24,  31,  32,  3:'.,  31,  11,  f.\  i:;,  and 
44,  and  all  of  the  towns  of  Preble  and  Scott  in  Cortland  county,  which 
contain  fifty  lots  numbered  from  51  to  100  inclusive.  This  entire  ter- 
ritory was  included  in  17!)4  in  the  county  of  Onondaga,  but  from  Jan- 
uary, 1789,  to  March  9,  L798,  formed  a  part  of  the  great  town  of  Pom- 
pey,  and  between  the  latter  date  and  April  1,  L803,  it  comprised  the 
west  half  of  Fabius.  Mention  of  other  divisions  of  the  tract  will  pres- 
ently appear. 

The  formation  of  Cortland  county  on  the  8th  of  April,  1808,  left  the 
north  half  of  military  township  14,  Tully,  within  the  bounds  of  the 
county  of  Onondaga.  This  one-half  embraced  fifty  lots  of  about  600 
acres  each,  numbered  from  1  to  50  inclusive,  and  these  subdivisions,  in 
common  with  other  portions  of  the  Military  Tract,  were  drawn  by  sol- 
diers as  bounty  lands  for  services  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  Three 
lots,  Nos.  13,  26,  and  31,  were  reserved  for  gospel  and  school  pur]" 
leaving  forty-seven  for  grantees.  The  fifty  lots  were  apportioned  as 
follows: 

1,  Joseph  Sevey;  2,  Joseph  Ball ;  3,  Brig. -Gen.  James  Clinton;  4,  Brig. -Gen.  <;< 
112 


890  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Clinton;  5,  Joshua  Kelly;  6,  Lewis  Du  Bois;  7,  John  De  P.  Ten  Eyck,  captain;  8, 
Andrew  Hoffman;  9,  Russell  Brockway;  10,  Lieut.  Josiah  Bagley ;  11,  John  Cherry; 
12,  Benjamin  Lawrence;  13,  Reserved  for  Gospel,  etc.;  14,  Capt.  William  Bull;  15, 
Martin  Decker;  16,  William  Peck;  17,  Amos  Beach;  18,  Michael  Christian;  19, 
Thomas  Sager;  20,  Caleb  Ray;  21,  Caleb  Sweet;  22,  Richard  Whalling;  23,  George 
Allen ;  24,  Capt.  Abraham  Livingston ;  25,  Lieut.  Ephraim  Fenno ;  26,  Reserved  for 
Gospel,  etc.  ;  27,  Samuel  Townsend;  28.  Thomas  Cartin;  29,  John  Russell;  30,  Moses 
Mulliner;  31,  Reserved  for  Gospel,  etc.;  32,  John  Pierson ;  33,  Capt.  John  C.  Ten 
Brook;  34,  Shorter  Smith;  35,  John  Limbacker;  36,  William  Boomer;  37,  John  Elli- 
son; 38,  Martin  McEverin;  30,  Nicholas  Cook;  40,  John  Gann,  captain;  41,  John 
Frederick;  42,  Elias  Wilcox;  43,  Joseph  Smith;  44,  Nathaniel  Brock;  45,  Lieut.-Col. 
Benjamin  Walker;  46,  Humphrey  Marsden ;  47,  Capt.  Elihu  Marshall;  48,  David 
Pembroke;  49,  Isaac  Hubbel;  50,  Capt.  Thomas  Machin. 

But  one  of  these,  Michael  Christian,  who  located  on  lot  18,  and  gave 
his  name  to  Christian  Hollow,  ever  became  an  actual  resident  of  the 
town,  and  even  he,  through  failure  of  title,  was  dispossessed  and 
moved  to  La  Fayette.  Five  other  veterans  of  the  Revolution  subse- 
quently made  their  homes  within  the  present  Tully.  The  titles  of  the 
original  grantees  generally  passed  into  hands  of  speculators;  a  few, 
however,  were  acquired  by  permanent  settlers  and  escaped  the  costly 
litigation  which  resulted  in  many  cases. 

Common  consent  has  hitherto  ascribed  the  honor  of  being  the  first 
white  settler  within  the  present  limits  of  Tully  to  David  Owen,  whose 
time  of  arrival  Clark  gives  as  in  1795,  and  who  located  on  the  site  of 
Tully  village.  Clark  also  stated  that  Michael  Christian,  the  Revolu- 
tionary soldier  previously  mentioned,  who  drew  lot  18  and  immortal- 
ized his  name  in  Christian  Hollow,  "was  one  of  the  few  who  enjoyed 
the  fruits  of  their  suffering  and  toil  by  taking  possession  of  the  land  for 
which  they  served,"  and  some  authorities  place  his  settlement  as  early 
as  1792,  three  years  before  Owen  came  in  and  built  a  log  cabin.  Owen 
arrived  early  in  1795  and  was  followed  by  James  Cravatte,  Phineas  How- 
ell, William  Trowbridge,  Timothy  Walker,  Phineas  Henderson,  and  (a 
local  writer  says)  Michael  Christian.  The  last  two  lived  neighbors  in 
New  Jersey.  Christian  promised  Henderson  a  deed  for  100  acres  of 
his  soldier's  claim  if  he  would  locate  upon  it,  make  clearings,  and  erect 
a  house.  Accordingly,  early  in  1796,  with  his  wife  and  little  girl  Rachel, 
one  cow,  and  some  provisions,  Henderson  came  by  boat  up  the  Sus- 
quehanna to  Binghamton,  up  the  Chenango  to  the  Forks,  and  up  the 
Tioughnioga  to  Port  Watson,  near  Cortland,  and  thence  on  foot  to 
Tully  flats,  where  they  spent  a  night.  The  next  day  they  journeyed 
to  lot  18,  where  he  built  a  dwelling  on  the  east   side  of  the  old  plank 


THE  TOWN  OF  TULI.V  891 

road  near  the  residence  of  Gideon  Seeley.  On  March  11.  1797,  i 
Henderson,  their  second  child,  was  born,  being  the  first  white  birth  in 
Tully.  In  the  same  year  Mr.  Henderson  went  to  New  Jersey  and 
brought  from  there  in  a  straw  hive  the  first  colony  of  bees  ever  seen  in 
the  town.  Shortly  afterward  Christian,  rinding-  a  purchaser,  sold  the 
home  and  improvements  and  offered  Henderson  another  chance  to 
build  and  improve,  as  before,  on  the  same  lot.  Christian,  as  hitherto 
stated,  finally  removed  to  La  Fayette. 

Timothy  Walker  settled  in  what  is  now  Tully  village,  where  in  179*3 
he  built  the  first  frame  house  in  town,  and  where  Moses  Nash,  the  pio- 
neer merchant,  erected  the  second.  The  early  settlers  were  mainly  in- 
dustrious farmers  from  the  New  England  States — a  class  of  sturdy, 
resolute  men  and  women  who  brought  to  their  frontier  homes  the  sterl- 
ing- characteristics  of  native  worth  and  enterprise.  With  wonderful 
energy  and  perseverance  they  subdued  the  wilderness  and  implanted 
in  the  communities  those  elevating  attributes  of  civilization  which  sur- 
vive unto  this  day,  and  which  in  after  years  brought  a  number  of  their 
descendants  and  successors  into  wider  prominence  and  usefulness. 
The  five  Revolutionary  soldiers  who  came  in  after  Christian  were  James 
►Fuller,  Oliver  Hyde,  Jedediah  Winched,  Henry  White,  and  Enoch  Bailey. 
'Eli  Farr,  born  in  Cummington,  Mass.,  in  1768,  came  with  his  wile. 
Betsey  Beebe,  and  six  children,  in  October,  1801,  from  Paris,  Oneida 
county,  by  way  of  Manlius  and  Pompey,  and  settled  on  one  hundred 
acres  on  the  Tully  flats.  He  died  March  8,  1808.  Mr.  Farr  was  a  man 
of  exceptional  education,  and  a  captain  of  local  militia,  and  engaged 
extensively  in  the  manufacture  of  potash.  Among  the  settlers  who 
also  arrived  about  1801  were  Seth  and  Samuel  Trowbridge.  Samuel  and 
Robert  Cravatte,  Edward  Cummings,  Nicholas  and  Floyd  Howell,  and 
a  Mr.  Mattoon.  The  first  death  in  che  neighborhood  was  Mat  toon's 
son,  and  in  selecting  a  suitable  burial  place  the  northeast  corner  of  Mr. 
Farr's  farm  was  chosen  for  the  purpose.  Soon  afterward  a  stranger, 
who  died  at  a  Mr.  Bernhart's,  near  Tully  village,  was  buried  in  the  same 
plat,  which  was  never  sold,  but  remains  to  this  day  without  an  owner 
except  as  its  title  is  vested  in  the  name  of  Eli  Farr.  It  has  always  been 
known  and  revered  as  the  Farr  burying  ground  and  to-day  is  one  of  the 
most  interesting  of  the  local  landmarks.  The  third  interment  therein 
was  that  of  Mr.  Farr's  mother  in  1805,  by  whose  side  her  husband  was 
buried  in  March,  1813.      Mr.  and  Mrs.  Farr  were  the  parent  nard 

B.,   Chester  W.,    Phylinda,    Sylvester  W.,  Eli,  jr.,  Sally,  Eliza,  Polly, 


892  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Lucretia,  and  Betsey  (Mrs.  Ingraham).  Mrs.  Farr  afterward  married 
Joseph  Goodelle,  by  whom  she  had  children  Joshua,  Aaron  B.  and 
Elvira. 

Among  the  settlers  of  Tnlly  prior  to  1810  were  John  Meeker,  Nich- 
olas Lewis,  Jacob  Johnson,  Peter  Van  Camp,  Amos  Skeele,  Job  L. 
Lewis,  and  Milo  Trowbridge  (son  of  Seth). 

These  and  other  pioneers  seeking  homes  in  the  then  far  west  found 
themselves  surrounded  by  natural  scenery  that  has  ever  since  been 
admired  for  its  attractive  picturesqueness.  Locating  in  the  midst  of 
heavy  forests,  consisting  of  hemlock,  beech,  birch,  maple,  ash,  bass- 
wood,  pine,  elm,  etc.,  their  first  abodes  were  rude  log  cabins  with  oiled 
paper  for  windows  and  blankets  for  doors;  but  during  the  early  years 
of  this  century  comfortable  frame  houses  largely  replaced  those  prim- 
itive habitations.  They  discovered  evidence  of  Indian  occupancy  and 
not  infrequently  had  visits  from  the  Onondagas,  whose  reservation 
nestled  in  the  valley  to  the  northward.  But  their  chief  enemy  was  the 
wild  beasts  that  roamed  the  wilderness  in  great  numbers  and  endan- 
gered both  life  and  property.  Bears,  wolves  and  wild  cats,  existed  for 
many  years  notwithstanding  the  bounties  offered  for  their  destruction. 
The  timber  was  rapidly  cleared  off  and  converted  into  lumber  or  ashes,  • 
the  latter  being  manufactured  into  blacksalts  or  potash,  which  was 
long  the  principal  article  of  revenue.  As  the  forests  receded  atten- 
tion was  directed  mainly  to  agriculture,  which  in  time  became  the 
leading  occupation  of  the  people.  The  soil,  consisting  of  sandy  and 
clayey  loam,  proved  exceeding  productive,  especially  on  the  famous 
Tully  flats,  which  were  the  earliest  sought  for  settlement,  the  broken 
and  hilly  portions  on  the  east  and  west  being  left  for  later  comers. 
Ample  drainage  was  afforded  by  Onondaga  Creek  and  its  numerous 
small  tributaries,  which  find  their  way  into  Lake  Ontario.  This  stream 
has  its  source  in  Crooked  Lake,  so  called,  the  largest  of  the  several 
bodies  of  water  widely  known  as  the  Tully  Lakes,  and  lying  about  800 
feet  above  the  canal  at  Syracuse.  Big  Lake,  four  feet  lower,  gives 
rise  to  the  west  branch  of  the  Tioughnioga  River,  which  flows  south 
into  the  Susquehanna  and  thence  into  Chesapeake  Bay. 

Meantime,  on  March  9,  1798,  Tully,  comprising  the  whole  of  mili- 
tary township  1-4,  became  a  part  of  the  civil  town  of  Fabius,  which  in 
I  789  was  included  in  the  great  town  of  Pompey.  On  the  4th  of  April, 
L803,  Tully,  including  all  of  Scott  and  Preble  and  portions  already 
mentioned  of  Spafford  and  Otisco,  was  given  separate  civil  and  judicial 


THE  TOWN1  OF  TULLY.  893 

privileges.  It  then  comprehended  the  entire  military  township  of  the 
same  name.  On  March  21,  1806,  lots  2,  3,  I.  5,  6,  12,  13,  11.  L5,  and 
16,  or  parts  of  the  same,  were  taken  off  to  form  a  part  of  (  disco,  and 
on  the  8th  of  April,  1S08,  when  Cortland  county  was  organized,  the 
towns  of  Preble  and  Scott,  contain--  lots  51  to  Kid  inclusive,  were  in- 
cluded within  that  subdivision  of  the  State  On  April  8,  L811,  'Fully 
was  reduced  to  its  present  size  by  setting  off  lots  or  parts  of  lots  1.  2, 
11,  12,  13,  21.  22,  23,  2  1,  31,  32,  33,  34,  11.  t2,  t3,  and  il  to  form  a 
portion  of  Spafford,  leaving  this  town  with  about  L5,600  acres,  or  nearly 
twenty-six  square  miles  of  land. 

The  first  town  meeting  was  held  at  the  house  of  Samuel  Trowbridge 
on  May  1,  1803,  when  the  following  officers  were  elected: 

Phineas  Howell,  supervisor;  Amos  Skeel,  town  clerk;  Jacob  Johnson,  Samuel 
Cravatte,  and  Solomon  Babcock,  assessors;  Floyd  Howell,  James  Cravatte,  ami 
Solomon  Babeock,  commissioners  of  highways;  Henry  Hill,  collector;  Nicholas 
Lewis  and  Solomon  Hubbard,  overseers  of  the  poor;  Henry  Hill,  constable;  Amos 
Skeel  and  James  Cravatte,  commissioners  of  public  lands;  John  Osgood  and  Nich- 
olas Lewis,  fence  viewers;  Samuel  Trowbridge,  poormaster;  and  Rufus  Clapp, 
Stephen  Bailey,  David  Van  Patten,  John  Potter,  Samuel  Smith,  John  Brown,  Nehe- 
miah  Parks,  Albert  Collier.  Johnson  Babcock.  Samuel  Trowbridge,  Henry  Burdick, 
Samuel  C.  Woolston,  John  Grant,  Jonathan  Buell,  and  Eliphalet  Thomas,  overseers 
of  highways. 

These  names  and  others  following  figured  quite  prominently  in  the 
early  history  of  the  town.  Amos  Skeel  became  the  first  justice  of  the 
peace  in  1803,  while  Moses  Nash  and  Job  L.  Lewis  held  that  office 
from  1808  to  1812.  Mr.  Nash  afterward  moved  to  Indiana,  where  at  a 
general  election,  he  came  within  one  vote  of  being'  elected  governor  of 
the  State.  Many  of  the  earlier  town  meetings  convened  at  the  dwell- 
ing of  Samuel  Trowbridge,  and  at  one  of  them,  a  special  meeting  held 
February  20,  1805,  a  petition  was  presented  by  Judah  Hopkins  and 
others  asking  for  the  erection  of  another  town,  using  therefor  two  tiers 
of  lots  off  the  north  end  of  Tully.  The  proposition  was  voted  down 
"by  a  large  majority,"  as  was  also  a  second  one  looking  to  a  similar 
division  comprising  other  territory.  In  lso;  fifty-eight  votes  were  cast 
for  Daniel  D.Tompkinsand  fifty-four  for  Morgan  Lewis  for  governor  of 
New  York,  showing  a  nearly  equal  divisioi  olitical  sentiment.      In 

1808  it  was  resolved  "that  hogs  be   free  commoners,"  but  a  little  later 
a  resolution  declared  that  certain  male  animals  found  running  at   I 
"be  fined  five  dollars,"   one-half  of  the   line  to  be  paid  to  the  person 
capturing  the  animal  and  the  balance  to  the  town  poor. 

The  supervisors  of  Tully  have  been  as  follows. 


894  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Phineas  Howell,  1803-09;  Nicholas  Howell,  1809,  elected  in  July,  at  a  special  town 
meeting,  to  fill  vacancy  caused  by  the  death  of  Phineas  Howell ;  Moses  Nash,  1810-12; 
Nicholas  Howell,  1813-16;  Russell  Chase,  1817-21;  William  M.  Allen,  1822;  Russell 
Chase,  1823;  Nicholas  Howell,  1824;  Hugh  Reed,  1825;  Russell  Chase,  1826-27; 
William  Trowbridge,  1828;  Nicholas  Howell,  1829;  Russell  Chase,  1830;  Henry  F. 
King,  1831-33;  Lyman  Walker,  1834-36;  Nicholas  Howell,  1837;  Henry  F.  King, 
1838;  Harman  Van  Dusen,  1839-40;  Daniel  Peck,  1841;  Daniel  Vail,  1842;  William 
C.  Gardner,  1843;  Joshua  C.  Cuddeback,  1844;  William  C.  Gardner,  1845;  William 
Patten,  1846;  Ansel  Strong,  1847;  David  K.  Arnold,  1848;  Ebenezer  V.  P.  French, 
1849;  L.  Harris  Hiscock,  1850-51;  Justin  Dwinelle,  1852;  Avery  R.  Palmer,  1853-56; 
Frank  Hiscock,  1857;  Allen  Palmer,  1858-62;  Jared  C.  Williams,  1863-64;  Allen 
Palmer,  1865;  Robert  C.  Trowbridge,  1866;  Ellis  V.  King,  1867;  Samuel  Willis, 
1868-69;  Horace  K.  King,  1870-71;  Samuel  Willis,  1872;  Horace  K.  King,  1873; 
Samuel  Willis,  1874-77;  Ellis  V.  King,  1878;  John  M.  Arnold,  1879;  Alfred  B.  Daniels, 
1880;  David  P.  Vail,  1881-82;  Samuel  Willis,  1883;  William  H.  Hotaling,  1884-85; 
George  W.  Earle,  1886-88 ;  George  W.  Gardner,  1889 ;  David  P.  Vail,  1890-91 ;  Sullivan 
A.  Carr,  1892-93;  William  H.  Dwinelle,  1894-95. 

Returning  from  this  brief  digression  to  the  chronological  narrative  of 
the  present  chapter  it  is  pertinent  to  notice  for  a  moment  the  settle- 
ment and  growth  of  Tully  village,  which  became  an  established  trad- 
ing point  as  early  as  1803,  when  Moses  Nash  opened  here  the  first 
store  in  town,  in  which  he  was  succeeded  by  John  Meeker  in  1805.  In 
1802,  however,  a  tavern  was  opened  by  Nicholas  Lewis,  who  in  1807 
was  followed  by  Jacob  Johnson,  who  in  turn  finally  gave  place  to 
William  Trowbridge.  Among  those  who  had  settled  here  were  Nicholas 
Howell,  for  many  years  a  prominent  citizen;  Timothy  Walker,  whose 
marriage  to  Esther  Trowbridge  and  whose  death  was  the  first  in  the 
territory  under  consideration ;  and  Samuel,  Seth,  and  William  Trow- 
bridge, of  whom  the  latter  became  the  second  postmaster.  All  these 
were  noteworthy  pioneers,  and  to  their  enterprise  and  native  energy  is 
due  the  early  development  and  prosperity  of  the  embryo  village.  John 
Meeker  was  for  many  years  an  extensive  merchant  and  one  of  the  most 
successful  men  in  the  town,  owning  several  hundred  acres  of  the  best 
farm  land  in  Tully. 

Before  these  interests  had  sprung  into  existence  the  subject  of  edu- 
cation received  a  substantial  impulse,  and  indeed,  it  seems  "that  a 
school  was  the  first  public  object  to  which  the  inhabitants  turned  their 
attentiou,  thus  placing  before  their  children  the  means  of  making 
t  hemselves  useful  membersof  society  and  distinguished  citizens. "  In  1801 
M  iss  Ruth  Thorpe  opened  aschool  in  Timothy  Walker's  barn,  which  stood 
on  the  farm  owned  by  Mrs.  Lorenzo  Trowbridge,  and  in  1804  a  log  school 
house  was  erected  in  the  village — each  being  the  first  institution  of  the 


THE  TOWN  OF  TULLY.  895 

kind  in  town.  In  1809  the  log  structure  gave  place  to  a  frame  school 
building,  which  was  burned,  and  which  was  succeeded  by  the  old  "  red 
school  house,"  20  by  25  feet  in  size,  which  occupied  a  portion  of  the 
present  school  grounds.  This  building  gave  way  to  a  two-story  frame 
structure,  having  one-story  wings  on  the  north  and  south,  in  1846  |-: 
the  first  teachers  were  Myron  Wheaton  and  Miss  Smith. 

Religion  likewise  had  an  early  exponent  in  the  person  of  Rev.  Mr. 
Riddle,  a  Presbyterian  missionary  from  New  England,  who  held 
services  and  in  1804  organized  a  church  of  Ids  faith  in  Tully  village. 
On  November  16,  1811,  the  First  Presbyterian  Society  was  incorporated, 
and  this  was  followed  on  December  9,  181-i,  by  the  incorporation  of  the 
Union  Presbyterian  Society  of  Tully  and  Fabius.  The  first  of  these 
two  societies  maintained  an  active  existence  until  about  L830,  when  it 
disbanded. 

In  1806  the  Hamilton  and  Skaneateles  turnpike  was  laid  out  and 
opened  through  what  are  now  Fabius,  Apulia,  Summit  Station,  Tully, 
Tully  Center,  Vesper  and  Otisco,  the  prime  movers  in  the  enterprise 
being  Lemuel  Fitch,  Samuel  Marsh,  Elisha  Payne,  David  Smith,  Col. 
Elijah  St.  John,  Comfort  and  Samuel  Tyler,  Thaddeus  Edwards  and 
Elnathan  Andrews.  This  thoroughfare  gave  a  spur  to  business,  facili- 
ties for  communication  which  added  essentially  to  local  prosperity,  and. 
what  was  very  important,  the  first  substantial  impetus  to  subsequent 
routes  of  travel.  It  also  contributed  largely  to  the  growth  ami  devel- 
opment of  Tully  village  and  to  the  inception  of  the  hamlets  of  Tully 
Center  and  Vesper,  which  enjoyed  considerable  activity  until  the  con- 
struction of  the  Syracuse  and  Binghamton  Railroad  in  L854 

In  1810  Peter  Van  Camp  erected  the  first  grist  and  saw  mills  in  the 
town  on  Onondaga  Creek  at  Tully  Center,  thus  adding  two  important 
industries  to  those  already  established.  Before  this  the  settlers  were 
obliged  to  go  long  distances  for  flour  and  meal,  often  over  almost  im- 
passable roads  filled  with  boulders,  ruts,  stumps  and  tree  roots. 

The  war  of  1812-15  brought  the  same  degree  of  excitement  to  the 
settlers  of  Tully  that  it  created  in  other  frontier  towns,  yet  their  dis 
tance  from  the  scenes  of  actual  conflict  rendered  them  comparatively 
safe  from  attack.  On  two  occasions,  however,  the  militia  was  called 
out  to  the  defense  of  Sackett's  Harbor  and  ( >swego,  but  returned  under 
orders  before  reaching  their  destination.  Closely  following  this  came 
the  famous  "cold  season"  of  1816,  which  wrought  considerable  suffer- 
ing among  the  several  communities  from  a  general  scarcity  of   provis- 


896  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

ions.     With  characteristic   energy   the  pioneers  soon   recovered   from 
these  events  and  plenty  abounded  on  every  hand. 

In  1815  a  post-office  was  established  at  Tully  with  Nicholas  Howell 
as  postmaster,  his  successor  being-  William  Trowbridge.  Prior  to  this 
mail  was  received  at  Pompey  Hill  or  Preble.  In  1818  the  village  was 
further  augmented  by  the  erection  of  a  grist  mill  by  Timothy  Walker, 
the  machinery  being  put  in  by  Joel  Hiscock,  uncle  of  Hon.  Frank  His- 
cock,  ex-member  of  congress  and  ex- United  States  senator,  of  Syra- 
cuse, and  of  the  late  L.  Harris  Hiscock,  an  attorney  here  and  in  Syra- 
cuse, and  brother  of  the  latter.  This  mill  is  remembered  as  the  Arnold 
mill;  it  was  changed  in  1874  from  water  to  steam  power,  and  is  still  in 
operation. 

The  years  between  1810  and  1820  witnessed  not  only  the  arrival  of 
many  new  settlers,  but  the  inauguration  of  several  institutions  which 
contributed  materially  to  the  moral  and  general  welfare  of  the  various 
communities.  On  the  28th  of  February,  1816,  a  council  of  ministers 
and  delegates  from  Baptist  churches  in  Pompey,  Fabius,  'Truxton  and 
Homer  convened  at  the  house  of  Uriel  Smith,  and  organized  the  First 
Baptist  church  of  Tully  with  fourteen  members,  as  follows:  Uriel  and 
Sybil  Smith,  Ziba  and  Hannah  Palmer,  James  B.  and  Nancy  Stroud, 
Lydia  Chapman,  Aaron  Vail,  Sarah  Hughson,  Eliza  Fuller,  Sarah  Mc- 
Collery,  Susanna  Brown  and  Elizabeth  Van  Tassel.  Services  were 
long  held  in  school  houses  in  Christian  Hollow,  Tully  flats  and  Vesper, 
but  under  the  ministrations  of  Elder  Frederick  Freeman  in  1824  the 
first  church  edifice  in  the  town  was  built  in  Tully  Center  and  dedicated 
February  11,  1825.  In  1848  a  division  occurred,  several  members  with- 
drawing to  form  a  Baptist  church  in  Vesper.  The  building  was  then 
removed  to,  and  rebuilt  in  Tully  village  at  a  cost  of  $2,500.  In  1834 
the  society  had  a  membership  of  219,  and  at  that  time  belonged  to  the 
Onondaga  association.  The  first  pastor  was  Elder  Squire  Abbott,  who 
came  in  1818.  Among  his  successors  were  Revs.  Frederick  Freeman, 
Randolph  Streeter,  John  D.  Hart,  Reuben  Winchell,  Nelson  Camp, 
John  Le  Grange,  Hiram  Powers,  Butler  Morley,  J.  D.  Webster,  and 
others.  Two  very  early  members  were  Matthias  Outt  and  Mrs.  J.  B. 
Hall.  As  early  as  1820  a  Methodist  class  held  meetings  in  the  Vesper 
school  house  under  the  leadership  of  Durin  Ferris,  a  circuit  preacher. 
Soon  afterward  classes  were  formed  in  other  parts  of  the  town,  notably 
one  in  the  vicinity  of  Tully  village,  which,  in  1828  was  organized  into 
;i  society,  the  first  preacher  being  Elder  Savers,  who  was  succeeded  by 


THE  TOWN  OF  TULLY.  897 

Elder  Puffer,  familiarly  known  as  old  "chapter  and  verse,"  from  his 
frequent  quotations  of  scripture.  In  1832  this  was  reorganized  into  the 
present  church  society,  which,  in  1834  erected  their  first  edifice.  The 
structure  was  rebuilt  in  1862  under  Rev.  John  Barnard;  again  in  1877 
under  Rev.  Fred  Devitt,  and  for  the  third  time  in  1894  under  Rev.  Eli 
Pittman  at  an  expense  of  about  $10,000.  The  first  class  leader  of  the 
Tully  society  was  Silas  Aylsworth,  and  among  the  early  members  were 
Myron  Wheaton,  David  Bouttelle,  Sarah  Vail,  Esther  Johnson,  Mary 
E.  King,  Cynthia  Arnold,  Polly  Vail,  and  Mrs.  Aaron  Vail.  In  L840 
Sarah  Vail  donated  the  parsonage,  being  the  building  now  owned  by 
W.  R.  Topp,  which  was  exchanged  for  the  present  parsonage.  The 
Vesper  church  was  of  later  inception. 

By  1821  two  fulling  mills  and  a  carding  .machine  were  in  operation, 
while  14,593  yards  of  cloth  were  produced  in  families  during  that  year. 
There  were  also  six  school  districts  in  which  schools  were  maintained 
six  months  annually. 

In  1824  the  town  contained  three  grist  mills,  five  saw  mills,  two  fulling  mills,  one 
carding  establishment,  three  distilleries,  three  asheries,  "a  small  library,"  210  voters, 
6,141  acres  of  improved  land,  1,397  cattle,  193  horses,  3,686  sheep,  "no  slaves,"  and 
one  free  black.  A  person  making  the  journey  at  this  time  from  Tully  to  Hamilton, 
a  distance  of  forty  miles,  could  count  twenty-six  taverns,  all  doing  a  brisk  business. 

The  opening  of  the  Erie  Canal  through  Syracuse  in  1825  had  in  a 
measure  a  permanent  influence  upon  the  settlement  and  industries  of 
this  town,  but  it  was  not  until  1827,  when,  on  April  1G,  the  Tully  and 
Syracuse  Turnpike  Company  was  incorporated  by  Oliver  W.  Brewster, 
Archie  Kasson,  and  Mr.  Howell,  that  the  territory  under  consideration 
received  a  general  start  upon  a  new  era  of  prosperity.  This  company 
was  rechartered  in  April,  1831,  and  for  many  years  the  road  afforded 
great  convenience.  It  may  be  noted  here,  in  view  of  the  fact  that 
Tully  lies  on  an  almost  direct  line  between  Syracuse  and  the  Chenango 
valley,  that  on  April  3,  1807,  the  Chenango  and  Salina  Turnpike  Com- 
pany was  incorporated  and  authorized  to  build  "a  good  and  sufficient 
turnpike  road,  beginning  at  the  village  of  Salina,  and  running  thence 
south  through  the  Onondaga  Hollow  to  the  north  line  of  Tully,"  and 
so  on  southward.  Again  on  April  10,  1824,  the  Onondaga  and  Cort- 
land Turnpike  Company  was  incorporated  for  a  similar  purpose.  Pub- 
lic highways  were  laid  out  and  opened  largely  before  1830. 

The  prosperous  years  of  the  Hamilton  and  Skaneateles  turnpike 
gave  considerable  activity  to  the  hamlet  of  Vesper,  near  the  Qtisco 
113 


898  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

town  line,  and  in  1827  a  post-office  was  established  there  with  William 
Clark  as  postmaster.  Afterward  Samuel  Ashley  and  more  recently  A. 
J.  Estey  and  James  E.  Henderson  held  the  office.  The  place  contained 
in  former  years  a  store  or  two,  a  tavern,  and  the  usual  complement  of 
artisans,  etc.  The  turnpike  likewise  imparted  a  lively  impulse  to  Tully 
Center,  but  in  this  respect  the  Onondaga  Creek  perhaps  contributed  a 
greater  degree  of  activity.  Peter  Van  Camp's  saw  and  grist  mills  of 
1810  formed  the  nucleus  around  which  later  industries  of  a  similar 
character  assembled,  and  as  late  as  1845  the  place  and  vicinity  con- 
tained four  grist  mills,  two  carding  machines,  and  a  woolen  mill. 
These  enterprises,  however,  long  ago  went  out  of  existence,  leaving 
the  hamlet  a  mere  country  settlement  without  its  old-time  prestige. 

In  1836  the  town  contained  four  grist  mills,  eight  saw  mills,  a  fulling 
mill,  one  carding  establishment,  two  asheries,  a  woolen  factory,  two 
tanneries,  twelve  school  districts,  and  563  school  children.  The  dis- 
tilleries of  former  years  had  fully  disappeared.  In  this  year  a  post- 
office  was  established  at  Tully  Valley,  near  the  La  Fayette  town  line, 
the  first  postmaster  being  George  Salisbury,  who  was  succeeded  by 
John  Henderson.  Recent  incumbents  have  been  A.  Benjamin  and 
Clark  Estey.  This  hamlet,  like  many  others  similarly  situated,  lost 
much  of  its  former  activity  after  the  completion  of  the  railroad  in  1854. 

Attention  is  once  more  called  to  those  settlers  and  residents  of  the 
town  who,  prior  to  1850,  aided  in  no  small  measure  in  developing  and 
molding  the  several  communities  into  prosperous,  thriving,  and  note- 
worthy sections  of  a  fertile  and  attractive  part  of  the  county. 

Among  them  were  Edward  Miller,  Lyman  Walker,  John  Gilbert,  Aaron  Vail,  John 
and  Daniel  Vail  (sons  of  Aaron),  Moses  and  Hiram  Tallman,  the  Birney  family, 
Samuel  Ousby,  Matthew  D.  Cummings,  Russell  Chase  (father  of  Hamilton  and  Frank- 
lin), Miles  and  William  Trowbridge.  Henry  Van  Bergen,  Colonel  Johnson  (tavern 
keeper),  Wilmot  and  Alvah  Lake,  John  Potter,  Aaron  B.  Goodelle,  Henry  F.  King, 
L.  Harris  Iliscock,  Joshua  C.  Cuddeback  (at  one  time  county  sheriff),  Hiram  Chapin," 
Garrett  Van  Hoesen,  William  M.  Allen,  William  C.  Gardner,  Avery  R.  and  Allen 
Palmer,  Jared  C.  Williams,  Justin  Dwinelle,  Lucius  F.  King,  Hon.  Samuel  Willis, 
and  Frank  M.  Wooster  (captain  of  Co.  K,  122d  N.  Y.  Vols.,  and  killed  in  battle  in 
the  Civil  war). 

Aaron  Vail  came  to  Tully  from  Herkimer  county  in  1810  and  settled 
in  the  village  where  his  grandson  David  P.,  son  of  David,  a  justice  of 
the  peace,  now  lives.  He  purchased  135  acres  of  land,  covering  the 
best  part  of  the  village  site,  from  which  he  sold  off  a  few  lots.  He 
died  about  1845,  leaving  four  heirs,  of  whom  David  bought  the  interest 


THE  TOWN  OF  TULLY.  899 

of  his  brother  James,  thus  becoming  one-half  owner.  David  Vail's 
tract  included  the  most  desirable  unsold  lots,  which  he  continued  to 
sell  until  his  death  in  1866.  His  brothers  Daniel  and  John  also  dis- 
posed of  their  property  in  small  parcels.  The  Vail  homestead,  where 
David  P.  was  born  in  1824,  has  never  been  out  of  the  family.  Aaron 
B.  Goodelle  was  the  father  of  Hon.  William  P.,  a  prominent  lawyer  of 
Syracuse,  who  was  born  here  May  £5,  L838.  Henry  F.  King  arrived  in 
Tully  village  from  Suffield,  Conn.,  in  1818,  and  held  the  office  of  post- 
master for  more  than  thirty  years.  In  1828  he  set  out  a  row  of  maples 
in  front  of  his  residence,  bringing  them  from  the  woods  on  his  back. 
He  was  long  one  of  the  foremost  men  in  the  town,  and  died  in  I 
William  C.  Gardner  served  the  county  as  sheriff  and  Jared  C.  Williams 
was  both  sheriff  and  superintendent  of  the  penitentiary.  Hon.  Samuel 
Willis  was  born  in  Hamilton  county  in  1818,  came  here  at  the  age  of 
seventeen,  and  with  his  father  purchased  a  farm  of  Orange  Smith.  He 
served  as  assessor  for  six  years,  was  supervisor  several  terms,  and  rep- 
resented the  second  district  of  Onondaga  in  the  Assembly  in  L878  and 
1879. 

In  1845  there  were  in  Tully  125  militia,  378  voters,  nine  common  schools,  435  school 
children, 10,909  acres  of  improved  land,  four  grist  mills,  live  saw  mills,  two  carding  ma- 
chines, a  woolen  factory,  one  trip-hammer,  two  asheries,  two  tanneries,  four  churches 
(a  Baptist,  one  Seventh-Day  Baptist,  and  a  Methodist),  four  taverns,  four  stores,  190 
farmers,  60  mechanics,  three  physicians,  and  one  lawyer.  Fifteen  years  later  (1860) 
the  town  contained  12,270  acres  of  improved  land,  352  dwelling,  853  familii 
freeholders,  seven  school  districts,  633  school  children,  562  horses,  863  oxen  and 
calves,  1,102  cows,  2,176  sheep,  763  swine,  and  real  estate  assessed  at  $866,355  and 
personal  property  at  $98,400;  while  the  productions  aggregated  1,425  bushels  winter 
wheat,  66,626  bushels  spring  wheat,  1,797  tons  hay,  8,059  bushels  potatoes,  24,115 
bushels  apples,  108,654  pounds  butter,  30,900  pounds  cheese,  and  3S3  yards  domestic- 
cloth. 

Meanwhile  Methodists  living  in  the  vicinity  of  Vesper  were  sustain- 
ing regular  services,  a  church  having  been  incorporated  July  :,  I- 
with  about  thirty-five  members,  among  whom  were  Enoch  Bailey, 
Aaron  Hollenbeck,  Henry  Stewart,  Zenas  Pickett,  Asahel  Nichols, 
Alvah  Hodge,  Sanford  Moore,  and  Reuben  Aylsworth,  all  under  Levi 
Highley  as  class  leader.  In  the  same  year  a  church  edifice  was  built 
at  a  cost  of  about  $1,000,  which  was  recently  repaired  under  the  pas- 
torate of  Rev.  Frederick  Keeney.  The  pulpit  has  generally  been  sup- 
plied by  pastors  from  the  mother  church  at  Tully.  On  May  9,  1840, 
the  church  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ  was  organized  at  the  house  of 
Hamilton  A.  Chase,  one  mile  east  of  Tully   village,   by    Elders  Calvin 


900  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Thomas  and  Harry  Knapp  of  Pompey,  the  first  members  being  Hamil- 
ton A.  and  Russell  J.  Chase,  Marvin  Baker  Amasa  Evans,  Lola  Em- 
mons, Amos  and  Mary  Hodgman,  Keziah  Wilcox,  Lydia  Chase,  Lydia 
Lansing,  Matthew  Fuller  and  wife,  Harriet  Kingsley,  Betsey  Fuller, 
and  Daniel  Rice  and  wife.  The  first  pastor  was  Elder  J.  M.  Bartlett. 
H.  A.  and  R.  J.  Chase  were  leading  members  of  the  society,  and 
through  their  liberality  an  edifice  was  built  in  the  village  in  1845  at  a 
cost  of  $1,500.  Prior  to  1848  the  Baptists  in  the  west  part  of  the  town 
affiliated  with  the  Tully  Center  church,  which  was  at  this  time  removed 
to  Tully  village.  In  December,  1848,  the  Baptist  church  of  Vesper 
was  organized  at  the  house  of  Josiah  Smith  with  such  members  as  Dea. 
Uriel  Smith,  Dea.  Joseph  and  E.  J.  Daniels,  E.  V.  B.  French,  Harry 
Rowland,  Peter  and  Sally  Henderson,  Allen  and  Betsey  L.  Palmer, 
Sarah  M.  King,  Zuriah  Rowland,  Nancy  Darrow,  Polly  Williams,  and 
thirteen  others.  In  1848  they  erected  a  church  edifice  at  a  cost  of  about 
$1,200,  which  was  dedicated  January  18,  1849.  Among  the  early  pas- 
tors were  Elders  A.  Galpin,  Thomas  Brown,  William  Jones,  and  B. 
Morley.  Since  the  latter's  incumbency  in  1860  the  society  has  been 
supplied  mainly  with  preachers  from  Tully. 

The  construction  of  the  Syracuse  and  Binghamton  Railroad  in  1854 
inaugurated  a  new  impetus  to  general  prosperity,  but  proved  injurious 
and  in  a  measure  disastrous  to  the  village  of  Tully,  Tully  Center,  Tully 
Valley,  and  Vesper,  drawing  from  those  previously  thrifty  centers  a 
large  volume  of  trade  and  directing  it  to  Syracuse  or  Cortland.  Tully 
village,  however,  having  the  benefit  of  the  only  station  in  town,  suc- 
ceeded in  retaining  much  of  its  old  time  prestige,  and  became  a  ship- 
ping point  of  great  prominence.  In  more  recent  years  large  quantities 
of  milk  and  farm  produce  from  the  surrounding  territory  have  been 
shipped  to  New  York  and  other  cities.  The  railroad  also  caused  the 
abandonment  of  the  plank  roads  and  turnpikes,  thereby  destroying  the 
vital  business  of  country  taverns  and  stores,  as  well  as  rendering  use- 
less many  local  manufacturing  establishments. 

During  the  Civil  war,  from  1861  to  1865,  the  town  contributed  a 
large  number  of  her  brave  and  patriotic  sons  to  the  Union  army  and 
navy,  and  nobly  responded  with  unfailing  promptness  to  the  various 
calls  for  troops.  Tully's  record  in  that  sanguinary  struggle  is  both 
brilliant  and  imperishable,  not  only  because  of  her  heroic  soldiers  who 
fought  the  nation's  cause  and  laid  their  lives  on  their  country's  altar, 
but  also  because  of  the  universal  patriotism  and  public  spirit  which 
characterized  the  inhabitants — men  and  women. 


THE  TOWN  OF  TULLY.  901 

By  this  time  the  primitive  forests  had  largely  disappeared,  and  with 
them  nearly  all  the  old  saw  mills,  woolen  establishments,  asheries,  etc. 
Agriculture  was  paramount  to  other  interests  and  flourished  with  a 
degree  that  did  credit  to  the  fertile  soil.  Dairying  rapidly  developed, 
and  assumed  extensive  proportions,  yet  the  grains,  hay,  potatoes,  corn, 
fruit,  cabbages,  etc.,  were  not  neglected. 

Various  mercantile  and  other  interests  in  Tully  village,  besides  those 
previously  noticed,  contributed  materially  to  its  growth  and  prosperity. 
What  is  known  as  the  "King  corner"  was  for. many  years  the  leading 
store,  and  for  a  time  the  only  one  in  the  place.  It  was  built  by  Henry 
F.  King,  one  of  the  most  prominent  merchants  of  his  day.  Among 
others  who  traded  just  west  of  the  Slay  ton  House  were  David  Arnold, 
John  B.  Hall,  Lavosha  Gowan,  and  Joseph  Fletcher.  In  May,  L872, 
this  entire  corner,  consisting  of  a  tavern  and  the  stores  of  Messrs. 
Wright,  Fletcher,  Scammel,  and  Gardner,  was  destroyed  by  fire.  Other 
merchants  of  the  village,  past  and  present,  are  J.  W.  Wright  &  Son, 
W.  F.  Jones  &  Co.,  Tallman,  Miller  &  Hoxsie,  Bouttelle  Brothers,  \V. 
W.  Hayford  &  Son,  A.  G.  Dryer,  E.  B.  Lincoln  &  Co.,  J.  L.  Lawrence, 
M.  Meara,  C.  P.  Remore,  H.  B.  Scammel  &  Son,  J.  S.  Wright,  Thomas 
Butler  &  Co.,  F.  C.  Hayford,  and  others.  Among  the  postmasters 
were  Henry  F.  King,  Hiram  Chapin  (also  justice  of  the  peace),    John 

B.  Hall,  M.  J.  Bouttelle,  JosephVletcher,  William  H.  Brown,  William 
L.  vStone,  and  William  A.  Dewey,  incumbent.  Shepard  W.  Cately  was 
for  many  years  a  prominent  and  an  extensive  wagon  and  carriage  man- 
ufacturer here,  having  a  shop  on  the  premises  now  occupied  by  the 
dwellings  of  W.  H.  Brown  and  Mrs.  Ramer  Wright.  His  wagons  were 
known  and  used  throughout  Central  New  York.  Pike  &  Welch  and 
Andrew  Strail  were  long  engaged  in  blacksmithing. 

In  1875  the  village  was  incorporated,  and  at  the  first  charter  election 
held  January  26,  1876,  these  officers  were  chosen:  JohnOutt,  president; 
George  Smith,  Henry  C.  Tallman,  and  Henry  Crofoot,  trustees;  Henry 
V.  B.  Arnold,  clerk;  H.  B.  Scammel,  treasurer;  Nathan  W.  Fuller, 
collector;  George  W.  Gardner,  street  commissioner. 

The  successive  presidents  have  been  John  Outt,  1876;  Edward  Miller.  1ST?  ;  Henry 

C.  Tallman,  1878;  Haskell  B.  Scammel,  1879-81 ;  William  II.  Hotaling,  1882;  William 
L.  Earle,  1883;  Charles  A.  Gardner,  1884;  Dr.  George  W.  Earle,  1885  81  .  George  E. 
Barker;  1888-89;  William  L.  Stone,  1890-91;  Frank  C.  Caughey,  1892^04;  William  H. 
Leonard,  1895. 

William  L.  Earle  was  for  nine  years  a  trustee  or  president,  and  it  is 
to  him  that  incorporation  was  largely  due.      He  was  born  in  Truxton 


902  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

on  June  15,  1845,  came  here  to  study  medicine  with  his  brother,  Dr. 
George  W.  Earle,  in  1872;  succeeded  George  Warren  in  the  furniture 
and  undertaking-  business  in  1874,  and  organized  the  present  Tully 
Furniture  Manufacturing  Company  in  1887,  becoming  its  first  presi- 
dent. He  was  also  interested  in  the  manufacture  of  the  Earle  &  Strail 
patent  buggy;  was  the  prime  mover  in  organizing  the  New  York  State 
Undertakers  Association  in  1878,  and  has  served  as  its  president,  and 
organized  Tully  post,  No.  593,  G.  A.  R.,  in  1887,  which  chose  him  its 
first  commander.  For  a  time  he  was  very  active  in  evangelistic  work, 
and  is  now  also  interested  in  the  undertaking  business  in  Syracuse. 
Dr.  George  W.  Earle  was  born  in  Truxton  in  1849,  and  about  1872 
came  to  Tully  as  a  practicing  physician. 

Other  interests  of  the  village  are  the  novelty  works  of  George  A. 
Dorman  &  Son  and  two  hotels,  the  Empire  House  and  the  Slayton 
House,  the  latter  being  built  by  Reuben  Slayton,  father  of  James  M., 
the  present  proprietor. 

The  Tully  Times,  one  of  the  brightest  and  most  influential  weekly 
newspapers  in  the  county,  was  started  December  29,  1881,  by  Raymond 
Wright,  for  the  purpose  of  advertising  his  father's  business.  It  con- 
sisted at  first  of  four  pages  each  six  inches  square,  and  was  issued  occa- 
sionally and  later  monthly.  In  1882  the  late  Frank  S.  Slayton  pur- 
chased the  outfit  and  made  regular  weekly  publications.  He  soon  sold 
an  interest  to  Richard  R.  Davis,  who  in  time  became  the  sole  owner, 
and  who  still  continues  its  very  successful  publication. 

In  July,  1891,  St.  Leo's  Roman  Catholic  parish  was  organized  by 
Rev.  Daniel  Doody,  although  for  nearly  twenty  years  mass  had  been 
said  occasionally  by  Father  McLaughlin.  On  July  25,  1893,  Father 
Doody  completed  and  dedicated  the  present  church  edifice  and  has 
since  remained  as  pastor.  In  the  fall  of  1895  the  village  voted  to  put 
in  a  water  system  and  in  December  an  electric  light  plant,  and  named 
William  L.  Earle,  William  A.  Dewey,  Judson  S.  Wright,  William  H. 
Dwinelle,  and  James  M.  Slayton  as  commissioners  for  the  purpose. 
The  water  works  are  now  (January,  1896)  practically  completed. 

Educational  affairs  throughout  the  town  have  ever  received  that  close 
and  constant  attention  which  elevates  individuals  and  communities 
and  forces  them  into  a  front  rank  in  modern  life.  In  184G  there  were 
nine  school  districts,  in  1860  seven,  and  at  the  present  time  eight.  In 
1878  the  school  house  in  Tully  village  was  rebuilt,  and  in  1893  a  move- 
ment was  inaugurated  which   resulted  in  the  organization  of  the  Tully 


THE  TOWN  OF  TULLY.  903 

Union  School,  the  first  Board  of  Education  being  Adelbert  Butler, 
president;  Dr.  W.  H.  Leonard,  secretary;  and  George  A.  Beeman,T.  S. 
Cowles,  and  S.  Z.  Lake.  In  1894  it  was  placed  under  the  board  of  Re- 
gents of  the  University  of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  has  recently  had  a 
training  school  for  teachers  connected  with  it. 

By  the  development  of  two  local  resources  the  town  has  been  brought 
during  the  past  decade  into  wide  and  growing  prominence  The  first 
and  foremost  of  these  is  the  somewhat  famous  Tully  Lake  Park,  situated 
on  what  was  formerly  known  as  Big  Lake,  which  was  called  by  the 
Indians  "Sacred  Waters"  and  held  in  great  veneration  by  them. 
Tradition  says  that  the  Indians  would  never  allow  a  fish  to  be  taken 
from  its  crystal  depths  nor  a  canoe  to  float  upon  its  glassy  surface,  vet 
they  considered  an  accidental  drowning  therein  to  be  an  especial  desire 
of  the  Great  Spirit.  The  celebrated  Tully  Lakes,  forming  an  unbroken 
chain  of  natural  water  gems,  consist  of  Tully  (Big),  Green,  Crooked, 
Jerry's  and  Mirror  Lakes,  of  which  the  first  named  is  the  largest  and 
most  prominent.  Here  upon  the  shores  camping  parties  were  wont  to 
pitch  their  tents  and  revel  in  the  beauties  of  nature  during  the  hot 
weeks  of  summer,  but  the  first  decisive  step  towards  converting  a  de- 
sirable spot  into  a  park  was  taken  by  M.  J.  French,  R.  C.  Morse,  and 
Ur.  George  W.  Earle,  who  accidentally  met  on  the  fair  grounds  in 
Syracuse  in  1SSL  This  resulted  in  the  immediate  organization  of  the 
Tully  Lake  Park  Association,  which  was  incorporated  May  7,  1888,  the 
first  officers,  elected  May  12,  being  M.  J.  French,  of  Syracuse,  presi- 
dent; Dr.  George  W.  Earle,  of  Tully,  vice-president;  and  J.  Will  Page, 
of  Syracuse,  secretary  and  treasurer.  The  association  purchased  of 
Oliver  Schell  sixty-four  acres  of  land,  which  was  laid  out  into  lots, 
walks,  and  drives.  The  first  cottage  and  a  part  of  the  hotel  were 
erected  in  1889;  other  cottages  and  villas  followed  until  now  upwardsof 
fifty  adorn  the  once  wild  site.  In  1892  the  Central  New  York  Assembly 
established  Assembly  Park  on  the  east  side  of  the  lake,  where  annual 
sessions  of  an  educational  nature,  similar  to  those  at  the  celebrated 
Chautauqua,  situated  on  the  lake  of  that  name,  have  since  been  held. 
The  rare  picturesqueness  of  the  locality  and  its  privileges  bring  hither 
hundreds  of  summer  visitors  each  year  who  contribute  materially  to 
the  varied  interests  of  the  town  and  especially  to  those  of  Tully  vil- 
lage. 

Another  resource  was  developed  about  1888,  when  the  Solvay  Pro 
Company,  of  Syracuse,  began  prospecting  for  what  was  believed  to  be 


904  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

a  bed  of  rock  salt  in  the  Tully  valley.  Some  600  acres  of  land  were 
purchased  and  since  then  twenty-nine  wells  have  been  sunk  to  depths 
varying  from  1,200  to  1,500  feet,  at  the  bottom  of  which  a  bed  of  salt 
was  discovered  fifty  feet  thick.  The  Tully  Pipe  Line  Company,  incor- 
porated in  April,  1889,  laid  a  twelve-inch  main  to  Syracuse,  a  distance 
of  about  eighteen  miles,  during  the  following  summer.  These  wells 
are  flooded  with  fresh  water,  which  is  drawn  out  thoroughly  impreg- 
nated with  salt. 

The  population  of  Tully  has  been,  periodically,  as  follows: 
In  1810,  1,100;  1820,   1,194;  1830,  1,640;  1835,  1,618;  1840,  1,663;  1845,  1621;  1850, 
1,559;    1855,  1,619;    1860,  1,690;    1865,  1,583;    1870,   1,560;    1875,   1,473;    1880,   1,476; 
1890,  1,380;  1892,  1,378. 


CHAPTER  XLI. 

THE  TOWN  OF  SPAFFORD. 

The  settlement  of  the  town  of  Spafford  and  the  legal  formation  of 
the  county  of  Onondaga  were  very  nearly  contemporaneous.  Both 
occurred  in  1794,  the  latter  in  the  spring,  the  former  in  the  autumn. 
Previously,  however,  the  territory  under  consideration  was  often  the 
scene  of  Indian  gatherings  and  hunting  expeditions,  game  being  abund- 
ant in  the  heavy  forests  which  canopied  the  fertile  soil.  Lying  between 
the  beautiful  lakes  of  Skaneateles  on  the  west  and  Otisco  on  the  east, 
whose  waters  swarmed  with  fish  and  whose  banks  furnished  many  fa- 
vored deer-licks,  its  varying  landscape  of  hill  and  dale  acquired  renown 
among  the  Onondagas,  the  Cayugas,  and  the  Senecas,  and  subsequently 
among  emigrants  from  Eastern  New  York  and  New  England.  After 
the  Revolutionary  war  had  closed  the  present  town  became  parts  of  the 
great  Military  Tract,  and  in  common  with  all  other  portions  was  di- 
vided into  lots  of  about  600  acres  each.  These  lots,  as  detailed  in  a 
previous  chapter,  were  drawn  by  soldiers  as  bounty  lands  for  services 
in  that  sanguinary  struggle.  Very  few  of  the  grantees  ever  saw  their 
claims,  and  fewer  still  became  actual  settlers;  on  the  contrary,  as  in 
other  towns,  nearly  all  sold  their  grants  for  mere  pittances,  and  in 
many  instances  the  titles  were  transferred  over  and  over  again,  a  course 
that  eventually  involved  them  in  protracted  litigation. 


THE  TOWN  OF  SPAFFORD. 

Spafford,   as  now  constituted,    comprises  thirteen  lots  of  the  south 
part  of  the  original  military  township  No.  9,  Marcellus,  viz. :     X.. 
60,  70,  71,  74,  75,  76,  77,  88,  89,  90,  91,  and  96;  eight  lots  of  township 
No.   13,    Sempronius,   viz.:   10,    11,   12,    13,    14,  23  and  32 ;  and  sixteen 

lots  of  the  northwest  part  of  No.  14,  Tully,  viz.:  Nos.  1,  2  (part).  11, 
12  (part),  21,  22,  23,  24,  31,  32,  33,  34,  41,  12,  1.1.  and  II.  These  were 
drawn  by  Revolutionary  soldiers,  as  follows: 

Township  No.  9,  Marcellus — Lot  No.  68,  Ebenezer  Haviland,  surgeon's  mate;  69, 

Daniel  Ludlum ;  70,  Elijah  Price;  71,  Burdice  Campbell;  71.  I  red<  rick  Dayto: 
John  Factor;  76,  Lieut.  Thomas  Ostrander;  77,  Henry  Wynford;  88,  Philip  Fields; 
89,  Frederick  Wybert;  96,  Philip  Steves;  91,  Capt.  Peter  I.  Vosburgh;  96,  Henry 
Davis.  Township  No.  13,  Sempronius — Lot  No.  10,  Major  Nicholas  Fish;  1  1.  Aaron 
De  Witt;  12,  Daniel  Ogden ;  13,  Solomon  Barnes;  14,  John  Tucker;  21,  fohn  Wyatt; 
23,  Samuel  Wheeler;  and  30,  Cornelius  Ammeerman.  Township  No.  14.  Tully — Lot 
No.  1,  Joseph  Savey;  2,  Joseph  Ball;  11,  John  Cherry;  12,  Benjamin  Lawrence:  21, 
Caleb  Sweet,  surgeon;  22,  Richard  Whalling;  23,  George  Allen;  24,  Abraham  Liv- 
ingston, captain;  31,  reserved  for  Gospel  and  schools;  32,  John  Pierson;  33,  John  C. 
Ten  Broeck,  captain;  34,  Shorter  Smith;  41,  John  Frederick;  42,  Ellas  Wilcox;  43, 
Joseph  Smith  ;  and  44,  Nathaniel  Brock. 

None  was  settled  by  the  soldiers  named. 

The  town  as  thus  formed  is  about  ten  miles  long-  by  three  broad,  and 
runs  northwest  and  southeast  in  lines  nearly  parallel  with  Skaneateles 
and  Otisco  Lakes,  the  former  of  which  washes  the  entire  western 
boundary.  Otisco  Lake  and  the  towns  of  Otisco  and  Tully  lie  on  the 
east,  portions  of  Marcellus  and  Skaneateles  on  the  north,  and  Cortland 
county  on  the  south.  This  town  enjoys  the  distinction  of  having  more 
lake  front  than  any  other  town  in  the  county,  and  its  scenery  is  beauti- 
ful and  picturesque.  An  almost  continuous  ridge  runs  parallel  with 
and  about  midway  between  the  two  lakes  and  descends  somewhat 
abruptly  to  the  valleys  on  either  side.  The  highest  elevation,  which  is 
also  the  highest  point  in  the  county,  is  Ripley  Hill,  in  the  southern 
part,  which  is  1,982  feet  above  tidewater  and  1,122  feet  above  the  water 
of  Skaneateles  Lake. 

The  first  settler  within  the  present  limits  of  Spafljord  was  Gilbert 
Palmer,  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  who  came  from  the  southeastern  part 
of  the  State  in  the  fall  of  1794  and  located  on  lot  76,  township  '.', 
Marcellus,  where  he  died  about  1839.  Of  him  Clark,  in  his  (  >nondaga, 
vol.  II.,  p.  348,  relates  the  following  pathetic  incident: 

In  the  fall  of  the  year,  1794,  soon  after  his  arrival,    Mr.    Palmer  and  his  son.   a 
youth  of  some  sixteen  years  of  age,  went  into  the  woods  chopping,   for  the  purpose 
of  making  a  clearing.     Sometime  in  the  forenoon  they  felled  a  tree,  ami  as  it  struck 
114 


906  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

the  ground  it  bounded,  swung  around,  and  caught  the  young  man  under  it.  The 
father  at  once  mounted  the  log,  cut  it  off,  rolled  it  over,  and  liberated  his  son.  Upon 
examination  one  of  his  lower  limbs  was  found  to  be  badly  crushed  and  mangled.  He 
thereupon  carried  the  youth  to  his  log  hut  close  at  hand,  and  with  all  possible  diligence 
made  haste  to  his  nearest  neighbors,  some  three  or  four  miles  distant,  desiring  them 
to  go  and  minister  to  his  son's  necessities  while  he  should  go  to  Whitestown  for  Dr. 
White.  The  neighbors  sallied  forth  with  such  comfortable  things  as  they  thought 
might  be  acceptable  in  such  a  case;  but  amidst  the  confusion,  the  dense  forest,  and 
the  darkness  of  the  night,  which  had  just  set  in,  they  missed  their  way,  and  after 
wandering  about  for  a  long  time  gave  over  pursuit  and  returned  home,  leaving  the 
poor  sufferer  alone  to  his  fate.  Early  next  morning  all  hands  again  rallied,  and  in 
due  time  found  the  young  man  suffering  the  most  extreme  anguish  from  his  mangled 
limb,  and  greatly  benumbed  with  cold.  They  built  a  fire,  made  him  comfortable 
with  such  palliatives  as  could  be  procured  in  the  wilderness,  and  waited  in  patience 
the  return  of  the  parent.  In  the  mean  time  he  had  proceeded  rapidly  on  his  journey 
on  foot,  and  found  Dr.  White  at  Clinton.  Here  he  engaged  an  Oneida  Indian  to 
pilot  them  through  the  woods  by  a  nearer  route  than  to  follow  the  windings  of  the 
old  road.  Dr.  White  and  Mr.  Palmer  were  at  sundry  times  fearful  the  Indian  would 
lose  his  way ;  and  upon  every  expression  of  doubt  on  their  part  the  Indian  would 
exclaim  '  me  know,'  and  told  them  he  would  bring  them  out  at  a  certain  log  which  lay 
across  the  outlet  at  the  foot  of  Otisco  Lake.  The  Indian  took  the  lead,  and  within 
forty-eight  hours  after  the  accident  had  happened  the  Indian  brought  them  exactly 
to  the  log,  exclaiming  triumphantly  'me  know.'  Here  Mr.  Palmer  arrived  on 
familiar  ground,  and  at  once  proceeded  to  the  cabin,  where  he  had  left  his  son, 
whom  they  found  greatly  prostrated  and  writhing  under  the  most  intense  suffering. 
No  time  was  lost ;  the  case  was  thought  desperate ;  the  limb  was  amputated  at  once, 
half  way  from  the  knee  to  the  thigh.  The  youth  bore  the  pain  with  heroic  fortitude, 
recovered,  and  lived  many  years  afterward,  always  speaking  in  the  highest  terms  of 
praise  of  Dr.  White. 

John  Palmer  afterwards  followed  his  trade  of  tailor  in  this  section  for 
many  years. 

The  entire  town  was  covered  with  a  dense  growth  of  timber,  con- 
sisting largely  of  hemlock,  beech,  maple,  pine,  etc.,  and  when  this 
primitive  forest  was  once  cleared  off  the  soil,  chiefly  a  sandy  and  grav- 
elly loam,  proved  as  productive  and  as  susceptible  of  cultivation  as  any 
in  Central  New  York.  The  geographical  position  of  Spafford,  how- 
ever, militated  against  its  early  and  rapid  settlement,  and  the  only  ob- 
tainable data  indicates  that  Mr.  Palmer  and  his  son  were  nearly  the  sole 
white  inhabitants  of  this  section  for  nearly  eight  years.  At  both  Skan- 
eateles  and  Marcellus  their  neighbors  steadily  increased  in  numbers, 
while  to  the  east  and  south  settlers  constantly  arrived.  The  pioneers 
of  this  town,  with  few  exceptions,  came  in  by  way  of  Marcellus  or  Skan- 
eateles,  and  proceeded  thence  up  the  lakes.  They  were  a  hardy,  reso- 
lute people,   endowed  with  the  thrift  and  frugality  of  old-time  New 


THE  TOWN  OF  SPAFFORD.  907 

Englanders,  and  with  characteristic  energy  applied  themselves  to  the 
work  of  converting  a  wilderness  into  fruitful  farms  and  prosperous 
communities. 

Capt.  Daniel  Tinkham  settled  where  Jeremiah  Olmsted  now  lives 
about  1802,  but  soon  removed  to  what  is  known  as  the  "side  hill."  He 
married  the  daughter  of  a  Baptist  preacher  and  reared  ten  children  to 
maturity,  who  with  the  mother  were  devout  Christians.  Mrs.  Tink- 
ham was  a  remarkable  woman  for  those  times — a  woman  highly  re- 
spected, and  an  early  and  prominent  member  of  the  Thorn  Hill  Baptist 
church.  They  were  parents  of  Russell  Tinkham  and  grandparents  of 
Mrs.  Uriah  Roundy,  the  former  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812,  in  which 
Daniel  himself  served  as  captain.  Captain  Tinkham  was  succeeded  on 
the  present  Olmsted  place  by  Jonathan  Berry,  who  arrived  in  March, 
1803,  and  who  was  a  prominent  man  in  local  affairs.  In  April  of  the 
same  year  Dr.  Archibald  JEarr,  the  first  physician,  located  on  the  south- 
west corner  of  lot  11,  Sempronius,  being  assisted  in  his  arrival  by  Mr. 
Berry,  who  dispatched  his  team  and  men  to  open  a  road,  which  is  the 
same  that  now  runs  from  Spafford  Corners  to  Borodino,  and  which  is 
believed  to  have  been  the  first  road  of  any  kind  made  in  the  present 
town.  In  1804  this  thoroughfare  was  cleared  out  from  Farr's  location 
to  Spafford  post-office,  and  in  the  same  year  Isaac  Hall  settled  on  the 
farm  afterward  owned  by  Asahel  Roundy,  father  of  Uriah  Roundv. 
In  September,  1  SOU,  Mr.  Hall  drove  the  first  wagon,  with  a  load  of 
boards,  from  Spafford  to  Scott  Corners,  the  road  between  those  points 
having  been  opened  in  1805  by  John  Babcock  and  Blisha  Sabins,  who 
moved  in  from  Scott  with  sleds. 

Among  the  settlers  of  1806  were  Peter  Knapp,  Samuel  Smith.  Otis 
and  Moses  Legg,  Jethro  Bailey,  Elias  Davis,  Abel  Amadown,  fob 
Lewis,  Capt.  Daniel  Tinkham,  and  John  Hullibut,  who  located  along 
the  road  from  Scott  to  Borodino.  Elsewhere  in  the  town  were  Levi 
Foster,  James  and  Cornelius  Williamson,  John  Woodward.  Benjamin 
Homer,  Benjamin  Stanton,  and  others.  An  interesting  anecdote  is 
related  of  Abel  Amadown,  who,  like  nearly  all  of  his  neighbors,  in- 
dulged in  copious  draughts  of  toddy.  One  day,  while  going  home  a 
little  the  worse  for  liquor,  he  stumbled  and  fell  to  the  ground,  in  a 
helpless  condition.  A  neighbor  found  him  and  several  times  tried  to 
assist  him  to  rise,  but  failed;  he  asked  the  prostrate  man  his  name  and 
received  the  replv  "Amadown,"  which  sounded  like  "Am  I  down?" 
The  stranger,  becoming  exasperated,  exclaimed,  "Are  you  down?  Why, 


908  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

of  course  you're  down,   and  if  you  don't  want  to  get  up,  why,  d 

you,  stay  down."  That  incident  stuck  to  Amadown  as  long  as  he  lived. 
Elias  Davis,  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  arrived  in  a  boat  from  Skaneat- 
eles  (where  he  had  settled  in  1803)  and  lived  here  until  his  death  on 
June  17,  1851,  at  the  age  of  eighty-eight.  Early  one  winter  he  killed 
a  huge  bear  between  Spafford  Corners  and  the  lake,  which  was  one  of 
the  last  of  those  beasts  slain  in  the  town.  Peter  Knapp  owned  six  hun- 
dred acres  of  land  in  the  vicinity  of  what  was  long  called  Knapp's 
Landing  on  Skaneateies  Lake. 

At  this  time  immigration  was  constantly  increasing  in  volume.  In 
1807  Asahel  Roundy  and  James  Bacon  settled  at  Spafford  Corners,  and 
Samuel  Conkling  erected  the  first  frame  dwelling  in  town  on  lot  76, 
Marcellus.  He  also  built  the  first  frame  barn  and  the  first  cider  mill. 
Mr.  Roundy  was  one  of  the  leading  and  influential  men  of  his  day,  and 
left  an  indelible  stamp  of  his  individuality  upon  the  community.  He 
was  appointed  the  first  postmaster  at  Spafford  in  1814,  held  numerous 
town  offices,  and  in  1820  built  the  present  hotel  at  the  Corners,  which 
he  kept  until  1843,  when  he  sold  to  Col.  William  W.  Legg.  He  was 
captain  of  a  company  of  militia  from  this  town  in  the  war  of  1812,  in 
which  Phineas  Hutchins  served  as  lieutenant.  Mr.  Hutchins  was  also 
a  prominent  early  settler  and  subsequently  became  colonel  of  militia. 
Among  other  soldiers  of  the  war  of  1812  and  pioneers  of  this  town  were 
Cornelius  Williamson,  Samuel  G.  Seeley,  Kelly  Case,  Jabez  Melvin, 
William  Dedrick,  Silas  Randall,  Samuel  Qftle,  Stephen  Applebee,  and 
Samuel  Parker,  all  of  whom  died  here.  Among  Revolutionary  sol- 
diers who  settled  in  this  town  were  Samuel  Prindle,  Thompson  Bur- 
dick,  Daniel  Owen,  Allen  Breed,  Jacob  Greene,  and  Gilbert  Palmer. 
Luke  Miller,  from  Connecticut,  erected  the  firs't  house,  a  log  structure, 
in  Cold  Brook  about  1808. 

Daniel  Wallace,  sr.,  of  Scotch  descent,  settled  in  1807  at  Borodino  on 
a  farm  now  owned  by  the  Ansel  Grinnell  estate,  which  he  bought  of 
Levi  Applebee.  His  father,  Benjamin  Wallace,  of  Pittstown,  Rens- 
selaer county,  N.  Y.,  was  taken  prisoner  by  Burgoyne's  army  in  the 
Revolutionary  war.  Daniel  was  born  at  Pittstown  in  1768,  married 
Molly  Low,  a  cousin  of  Martin  Van  Buren,  and  in  March,  1805,  came 
with  his  wife  and  four  children — Washington,  William,  Daniel  and 
Lucy — to  Skaneateies,  whence  he  removed  to  this  town,  where  were 
bom  to  him  Alice,  Benjamin,  David,  Morgan,  Charles,  and  Mary. 
Daniel  Wallace,  jr.,  born  at  Pittstown,  April  20,  1802,  married  Caroline, 


THE  TOWN  OF  SPAFFORD.  90!i 

daughter  of  Joseph  Marshall,  and  settled  at  Borodino,  where  he  owned 
at  one  time  over  400  acres  of  land,  and  where  he  died  April  13,  1890; 
his  wife's  death  occurred  in  1879.  Their  children  were  Helen  M.,  who 
died  young;  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  who  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  but 
followed  teaching,  and  served  in  the  13th  X.  V.  Vols,  and  15th  X.  Y. 
Cav.,  and  died  in  1879;  Demetrius  Y.,  of  Syracuse;  Andrew  J.,  de- 
ceased; Simon  B.,  of  Borodino;  Andrew  J.,  2d,  who  died  in  1868;  and 
Santa  Anna,  who  was  born  March  2,  1841,  married  in  1866  Florence 
M.,  daughter  of  Almond  T.  and  Martha  (Wheeler)  Redway,  and  has 
three  daughters  living.  S.  A.  Wallace  enlisted  in  the  Union  army 
April  28,  1861,  being  the  first  person  to  enlist  from  the  town  of  Spaf- 
ford.  He  was  a  farmer  at  Borodino  for  many  years,  and  recentlv  re- 
moved to  Skaneateles. 

In  1808  Dr.  Archibald  Farr  erected  the  first  grist  mill  and  opened 
the  first  tavern  in  town,  the  latter  on  lot  11,  Tully,  near  Spafford  Cor- 
ners, and  the  former  in  "  Otisco  Hollow."  The  mill  was  finally  eon- 
verted  into  a  plow  manufactory.  The  tavern  is  now  the  dwelling  of 
Wallace  Gordon.  In  the  same  year  the  first  school  at  the  Corners  was 
kept  by  Miss  Hannah  Weston,  afterwards  Mrs.  Asahel  Roundy,  who 
rode  out  on  horseback  from  Skaneateles.  The  first  school  house 
in  town  was  a  log  structure  built  on  the  northwest  corner  of  lot  76, 
Marcellus,  in  1803,  in  which  Miss  Sally  Packard  was  the  first  teacher. 
The  same  neighborhood  also  furnished  the  initial  impulse  for  religious 
services,  which  were  held  in  private  houses,  barns,  etc. 

Jared  Babcock,  in  1809,  opened  the  first  store  in  town  at  Spafford 
Corners,  and  in  1810  Lauren  Hotchkiss,  brother-in-law  of  Asahel 
Roundy,  also  became  a  merchant  there.  In  1810  and  1  s  1 1  Josiah 
Walker  and  Judge  Walter  Wood,  respectively,  built  saw  mills  on  Cold 
Brook,  a  tributary  of  the  Tioughnioga  River.  Among  other  settlers 
prior  to  the  war  of  1812  were  Samuel  Prindle  (a  Revolutionary  soldier), 
Elijah  Knapp,  Hon.  Joseph  Prindle,  Jonathan  Ripley,  Lewis  C.  I  >avis, 
John  and  Ebenezer  Grout,  Joseph  Enos,  and  Leonard  Melvin.  Settle- 
ment progressed  rapidly,  and  around  Spafford  Corners  there  sprung  up 
a  thrifty  hamlet.  The  growth  of  Borodino  was  somewhat  slower,  yet 
it  soon  gave  evidence  of  considerable  activity. 

By  the  year  1811  the  territory  under  consideration  had  acquired  suffi- 
cient population  to  warrant  separate  town  privileges,  and  on  April  8 
Spafford  was  created  by  act  of  the  Legislature  out  of  portions  of  the 
original   military  townships  of  Sempronius,  Marcellus,  and  Tully.  the 


910  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL 

new  town  being  named  in  honor  of  Horatio  Gates  Spafford,  LL.D., 
author  of  a  Gazetteer  of  New  York.  Mr.  Spafford,  a  Connecticut  law- 
year,  came  here  prospecting,  purchased  a  piece  of  land,  and  offered  to 
give  the  town  a  library  if  it  was  named  after  him.  The  offer  was  ac- 
cepted and  he  sent  a  number  of  books,  which  were  kept  for  many  years 
at  the  house  of  Asahel  Roundy,  whence  they  were  circulated  among 
the  inhabitants.  He  intended  to  settle  here,  but  died  soon  after  re- 
turning to  Connecticut.  Prior  to  the  formation  of  Spafford  the  terri- 
tory comprised  a  part  of  the  civil  town  of  Tully.  On  March  18,  1840, 
small  portions  of  Spafford  were  annexed  to  Skaneateles  and  Marcellus, 
leaving  the  town  as  at  present  outlined  with  18,900  acres.  On  the  first 
Tuesday  in  April,  1812,  one  year  after  the  town's  formation,  the  first 
town  meeting  was  held  at  the  house  of  Elisha  Sabins  and  the  following 
officers  were  elected : 

John  Babcock,  supervisor;  Sylvester  Wheaton,  town  clerk;  Benjamin  Stanton, 
Asahel  Roundy,  and  Elijah  Knapp,  assessors ;  Asahel  Roundy,  Jonathan  Berry,  and 
Adolphus  French,  commissioners  of  highways;  James  Williamson  and  Asa  Terry, 
overseers  of  the  poor ;  Levi  Foster,  constable  and  collector ;  Sylvanus  Learned  and 
James  Williamson,  commissioners  of  public  land  ;  Elisha  Sabins,  poundkeeper;  Nehe- 
miah  Billings,  Ebenezer  Grout,  Samuel  Holmes,  Daniel  Scranton,  James  Whitman, 
Joel  Palmer,  Cornelius  Williamson,  Asahel  Roundy,  and  Amos  Reed,  pathmasters. 
The  sum  of  $25  was  voted  for  support  of  the  poor. 

At  the  second  town  meeting,  held  at  the  same  place  on  April  13, 
1813,  Asahel  Roundy  was  chosen  supervisor;  Asa  Teny,  town  clerk; 
Silas  Lewis,  Kelly  Case,  and  Silas  B.  Hebard,  inspectors  of  common 
schools;  John  Babcock,  James  Williamson,  and  Erastus  Barber,  com- 
missioners of  common  schools;  John  Babcock,  sealer  of  weights  and 
measures. 

Following  is  a  list  of  supervisors  of  Spafford  from  the  organization 
of  the  town  to  the  present  time : 

John  Babcock,  1812;  Asahel  Roundy,  1813-19;  Peleg  Sherman,  1820-22;  Erastus 
Barber,  1823-24;  Peleg  Sherman,  1826;  Asahel  Roundy,  1826;  Phineas  Hutchins, 
1827;  Asahel  Roundy,  1828-29;  Daniel  Baxter,  1830-32;  John  R.  Lewis,  1833-36; 
Charles  R.  Vary,  1837-38 ;  John  R.  Lewis,  1839-41 ;  Joseph  Bulfinch,  1842 ;  John  R. 
Lewis,  1S43;  Joseph  Bulfinch,  1844;  William  O'Farrell,  1845;  Joseph  Bulfinch,  1846; 
William  W.  Legg,  1847;  Russell  M.  Burdick,  1848;  William  W.  Legg,  1849;  Oscar 
E.  Moseley,  1850;  Thomas  B.  Anderson,  1851;  James  H.  Isdell,  1852;  John  L.  Mason, 
is:,;;  55;  Reuben  T.  Breed,  1856;  Samuel  S.  Kneeland,  1857-59;  David  Becker,  1860; 
Edwin  S.  Edwards,  1861-63;  Orrin  Eddy,  1864-66;  Uriah  Roundy,  1867-69;  Samuel 
II.  Stanton,  1N~0  71  ;  JustusN.  Knapp,  1872;  John  McDowell,  1873-74;  Henry  Weston, 
■  7;  Benjamin  McDaniels,  1878-80;  Van  Dyke  Tripp,  1881-83;  Perry  F.  Wood- 
worth,  L884  86;  Harry  J.  Haight,  1887;  William  II.  Bass,  1888;  Willard  Norton,  1889; 
William   II.  Bass,  1890;  Marcus  Patterson,  1891-93;  Willard  Norton,  1894-95. 


THE  TOWN  OF  SPAFFORD.  911 

In  the  foregoing  lists  appear  the  names  of  many  prominent  early  set- 
tlers, who  were  instrumental  in  developing  the  town  into  a  productive 
section,  but  to  them  should  be  added  Job  Smith  and  his  descendants. 
Mr.  Smith  held  a  commission  as  paymaster  in  the  Revolutionary  army 
and  came  with  his  family,  originally  from  Connecticut,  to  Spafford 
about  1806,  settling  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  his  grandson,  Hon. 
Sidney  Smith,  of  Skaneateles,  where  he  died  in  1827,  aged  eighty 
years.  His  son,  Lewis  Smith,  was  a  lieutenant  in  the  war  of  L812,  jus- 
tice of  the  peace  and  supervisor  of  Marcellus,  county  sheriff  from  L826 
to  1828  inclusive,  member  of  assembly  in  L820-21  and  1829,  and  died 
while  in  that  office  in  1829,  at  the  age  of  forty-three.  lie  settled  on 
a  farm  adjoining  his  father,  and  had  five  children  :  Sidney,  Mary,  Will- 
iam, Stephen,  and  J.  Lewis.  William  was  graduated  from  Yale  Col- 
lege, taught  school,  studied  law,  settled  in  Missouri,  went  to  California, 
and  died,  a  merchant  in  Sacramento,  aged  about  thirty.  Stephen,  a 
prominent  physician  in  New  York  city,  was  appointed  a  commissioner 
of  charities  in  1881,  commissioner  in  lunacy  in  1882,  and  delegate  to 
the  International  Sanitary  Congress  in  18!»4.  J.  Lewis  is  also  a  physi- 
cian in  New  York  city,  a  graduate  of  Yale  College,  a  well  known  medi- 
cal writer,  and  author  of  a  popular  work  entitled  c>  Diseases  of  Children. " 
Sidney  Smith  was  born  in  Spafford  in  1815  and  remained  on  the  home- 
stead until  about  L870,  when  he  moved  to  Skaneateles.  Me  was  ;i 
member  of  assembly  in  1857,  and  knew  John  Palmer,  son  of  the  pio- 
neer Gilbert,  who  is  noticed  in  a  previous  page  of  this  chapter.  Stephen 
Smith,  another  son  of  Job,  settled  opposite  the  Strong  farm  and  died 
there  about  1825. 

Other  early  settlers  were  Elder  Elias  Harmon,  William  Strong,  where 
Deacon  Hunt  first  lived ;  Deacon  Hiscock,  where  Frank  Harvey  now 
resides;  Job  Harvey,  still  living;  the  Fitzgerald  family,  among  whom 
were  Jeremiah,  John,  and  David,  on  the  farms  of  David  Colton  and 
Samuel  Ackles;  and  Amasa  Kneeland,  farmer  and  tanner,  on  the  pres- 
ent James  Hunt  farm.  The  latter  was  the  father  of  Samuel  Stillman 
Kneeland,  who  was  born  here  April  2,  1811,  served  in  the  Assembly  in 
1853,  and  died  in  Skaneateles  on  October  4,  L895,  ami  of  Dr.  Benjamin 
T.  Kneeland,  of  Livingston  county,  who  was  a  surgeon  in  the  Rebell- 
ion. Others  still  were  Jacob  W.  Darling,  farmer  ami  Freewill  Baptist 
preacher;  John  R.  Lewis,  son  of  Job,  living  in  Illinois  at  the  age  of 
ninety-eight;  Edwin  S.  Edwards,  who  died  a  few  years  ago;  James 
Woodworth,   who   settled  near  Skaneateles  Lake;   John  Noble,    Elias 


912  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

Jacobs,  Ira  and  Isaac  Smith,  Osmer  Orton,  Robert  Rainey,  William 
Bell,  John  Carver,  "Ned"  Scribbins  (a  shoemaker),  and  Eli,  Dakin, 
and  John  Fisher,  who  settled  in  the  east  part  of  the  town;  David  Lyon, 
a  tanner  and  shoemaker;  Easton  Cole,  father  of  Joseph  L.  ;  Deacon 
Edmund  C.  Weston,  father  of  Henry,  Daniel,  and  Harriet;  Deacon 
Augustin  McKay  and  John  Harrington;  and  David  Norton,  who  came 
from  Connecticut  in  181-4.  Among  those  who  laid  out  highways  in  this 
town  before  1820  were  Jonathan  Berry,  Lauren  Hotchkiss,  Elijah  Ma- 
son, Daniel  B.  Robinson,  P.  R.  Gorton,  John  Baxter,  and  Joseph 
Arnold.  In  1820  Spafford  contained  seventeen  road  districts.  Of  other 
residents  prior  to  this  year  may  be  mentioned  Col.  William  W.  Legg, 
Hiram  Seeley,  Rathbun  Barber,  George  W.  Crane,  Seymour  Grinnell, 
John  L.  Mason,  Harvey  Barnes,  John  L.  Ripley,  Allen  J.  and  Samuel 
H.  Stanton,  William  and  A.  M.  Churchill,  Nelson  Berry,  Reuben  Pal- 
mer, Alanson  E.  Colton,  and  Eleazer  Hullibut  (a  blacksmith  at  Boro- 
dino). 

From  the  foregoing  paragraphs  it  will  be  seen  that  a  large  number 
of  Spafford's  citizens  participated  in  the  war  of  1812-15,  and  that  the 
town  made  a  record  during  those  eventful  years  which  is  almost  un- 
equaled  by  an  similar  community  in  Central  New  York.  This  period 
of  excitement  was  followed  by  the  celebrated  "cold  season"  of  1816, 
which  caused  great  suffering  from  dearth  of  provisions.  But  from  these 
temporary  setbacks,  which  for  the  time  retarded  immigration,  the 
thrifty  and  enterprising  inhabitants  quickly  recovered,  and  during  the 
next  decade  or  two  this  section  rapidly  developed  its  natural  re- 
sources. In  18 1G  a  Freewill  Baptist  church  was  organized,  being  an 
offshoot  of  the  Tully  Baptist  church,  and  soon  afterward  a  plain  wooden 
edifice  was  erected  on  the  hill  east  of  Spafford  Corners.  About  1835 
all,  or  nearly  all,  the  members  of  the  society  became  converts  to  Mor- 
monism  and  moved  west,  abandoning  their  house  of  worship,  which 
eventually  passed  into  the  possession  of  Uriah  Roundy,  who  moved  it 
to  the  Corners  and  converted  it  into  a  dwelling.  An  early  minister  of 
this  organization  was  Elder  Gould.  It  was  during  his  ministration  that 
Mormonism  obtained  a  foothold  among  its  members.  About  1836  a 
Baptist  church  was  formed  at  Spafford  Corners,  and  in  1839  an  edifice 
was  erected.  The  structure  was  dedicated  January  8,  1840.  After 
many  years  of  usefulness  the  society  became  extinct,  and  in  1867  Uriah 
Roundy  purchased  the  building  and  made  it  over  into  a  store.  Among 
the  ministers  of  this  denomination  were  Elder  Kimberly,  first  preacher, 


THE  TOWN  OF  SPAFFORD.  913 

Elder  Benjamin  Andrews  and  Elder  Boughton.  The  present  M.  E. 
church  at  the  Corners  was  built  as  a  Union  church  by  the  .Methodists, 
Freewill  Baptists  and  Universalists  in  1839-40  at  a  cost  of  about  $1,200. 
Among  the  early  members  of  the  Methodist  denomination  were  James 
Woodworth,  Samuel  Seeley,  Edwin  S.  Edwards,  Dr.  John  Collins, 
Hiram  Seeley,  Sylvanus  Eddy  and  wife,  and  David  Coon  and  wife. 
Elder  Jacob  W.  Darling  was  a  preacher  for  many  years  in  this  church 
for  the  Freewill  Baptists.  The  first  church  erected  at  Borodino  stood 
on  the  site  of  the  present  town  hall.  The  present  M.  E.  church  was 
built  and  stood  for  several  years  in  Skaneateles,  whence  it  was  removed 
to  the  site  it  now  occupies.  Before  1817  a  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
had  been  organized  in  the  neighborhood  of  Cold  Brook,  of  which  Rich- 
ard English  and  Caleb  Haight  were  among  the  early  members,  and  of 
which  Rev.  Isaac  Puffer  was  one  of  the  first  pastors.  The  present  edi- 
fice was  built  in  1852  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  O.  X.  Cuykendall, 
and  cost  about  $1,200.. 

In  the  mean  time  the  hamlet  of  Borodino  had  become  an  active  busi- 
ness center.  A  Methodist  church,  which  was  organized  there  in  1809, 
and  the  first  meetings  of  which  were  held  at  the  house  of  John  C. 
Hullibut,  was  now  an  influential  society,  and  around  the  place  clustered 
a  few  necessary  commercial  interests.  The  first  merchant  there  was 
Daniel  Burroughs,  who  kept  his  goods  in  a  log  cabin,  which  stood  on 
the  site  of  Alphonso  Deerman's  dwelling  and  store.  He  was  a  great 
swimmer,  and  on  one  occasion  swam  across  Skaneateles  Lake  on  a 
wager,  from  Mandana  to  "  Pork  Point,"  a  distance  of  three  miles.  It 
may  be  mentioned  here  that  Pork  Point  was  so  named  from  the  fact 
that  the  first  barrel  of  pork  ever  brought  to  Borodino  was  unshipped 
there.  Borodino  continued  to  increase  in  size  and  importance  for 
several  years  until  it  contained  "three  stores,  and  three  taverns,  and 
three  tailor  shops,  and  three  blacksmith  shops,  and  other  things  in  pro- 
portion, and  they  all  did  well,"  according  to  the  recollection  of  Daniel 
Wallace,  who  added : 

It  was  never  much  of  a  place  for  churches,  but  we  used  to  have  two  of  them,  and 
now  wTe  have  but  one.  Two  of  the  taverns  have  gone  also,  and  everything  else  has 
gone  down  in  the  same  proportion,  population  and  all.  The  railroad  between  Bing- 
hamton  and  Syracuse  killed  this  place.  The  village  sprang  up  quickly  when  it  was 
once  begun,  and  it  has  been  about  the  same  as  it  is  now  for  forty  years,  as  far  as  the 
mere  number  of  houses  is  concerned. 

The  first  merchant,  Daniel  Burroughs,  finally  sold  to  Horace  and 
Stephen  Child,  who  came  hither  from  Connecticut.     Other  merchants 

115 


914  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

were  Daniel  Baxter,  the  Messrs.  Barker,  Washington  Wallace,  William 
W.  Legg,  David  Becker,  Thomas  Anderson,  C.  M.  Rich,  Churchill  & 
Eadie,  Grinnell  &  Howe,  William  Quick  &  Son,  and  Capt.  Zachariah 
Berry.  In  August,  1851,  William  W.  Legg  was  appointed  lieutenant- 
colonel  of  the  42d  Regt.,  24th  Brigade,  6th  Division,  New  York  State 
Militia.  The  first  tavern  was  built  by  Ira  Ryder  on  the  site  of  the 
Churchill  House;  the  second  was  erected  by  Lewis  Davis,  where  John 
Unckless  now  lives;  and  a  third  was  kept  on  the  corner  occupied  by 
Mark  Harvey.  The  first  blacksmith  shop  in  Borodino  was  kept  by 
Eleazer  Hullibut  where  the  Legg  block  now  stands,  and  afterward 
William  W.  Legg  plied  his  trade  on  the  premises  owned  by  Louis  Fay. 
Other  blacksmiths  were  Mr.  Stowell,  Isaac  Wallace,  O.  F.  Eddy,  A. 
Griffin,  and  John  Weston.  The  first  wagonmaker  was  W.  W.  Legg, 
who  had  as  workmen  John  Babcock,  Solomon  Sprague,  Seymour 
Warner,  and  Simeon  Morchell.  Among  the  early  shoemakers  were 
Milton  Streeter  and  Harmon  Cady.  Thomas  Howard  at  one  time  had 
a  tannery  here  and  Daniel  Baxter  carried  on  a  potashery.  William 
Hayford  was  an  early  tinsmith  and  foundryman.  The  first  resident 
physician  was  Dr.  J.  Whiting,  and  among  his  successors  were  Dr.  B. 
Trumbull,  Dr.  Phillips,  Dr.  Isaac  Morrell,  and  Dr.  Van  Dyke  Tripp. 
On  May,  1856,  a  fire  destroyed  a  tin  shop,  foundry,  tailor  shop,  etc., 
entailing  a  loss  of  about  $8,000,  and  on  September  12,  1871,  the  busi- 
ness places  of  William  W.  Legg  &  Son,  William  Quick,  Charles  Rich, 
H.  L.  Darling,  and  Charles  Benton  were  burned. 

Among  other  Borodino  settlers  were  Levi  Applebee,  John  Gale,  lames  Cornell, 
Jesse  and  Nathaniel  Manley,  Reuben  Newton,  Medad  Harvey,  Sylvenus  Stebbins, 
Ichabod  and  Warren  Kneeland,  Elders  Morton  and  Worden,  Hiram  Whitman, 
Stanton  Lewis,  Peleg  Amadown,  Squire  Waite,  William  and  Pardon  Cornell,  Samuel 
Biddies,  James  Sweet,  Jesse  Peck,  James  McDuffee,  Nathan  Thompson,  Gideon 
Colton,  John  Stropp,  Isaac  Mills,  Asa  Mason,  and  Peter  Becker.  The  first  justices  of 
the  peace  on  record,  under  the  year  1830,  were  Daniel  and  John  Baxter  and  Silas 
Cox,  and  among  those  who  afterward  held  that  office  were  Daniel  B.  Robinson,  Wait 
Hinman,  Orry  Wood,  John  Sharp,  John  C.  Hullibut,  Isaiah  D.  Smith,  Asahel  Roundy, 
Thomas  Copp,  Stephen  Hammond,  Thaddeus  Thompson,  Russell  M.  Burdick,  Will- 
iam O'Farrell,  and  Lorenzo  Boutelle. 

In  1836  Borodino  had  a  church,  two  taverns,  two  stores,  and  about 
twenty  dwellings. 

Statistics:  200  militia,  489  voters,  14,391  acres  of  improved  land,  2,852  cattle,  839 

horses,  7,1*9  sheep,  one  grist  mill,  five  saw  mills,  a  fulling  mill,  a  carding  mill,  two 

ashcries,  three  tanneries,   15  school  districts,  and  1,277  scholars;  public  money  ex- 

d  for  school  purposes,  8861  ;  teachers'  wages,  additional,  $596;  assessed  valua- 


THE  TOWN  OF  SPAFFORD. 

tion  of  real  estate,  §304,637;  personal  property,  819,531  ;  town  tax.  $517;  county  tax, 
$706. 

Spafford  Corners  was  likewise  a  center  of  activity,  and  continued  to 
increase  in  size  and  business  importance  for  several  years.  Among 
those  who  succeeded  Asahel  Roundy,  the  first  postmaster,  were  lames 
Knapp,  Joseph  R.  Berry,  Thomas  B.  Anderson,  Dr.  John  Collins, 
William  W.  Legg,  Benjamin  McDaniels,  Uriah  Roundy  (about  fifteen 
years),  George  King,  Caleb  E.  King,  Uriah  Roundy  again,  and  Caleb 
E.  King,  incumbent.  Of  the  hotel  keepers  who  followed  Col.  \V.  W. 
Legg  mention  may  be  made  of  Thomas  Babcock,  Eugene  Barker,  John 
Van  Benscoten,  Lieber&  McCauliffe,  and  Thomas  McCauliffe.  Lauren 
Hotchkiss,  as  stated,  was  the  first  merchant,  and  among  others  were 
James  and  Isaac  Knapp,  Joseph  R.  Berry  (son  of  Jonathan),  J.  A.  Berry, 
Thomas  B.  Anderson,  Levi  Hurlbut,  A.  M.  Roundy  (brother  of  Uriah, 
died  in  1857),  James  Churchill,  and  Jonathan  Woodworth.  Joseph  R. 
Berry,  in  1831,  built  afterward  what  became  the  Churchill  store,  which 
at  the  raising  was  dubbed  the  "Proud  Farmer's  Ruin."  In  1867  Uriah 
Roundy  purchased  the  old  Baptist  church  and  converted  it  into  a  store, 
and  with  Benjamin  McDaniels  conducted  a  large  mercantile  trade  for 
several  years. 

John  Anderson,  jr.,  born  in  Cazenovia  on  June  14,  1807,  came  with 
his  father  to  Skaneateles  in  1809.  The  latter  died  in  181-4,  leaving 
three  children:  John,  jr.,  Cornelius,  and  Catherine.  At  the  age  of 
thirteen  John,  jr.,  was  bound  out  to  Joshua  Chandler,  with  whom  he 
remained  until  he  was  twenty-one.  In  1832  he  married  Catherine, 
daughter  of  Ezekiel  Olds,  of  Auburn,  and  after  living  at  Thorn  Hill 
four  years  removed  to  Borodino,  where  he  followed  his  trade  of  car- 
penter. 

Dr.  John  Collins  came  to  Spafford  about  L830  and  practiced  medicine 
until  his  death  on  August  15,  1853.  He  was  a  descendant  of  Henry 
Collins,  starchmaker,  who  came  to  America  from  Stephany  Parish, 
near  London,  England,  in  l(Jo5,  and  settled  in  Lynn,  Mass.  Dr.  Col- 
lins was  of  the  seventh  generation  in  an  unbroken  line  of  his  own  name, 
John.  He  was  graduated  from  the  Castleton  (Vt.)  Medical  College  in 
1820,  settled  first  in  Madison  county,  but  soon  removed  to  this  town, 
where  he  acquired  a  wide  professional  business.  He  was  one  of  the 
leading  physicians  of  the  county  during  his  career  and  a  prominent 
member  of  the  County  Medical  Society.  He  was  a  fine  botanist,  knew 
the  medicinal   properties  of  almost  all   varieties  of  plants,   held  several 


916  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

important  town  offices,  and  was  one  of  the  first  men  to  espouse  the 
cause  of  temperance.  He  married  Mary  Ann,  daughter  of  Capt.  Asahel 
Roundy  and  sister  of  Prof.  Charles  O.  Roundy,  the  first  principal  of 
the  Syracuse  High  School.  She  survives  him  and  resides  in  Syracuse. 
They  had  eight  children,  of  whom  three  are  living:  Major  George 
Knapp  Collins,  a  prominent  lawyer,  and  John  Asahel  and  Frank  Collins, 
all  of  Syracuse. 

Capt.  Asahel  Roundy  was  born  in  Rockingham,  Windham  county, 
Vt,  July  29,  1784,  and  died  in  Spafford  February  1,  1857.  He  was  the 
seventh  in  line  of  descent  from  Philip  Roundy,  of  Salem,  Mass.,  the 
first  settler.  Philip  had  three  children,  Robert  and  Mark  by  his  first 
wife  and  Mary  by  his  second.  Mark  was  a  soldier  in  Captain  Hill's 
company,  which  made  an  attack  on  the  Narragansett  Fort  in  Rhode 
Island  in  December,  1675,  in  what  was  known  as  King  Philip's  war,  and 
was  wounded  in  that  engagement.  Uriah,  father  of  Asahel,  was  born 
October  27,  1756,  married  Lucretia  Needham,  and  died  May  1,  1813, 
residing  during  his  lifetime  in  Rockingham.  By  his  first  wife,  Lucre- 
tia, he  had  twelve  children,  Daniel,  Hannah,  Asahel,  Lucy,  Shadrack, 
Naomi,  Lucretia,  Mariah,  Uriah,  Mary,  Almira,  and  Matilda. 

Capt.  Asahel  Roundy  came  to  Spafford  from  Rockingham,  Vt.,  on 
horseback,  in  1807.  After  the  death  of  his  father,  Uriah,  in  1813,  his 
mother,  brothers,  and  sisters  came  on  from  Rockingham  and  took  up 
their  residence  about  him  in  his  new  home  in  this  town,  and  from 
thence  scattered  to  different  parts  of  the  great  West.  In  the  war  of 
1812  Asahel  was  captain  of  a  company  of  militia  which  saw  service  for 
a  short  period  in  the  neighborhood  of  Sackett's  Harbor.  During  the 
early  history  of  this  county  a  large  share  of  the  litigation  was  in  justice 
courts  in  the  different  towns  instead  of  the  county  seat  as  at  the  present 
time.  On  such  occasions  the  best  legal  talent  in  the  county  was  em- 
ployed and  every  one  suspended  work  to  be  present  at  the  lawsuit.  At 
such  times  it  was  not  infrequent  that  Captain  Roundy  was  called  upon 
to  try  one  side  or  the  other  of  these  cases,  and  Hon.  Daniel  Gott,  who 
in  olden  times  was  considered-  one  of  the  strongest  trial  lawyers  in  the 
county,  once  paid  Captain  Roundy  the  compliment  of  being  one  of  the 
strongest  advocates  before  a  jury  of  any  man  he  ever  met.  There 
were  several  remarkable  men  among  the  early  pioneers  of  this  town, 
hut  it  is  no  disparagement  of  any  of  them  to  say  that  he  was  the  most 
remarkable  of  them  all.  He  was  six  feet  tall,  well  proportioned,  a  per- 
fect athlete,  and  an  adept  in  all  the  sports  that  were  common  and  par- 


THE  TOWN  OF  SPAFFORD.  917 

ticipated  in  by  the  men  of  those  times.  His  education  was  only  that  of 
the  common  school  but  he  had  a  remarkably  retentive  memory,  and  his 
mind  was  well  stored  with  valuable  information,  including  much  poetry 
and  song,  all  of  which  he  was  able  to  command  and  use  to  advantage 
both  in  public  speech  and  in.  private  conversation.  He  was  a  man 
physically  and  mentally  well  equipped. 

The  first  settler  at  what  is  now  known  as  Randall's  Point,  or  Spaf- 
ford  Landing,  came  to  Spafford  early,  while  the  country  was  then  a 
wilderness,  and  undertook  to  build  a  log'  house  at  that  place.  In  doing 
so  he  broke  his  leg  by  a  log  rolling  upon  him.  Captain  Round  v,  finding 
him  in  this  condition  and  no  help  being  at  hand,  took  him  upon  his 
back  and  bore  him  through  the  woods  up  an  almost  vertical  pathway 
for  a  mile  and  a  half  to  his  house,  where  he  was  cared  for  until  his  re- 
covery. 

Captain  Roundy  at  an  early  date  purchased  lands  in  the  eastern  part 
of  the  town,  and  laid  out  and  built  the  road  now  known  as  the  Buck- 
tail.  Anyone  who  has  ever  passed  over  this  road  will  be  likely  to  re- 
member its  ruggedness  as  equal  to  its  picturesqueness.  In  early  times 
as  well  as  now  it  was  a  subject  of  jest.  At  that  time  the  two  principal 
parties  in  this  State  were  known  as  Bucktails  and  Clintonians.  Of  the 
former  he  was  at  that  time  an  active  member;  so  much  so  that  the  peo- 
ple dubbed  the  road  the  Bucktail  in  recognition  of  that  fact,  and  it  has 
borne  the  name  until  the  present  time. 

At  an  early  time  one  or  two  burials  were  made  in  what  is  known  as 
the  Spafford  cemetery,  east  of  the  Corners,  which  was  then  open  pas- 
ture land.  One  day  a  funeral  party  came  there  with  a  corpse  for  bur- 
ial, and  the  man  who  owned  the  land  refused  to  let  the  interment  take 
place,  whereupon,  as  usual  in  such  cases,  they  appealed  to  Captain 
Roundy,  who  went  to  the  owner  and  bought  and  paid  for  the  original 
land,  which  forms  a  part  of  that  cemetery,  and  title  to  the  same  rests 
in  his  name  or  that  of  his  descendants  to  this  day. 

Before  1831  it  was  common  to  imprison  people  for  debt.  ( >n  one 
occasion  a  man  living  on  the  main  road  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
town  was  in  debt.  He  was  abusive,  and  resisted  arrest.  For  a  long 
time  he  kept  himself  concealed  and  locked  in  doors.  lie  kept  out  of 
the  way  of  the  officers,  as  they  were  not  permitted  to  break  down  doors 
to  make  such  arrests.  The  officer  went  to  Roundy,  and  he  undertook 
to  assist  him  in  making  the  arrest.  It  was  winter  time,  and  he  got  a 
two-horse  rig,  put  on  all  the  bells  he  could  find,  and    in    the  middle  of 


918  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

the  nig'ht  drove  down  to  within  one-half  mile  of  the  man's  house,  got 
out,  and  taking  two  bundles  of  straw  under  his  arm  walked  down  to 
the  north  end  of  the  house,  which  had  no  windows  in  it,  the  only  door 
of  admittance  being  on  the  east  side  of  the  house  near  the  northeast 
corner.  Arriving  at  the  place  he  set  fire  to  the  straw,  whereupon  the 
man  with  the  bells  and  horses  drove  at  a  furious  rate  yelling  "fire," 
which  brought  the  man  to  the  door  in  his  nightdress,  where  he  was  met 
by  Captain  Roundy,  who  took  him  gently  in  his  arms  and  turned  him 
over  to  the  officer. 

At  an  early  date  Captain  Roundy  built  a  saw  mill  on  the  upper  falls 
of  the  stream  near  the  Bucktail  road  with  a  flume  running  over  the 
precipice,  and  subsequently  built  a  carding  mill  a  little  higher  up 
stream.  About  this  time  a  supposed  distant  relative  of  his  came  to 
town  and  claimed  to  have  a  knowledge  of  carding.  He  put  him  in 
charge  of  the  mill.  After  he  had  been  in  possession  for  a  time  Captain 
Roundy  thought  it  time  to  go  over,  investigate,  and  count  up  the  profits 
of  the  adventure.  To  his  mute  astonishment  he  found  the  building 
entirely  empty  and  his  carding  machinery  carried  away.  This  he  sub- 
sequently found  buried  under  a  straw  stack  in  the  village  of  Cardiff. 

At  one  time  a  log  house  stood  on  the  green  now  existing  at  the  Cor- 
ners between  the  two  churches.  A  woman  living  in  this  house  after  a 
while  was  discovered  to  have  won  the  affections  and  regard  of  a  neigh- 
bor woman's  husband,  with  whom  she  proposed  elopement.  On  the 
night  fixed  for  this  episode  to  take  place  there  was  a  gathering  of  men 
on  horseback  in  a  distant  part  of  the  town,  and  after  the  elopers  had 
gotten  a  mile  or  so  on  their  journey  they  were  overtaken  by  this  caval- 
cade and  escorted  to  Borodino.  After  a  short  stop  they  were  persuaded 
to  return  and  the  man,  making  over  his  property  to  his  wife,  was  per- 
mitted to  go  away  undisturbed. 

At  an  early  date  a  dilapidated  old  house  stood  a  short  distance  east 
of  the  Corners.  It  was  rumored  that  an  undesirable  family  had  hired 
it  and  was  going  to  move  into  town  and  likely  to  become  a  town  charge. 
The  people  called  upon  the  owner  and  tried  to  dissuade  him  from  let- 
ting the  property  to  these  people,  but  he  persisted,  and  was  more  or 
less  abusive,  much  to  the  annoyance  of  his  neighbors.  One  fine  morn- 
ing, just  before  the  new  settlers  were  to  arrive,  people  were  surprised 
to  find  this  house  razed  to  the  ground.  The  owner  was  furious,  and 
charged  one  of  his  neighbors  with  perpetrating  the  mischief  and  went 
to  I  aptain  Round}-,  who  was  then  a  justice  of  the  peace,  and  swore  out 


THE  TOWN  OF  SPAFFORD.  919 

a  warrant  for  the  man.  At  that  time  the  parties  to  a  criminal  or  civil 
proceeding-  could  not  be  sworn  in  their  own  behalf,  and  the  defendant 
was  often  at  the  mercy  of  an  unscrupulous  witness.  At  the  time  of  the 
trial  every  one  turned  out  and  very  much  regretted  the  turn  of  affairs, 
which  seemed  to  be  against  the  defendant.  The  complainant  produced 
a  witness,  who  swore  that  he  was  passing  along  the  road  in  the  night 
and  saw  the  defendant  tearing  down  the  house,  and  he  tried  to  get 
away  from  him,  but  he  knew  him,  and  was  certain  of  his  identity.  The 
defendant  was  so  unfortunate  as  not  to  be  able  to  prove  even  an  alibi. 
When  the  case  was  rested,  much  to  the  surprise  of  evey  one  present,  Cap- 
tain Roundy  discharged  the  defendant,  claiming  there  was  no  caus 
action  against  him.  Of  course  it  was  a  high  handed  proceeding,  but 
everybody  submitted  because  it  was  Captain  Roundy's  decision,  and  they 
all  believed  that  he  must  have  some  internal  light  not  discernible  to  the 
rest  of  them.  Sometime  afterwards  one  of  his  daughters  said  to  him  : 
"Father,  how  could  you  make  that  decision  when  you  knew  that  wit- 
ness swore  point  blank  to  the  guilt  of  the  defendant  and  there  were  n<> 
mitigating  circumstances?"  "Well,"  he  said,  "if  you  will  never  say 
anything  about  it  I  will  tell  you.  I  knew  that  that  witness  lied,  for 
Colonel  Hutchins  and  myself  pulled  down  that  building." 

Captain  Roundy  married  Hannah  Weston  on  January  L9,  L809.  By 
her  he  had  nine  children,  all  of  whom  arrived  at  maturity.  Among 
them  were  Uriah  Roundy,  at  present  a  justice  of  the  peace  in  this 
town;  Prof.  Charles  O.  Roundy,  a  former  principal  of  the  Syracuse 
High  School,  and  Mary  Ann,  who  married  Dr  John  Collins,  and  is 
now  a  resident  of  Syracuse. 

Thompson  Burdick  was  born  in  the  town  of  Hopkinton,  R.  I.,  Sep- 
tember 1,  1753,  and  died  at  Spafford  on  October  •">,  L830.  He  was 
fourth  in  line  of  descent  from  Robert  Burdick,  the  first  settler  in  this 
country  and  the  common  ancestor  of  all  the  Burdicks  so  far  as  known. 

About  1(561  a  company  was  formed  in  Newport  to  colonize  what  was 
afterward  known  as  Westerly,  R.  I.  Among  those  who  were  members 
of  that  company  and  who  settled  upon  the  land  near  Pawtucket  Rivet- 
was  Robert  Burdick  and  Tobias  Saunders.  In  November  of  that  year 
they  made  a  clearing  and  put  up  a  log  house,  but  were  promptly  ar- 
rested by  order  of  Gov.  John  Endicott,  of  Massachusetts,  ami  carried 
prisoners  to  Boston.  They  were  tried  as  trespassers,  fined  forty  pounds 
apiece,  and  ordered  to  give  bonds  to  keep  the  peace.  They  were  kept 
in  prison  for  several  months,  during  which  time  the)-  appealed  to  Eng- 


920  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

land  for  redress.  In  the  end  the  other  members  of  the  colonization 
company  paid  their  fines  and  they  were  permitted  to  return  to  Rhode 
Island  Colony.  Robert  married  Ruth,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Tacy 
(Cooper)  Hubbard,  who  was  said  to  be  the  first  white  child  born  in 
Springfield,  Mass.  By  her  he  had  ten  children,  of  whom  Robert, 
Hubbard,  Thomas,  Naomi,  Ruth,  Benjamin,  Samuel,  Tacy,  and  Debo- 
rah arrived  at  maturity.  From  Thomas  was  descended  the  Rev.  John 
Burdick  who  was  recognized  as  one  of  the  greatest  Seventh  Day  preach- 
ers of  his  day.  Hubbard  Burdick  married  Hannah  Maxson,  by  whom 
he  had  four  children:  Hubbard,  Nathan,  John  and  Ezekiel. 

Hubbard  resided  in  Hopkinton,  R.  I.,  and  was  one  of  the  grantees 
of  5,300  acres  of  land  sold  under  an  order  of  the  R.  I.  court  October  2, 
1711.  This  grant  was  situated  in  the  southwestern  portion  of  the  town 
of  Hopkinton.  John  Burdick,  the  son  of  Hubbard,  was  born  May  19, 
1721,  and  married  Elizabeth  Babcock,  by  whom  he  had  eight  children: 
Maxson,  Thompson,  Anne,  John,  Paul,  Abigail,  Sarah  and  Frances. 
«»  Thompson  Burdick,  son  of  John,  married  Tabithy  Wilcox,  and  by 
her  had  ten  children:  Paul,  William,  Thompson,  Ethel,  Lucy,  Nabba, 
Nancy,  Polina,  Betsey  and  Sophia.  The  major  part  of  these  were  born 
at  Pawcatuc  Bridge,  Stonington,  Conn  ,  and  the  balance  in  Brookfield, 
N.  Y.,  to  which  place  Thompson  is  said  to  have  immigrated  with  his 
family  in  an  ox-cart  in  1796.  In  Brookfield  he  settled  just  south  of  the 
present  village  of  Clarksville  and  remained  there  until  about  1809, 
when  he  removed  to  Scott  in  Cortland  county  and  settled  in  the  north- 
ern part  of  the  village  of  that  name.  At  the  latter  place  he  remained 
until  some  time  after  the  war  of  1812,  when  he  removed  to  the  town  of 
Spafford  and  took  up  his  residence  on  lands  forming  the  northern  part 
of  the  Prindle  farm,  now  so  called.  Here  he  remained  until  his  death. 
At  the  time  of  his  arrival  in  Spafford  Thompson  was  a  man  well  ad- 
vanced in  years  and  past  the  active  period  of  life;  still  he  was  respected 
and  highly  regarded  by  his  neighbors  for  his  patriotism  and  many 
sterling  qualities.  His  descendants  are  many  and  still  remain  in  this 
and  adjoining  towns.  Paul  married  and  moved  to  Milwaukee,  Wis. 
William  removed  to  Pennsylvania,  Pa.  Thompson  entered  the  service 
of  the  United  States  in  the  war  of  1812  and  was  killed  or  died  during 
service.  He  left  a  lad  named  Avery  Burdick,  who  was  brought  up  by 
his  grandfather  and  became  a  prosperous  citizen  in  this  town  and  his 
descendants  still  remain.  Ethel  died  unmarried.  Lucy  married  John 
Collins,  of   Brookfield,  and  was  the  mother  of  Dr.  John  Collins,  who 


A 


THE  TOWN  OF  SPAFFORD.  921 

formerly  practiced  medicine  in  this  town.  Nabba  married  David  (laics 
and  settled  in  Brookfield.  Nancy  married  George  Frink.  Polina  mar- 
ried John  Barber,  of  Scott,  and  their  descendants  still  remain.  Betsey 
married  Elijah  Knapp  and  was  the  mother  of  Mrs.  William  Barker  and 
Mrs.  Emeline  K.  Collins,  of  this  town.  Sophia  married  Hosea  Palmer 
and  settled  in  Scott.  Thompson  Burdick,  sr. ,  was  a  member  of  the 
first  regiment  of  the  Rhode  Island  line  of  Continentals  in  the  war  of 
the  Revolution  and  served  for  nearly  two  years.  He  served  first  at 
Boston,  afterwards  at  Point  Judith,  R.  I.,  and  was  in  the  battles  of  1. 
Island,  White  Plains,  at  which  place  he  was  wounded  by  a  gun  shot  in 
the  leg,  and  afterwards  in  that  of  Trenton. 

In  December,  1828,  Peter  Picket  built  a  saw  mill  on  Cold  Brook 
which  was  operated  by  B.  W.  Taft.  In  1872  it  was  rebuilt  and  is  now 
owned  by  the  heirs  of  the  late  William  H.  Lawrence,  who  formerly 
had  a  flax  mill  there.  In  1830  a  grist  mill  was  erected  in  the  same 
neighborhood  by  Dr.  David  Mellen,  who  came  from  Hudson,  X.  Y. 
The  mill  was  burned  in  1852.  The  present  feed  mill  there  was  built 
by  John  P.  Taft,  in  1863. 

In  1838  the  town  had  eighteen  whole  school  districts,  766  scholars, 
and  expended  $321.69;  in  1850  there  were  490  scholars  and  $826.  72  ex- 
pended. Between  1844  and  1855  the  schools  were  under  the  direction 
of  a  town  superintendent,  and  those  who  filled  that  office  were  Mott 
Haight,  1844,  1848,  and  1854;  Daniel  G.  Frisbie,  1845:  Oscar  E.  Mose- 
ley,  1846-47;  Lafayette  Foster,  1849;  no  record,  1850  and  is;,:;:  Charles 
H.  Buffington,  1851;  Joseph  H.  Bulfinch,  1852;  George  W.  Spalding, 
1855. 

The  early  inhabitants  of  Spafford  manifested  an  active  interest  in  all 
public  matters,  and  upon  important  occasions  expressed  their  opinions 
with  unmistakable  force.  Politics,  religion,  and  education  commanded 
their  attention  no  less  than  the  personal  affairs  of  life,  and  from  an 
early  day  a  spirit  of  ambition  has  existed  throughout  the  town.  This 
fact  is  evident  from  the  number  of  Spafford's  sons  and  daughters  who 
have  attained  distinction  in  their  chosen  fields  of  labor.  An  illustration 
of  this  commendable  spirit  which  prevailed  in  the  community  occurred 
on  June  26,  1831,  when  an  anti-Masonic  meeting  was  held  at  the  house 
of  Samtfel  Parker,  at  which  Amasa  Sessions  was  chairman  and  John 
Chandler  secretary.  Col.  Phineas  Hutchins,  Mr.  Sessions  and  Alex- 
ander R.  Jackson  were  appointed  a  committee  to  draft  resolutions  ex- 
pressing approval  of  the  "  bold  and  patriotic  cause  of  the  minority  of 
116 


922  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

our   Legislature,    and  also  of  the  able  and  pointed  letter  of  the  Hon. 
Richard  Rush." 

Spafford  is  distinctively  an  agricultural  town,  and  as  such  it  ranks 
among  the  leading  farming  sections  of  the  vState.  Grain,  fruit,  hay, 
potatoes,  etc. ,  are  raised  in  abundance.  The  soil  is  well  watered,  mostly 
by  springs  and  small  brooks,  and  in  places  is  underlaid  with  an  excel- 
lent blue  limestone,  suitable  for  building  purposes.  Here  is  quarried 
building  stone  at  a  higher  elevation  than  at  any  other  point  in  the 
county.  Within  recent  years  the  shore  of  Skaneateles  Lake  in  this 
town  has  in  several  places  been  utilized  by  summer  residents,  who  have 
erected  thereon  a  number  of  attractive  cottages. 

The  population  of  Spafford  has  been  as  follows : 

In  1820,  1,294;  1825,  1,450;  1830,  2,647;  1835,  2,404;  1840,  1,873;  1845,  1,977;  1850, 
1,903;  1855,  1,816;  1860,  1,814;  1865,  1,566;  1870,  1,595;  1875,  1,486;  1880,  1,450;  1890, 
1,227;  1892,  1,210. 


CHAPTER  XLII. 

THE    TOWN    OF    OTISCO. 

This  town  was  not  formed  until  several  years  after  the  first  settle- 
ments were  made.  The  date  of  its  organization  is  March  21,  1806, 
when  it  was  formed  of  parts  of  Pompey,  Marcellus  and  Tully.  It  is 
about  five  miles  long  and  a  little  more  than  four  broad,  and  is  situated 
southwest  of  the  center  of  the  county,  bounded  east  by  La  Fayette 
and  Tully,  south  by  Spafford  and  Tully,  west  by  Otisco  Lake  and 
Spafford,  and  north  by  Onondaga  and  a  small  part  of  Marcellus.  Its 
surface  consists  principally  of  the  high  ridge  between  the  valleys  of 
Onondaga  Creek  and  Otisco  Lake.  The  hills  are  generally  steep  and 
their  summits  rolling,  and  1,600  to  1,700  feet  above  tide.  Otisco  Lake, 
on  the  west  border  of  the  town,  is  in  a  valley  1,000  feet  below  the 
summits  of  the  hills,  is  a  beautiful  body  of  water  five  miles  long,  in 
tin  midst  of  picturesque  scenery,  and  772  feet  above  tide  water.  Bear 
Mountain,  so  called  from  the  number  of  bears  infesting  its  forests  in 
early  years,  is  in  the  northeast  part  of  the  town,  and  is  one  of  the 
principal  elevations.  The  original  forest  was  heavy  and  consisted 
chiefly  of  deciduous  trees  upon  the  hills,   with  some  hemlock  and  pine 


THE  TOWN  OF  OTIS<  '  I  923 

in  the  valleys.  The  clearing-  of  the  land  was  accomplished  only  by 
arduous  labor,  but  when  ready  for  cultivation  it  was  found  to  consist  of 
sandy  and  gravelly  loam,  fertile  and  well  adapted  to  general  farming. 
Large  crops  of  wheat,  corn,  and  other  grains  have  rewarded  the  indus- 
trious agriculturist.  With  all  but  three  towns  in  the  county  of  gre 
acreage  the  census  of  1855  shows  Otisco  to  have  held  second  plai 
the  production  of  maple  sugar,  and  of  apples,  and  third  place  in  the 
number  of  bushels  of  spring  wheat.  In  this  respect  the  town  has  been 
underrated  by  those  not  conversant  with  the  facts.  vClark  wrote  of  it 
almost  fifty  years  ago : 

Its  present  appearance  would  compare  favorably  with  any  town  in  the  county.  Its 
inhabitants  are  hardy,  industrious,  frugal  and  independent,  attentive  to  their  own 
business,  out  of  debt,  and  have  the  means  of  sustaining  themselves.  Not  a  pauper 
or  a  lawyer  is  there  in  the  town,  nor  a  man  unable  or  unwilling  to  pay  his  school 
bills.  Gospel  and  schools  are  well  supported,  hard  times  are  unknown.  It  is  said  a 
hundred  dollars  could  not  be  lent  in  this  town.  None  arc  very  rich  and  none  are 
very  poor. 

The  conditions  of  agricultural  communities  have  changed  since  that 
was  written,  and  yet  in  many  respects  the  description  is  true  to-day. 

Otisco  contains  military  lots  which  were  originally  in  the  towns  of 
Pompey,  Marcellus  and  Tully,  numbered  and  drawn  as  follows: 

Nos.  55,  71,  and  86,  of  Pompey,  drawn  by  John  Uthest,  alias  Joost  Hess,  Thomas 

0.  Bryan,  and  John  Bogg  respectively.  Numbers  3,  4,  5,  6,  13,  1  I.  15,  and  HI.  of 
Tully,  drawn  consecutively  by  Gen.  James  Clinton  (the  first  two),  Joshua  Kelly, 
Lewis  Dubois,  (13  reserved  for  Gospel  and  schools),  Capt.  William  Ball,  Martin 
Decker,  and  William  Peak.  Nos.  78,  79,  80,  81,  82,  83,  91,  92,  93,  94,  and  8 
Marcellus,  drawn  consecutively  by  John  Wilmot,  Lieut.  William  Pennington,  Christian 
Baker,  Jacob  Wyshover,  William  Smith,  Lieut. -Col.  Ebene/.er  Stephens.  Capt.  Peter 

1.  Vosburgh  (part  of  91),  Gilbert   Utter,   Edward   Walker,  Abraham  Wilson,  Holmes 
Austin,  William  Thuttle,  Obediah  Hill,  Ichabod  Ailing,  Ensign  Robert  Provost. 

Although  a  few  Revolutionary  soldiers  lived  in  this  town,  as  recorded 
in  Chapter  XV,  it  is  not  known  that  any  of  the  grantees  of  these  lots 
ever  settled  on  their  lands. 

Settlement  in  Otisco  territory  began  in  1  798  when  Oliver  Tuttle  and 
his  son  Daniel,  and  possibly  his  son  William,  came  on  horseback  from 
Cincinnattts,  in  what  is  now  Cortland  county,  and  began  improvements 
on  lot  97,  near  the  head  of  Otisco  Lake.  While  they  were  thus  em- 
ployed the  father  was  taken  very  sick  and  was  cared  for  by  Daniel  until 
able  to  sit  on  a  horse,  when  they  returned  to  Cincinnatus.  The  jour- 
ney was  made  through  the  forest,  without  roads,  and  the  first  dwelling 
was  reached  at  Homer. 


924  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

It  was  four  years  before  they  returned  to  Otisco,  and  they  then 
found  several  families  of  settlers.  Oliver  Tuttle  built  the  first  frame 
house  in  1804.  Tyler  Frisbie,  who  had  the  statement  directly  from  the 
sons  of  Daniel  Tuttle,  and  also  from  the  sons  of  Mr.  Alpheus  Bouttelle, 
who  settled  in  Otisco  in  1804,  from  the  town  of  Pompey,  has  no  doubt 
but  Mr.  Tuttle  was  the  first  settler  of  the  town. 

Chauncy  Rust,  said  by  Clark  to  have  been  the  first  settler,  moved  his 
family  from  La  Fayette  in  April,  1801.  Mr.  Rust  was  from  Northamp- 
ton, Mass.  During  this  year  and  the  following  a  large  number  of  set- 
tlers arrived,  principally  from  Massachusetts  and  Connecticut,  and  the 
whole  town  filled  up  rapidly. 

Among  others  of  the  first  settlers  were  Jonathan  B.  Nichols,  Charles 
and  Benoni  Merriman,  Solomon  Judd  and  Lemon  Gaylord,  in  1801; 
Otis  Baker,  Noah  Parsons,  Nathaniel  Loomis,  Amos  and  Isaac  Cowles, 
in  1802;  Benjamin  Cowles,  Josiah  Clark,  Daniel  Bennett,  Elias  and 
Jared  Thayer,  Henry  Elethrop,  Samuel,  Ebenezer  and  Luther  French, 
Jared  and  Noah  Parsons,  and  Erastus  Clapp. 

Joseph  Cady  Howe  moved  from  Chesterfield,  Mass.,  into  that  part  of 
Pompey  which  is  now  La  Fayette  in  1799  and  three  years  later  he,  his 
brother,  Zara  Davis  Howe,  and  Apollos  King  moved  into  the  the  south 
part  of  Otisco.  About  this  time  Josephus  Barker,  Judah  Hopkins, 
Oliver  Bostwick,  Timothy  Everett,  and  Charles  Clark  settled  in  the 
east  part,  and  Uriah  Fish,  Thomas  Redway,  Daniel  Hurlburt,  settled 
in  the  northwestern  part. 

These  early  settlers  came  "with  the  Bible  in  one  hand  and  the  spell- 
ing book  in  the  other,"  and  laid  the  foundations  for  the  development  of 
a  virtuous  and  vigorous  people.  The  first  religious  meeting  held  in 
the  town  was  at  the  house  of  Chauncey  Rust  in  September,  1801,  and 
from  that  time  they  were  steadily  maintained,  and  on  the  9th  of  May, 
1808,  Rev.  Hugh  Wallis,  of  Pompey,  presiding,  Charles  Merriman, 
Rachel  Merriman,  Samuel  French,  Benjamin  Cowles,  Phineas  Sparks, 
Oliver  Tuttle,  Abigail  Tuttle,  Ebenezer  French,  jr.,  Amos  Cowles, 
Luther  French,  and  Solomon  Judd,  organized  the  Congregational 
church  of  Otisco,  and  the  society  adopted  as  it  name,  "The  Washing- 
ton Religious  Society  of  Otisco."  Its  first  church  edifice  was  a  frame 
structure  standing  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Irving  W.  Bardwell,  a 
short  distance  north  of  Otisco  Center.  The  only  means  for  heating 
this  building  during  the  whole  time  it  was  used  for  worship  was  by  the 
use  of  little  foot  stoves  brought  thither  from  the  scattered  homes  of  the 


THE  TOWN  OF  OTISCO.  925 

congregation.  In  the  year  1816  a  larger  church  was  built  in  the  center 
of  the  village  on  a  desirable  site  which  the  society  still  retains.  From 
the  building  of  the  second  church  down  to  1855  it  would  be  difficult  to 
find  a  rural  community  more  general  in  attendance  at  church,  a  larger 
and  better  trained  choir,  a  more  generally  attended  Sunday  school,  or 
a  larger  or  more  intelligent  society  of  young  people.  In  the  fall  of 
1805  Rev.  George  Colton  was  called  as  their  first  minister,  but  he  re- 
mained only  a  few  months.  December  9,  1807,  Rev.  William  j.  Wil- 
cox, of  Sandisfield,  Mass.,  was  invited  to  the  pastorate  which  he  ac- 
cepted and  continued  until  March  15,  1821.  The  subsequent  pastors 
of  the  church  have  been  Revs.  Charles  Johnson,  July  19,  1821,  to  Sep- 
tember 3,  1823.  Richard  S.  Corning,  November  15,  1824,  for  nine 
succeeding  years.  Levi  Parsons,  May  1,  1834,  supply  one  year.  Levi 
Griswold,  stated  supply  nearly  a  year  and  pastor  two  years.  Sidney 
Mills,  stated  supply  two  years  from  April  1,  1839.  Thaddeus  Pomeroy, 
two  years  from  December  14,  1841.  Clement  Lewis,  stated  supply  two 
years.  Addison  K.  Strong,  supply  in  June,  1846,  and  pastor  nine  years. 
Levi  Parsons  (son  of  the  before  mentioned  pastor  of  that  name),  two 
years.  Medad  Pomeroy,  five  years  from  1858,  succeeded  in  the  follow- 
ing order  by  J.  M.  Jenks,  Alvin  Baker,  James  S.  Baker,  Isaac  O.  Best, 
R.  C.  Allison,  Edward  Strong,  John  Brash,  Henry  B.  Hudson,  J.  J. 
Munro,  J.  E.  Beecher,  F.  B.  Fraser  and  Addison  K.  Strong  again,  who 
returned  to  the  church  early  in  1 8 (. ) 4  and  remained  until  his  death.  The 
present  church  was  built  in  1892.     The  membership  is  1  L0. 

In  order  that  their  children  might  be  educated  the  pioneers  of  '  Hisco 
provided  a  school  soon  after  the  first  settlement.  The  first  teacher  in 
the  town  was  Lucy  Cowles,  afterwards  the  wife  of  Rev.  George  Colton. 
The  school  house  was  built  of  logs  in  1804.  Luther  French,  afterwards 
a  physician,  two  of  his  sisters,  Lucy,  who  married  Bela  Darrow,  and 
Anna,  who  married  William  King,  and  Timothy  Everett  were  among 
the  early  teachers.  Lucy  was  teaching  in  the  first  log  school  house  at 
the  time  of  the  great  eclipse  in  the  summer  of  L806;  sonic  of  her  pupils 
came  a  distance  of  three  miles.  In  later  years  Charles  and  Lyman 
Kingsley,  Nathaniel  Bostwick,  still  living  at  Onondaga  Valley,  Warner 
Abbott,  B.  J.  Cowles,  and  E.  V.  P.  French  were  leading  teachers. 
Later  still  came  Halsey  W.  Noyes,  Harvey  C.  Griffin,  Emerson  C. 
Pomeroy,  Eveline  T.  Howe  who  married  Harris  Kingsley,  Ruth  Cox 
who  married  Dr.  Simeon  S.  French,  and  her  sister  Susan  who  married 
a  Rev.  Mr.  Gardner  and  is  living  in  Battle  Creek,  Mich.      Probably  the 


926  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

teacher  who  was  most  efficient  in  lifting  the  calling  to  the  dignity  of  a 
profession  in  this  town,  and  who  is  to-day  the  peer  of  any  person  in  the 
State  in  mathematics,  a  good  scientist  and  linguist,  and  an  excellent 
teacher  in  all  respects,  is  Edwin  A.  Strong,  now  filling  one  of  the  chairs 
of  science  in  the  Michigan  State  School  at  Ypsilanti. 

While  the  early  settlers  of  the  town  were  thus  establishing  religion 
and  education  in  their  town,  they  labored  six  days  in  every  week  in 
clearing  and  tilling  their  lands,  or  in  connection  with  the  early  mercan- 
tile and  manufacturing  operations.  At  the  same  time  the  population 
increased,  neighbors  became  more  accessible  to  each  other,  and  the  be- 
ginning of  the  small  hamlet  was  made. 

In  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  Leavett  Billings  served  his  country 
three  years.  He  was  in  the  battle  of  Monmouth,  and  often  made  the 
remark  that  he  "never  was  so  glad  to  see  the  backs  of  any  men  as  he 
was  those  of  the  British  when  they  turned  to  run." 

Ebenezer  French,  jr.,  went  twice  with  his  father  as  minute  men;  was 
with  the  army  at  Long  Island,  and  also  at  the  surrender  of  Burgoyne, 
and  at  the  celebrated  crossing  of  the  Delaware  he  had  a  hand  hurt  so 
that  amputation  of  one  finger  was  necessary.  In  his  regular  enlist- 
ment he  was  in  Col.  Artemus  Ward's  regiment  of  Massachusetts 
troops.  In  the  Shay  rebellion  he  enlisted  to  aid  in  the  execution  of 
the  laws. 

Christopher  Monk  enlisted  with  Massachusetts  troops,  and  after- 
wards settled  and  died  in  Otisco.  Israel  Frisbie  and  Apollos  King  were 
both  in  that  war,  and  these  five  are  laid  at  rest  in  the  Southern  Cem- 
etery of  this  town. 

Others  who  shared  in  the  Revolution  were  John  Ladue,  in  the  New 
York  troops;  Elon  Norton,  in  Colonel  Swift's  regiment  of  Connecticut 
troops;  Chauncey  Atkins,  Samuel  Stewart,  sr. ,  and  Capt.  Eliakim  Clark. 

In  the  war  of  1812  the  following  persons  enlisted  from  this  town: 
Dr.  Luther  French,  as  surgeon;  Otis  Baker,  Charles  Kingsley,  Daniel 
Hurlburt,  Amos  Goodell,  Samuel  Stewart,  jr.,  Thomas  Redway,  Ira 
Newman,  John  Van  Benthuysen,  Samuel  Kinyon,  Robert  Johnson, 
Robert  Rainy,  and  Heman  Griffin.  In  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  the 
town  maintained  its  repute  for  patriotism  and  answered  the  calls  for 
soldiers  promptly  and  freely. 

The  first  town  meeting  was  held  at  the  house  of  Daniel  Bennett, 
April  1,  L806.  Dan  Bradley,  of  Marcellus,  was  chairman,  Judah  Hop- 
kins  was   chosen  supervisor;   Josephns   Barker,  town  clerk ;  and  Noah 


THE  TOWN  OF  OTISCO.  927 

Parsons,  Lemon  Gaylord,  and  Josephus  Barker,  assessors.  An  extra 
town  meeting  was  held  in  the  month  of  August  following,  at  the  school 
house  near  Daniel  Bennett's  tavern,  at  which  a  committee  of  three  was 
chosen  to  ascertain  the  center  of  the  town,  in  order  to  centrally  locate 

the  public  buildings. 

Near  Otisco  village  Jesse  Swan  settled  in  L809  and  opened  a  store 
and  a  tavern;  these  were  situated  about  a  mile  south  of  the  present  vil- 
lage site.  Charles  Clark  settled  on  the  farm  where  he  lived  so  long  in 
1809;  he  built  a  saw  mill,  and  a  fulling  mill,  and  lived  to  nearly  a  cen- 
tury. 

Joseph  Baker,  a  native  of  Chesterfield,  Mass.,  where  he  was  horn  in 
November,  1778,  followed  his  brothers,  Erastus,  Lemuel,  and  Thomas 
to  Pompey  West  Hill  in  1804.  In  1810  he  removed  to  Otisco,  where 
he  died  June  8,  1855.  He  married  Betsey  Danforth  and  they  had 
eleven  children.  After  her  death  in  18-10  he  married  the  widow  of 
Capt.  Timothy  Pomeroy,  of  Otisco.  He  was  a  farmer,  and  cleared 
many  tracts  of  land  for  others. 

Dr.  Jonathan  S.  Judd  began  practice  in  his  profession  in  Otisco  in 
180G,  and  Dr.  Luther  French  two  or  three  years  later.  They  were 
both  men  of  consequence  in  the  town.  Dr.  Ashbel  vSearl  was  a  student 
in  the  office  of  Dr.  French,  and  after  finishing  his  studies  he  remained 
in  the  town  in  practice  until  1850,  when  he  removed  to  Onondaga  Val- 
ley, where  he  continued  in  business.  Dr.  Horatio  Smith  came  a  little 
later,  but  left  the  town  about  the  same  time;  his  son,  Willis  G.  Smith, 
studied  with  his  father,  and  in  due  time  practiced  with  him,  and  re- 
mained after  his  father  went  away.  Dr.  Simeon  S.  French,  son  of  Dr. 
Luth?r  French,  grew  to  manhood  in  the  town,  and  studied  medicine 
with  Dr.  Parks,  of  La  Fayette.  After  five  years  of  practice  in  his  na- 
tive town  and  Onondaga  he  moved  to  Battle  Creek,  Mich.,  and  after 
fifty  years  of  practice  there  is  still  in  the  harness.  He  was  a  surgeon 
in  the  late  war,  where  it  was  his  privilege  to  save  man}'  limbs  from 
amputation. 

In  1819  Lamberton  Munson  migrated  from  Massachusetts  and  set- 
tled in  the  south  part  of  the  town  on  the  Hamilton  and  Skancateles 
turnpike.  Neighbors  of  his  were  Thomas  Lyman,  father  of  John,  and 
ex-District  Attorney  Frederick  A.  Lyman,  Ira,  Richard  and  Ebenezer 
Pompey,  Luther  Colton,  Abraham  Wilkin  and  Joseph  Baker.  Of  these 
Mr.  Lyman  located  about  a  mile  south  of  the  Center,  in  February,  1  822, 
after  traveling  from    Northampton,  Mass.,  with  a  team.      They  used  a 


928  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

sleigh  part  of  the  distance,  when  the  snow  went  off,  and  they  had  to 
buv  a  wagon  to  continue  the  journey,  which  required  ten  days.  Mr. 
Lyman  was  father  of  five  sons  and  seven  daughters.  John  and  F.  A. 
are  the  only  sons  now  living. 

Alpheus  Bouttelle  settled  in  Otisco  Valley  previous  to  this  and  later 
came  Alvah  Munson,  Levi  Rice  and  Oren  T.  Frisbie.  Farther  down 
the  valley  and  near  Amber,  were  Ladowick  Hotchkiss,  Squire  Willard 
and  Seneca  C.  Hemenway.  At  Amber,  where  a  little  hamlet  gathered, 
lived  Killian  Van  Rensselaer,  who  was  an  influential  Mason  of  that 
time  and  doubtless  to  him  may  be  given  the  credit  of  establishing 
some  of  the  higher  bodies  of  that  order  in  so  small  a  place.  Alanson 
Adams  was  a  merchant  at  Amber  for  fifty  years,  where  Mr.  Griffin  is  now 
located;  A.  J.  Niles  also  carried  on  business  there  many  years.  Julius, 
George  D.,  and  Nelson  Bishop  were  reputable  farmers  at  Oak  Hill, 
while  Heman  Griffin  conducted  a  hotel  on  the  western  slope  of  that 
hill  as  long  as  the  stages  and  their  passengers  made  it  profitable. 
Stephen  Wilbur,  now  living  on  the  hill,  is  the  oldest  native  living  in 
the  town.  Saul  Bailey,  the  wealthiest  man  in  the  town,  lived  a  little 
to  the  north  of  the  hill  and  George  W.  Card. 

About  Otisco  Center  on  various  farms  at  an  early  day  lived  Seth 
Clark,  Zephany  Merriman,  Jabez  Whitmore,  Josiah  Everett,  Peleg 
Corey,  Phineas  Sparks,  Sturgis  Sherwood,  Daniel  and  Ichabod  Ross; 
the  last  two  were  brothers  and  it  is  a  curious  fact  that  they  lived  in 
separate  houses  on  their  undivided  farm,  that  no  difference  ever  arose 
between  them.  If  one  started  to  plow  a  field  the  other  kept  out.  In 
an  early  day  on  the  small  stream  leading  into  Christian  Hollow,  east 
from  the  Center,  were  four  mills,  one  woolen  and  three  saw  mills,  all  of 
which  have  disappeared. 

Aaron  Drake  was  a  wagonmaker  at  Amber  in  early  years.  James  L. 
Niles  was  a  lifelong  resident  of  the  town  and  died  in  June,  1894;  he 
served  five  years  as  supervisor  and  was  a  son  of  Albert  and  Polly  Niles, 
who  settled  early;  he  was  a  brother  of  A.  J.  Niles,  before  mentioned 
as  merchant  and  postmaster  at  Amber,  and  who  died  in  March,  1893. 
Benjamin  Kinyon  was  a  native  of  the  town  and  was  born  May  lfi,  1815; 
he  lived  on  the  family  homestead  to  about  1888,  when  he  moved  into 
Amber  village  and  there  died  May  :!(),  1894.  Otis  Baker  was  an  early 
settler  who  was  much  respected;  he  came  to  the  town  in  1802  and  died 
September  is,  L864,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years. 

( )tisco  has  contributed  eighteen  physicians  to  the  medical  profession, 


THE  TOWN  OF  OTISCO.  929 

and  to  the  names  already  given  of  early  doctors  may  be  added  those  of 
Drs.  Samuel  Kingsley,  Luther  Covvles,  Elisha  Merriman,  Daniel  Frisbie, 
Theodore  C.  Pomeroy,  and  W.  W.  Munson. 

The  clerical  profession  has  received  thirteen  natives  of  the  town, 
prominent  among  the  early  ones  being  Marcus  and  Vina!  Smith,  Austin 
Wilcox,  Medad  and  Lemuel  S.  Pomeroy,  and  later  Dr.  Alvah  L.  Frisbie, 
of  the  First  Congregational  church  of  Des  Moines,  Iowa;  Edward 
Strong,  son  of  the  late  Rev.  Dr.  A.  K.  Strong,  whose  father  was  also 
a  clergyman ;  Charles  C.  Hemenway,  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  church 
at  Auburn;  Frank  Bailey,  Henry  W.  Tuttle,  and  David  G.  Smith. 

The  cultivation  of  the  soil  has  always  been  the  chief  occupation  of  Otisco 
men.  What  little  manufacturing  the  town  ever  had  has  disappeared, 
with  the  exception  of  a  saw  mill  or  two.  For  many  years  a  large  busi- 
ness was  carried  on  at  Otisco  Center  in  the  manufacture  of  grain  fan- 
ning mills.  The  first  grist  mill  in  the  town  was  built  by  Charles  Merri- 
man in  1806;  the  only  one  of  the  kind  now  in  town  is  situated  by  a 
small  stream  west  of  the  Center  and  owned  by  Daniel  Gambie.  Mer- 
cantile business,  too,  has  only  been  sufficient  for  the  needs  of  the  com- 
munity. Daniel  Bennett  is  given  the  credit  of  keeping  the  first  store 
in  town  in  1802  and  Michael  Johnson  the  first  store  in  1808.  Since 
then  there  has  always  been  one  or  two  stores  at  the  Center  and  at  Amber, 
the  merchants  usually  acting  as  postmasters.  Lester  Judson  now  car- 
ries on  a  store  at  Otisco  Center,  and  Mr.  Griffin  at  Amber.  The  first 
postmaster  in  town  was  Dr.  Luther  French  in  1814  at  Otisco  Center. 
There  are  now  four  post-offices  in  the  town,  at  the  Center,  Amber, 
Otisco  Valley,  and  Zealand,  near  the  head  of  the  lake. 

Among  the  prominent  farmers  of  the  past  may  be  mentioned: 

Thomas  Radway,  Oliver  Bostwick,  Otis  Baker,  Elisha  Cowles,  Thomas  Parent, 
Stephen  Pomeroy,  Nathaniel  B.  Searl,  Captain  Pelton  and  Philander  S.  Munson. 
The  pioneers  for  a  few  years  had  to  go  to  Jamesville  or  Manlius  to  get  their  wheat 
ground  for  family  use,  and  to  Albany  to  find  a  market.  It  is  related  that  Thomas 
Parent  once  drew  a  load  of  wheat  to  Albany,  but  found  the  price  so  low  that  he 
brought  it  all  the  way  back  to  Otisco.  Some  of  the  later  successful  farmers  are  Geo. 
D.  Redway  (who  has  on  his  farm  lineal  descendants  from  a  flock  of  fourteen  sheep 
that  were  driven  into  the  town  in  1806  by  Thomas  Redway).  Willis  C.  Fish,  Marcus 
Hotchkiss,  Solomon  Wheeler,  William  Hurlburt,  Jno.  W.  Baker,  Edward  M.  Kings- 
ley,  Irving  W.  Bardwell,  Samuel  N.  Cowles,  Lewis  Ellis,  I.  T.  Frisbie.  Farm 
products  of  the  town  are  now  largely  marketed  at  Tully. 

Willis  Gaylord  was  nine  years  old  when  his  father  moved  into  <  >tisco. 
He  was  prominently  connected  with  the  Albany  Cultivator  and  the  Gene- 
117 


930  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

see  Farmer,  two  of  the  leading  agricultural  papers  of  that  day;  he  was 
also  an  able  contributor  to  the  general  literature  and  scientific  journals 
of  his  time  and  remarkable  for  his  love  of  and  perseverance  in  the  study 
and  mastery  of  Virgil.  He  possessed  natural  ingenuity,  which  led  him 
to  construct  an  organ  which  was  in  use  many  years.  He  was  physic- 
ally incapable  of  hard  manual  labor,  by  reason  of  an  early  affliction, 
but  his  mind  was  active.  He  made  palm  leaf  hats,  bound  books  and 
otherwise  occupied  himself.  He  wrote  a  history  of  the  war  of  1812 
which  was  submitted  to  Lewis  H.  Redfield,  but  he  declined  to  publish 
it;  he  afterwards,  however,  admitted  his  mistake  in  not  accepting  it. 
He  died  at  Howlett  Hill,  March  27,  1844,  aged  fifty  years. 

Willis  Gaylord  Clark  and  Lewis  Gaylord  Clark  were  twin  brothers, 
sons  of  Capt.  Eliakim  Clark,  cousins  of  Willis  Gaylord,  and  were  born 
in  Otisco  in  April,  1808.  Their  boyhood  was  marked  by  more  than  the 
usual  juvenile  pranks  and  generally  of  an  original  type.  They  were 
noted  for  wonderful  memory  and  would  repeat  sermons  once  heard 
almost  verbatim.  Each  won  for  himself  a  name  in  the  world  of  letters. 
Willis  wrote  many  essays,  some  fine  poems  and  was  a  correspondent 
of  leading  English  magazines.  He  was  made  editor  of  the  Philadel- 
phia Gazette,  but  found  time  to  write  the  celebrated  "Ollapodiana 
Papers  "  which  were  published  in  the  Knickerbocker  Magazine,  of 
which  his  brother  Lewis  was  then  editor,  and  continued  as  such  many 
years.      Both  brothers  gained  a  national  reputation. 

Carrie  M.  Congdon,  writer  of  "Guardian  Angels,"  and  other  poems, 
lived  in  this  town.  The  work  of  her  pen  was  produced  under  great 
trial  and  discomfort;  she  died  young. 

As  the  town  increased  in  population  the  need  of  further  church 
societies  was  felt  and  on  the  18th  of  August,  1824,  a  meeting  of  citizens 
was  held  at  the  Lake  House,  then  kept  by  David  Moore,  and  proceeded 
to  organize  the  Amber  Religious  Society.  The  church  was  erected 
with  the  understanding  that  it  should  belong  to  no  one  denomination, 
but  should  be  for  the  use  of  any  that  desired  it.  Miles  Bishop,  Barber 
Ken  yon,  and  Samuel  Kenyon  were  chosen  a  building  committee  and 
empowered  to  select  a  site  and  build  a  church.  Robert  Kenyon  and 
Isaac  Briggs  with  the  committee  formed  the  first  board  of  trustees  of 
the  church.  The  building  was  of  wood  and  cost  $1,300.  The  Method- 
ists only  kept  up  regular  service.  In  1866  the  hill  on  which  the  church 
stands  was  lowered  and  the  church  rebuilt  at  a  cost  of  $1,450. 

The  third  religious  organization  in  the  town  was  the  Maple  Grove 


THE  TOWN  OF  OTTSCO.  931 

Methodist  Episcopal  church.     In  1832  a  class  of  twenty-eight  members 

was  organized  at  the  Seeley  school  house  by  Peres  Case,  a  local  preacher. 
Regular  services  were  continued  in  the  school  house  until  L850  when 
the  present  church  was  erected ;  the  sight  was  donated  by  Amos  Abbott. 
The  society  was  incorporated  February  27,  1850,  Warner  Abbott,  John 
Case,  Lewis  Pickett,  trustees.  The  church  was  rebuilt  and  rededicated 
in  1876  and  stands  on  a  beautiful  spot  among  the  farms  of  northeast 
Otisco. 

St.  Patrick's  church  was  erected  in  1870  on  the  north  border  of  Oti 
village,  under  the  supervision  of  Rev.  F.  T.  Purcell,   of  Skaneateles, 
who  had  charge  of  a  mission  here  for  some  time.     On  Decembe; 
1886,  the  church  was  destroyed  by  fire,  but  was  rebuilt  in  1889  on  a  site 
adjoining  that  of  the  Congregational  church  on  the  south. 

About  thirty  years  ago  the  Reformed  Methodist  people  organized  a 
society  in  Otisco  and  they  now  have  a  church  about  a  mile  south  from 
Otisco  Center.     The  society  is  prosperous. 

The  population  of  this  town  at  different  dates  is  given  in  the  follow- 
ing figures: 

1835,  1,863;  1840,  1,906;  1835,  1,701;  1850,  1.804;  1855,  1,725;  1860.  1,848;  1865, 
1,696;  1870,  1,602;  1875,  1,532;  1880,  1,558;  1890,  1,326;  1892,  1,311. 

Following  is  a  list  of  the  supervisors  of  the  town,  as  far  as  now  ob- 
tainable: 

Joseph  D.    Hopkins,    1806;  Jonathan   B.   Nichols,   1807;  Joseph   Barker.    L808 
Jonathan   B.   Nichols,   1817-21;    Joseph   Barker,    1821-22;    jared    Par  1822  35; 

Warner  Abbott,  1836-37;  Richard  Pomeroy,  1838;  Simeon  T.  Clark.  1839;  Jared 
Parsons,  1840;  Nathaniel  B.  Searle,  1841;  Asel  S.  Bissell,  1842;  Benjamin  J.  Cowles, 
1843-45;  Solomon  Wheeler,  1884-86;  James  Henderson,  1886-88;  M.  Meara,  L888  89; 
Samuel  N.  Cowles,  1889-90;  James  L.  Miles,  1890-93;  Henry  Tuffley,  1893-96. 

Otisco  is  not  fruitful  of  early  recollection  and  incident,  though  there 
are  some  authenticated  traditions  connected  with  its  history.  Among 
them  is  that  of  an  Indian  family  said  to  have  lived  somewhere  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  foot  of  Otisco  Lake,  the  paternal  of  which  and  all  of 
his  children  were  thickly  covered  with  a  coating  of  hair,  like  that  of  a 
bear.  The  family  was  supposed  to  be  possessed  of  an  evil  spirit  and 
was  shunned  by  all  other  Indians.  This  tradition  still  has  firm  believers 
among  the  Onondaga  Indians,  who  once  had  a  trail  to  the  lake  whither 
they  went  to  hunt  and  fish.  The  Otisco  Lake  was  a  picturesque  sheet 
of  water  until  the  State,  in  1863,  converted  it  into  a  feeder  for  the  Erie 
Canal,  since  which  time  it  has  been  subject  to  heavy  draft  at  times 
during  the  summer,  lowering  the   water  and    materially    widening   its 


932  ONONDAGA'S  CENTENNIAL. 

shores.  A  dam  for  this  purpose  was  constructed  across  the  outlet.  It 
might  fairly  be  supposed  that  in  such  a  mountainous  region  in  connec- 
tion with  the  fact  that  not  far  from  the  town  there  is  much  limestone, 
that  good  quarries  of  building  stone  would  be  found,  but  there  are  none. 
The  ledges  are  mainly  composed  of  red  and  brown  shale.  There  is, 
however,  a  singular  deposit  of  Marcellus  goniatite  or  "horn  rock,"  on 
the  road  from  South  Onondaga  to  Otisco.  The  "  horns  "  are  like  those 
found  along  the  east  shore  of  Skaneateles  Lake,  near  Glen  Haven. 
They  are  said  by  geologists  to  be  the  remains  of  molluska,  deposited 
when  the  region  was  covered  with  water,  like  the  Crustacea  which  make 
the  present  beds  of  marl,  from  which  cement  is  made,  here  and  there 
over  a  large  belt  of  country.  There  are  geologists  who  class  these 
"horns  "  with  coral.  Their  origin  is  not  definitely  known  ;  at  least  geolo- 
gists disagree  in  their  c pinions.  It  was  said  fifty  years  ago  of  this  town, 
when  there  was  "  not  a  pauper  or  a  lawyer  in  it,  not  a  man  unable  or 
unwilling  to  pay  his  school  bills,"  that  its  condition  was  described  by  a 
Chinese  aphorism : 

Where  spades  grow  bright,  and  idle  swords  grow  dull, 
Where  jails  are  empty,  and  where  barns  are  full, 
Where  church  paths  are  by  frequent  feet  outworn, 
Law  court  yards  weedy,  silent  and  forlorn, 
Where  doctors  foot  it,  and  where  farmers  ride, 
Where  age  abounds,  and  youth  is  multiplied, — 
Where  these  signs  are,  they  truly  indicate, 
A  happy  people  and  well-governed  State. 

Though  the  last  half  century  has  wrought  changes  in  Otisco,  as  else- 
where, it  is  still  a  town  of  superior  characteristics.  Its  population, 
always  small  comparatively,  has  slowly  dwindled,  it  is  true,  since  1840, 
as  the  population  of  most  other  towns  has  fallen  off  and  mainly  been 
added  to  that  of  the  city,  but  it  must  always  remain  possessed  of  its 
own  peculiar  advantages  and  maintain  more  or  less  of  the  sterling  char- 
acter which  its  pioneers  brought  to  it. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


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